Pellet Mill Monthly - January 1, 2013

Georgia torrefied pellet producer to ship samples to Europe Georgia-based torrefied pellet developer, Vega Biofuels, has announced plans to ship samples to European power companies for testing by the end of January. The company first announced its plans to ship torrefied pellets to Europe in March. READ MORE SHARE
EPA Finalizes Clean Air Standards for Industrial Boilers The U.S. EPA has finalized changes to Clean Air Act standards for boilers and certain incinerators, which it reported will lessen particle control requirements for biomass units and lower compliance costs. READ MORE SHARE
	U.K. places non-legislative cap on biomass power under the RO The U.K. Department of Energy & Climate Change has announced a 400 MW non-legislative cap on the total new build dedicated biomass generating capacity that can expect to be supported at 1.5 Renewable Obligation Certificates per MWh. READ MORE SHARE
Ore. energy plan calls for shift in biomass investment approach Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber believes energy is the issue of our time, and to address the issue, he has released a 10-year Energy Action Plan. The 48-page plan includes a recommendation section on bioenergy and biomass-based thermal energy development. READ MORE SHARE
Drax Biomass announces pellet projects, port facility Drax Biomass International Inc. a development and operating company focused on manufacturing wood pellets for renewable, low-carbon power generation from sustainable biomass, has announced its plans for three projects in the Gulf region. READ MORE SHARE
USDA grants support sustainable bioenergy production Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has announced $10 million in research grants to spur production of bioenergy and biobased products that will lead to the development of sustainable regional systems and help create jobs. READ MORE SHARE
NNFCC briefing stresses bioenergy can deliver meaningful benefits The U.K. has committed to sourcing 15 percent of its energy from renewable resources by 2020, and biomass is expected to pay a crucial role in this goal by delivering low carbon sources of heat, power and liquid fuels. READ MORE SHARE
Georgia wood pellet export terminal will be largest in Southeast A Savannah, Ga., export terminal once used for the export of the paper industry product kaolin clay, will now give Enova Wood Pellet Group LLC a 1.35 million metric ton per year wood pellet export capacity at a single port. READ MORE SHARE
WBA disputes forest biomass carbon payback, debt theories The World Bioenergy Association released a new biomass fact sheet at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in December. The document asserts that theories on carbon debt and "payback time" of biomass are not credible. READ MORE SHARE
UK Green Investment Bank opens for business The U.K. Department for Business, Innovation & Skills recently declared the U.K. Green Investment Bank plc open for business. The entity is the world's first investment bank dedicated solely to green investments. READ MORE SHARE
EIA releases Annual Energy Outlook 2013 reference case The U.S. Energy Information Administration has published Annual Energy Outlook 2013 Early Release Overview. The document, which provides up an update of the AEO reference case, predicts a lower rate of growth for biofuels than the AEO2012. READ MORE SHARE