Biomass Week - April 3, 2015

Viridis Energy reports strong year For Viridis Energy, 2014 was a foundation year during which the company laid the groundwork to position itself for growth anticipated over the coming years. Viridis reported a strong year, with total 2014 revenue of $28.2 million. READ MORE SHARE
Senators advocate for bioenergy appropriations in letter A group of five senators recently sent a letter to two Senate subcommittees asking them to support funding for programs that bolster the development of thermal and electric biomass energy technologies, supply chains and market opportunities. READ MORE SHARE
	DONG Energy to convert final unit at Avedore plant to biomass DONG Energy has announced the last combined-heat-and-power (CHP) unit at Avedore Power Station will be converted to biomass, making it able from to use wood pellets as fuel instead of coal starting next year. READ MORE SHARE
Industry provides input to SAB Biogenic Carbon Emissions Panel In late March, the U.S. EPA's Science Advisory Board Biogenic Carbon Emissions Panel held a public face-to-face meeting to review the agency's Framework for Assessing Biogenic CO2 Emissions from Stationary Sources. A teleconference is planned in May. READ MORE SHARE
Republic Services announces LFGTE project, sustainability report On April 2, Republic Services Inc. announced the opening of a new landfill gas-to-energy project at the Upstate Regional Landfill in Union County, South Carolina. The project features two reciprocating combustion engines that generate 3,200 kW. READ MORE SHARE
Report highlights corn ethanol’s role in cellulosic development Third Way has released a report highlighting the connection between first- and second-generation ethanol and the need for continued implementation of the renewable fuels standard (RFS). READ MORE SHARE
UK Green Investment Bank backs new biomass projects U.K. Green Investment Bank has made several announcements recently about investments made for upcoming, renewable energy projects, including the Levenseat Renewable Energy Ltd. project. READ MORE SHARE
EPA announces plans for cellulosic information collection request The U.S. EPA is soliciting public comments on a proposed information collection request it plans to submit to the Office of Management and Budget regarding cellulosic volume projections and efficient producer reporting. Comments are due May 26. READ MORE SHARE
Tilbury biomass project scores financing, fuel contract A 60-MW biomass power plant proposed at the Port of Tilbury in Essex county, northeast of London, England, recently secured a fuel supply contract with Stobart Group Ltd., and financing backed by the U.K. Green Investment Bank. READ MORE SHARE
Biome reports revenue, margin increase in 2014 earnings results On March 25, Biome Technologies plc, a U.K.-based bioplastics company, announced its financial results for the year ended Dec. 31, 2014, reporting an 80 percent increase in revenues reflected in both of the company's divisions. READ MORE SHARE
EPA: Comments on pennycress GHG analysis due April 20 The U.S. EPA has officially opened a 30-day comment period on its recently released analysis of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions attributable to the production and transport of pennycress oil for use in biofuel production. READ MORE SHARE
Arkema connects landfill gas project with bioplastic pipe Arkema Inc., Georg Fischer Central Plastics LLC, and BioResource Development LLC have partnered in a unique project to successfully install a polyamide 11 piping system to connect landfill gas to the local gas distribution system in Nebraska. READ MORE SHARE
Massachusetts announces $1 million expansion for AgEnergy grants Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker recently announced that Massachusetts farmers will soon be able to apply to the expanded Department of Agricultural Resources' AgEnergy Grant Program, thanks to new funding from the Department of Energy Resources. READ MORE SHARE
PureVision to scale up biorefining technology at ZeaChem site PureVision Technology Inc., a Colorado-based biorefinery developer, recently announced that it will scale up its biorefining technology at an industrial site in Boardman, Oregon, owned by ZeaChem Inc. READ MORE SHARE
Biopolymers have potential in biomedicine, agricultural markets While biobased polymers face challenges that limit their potential in some high-volume markets, Lux Research has shown their biodegradability can make them a valuable choice in biomedical and agriculture markets. READ MORE SHARE
CRI licenses IH2 technology to forest products company A forest products company headquartered in Europe has entered into an FEL-1 license agreement with CRI Catalyst Co. for its IH2 technology, which is a thermal catalytic process that produces liquid fuels from forest biomass and other resources. READ MORE SHARE
Ceres accelerates sugarcane trait development Ceres Inc. recently announced that its biotech sugarcane traits have been advanced to the next stage of testing ahead of schedule due to positive data from initial field evaluations under tropical conditions in Latin America. READ MORE SHARE
Scania and Swedfund invest in Indian biogas Scania and the development financier of the Swedish state Swedfund are establishing a partnership to develop the production of biogas as an automotive fuel in the Indian city of Nagpur, which is located in the state of Maharashtra. READ MORE SHARE
Dartmouth-led team studies climate smart dairy farming, bioenergy Dartmouth and the University of Maryland have received federal funding to study the environmental and financial benefits of converting methane gas from cow manure into electricity and heat on Vermont and New York dairy farms over the next 60 years. READ MORE SHARE
ISU agronomist weighs impacts of corn residue removal Farmers who are considering selling corn residue from their fields to produce cellulosic ethanol first should weigh a range of site-specific factors to their operations, according to new research from an Iowa State University agronomist. READ MORE SHARE
Algae from clogged waterways could serve as biofuels, fertilizer Water-borne algal blooms from farm fertilizer runoff can destroy aquatic life and clog rivers and lakes, but scientists recently reported that they are working on a way to clean up these environmental scourges and turn them into useful products. READ MORE SHARE
Fortum to invest in a CHP plant in Poland Fortum plans to build a new multifuel combined-heat-and-power plant in Zabrze, Poland. The facility is expected to start commercial operations in 2018. The plant will primarily be fueled by refuse derived fuel and coal, but can take in biomass. READ MORE SHARE
Solegear closes financing, begins trading on TSX Venture Exchange Solegear Bioplastic Technologies Inc. commenced trading on the TSX Venture Exchange at market open on March 31. In conjunction with the listing, Solegear also announced it completed a $4.2 million financing round. READ MORE SHARE
Bioplastics from certain proteins show antibacterial properties Bioplastics made from protein sources such as albumin and whey have shown significant antibacterial properties, findings that could eventually lead to their use in plastics used in medical applications or food packaging. READ MORE SHARE
M+W Group to deliver U.K waste-to-energy facility Engineering and construction company M+W Group has been appointed as main contractor for the delivery of a 12.5 MW state-of-the art energy-from-waste (EfW) facility in Lanarkshire, Scotland, that features fluidized bed gasification technology. READ MORE SHARE
Scottish university wins funding for biomass energy project The University of St. Andrews in Scotland has been awarded funding to support the development of a green energy center that take in woody biomass as fuel. Hot water produced at the plant will heat and cool laboratories and student residences. READ MORE SHARE
Wheelabrator announces plans to sell Claremont EFW facility Wheelabrator Technologies Inc. recently announced its Claremont energy-from-waste (EFW) facility is for sale. Stuart B. Millner & Associates is managing the sale. The plant may be sold intact and ready to operate or as separate pieces of equipment. READ MORE SHARE
BETO deputy director publishes commentary on algae development Bioenergy Technologies Office Deputy Director Valerie Sarisky-Reed's commentary, "Algal Progress Report," was published in the February edition of the bimonthly research journal Industrial Biotechnology. READ MORE SHARE
New yeast strain to enhance biofuel, biochemical production Researchers in the Cockrell School of Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin have used metabolic engineering and directed evolution to develop a new, mutant yeast strain that could lead to a more efficient biofuel production. READ MORE SHARE