Biomass Week - November 18, 2016

Convergen Energy purchases Michigan biomass plant Traxys Power Group’s 20-MW biomass cogeneration plant in L’Anse, Michigan, has been purchased by Convergen Energy, formerly known as Greenwood Fuels. The plant was originally fueled with coal, but began operating using biomass in 2009. READ MORE SHARE
White House decarbonization report addresses biofuels, biomass The White House has published a mid-century strategy on decarbonization that addresses biofuels and bioenergy. On Nov. 16, the report was filed with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change under the Paris climate deal. READ MORE SHARE
	2017 IBCE opens call for presentation ideas BBI International has announced its call for presentation ideas for the 2017 International Biomass Conference & Expo, taking place April 10-12 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The deadline to submit presentation ideas is Dec. 2. READ MORE SHARE
UK trade groups REA, WHA launch biomass heat campaign The Renewable Energy Association and Wood Heat Association recently launched a campaign to urge government to support the continued use of biomass as it makes its final decisions around how renewable heat technologies will be funded to 2021. READ MORE SHARE
Gevo: Cellulosic ATJ fuels flight, isobutanol blend sold in Texas On Nov. 14, Gevo Inc. announced Alaska Airlines flew a flight using its cellulosic jet fuel. The company also recently announced that gasoline blended with its isobutanol is now being sold in Houston, Texas. READ MORE SHARE
DONG Energy provides update of bioenergy projects DONG Energy recently released third quarter financial results, reporting operating profit increased by 7 percent, reaching DKK 4.5 billion ($650.83 million). The company also discussed several bioenergy projects in its quarterly investor call. READ MORE SHARE
More than half of UK electricity sourced from low-carbon sources A recent report authored by researchers from Imperial College London, in collaboration with Drax, determined that for the first time ever more than half of Britain’s electricity came from low-carbon sources during the third quarter. READ MORE SHARE
Gevo provides update of operations at Luverne facility On Nov. 14, Gevo Inc. released third quarter financial results, reporting the company produced approximately 145,000 gallons of isobutanol during the quarter, with approximately 240,000 gallons produced during the first nine months of the year. READ MORE SHARE
USDA announces fiscal year 2017 BCAP funding USDA Farm Service Agency Administrator Val Dolcini announced Nov. 10 that $1.5 million will be available in fiscal year 2017 under the Biomass Crop Assistance Program for farmers and foresters who harvest and deliver biomass for renewable energy. READ MORE SHARE
Corbion begins construction of PLA plant in Thailand On Nov. 9, Corbion celebrated the groundbreaking of a new polylactic acid (PLA) bioplastics polymerization plant at its existing site in Rayong, Thailand. The plant is expected to begin operations in 2018. READ MORE SHARE
Groups celebrate Navy’s first ‘net-zero’ energy base Naval Facilities Engineering Command has awarded a $170 million, 23-year energy savings performance contract to Constellation for an energy conservation and distributed generation project that will enable a base in Georgia to reduce its energy use. READ MORE SHARE
Northgate Markets, Emerson partner on food waste-to-energy Northgate Markets is using Grind2Energy, Emerson’s system to turn food waste into energy. The system grids food waste into a slurry onsite. The slurry is then transferred to an offsite anaerobic digester, where it is used to generate energy. READ MORE SHARE
NextCoal International plans bio-coal, bio-oil plant in New York NextCoal International Inc. plans to build a facility in New York to produce bio-coal for export to Japanese power plants and bio-oil for domestic industrial applications. Japanese strategic and institutional investors are involved with the project. READ MORE SHARE
Global Bioenergies completes construction of demo plant Global Bioenergies recently announced that the construction of its demo plant, started mid-2015, is now completed. The 100-ton-per-year plant will convert various biomass feedstocks into into high-purity isobutene. READ MORE SHARE
ADBA releases map of more than 500 UK AD plants The U.K. anaerobic digestion industry now has over 500 operational plants, and following the launch of the Anaerobic Digestion and Bioresources Association’s interactive map they’re easier to see and find than ever. READ MORE SHARE
DuPont Industrial Biosciences, MIAVIT to supply biogas enzymes DuPont Industrial Biosciences and MIAVIT GmbH recently announced a supply agreement where DuPont will supply enzymes for incorporation in biogas-boosting products distributed by MIAVIT. READ MORE SHARE
Total, Corbion form a joint venture in bioplastics Total and Corbion are joining forces to develop bioplastics by creating a 50/50 joint venture to produce and market polylactic (PLA) polymers. The two partners plan to build a PLA polymerization plant with a capacity of 75,000 tons per year. READ MORE SHARE
UPM joins below50 coalition to scale up sustainable fuels UPM Biofuels has joined the below50 coalition to promote the most sustainable fuels that can achieve significant carbon reductions and scale up their development and use. READ MORE SHARE
World Biogas Association launches at COP22 The World Biogas Association has been launched at the United Nations Convention on Climate Change COP 22 at Marrakesh, Morocco. The association is dedicated to supporting the growth of biogas and anaerobic digestion technologies. READ MORE SHARE
St1 plans 50 MMly Cellunolix ethanol plant at UPM site in Finland Acting on behalf of North European Bio Tech Oy (NEB), St1 has begun the analysis and signed letters of intent with Alholmens Kraft and UPM on a sawdust-based ethanol plant in the Alholma industrial area in Pietarsaari, Finland. READ MORE SHARE
Changing cell behavior could boost biofuels, medicine A computer scientist at Washington University in St. Louis has developed a way to coax cells to do natural things under unnatural circumstances, which could be useful for stem cell research, gene therapy and biofuel production. READ MORE SHARE
RSB revises principles and criteria The Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials has announced that its global members have voted to approve and publish revised principles and criteria, which will provide users with streamlined and easier to follow requirements. READ MORE SHARE
ICM: Flight powered by biofuel made from residual wood ICM Inc. contributed to the successful production of renewable biojet fuel from woody biomass used on a commercial Alaska Airlines flight on Nov. 14 as part of the USDA-sponsored Northwest Advanced Renewables Alliance project. READ MORE SHARE