Biomass Week - November 4, 2016

Paris Agreement on climate change enters legal force On Nov. 4, the Paris Agreement on climate change entered legal force. It requires 195 nations, including the U.S., to take collective action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and limit global temperature increases to no more than 2 degrees Celsius. READ MORE SHARE
EPA schedules public hearing on proposed rule to update RFS The U.S. EPA has announced plans to hold a public hearing on Dec. 6 in Chicago for its proposed Renewables Enhancement and Growth Support Rule. Those who wish to testify must contact the EPA by Nov. 22. READ MORE SHARE
	Kentucky pellet project wins $2.52 million grant Harlan Wood Products LLC was awarded a $2.52 million grant from the U.S. Office of Surface Mining and Reclamation Enforcement to develop a 75,000-ton pellet plant that will produce pellets for export to Europe, primarily Italy and Denmark. READ MORE SHARE
Northern Forest Center studies GHG impacts of wood pellet heating The Northern Forest Center has released a study detailing the environmental benefits of wood pellet heating. The analysis shows wood pellet fuel reduces greenhouse gas emissions by 54 percent compared to oil and 59 percent compared to natural gas. READ MORE SHARE
UK wood pellet imports expected to reach new record in 2016 Wood pellet imports to the U.K. fell 24 percent year-over-year in August after record high imports during the first half of 2016, but are expected to reach a new all-time high this year, according to the North American Wood Fiber Review. READ MORE SHARE
REG: Operations improving at Geismar facility Renewable Energy Group Inc. recently released third quarter financial results, providing updates of operations at its Geismar renewable hydrocarbon diesel facility, its biodiesel operations, and other activities. READ MORE SHARE
Amyris reports improved quarterly revenue Amyris Inc. has released third quarter financial results, reporting the highest quarterly revenue of the company’s history since its exit from ethanol sales and trading. The company also reported continued strong momentum in new collaborations. READ MORE SHARE
Preconstruction underway on Maine heat-treated woodchip facility Maine Biomass Exports teams up with energy consultant UFSDA to distribute MBE’s future heat-treated woodchips to customers in Europe. MBE expects to complete its processing facility toward the end of next year and ship in early 2018. READ MORE SHARE
EPA adds more treated railroad ties to nonwaste fuels list The U.S. EPA has proposed an amendment that will add railroad ties processed with creosote-borate, copper naphthenate and copper naphthenate-borate to its list of categorical nonwaste fuels under the Non-Hazardous Secondary Materials Rule. READ MORE SHARE
Ameresco announces LFGTE project, releases financial results On Oct. 31, Ameresco Inc. announced the completion of a 16 MW landfill gas-to-energy (LFGTE) project at the Orchard Hills Generating Station near Rockford, Illinois. The following day, the company released third quarter financial results. READ MORE SHARE
Neste reports improved performance for renewables division Neste recently released third quarter financial results, reporting its renewable products division recorded a comparable operating profit of EUR 124 million ($137.13 million) during the quarter, up from EUR 75 million during the same period of 2015. READ MORE SHARE
Energy consulting firm launches new company for wood fiber sales Aeon Energy Solutions recently launched UFSDA LLC, a company created to focus on the fiber side of the business, sourcing and supplying biomass-based products and feedstocks, while AES remain focused on biomass equipment sales. READ MORE SHARE
Astec: Arkansas pellet plant on schedule, more projects planned Due to the ability to secure and ship orders at more profitable rates, as well as favorable infrastructure and wood pellet equipment activity, Astec Industries reported an earnings improvement of 200 percent in Q3 2016 compared to Q3 2015. READ MORE SHARE
UK REA: Next steps for biomass heat to be discussed in November Since the last annual conference of the U.K.’s wood heating and combined-heat-and-power (CHP) industries, installations in several sectors have slowed in the face of months of policy instability and uncertainty. READ MORE SHARE
NREL researchers discover how a bacterium utilizes CO2, cellulose Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory made the surprise discovery that a metabolic pathway to take up CO2 exists and functions in a microorganism capable of breaking down and fermenting cellulosic biomass. READ MORE SHARE
Green Biologics announces partnership with HOC Industries Green Biologics Inc. recently announced a strategic partnership with HOC Industries, a custom blender, packager and distributor of consumer and government products, headquartered in Wichita, Kansas. READ MORE SHARE
BETO-funded study enhances the economics of biofuel production With funding from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office, Oak Ridge National Laboratory evaluated the performance of several key materials used in biofuel production, processing, storage, and transportation systems. READ MORE SHARE
Work starts on biomass CHP plant in the UK A Dorset, U.K., company is investing more than GBP 5 million ($6.15 million) in renewable energy. Work has started on a biomass combined-heat-and-power (CHP) plant at Eco Sustainable Solution’s Parley site. READ MORE SHARE
N.H. Wood Energy Council commemorates county biomass system The New Hampshire Wood Energy Council awarded the Rockingham County Complex for its commitment to modern wood energy during a National Bioenergy Day commemorative event, Oct. 19. READ MORE SHARE
SEER to supply N2SPlus systems to landfill gas projects Strategic Environmental & Energy Resources Inc. has announced its wholly owned subsidiary, MV Technologies, secured purchase orders for its proprietary H2SPlus System for a fourth New Jersey landfill and MV's first landfill project in Massachusetts. READ MORE SHARE
MSU wins grant to research biofuel, carbon capture technologies A regional interdisciplinary team led by Montana State University has received $6 million to develop new innovations at the intersection of food, energy and water systems while training the next generation of scientists. READ MORE SHARE
Port of Seattle, SkyNRG, CWR partner on biojet financing The Port of Seattle, SkyNRG and Carbon War Room recently announced a groundbreaking partnership to investigate long-term financing mechanisms that could supply all airlines at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport with sustainable aviation fuel. READ MORE SHARE
New discovery offers potential for algae biofuel production Donald Danforth Plant Science Center researchers have identified a mutation in Chlamydomonas that substantially removes a constraint that is widely observed in micro-algae where the highest yields of oil can only be obtained from starving cultures. READ MORE SHARE