Biomass Week - April 17, 2015

Northeast Wood Products begins retrofit of third pellet plant Northeast Wood Products has begun retrofitting its third pellet manufacturing plant, a Jasper, Tennessee, facility that will be capable of producing up to 125,000 tons of pellets annually. READ MORE SHARE
EIA annual outlook predicts bioenergy growth The U.S. Energy Information Administration has released its Annual Energy Outlook 2015, which presents updated projections for U.S. energy markets through 2040 based on six different scenarios. The outlook includes bioenergy forecasts. READ MORE SHARE
	Bill aims to alter RVO process, definition for cellulosic biofuel Sen. Jeff Flake, R, Ariz., has introduced legislation that aims to amend the renewable fuel standard to require the cellulosic requirement to be based on actual production and alter the statutory definition of cellulosic biofuels to exclude biogas. READ MORE SHARE
Total to convert oil refinery to renewable diesel production To curb financial losses, French oil company Total announced plans to invest $216 million to convert its La Mede oil refinery in southern France to a renewable diesel facility that will produce up to 500,000 tons per year (more than 160 MMgy). READ MORE SHARE
Timbervest provides insight on pellet production, export activity Timbervest LLC, an Atlanta-based company that manages timberland assets and investments, has been actively selling and purchasing timberland acreage in a variety of states. The company provides insight on pellet feedstock and export activity. READ MORE SHARE
Report outlines roadmap for industrial biotechnology The National Research Council of the National Academies recently published a report outlining goals and recommendations to expand industrial biotechnology. The report was prepared at the request of the U.S. DOE and National Science Foundation. READ MORE SHARE
DOE to host webinar on biofuel sustainability April 22 The U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy has announced plans to host a webinar on biofuel sustainability on April 22, titled "Biofuels for the Environment and Communities." READ MORE SHARE
European Parliament committee votes to approve biofuel agreement On April 14, the environment committee of the European Parliament voted 51-12 to endorse a deal struck by legislators earlier this year that aims to cap the use of first-generation biofuels and accelerate the shift to alternative sources. READ MORE SHARE
ASABE: 2 ISO standards approved for solid biofuels The American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers has announced the international community has approved two International Organization for Standardization standards for solid biofuels, including ISO 16993 and ISO 16994. READ MORE SHARE
U.K. DECC releases 2014 bioenergy data The U.K. Department of Energy and Climate Change recently published provisional annual data for last year, reporting significant increases in bioenergy generation. The U.K. generated 22.9 TWh of energy from biomass resources in 2014. READ MORE SHARE
Leaf Resources announces cellulosic sugar patent application Leaf Resources Ltd. has launched its new Hybritech platform for the pulp and paper industry following the lodgment of a patent application for the process last month. The Hybritech platform utilizes Leaf Resources' Glycell process. READ MORE SHARE
Wood biorefinery equipment on the auction block April 14 Equipment from a project to produce cellulosic ethanol at a pulp and paper mill is available for purchase in an online auction. Included in the auction is equipment from late model lab assets and a 2009-2012 biomass biorefinery pilot plant. READ MORE SHARE
Cascades invests in biorefinery project at Cabano plant Cascades Inc. has announced an investment in a new technology at its Norampac - Cabano facility. This innovative new process is used to extract hemicellulose, a cellulosic sugar with high value-added potential, from wood chips. READ MORE SHARE
Gov. Shumlin announces investment in wood heat program Vermont Gov. Peter Shumlin has announced new clean energy investments in Windham County totaling $1.9 million, with $1.6 million of that investment supporting the installation of wood pellet/chip heating systems for schools and municipal buildings. READ MORE SHARE
Flourishing faster: How to make trees grow bigger and quicker Scientists at The University of Manchester have discovered a way to make trees grow bigger and faster, which could increase supplies of renewable resources and help trees cope with the effects of climate change. READ MORE SHARE
NexSteppe demonstrates biomass crops at commercial scale NexSteppe has announced that it sold more than 10,000 hectares (25,000 acres) of its Palo Alto biomass sorghums in Brazil this past growing season, compared to just over 1,000 hectares in the previous year. READ MORE SHARE
HZI BioMethan to construct biogas upgrading plant in Germany Hitachi Zosen Inova BioMethan GmbH has secured an order to construct a new biogas upgrading plant in Wittenburg in northern Germany. The project comprises a plant with capacity to upgrade 700 normal cubic meters per hour (Nm3/h) of raw biogas. READ MORE SHARE
Scientists a step closer to developing renewable propane Researchers at the University of Manchester have made a breakthrough in the development of synthetic pathways that will enable renewable biosynthesis of the gas propane.This study provides new insight to the development of advanced biofuels. READ MORE SHARE
Discovery of plant switch could boost crop, biofuel production A team of Michigan State University researchers has discovered a switch that regulates plant photosynthesis, the process that lets plants store solar energy and use it to grow and produce food. READ MORE SHARE
EnviTec commissions biogas plant in Japan Together with Renagen Inc., a Japanese biogas company, EnviTec Biogas has successfully commissioned its first biogas plant in Osaka Prefecture in Japan. The 250 kW plant is the pilot project for the strategic partnership between the two companies. READ MORE SHARE
Viaspace announces EPC agreement for power plant in Nicaragua Viaspace Inc. announced that Energia Reino Verde has signed an agreement for the engineering procurement and construction supervision of the 12 MW biomass power plant that will be colocated with the Giant King Grass plantation project in Nicaragua. READ MORE SHARE
Vencor International to test hemp as bioenergy feedstock Vencor International Inc. recently announced it has entered into an agreement to begin testing industrial hemp as a feedstock used to manufacture various torrefied products, including bio-coal, a renewable energy product. READ MORE SHARE
Portland treatment plant to produce renewable natural gas The Portland City Council has approved a contract for final design of a facility at the Columbia Boulevard Wastewater Treatment Plant to convert biogas into compressed natural gas vehicle fuel. Biogas is a byproduct of solids treatment. READ MORE SHARE
Minnesota group offers facility assistance for wood heat systems The Minnesota Statewide Wood Energy Team has announced a new type of facility assistance for those interested in moving from fuel oil and propane to innovative wood energy systems. Learn more at the Heating the Midwest Conference in Minneapolis. READ MORE SHARE