Pellet Mill Monthly - October 1, 2013

USDA announces initiative to expand U.S. wood-to-energy efforts The USDA has announced a partnership agreement with biomass trade groups that focuses on promoting wood energy nationwide as a means to address fire risk, bolster rural economic development, improve air quality and help meet renewable energy goals. READ MORE SHARE
Report: Electricity from wood pellets yields quick carbon savings A new report says wood pellets imported to Europe from the Southeast U.S. and British Columbia, Canada, for electricity production have immediate or very rapid contribution to climate change mitigation. READ MORE SHARE
	Enova Energy to purchase Georgia pellet plant Enova Energy Group said it will purchase Southeast Georgia Biofuels, a wood pellet plant located in Nahunta, Ga. The company intends to install additional equipment, increasing capacity to approximately 150,000 tons per year. READ MORE SHARE
Missouri municipal power plant to test burn engineered pellets Columbia (Mo.) Water and Light has approval from its advisory board to purchase corn stover pellets for trial burns at the municipal power plant this winter. Last year the company performed a test burn with miscanthus pellets. READ MORE SHARE
Federal government funds biomass projects through IMCP program The U.S. Department of Commerce, the USDA, the U.S. EPA and the Small Business Administration have announced the first round of funding under the Investing in Manufacturing Communities Partnership program. READ MORE SHARE
RusForest secures financing for wood pellet project in Russia RusForest AB, a Swedish forestry company with operations in Russia, has secured bank financing from CentroCredit for a 100,000-ton-per-year wood pellet plant under construction in Arkhangelsk, Russia. READ MORE SHARE
Plum Creek Timber, Enova enter fiber supply agreement Plum Creek Timber Co. Inc. announced it has entered into a 10-year fiber supply and services agreement with The Enova Group to supply up to 3 million tons annually of sustainably managed wood fiber to three pellet manufacturing locations. READ MORE SHARE
2012 census shows wood heating continues growth streak According to recently released U.S. Census statistics, 63,566 more families used wood or pellets as a primary heating fuel in 2012 compared to 2011, which amounts to an increase of 2.6 percent, making wood the fastest growing heating fuel in the U.S. READ MORE SHARE
Biomass energy takes share of $7 billion in U.S. Army contracts Out of 52 bids submitted for a share of $7 billion in energy contracts offered by the U.S. Army for biomass energy projects, 13 companies have been selected. Facilities will be developed by the private sector under Department of Defense jurisdiction. READ MORE SHARE
USDA announces payments to pellet, biogas producers The USDA has announced payments to biofuel producers under the Advanced Biofuel Payment Program. USDA Rural Development Acting Under Secretary Doug O'Brien made the announcement Sept. 12 at the National Advanced Biofuels Conference & Expo. READ MORE SHARE
IEA Task40: Biomass provides 10 percent of global energy use A new report from the International Energy Agency takes a global overview of biomass use in the industrial and transport sectors, identifying leading countries and the top 15 production companies in each sector. READ MORE SHARE
Tri-state symposium on heating with biomass set in Illinois Biomass-derived heating is the subject of a tri-state symposium being hosted by the University of Illinois Extension, the University of Wisconsin Extension and Highland Community College in Freeport, Ill. on Oct. 24. READ MORE SHARE
Wash. DNR offers training for biomass calculator tool The Washington State Department of Natural Resources has announced it will hold four technical workshops on how to use the web-based Washington State Biomass Calculator in October. The workshops are open to the public. READ MORE SHARE
SUNY celebrates opening of pellet-fueled gasifier, boiler The combined-heat-and-power system (CHP) housed within the State University of New York's College of Environmental Science and Forestry's Gateway Center uses biomass pellets and natural gas to provide the campus with heat and power. READ MORE SHARE
Viridis produces pellets at Scotia plant, releases Q2 results British Columbia-based pellet producer Viridis Energy Inc. has announced its wholly owned subsidiary Scotia Atlantic Biomass Co. Ltd. has commenced operations and is producing wood pellets at its 120,000-ton-per-year plant in Nova Scotia. READ MORE SHARE
PFI standards program certifies 2 new companies The Pellet Fuels Institute recently announced the addition of two new companies to its pellet fuel standards program. Curran Renewable Energy and American Wood Fibers have officially qualified under the certification program. READ MORE SHARE
Biomass power to reach $11.5 billion in annual revenue by 2020 Technological breakthroughs and the expansion of international trade in biomass pellets are expected to lead to sustained growth in the biomass power sector, with worldwide revenue reaching $11.5 billion annually, according to Navigant Research. READ MORE SHARE
FSE Energy expands biomass boiler manufacturing capacity FSE Energy is pleased to announce the opening of a new state-of-the-art 135,370 square foot manufacturing facility in Dallas, Texas. This site is the second fabrication facility for FSE Energy; the first is located in Vacherie, La. READ MORE SHARE