Biomass Week - April 12, 2013

Biomass industry heads discuss priorities, challenges, at IBCE The emphasis of the April 9 International Biomass Conference & Expo general session in Minneapolis could be summed up in one word: policy. READ MORE SHARE
International Biomass Conference & Expo tours biopower plants Koda Energy LLC and Elk River Resource Recovery Project were the first two biomass industry tours at the International Biomass Conference & Expo being held April 8-10 in Minneapolis. READ MORE SHARE
	IBCE tours District Energy St. Paul, Target Field A dedicated group of biomass professionals braved winter storm Walda to visit District Energy St. Paul, Environmental Wood Supply (EWS), and Target Field on the final day of the 2013 International Biomass Conference & Expo. READ MORE SHARE
White House issues fiscal year 2014 budget request President Obama has sent his fiscal year 2014 budget to Congress. It includes increased spending on several renewable energy initiatives. READ MORE SHARE
Niebling, Dominion, win biomass industry awards at IBCE Charlie Niebling, general manager of New England Wood Pellet, received the 2013 Excellence in Bioenergy Award at the International Biomass Conference and Expo in Minneapolis, April 8-10. READ MORE SHARE
Kentucky Power seeks approval of biomass power purchase agreement Kentucky Power Co., an operating unit of American Electric Power, has filed an application with the Kentucky Public Service Commission asking for approvals related to a renewable energy purchase agreement (REPA) for biomass energy resources. READ MORE SHARE
IRS increases 2013 PTC for closed-loop biomass The U.S. Internal Revenue Service has published 2013 inflation adjustment factors for the production tax credit for renewable electricity production in the Federal Register, increasing the PTC for closed-loop biomass by 0.1 cent per kilowatt hour. READ MORE SHARE
ClearSign, Grandeg to cooperate on pellet boilers ClearSign Combustion Corp. and Grandeg have announced their intention to enter into a development agreement for the integration of ClearSign's proprietary ECC technology into Grandeg's line of commercial wood pellet boilers. READ MORE SHARE
Ala. DNR division to seek bids for 25-year timber-sale contract The Alaska Department of Natural Resources Division of Forestry has announced a decision to proceed with a 25-year timber sale on state land near Tok, an region approximately 200 miles south-east of Fairbanks. READ MORE SHARE
Wood fiber study will support new private sector investment Minnesota Power and its regional economic development partners have commissioned a study of northeastern Minnesota's and northwestern Wisconsin's available forest resources. READ MORE SHARE
D5 RINs for biogas, renewable diesel generated in February The U.S. EPA has published data on renewable identification numbers (RINs) generated under the renewable fuel standard (RFS) during February 2013. READ MORE SHARE
IEA publishes global update of advanced, cellulosic projects The International Energy Agency Bioenergy Task 39 group recently published a report that outlines progress on more than 100 advanced biofuel projects under development worldwide. READ MORE SHARE
Berkeley researchers catalyze more sugars from biomass Researchers with the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory through support from the Energy Biosciences Institute have literally shed new light on cellulase catalysis using an ultrahigh-precision visible light microscopy technique. READ MORE SHARE
EIA outlook report predicts increasing biomass power production The U.S. Energy Information Administration has released the April 2013 issue of its Short-Term Energy and Summer Fuels Outlook. The report predicts that wood biomass will be used to generate 105 gigawatt hours per day of electricity in 2013. READ MORE SHARE
Monitoring, diagnostics tackle algae biofuel pond crash problem Sandia National Laboratories is developing a suite of complementary technologies to help the emerging algae industry detect and quickly recover from algal pond crashes, an obstacle to large-scale algae cultivation for future biofuels. READ MORE SHARE
Engineering algae to make nanocellulose Genes from the family of bacteria that produce vinegar have become stars in a project that would turn algae into solar-powered factories for producing the "wonder material" nanocellulose. READ MORE SHARE
Clarke Energy signs contract for landfill project in Ireland Clarke Energy has signed a contract with Bord na Mona to deliver a landfill gas power plant at the Drehid Landfill site in the Republic of Ireland. The project will utilize four of GE Power & Water's containerized Jenbacher 420 gas engines. READ MORE SHARE
Hawaii invests in papaya-to-biofuel project Hawaii Gov. Neil Abercrombie recently presented a $200,000 check from the state Department of Agriculture that will go toward the Hilo center's zero waste biofuel and high protein feed program. READ MORE SHARE
Advanced biofuel feedstocks targeted in N.C. research awards The Biofuels Center of North Carolina recently awarded $684,000 for six projects to accelerate the renewable fuels industry in western North Carolina. Awards were determined through a competitive, peer-reviewed process. READ MORE SHARE
The industry comments on proposed 2013 RFS volumes The public comment period on the U.S. EPA's proposed rule for the 2013 renewable fuel standard (RFS) is now closed. According to the rulemaking's docket folder on Regulations.gov, nearly 50 public comments were submitted on the proposal. READ MORE SHARE
Nippon Paper Industries to develop biomass power project in Japan Nippon Paper Industries Co. Ltd. has decided to implement a biomass power generation project using 100 percent unused woody materials, making it the first project of its kind in Japan. READ MORE SHARE
Agrebon to install biogas-to-nitrogen technology at ethanol plant Project development is in the financing stage for a nitrogen fertilizer facility to be co-located with Tharaldson Ethanol Inc., a 153 MMgy facility located in Casselton, N.D. The fertilizer plant would produce urea, anhydrous ammonia and UAN. READ MORE SHARE
Trade group publishes land use data for bioplastic feedstocks European Bioplastics has published data demonstrating that less than 0.006 percent of global agricultural area is currently required to grow feedstock for the bioplastics industry. That percentage is expected to grow to 0.022 percent by 2016. READ MORE SHARE
Iona Capital finances farm-scale anaerobic digestion plants Iona Capital has announced the successful completion of an investment into JFS Howla Hay Biogas Ltd., a joint venture company with developer JFS & Associates Ltd. and a family run Farm in North Yorkshire, England. READ MORE SHARE