Biomass Week - February 10, 2017

Planned California biomass plant aims to use dead trees A proposed 2-MW biomass power project in California’s Mariposa County is one step closer to reality. The Mariposa Biomass Project, a non-profit community group in Mariposa, California, recently closed escrow on two parcels for its future location. READ MORE SHARE
Sioux City WWTP to upgrade biogas to renewable fuel Earlier this year in Iowa, Sioux City Council members unanimously approved a project that will allow the city to capture, clean and compress gas at its wastewater treatment plant, then sell it as renewable natural gas for vehicle fueling. READ MORE SHARE
	Comment periods on 2 EPA RFS proposals to close in mid-February The comment periods on two U.S. EPA proposals that impact the renewable fuel standard (RFS) close later this month, including the proposed Renewable Enhancement and Growth Support rule and the EPA's proposed denial of point of obligation petitions. READ MORE SHARE
Neste evaluates investing in US renewable diesel production Neste Corp. is evaluating investment in new production capacity in Singapore and the U.S. The news comes after its most profitable year yet in renewables and speculation on how the new U.S. administration will view subsidized imported product. READ MORE SHARE
EIA updates bioenergy, wood heating forecasts The U.S. Energy Information Administration has released the February edition of its Short-Term Energy Outlook, predicting the non-hydro renewables share of U.S. electricity generation will be 9 percent in 2017 and 10 percent in 2018. READ MORE SHARE
Ontario seeks comments on proposed RFS for gasoline Ontario’s Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change has proposed establishing a renewable fuel standard (RFS) for gasoline that aims to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from gasoline by 5 percent by 2020. READ MORE SHARE
Air Force opens funding opportunity for drop-in biofuel facility The U.S. Department of Defense Air Force Research Lab recently opened a grant funding opportunity for drop-in biofuel production. One $55 million award is expected to be made under funding opportunity. Applications are due May 25. READ MORE SHARE
DONG Energy to stop all use of coal by 2023 DONG Energy has decided that by 2023, coal will no longer be used as fuel at the company's power stations. The power stations will be replacing coal with sustainable biomass. READ MORE SHARE
Spencer Group reaches milestone on Port of Tyne pellet project Three major silos have been erected as the centerpiece of large-scale wood pellet facilities at the Port of Tyne. The project is well on the way to completion, with the facilities due to be fully operational later this year. READ MORE SHARE
Veolia boosts renewable generation for Southern Water Veolia is helping Southern Water derive even more of its power from sewage. The company is installing new biogas combined-heat-and-power (CHP) engines at three of Southern Water’s treatment works. READ MORE SHARE
BPA announces staff changes Biomass Power Association (BPA) recently announced two staff promotions. Carrie Annand will now serve as the association’s executive director, and Nick Mazuroski as the vice president of operations. READ MORE SHARE
Swinerton breaks ground on C2e biogas facility in North Carolina Swinerton Builders recently announced that it has broken ground on a utility-scale biogas facility in North Carolina that transforms animal and food waste into clean energy. The project is being constructed in partnership with Carbon Cycle Energy. READ MORE SHARE
EnviTec Biogas: Thermal pressure hyrolysis increases efficiency A optimized process from the R&D division of EnviTec Biogas features thermal pressure hydrolysis (TDH) technology, which utilizes high pressures and temperatures to digest biomass even more effectively. READ MORE SHARE
Researchers produce renewable car tires from trees, grass A team of researchers, led by the University of Minnesota, has invented a new technology to produce automobile tires from trees and grasses in a process that could shift the tire production industry toward using locally available renewable resources. READ MORE SHARE
Velocys: Envia’s GTL plant producing Fischer-Tropsch product Velocys plc has announced that first Fischer-Tropsch product has been successfully produced at Envia Energy's gas-to-liquids plant in Oklahoma City. These products are fractionated on site to produce premium wax, diesel and naphtha. READ MORE SHARE
Companies partner on reference plant for biobased chemicals Avantium has announced a partnership with AkzoNobel, Chemport Europe, RWE and Staatsbosbeheer for the development of a reference plant at the Chemie Park Delfzijl to evaluate the feasibility of a wood-to-chemicals biorefinery. READ MORE SHARE
PowerHouse signs MOU with Peel Environmental PowerHouse has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Peel Environmental Ltd. and its subsidiary This is Protos LLP to pursue the development, construction and operation of an energy-from-waste plant at Peel Environmental’s Protos facility. READ MORE SHARE
Evolution Markets brokers residential wood pellet futures trade Evolution Markets recently announced it has facilitated the first futures trade in residential wood pellets on the Euronext exchange. The trade was between Swedish utility Vattenfall and a European energy company. READ MORE SHARE
Montclair State University professor receives PECASE award Pankaj Lal, associate professor of Earth and Environmental Studies and associate director of the PSEG Institute for Sustainability Studies at Montclair State University, has been recognized for his biofuel research. READ MORE SHARE