Biomass Week - May 20, 2016

EPA releases proposed rule to set 2017 RFS RVOs On May 18, the U.S. EPA released a proposed rule to set 2017 renewable volume obligations (RVOs) under the renewable fuel standard (RFS), along with 2018 RVOs for biomass-based diesel. READ MORE SHARE
Clean Power Plan court delayed, moved to full bench On the court’s own motion, the U.S. EPA’s Clean Power Plan oral arguments scheduled for June 2 have been pushed back to Sept. 27, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit announced on May 16. READ MORE SHARE
	Northeast Wood Products ready, waiting to ramp up production Northeast Wood Products LLC commenced pellet production in December at its retrofitted 120,000-ton-per-year pellet plant located in Jasper, Tennessee, and now is poised for ramp up, but will wait on the sidelines until the market rebounds. READ MORE SHARE
California RNG bill could open door to pipeline injection A proposed bill in California may serve to greatly benefit the state’s renewable natural gas (RNG) industry. It would modify current siloxane requirements and essentially break down the barrier for RNG producers to access the natural gas pipeline. READ MORE SHARE
Port of Tyne to handle pellets for Lynemouth plant The U.K.-based Port of Tyne has announced plans to start building new facilities to handle, store and transport wood pellets for Lynemouth Power Ltd., which is making good progress with its plan to convert from coal to biomass. READ MORE SHARE
Mexican tequila distillery installs biomass boiler In early May, a tequila manufacturer in Mexico announced the installation of a biomass boiler at its distillery in Jalisco, Mexico, has drastically reduced greenhouse gas (GHG) at the facility. The boiler is fueled in part by spent agave fibers. READ MORE SHARE
ETI seeks partners for biomass pretreatment project The U.K.-based Energy Technologies Institute recently announced it is seeking partners for a new project that aims to develop technology to remove contaminants from certain biomass feedstocks. READ MORE SHARE
USDA funds 18 projects to increase wood energy markets The U.S. Forest Service has announced more than $8.5 million to expand and accelerate technologies and strategies that promote the use of wood in heat and power generation, commercial construction, and other wood product innovations. READ MORE SHARE
PFI: 2 additional plants qualify for PFI standards program The Pellet Fuels Institute recently announced the qualification of two additional pellet plants into the Pellet Fuels Institute standards program, including NWP Jasper LLC and New England Wood Pellet's Allegheny plant. READ MORE SHARE
SBP approves third certification body The Sustainable Biomass Partnership has announced that PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (PwC), Canada has become the third SBP-approved certification body. PwC has been approved for certification of biomass producers in Canada and the U.S. READ MORE SHARE
Processing plant receives 10 millionth ton of garbage Great River Energy’s Elk River Resource Processing Plant received its 10 millionth ton of garbage in mid-April. In nearly 27 years of operation, that waste has been mostly used to generate renewable energy. READ MORE SHARE
KPA Unicon to supply biomass boiler to Stora Enso sawmill Stora Enso Wood Products Ltd. and KPA Unicon have signed a contract for a biomass-fired hot water boiler plant delivery to Stora Enso sawmill in Honkalahti, Finland. The output of the new Unicon Biograte boiler plant will be 17.7 MWth. READ MORE SHARE
Zero-net-energy farm project receives $1.2 million CEC grant The California Energy Commission is lending major financial support to Biodico's Zero-Net-Energy Farms concept, which would enable ag operations to generate all of their energy needs from on-site renewables such as solar, wind, and AD-based CHP. READ MORE SHARE
Solving the biomass puzzle Biomass holds great promise as a petroleum replacement, but unlocking its true potential remains a puzzle. Researchers at Iowa State University and Ames Laboratory hope to develop the pieces of that puzzle to create a clearer picture. READ MORE SHARE
Clariant to scale-up catalysts for Gevo’s ETO technology Gevo Inc. had announced that it has entered into an agreement with Clariant Corp. to develop catalysts to enable Gevo’s ethanol-to-olefins (ETO) technology, which produces tailored mixes of propylene, isobutylene and hydrogen. READ MORE SHARE
DOE: Report documents achievements from 6 years of algal research The Consortium for Algal Biofuel Commercialization (CAB-Comm), led by the University of California, San Diego, has just released its final report, detailing the many accomplishments and impactful contributions achieved in its six years of operation. READ MORE SHARE
Stora Enso, Rennovia to cooperate on biobased chemicals Renewable materials company Stora Enso and specialty chemicals company Rennovia Inc. have announced a joint development and license agreement to cooperate on biobased chemicals development. READ MORE SHARE
Wood Pellet Association of Canada announces leadership change Effective May 12, Michele Rebiere has resigned as president of the Wood Pellet Association of Canada. Former vice president Rene Landry will serve as president until the next general meeting of the membership is held in September. READ MORE SHARE
UM researchers earn $1.4 million grant to study biomass University of Montana researchers will use a grant awarded by the USDA and U.S. Department of Energy to identify and overcome the barriers to using biomass from fuels-reduction and forest-restoration treatments. READ MORE SHARE
DOE awards $10 million for bioenergy research, development The U.S. Department of Energy has announced up to $10 million in funding for six projects representing innovative technologies and solutions to advance bioenergy development. READ MORE SHARE
UCR researchers win funding for biofuel, biochemical development University of California, Riverside researchers have received a $1.3 million award from the USDA that will fund research on developing commercially viable processes to create biofuels and chemicals from waste plant materials. READ MORE SHARE