Biomass Week - December 12, 2014

EPA highlights expected RFS rulemaking schedule during hearing On Dec. 10, the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee on Energy Policy, HealthCare and Entitlements held a hearing focused on the U.S. EPA's implementation of the renewable fuels standard (RFS). READ MORE SHARE
Enviva joint venture to construct S.C. pellet, export facilities Enviva Holdings LP and John Hancock Life Insurance Co. announced plans to develop wood pellet plants and export terminals in the southeastern U.S. Construction on a pellet plant and export terminal in South Carolina is expected to begin this month. READ MORE SHARE
	German Pellets' Louisiana plant expected to begin operations soon German Pellets GmbH has released its third quarter financial results, reporting a good start to the heating season and a new 10-year contract with a European customer. The company also announced its Louisiana pellet plant will begin operations soon. READ MORE SHARE
California report emphasizes need for renewable gas standard The nonprofit Bioenergy Association of California has published a report detailing why California needs a renewable gas standard. The report concludes that the biogas sector needs an effective regulatory framework and greater long-term certainty. READ MORE SHARE
FERC: 102 MW of biomass capacity added in October The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's Office of Energy Projects recently published its Energy Infrastructure Update for October, reporting seven biomass units with a combined 102 MW capacity was were placed into service during the month. READ MORE SHARE
Oregon opens $1.5 million renewable energy funding opportunity The Oregon Department of Energy has opened a renewable energy funding opportunity, announcing that up to $1.5 million in grants are available for renewable energy systems. Biomass, landfill gas and biogas are among the eligible technologies. READ MORE SHARE
Genera announces investment from WindSail Capital Group Genera Energy Inc. has received a strategic financing commitment from WindSail Capital Group, a Boston-based investment firm that provides growth financing to companies advancing energy innovation and sustainability. READ MORE SHARE
Rivertop Renewables begins construction of commercial plant Rivertop Renewables, a Montana-based specialty chemicals company, has begun construction of its first commercial plant, located at DanChem Technologies Inc.'s facility in Danville, Virginia. The facility will produce several biobased products. READ MORE SHARE
KiOR auction scheduled for Jan. 9 KiOR Inc. is expected to proceed with a bankruptcy auction in early January following a Dec. 8 order issued by a judge with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware. READ MORE SHARE
NatureWorks and Natur-Tec begin sales of Ingeo in India NatureWorks and Northern Technologies International Corp. have announced they are collaborating on marketing and sales of Ingeo in India and surrounding countries, including Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. READ MORE SHARE
Paul Smith's College, NYSERDA partner on renewable energy Paul Smith's College is installing a highly sustainable, state-of-the-art wood-pellet boiler system, which will heat its three academic buildings. The project was partially supported by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority. READ MORE SHARE
ASTM approves new standard for butanol purity testing A new ASTM International standard will be used in isobutanol manufacturing to test its purity for use in the chemical and fuel markets. Isobutanol manufacturers and quality laboratories that work with fuels will be the primary users of ASTM D7875. READ MORE SHARE
Alstom renews electrostatic precipitators at bioenergy in Hungary Thermal Power Service division of Alstom Hungary Ltd. has successfully accomplished its first air quality project. Alstom supplied and put in operation two new electrostatic precipitators in one of the biomass-fired blocks of Pecs Power Plant. READ MORE SHARE
Stora Enso opens new biomaterials innovation center Stora Enso will concentrate its new biomaterials business development in an innovation center that will be located in the Stockholm area in Sweden. The center is expected to open during the second quarter of 2015. READ MORE SHARE
Indiana landfill gas-to-energy project begins operations Republic Services recently announced the start of operations at its latest landfill gas-to-energy project. The new 6 MW project at County Line Landfill involves four engines operating at one energy generation facility. READ MORE SHARE
Waste-derived pellet fuel manufacturing facility planned for 2015 Engineered Carbon Solutions, the manufacturer of a hybrid pellet fuel made with recycled biomass material and coal, has plans to establish a mid-sized manufacturing facility in Connecticut next year. READ MORE SHARE
Hurst boiler selected for New Hampshire district heating project Sullivan County, New Hampshire, has purchased a Hurst biomass boiler district heating system with a backpressure steam turbine/generator. The Hurst system will serve the county's nursing home, prison complex and two smaller onsite buildings in Unity. READ MORE SHARE
Danish ministry announces biomass sustainability agreement The Danish Ministry of Climate, Energy and Building recently posted a notice to its website announcing a new voluntary agreement formed with members of its domestic energy industry on sustainable biomass. READ MORE SHARE
UPM advocates for EU advanced biofuel policy Leaders of Sustainable Biofuels, an industry coalition to promote advanced biofuels, met on Dec. 4 at the European Parliament. LSB, chaired by UPM's Marko Janhunen, is advocating for a strong EU-wide subtarget for advanced biofuels. READ MORE SHARE
Spart announces completion of financing for Michigan AD project Sustainable Partners LLC (Spart) has announced completion of financing for Lowell Energy AD LLC an anaerobic digestion (AD) waste-to-energy facility in Lowell, Michigan. Spart has been at work on Lowell Energy AD for two years. READ MORE SHARE
Airbus signs MOU with Emerging Fuels Technology Airbus Group Inc. has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Emerging Fuels Technology Inc. to promote EFT in the commercialization of technologies to produce sustainable fuels for aviation. READ MORE SHARE
Official opening of biomass terminal at Port of Hull celebrated It dominates the skyline in the eastern part of the city and now the Port of Hull's dedicated biomass terminal, built to support Drax Power Station's conversion to a lower carbon power generator has been officially opened. READ MORE SHARE