Pellet Mill Press - March 3, 2015

USDA publishes final BCAP rule The USDA has released the final rule for the Biomass Crop Assistance Program. Although the general scope of BCAP is not changing, there are some key changes being made to several components of the program. A public comment period is now open. READ MORE SHARE
Drax's 2014 results show decarbonization project on time, budget The Drax Group Plc announced 2014 full-year financial results, with Chief Executive Dorothy Thompson reporting that Drax's biomass transformation project was the company's main priority over the past year. READ MORE SHARE
	Rentech's New England Wood Pellet acquires Allegheny Pellet Rentech Inc. has announced that its subsidiary, New England Wood Pellet, has acquired the assets of Allegheny Pellet Corp. The acquisition expands NEWP's market position as the largest producer of wood pellets for the U.S. heating market. READ MORE SHARE
Lignetics, Bear Mountain Forest Products announce merger Lignetics Inc. and Bear Mountain Forest Products Inc. have merged. The combined company now has five pellet plants located on the east and west coasts, with a combined production capacity of approximately 450,000 tons of wood pellets per year. READ MORE SHARE
EU to investigate U.K. support of Lynemouth biomass conversion On Feb. 19, the European Commission announced it has opened an in-depth investigation to assess whether the U.K.'s plans to support the biomass conversion of the coal-fired Lynemouth power plant are in line with European Union state aid rules. READ MORE SHARE
DOE announces biomass advisory committee meeting The U.S. Department of Energy has announced an open meeting of the Biomass Research and Development Technical Advisory Committee will be held March 5-6 in Washington, D.C. Members of the public are welcome to observe the business of the committee. READ MORE SHARE
Report provides overview of European biobased economy A report published by the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service's Global Information Network provides an overview of the EU biobased economy and estimated biomass requirements for the production of biofuels, bioplastics, biochemicals and other products. READ MORE SHARE
Sen. Wyden issues letter to GSA in support of biomass energy Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., recently issued a letter to Dan Tangherlini, administrator of the General Services Administration, and Thomas Tidwell, chief of the U.S. Forest Service, advocating for the use of biomass energy in federal buildings. READ MORE SHARE
EEA: Renewables successfully reducing European GHG emissions A report recently published by the European Environment Agency stresses that the deployment of renewable technologies in Europe has been an important force driving the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. READ MORE SHARE
Report highlights growth of EU pellet consumption The EurObserv'ER has published a new edition of its Solid Biomass Barometer, reporting consumption of solid biomass in the European Union increased to 91.5 million tons of oil equivalent (Mtoe) in 2013, up 2.9 Mtoe from the previous year. READ MORE SHARE
Rentech secures loan, explores alternatives for nitrogen business Rentech Inc. has announced that GSO Capital Partners LP, the credit investment arm of Blackstone, increased its credit facility for Rentech by up to $63 million. The proceeds are expected to fund the completion of Rentech's Canadian pellet plants. READ MORE SHARE
ANSI to be accreditation body for biomass GHG certification The American National Standards Institute has been selected by International Sustainability and Carbon Certification to be the accreditation body for its certification system for sustainability and greenhouse gas emissions related to biomass. READ MORE SHARE
Forest Research, E.ON to lead ETI U.K. feedstock project The Energy Technologies Institute has announced that Forest Research and E.ON will deliver the latest project in its bioenergy program, a study into the characterization of bioenergy feedstocks. READ MORE SHARE
German Pellets acquires Nord Energie German Pellets GmbH has acquired the pellet business of Germany-based Nord Energie GmbH & Co., effective Feb. 16. Nord Energie has more than five years experience in pellet trade and logistics. READ MORE SHARE
BTEC, PFI thank Sen. King, Rep. Welch for commitment to BTU Act The Biomass Thermal Energy Council and Pellet Fuels Institute have thanked Senator Angus King, I-Maine, and Rep. Peter Welch, D-Vt. for their commitment to renewable biomass energy and plans to ensure biomass thermal is represented in the tax code. READ MORE SHARE