Biomass Week - July 19, 2017

EIA: 460,000 tons of densified biomass fuel sold in April On July 10, the U.S. Energy Information Administration released new data on the U.S. densified biomass fuel industry, reporting there was nearly 12.71 million tons of capacity in place in April, with an additional 163,500 tons under development. READ MORE SHARE
California legislature passes bills extending cap-and-trade, LCFS On July 17, the California legislature voted in favor of a package of bills that extend the state’s cap-and-trade program for 10 years, through 2030, and codify the Low Carbon Fuel Standard into law. READ MORE SHARE
	Bill aims to establish tax credit for biobased chemicals Rep. Bill Pascrell, D-N.J., recently introduced the Renewable Chemicals Act of 2017, or H.R. 3149, which aims to establish a 15-cent-per-pound production tax credit for renewable chemicals made from biomass. READ MORE SHARE
Pinnacle Renewable Energy purchases 50th pellet mill from Andritz Pinnacle Renewable Energy recently purchased its 50th pellet mill from Andritz Feed & Biofuel, and officials from the company visited Andritz’s manufacturing facility on June 20 to see the new biofuel pellet mill, a Sprout 26LM II, being made. READ MORE SHARE
New Hampshire law benefits biomass power production In New Hampshire, a new law is expected to benefit the state’s biomass power producers by increasing the price of alternative compliance payments for Class III sources. It also changes the eligibility standards for landfill gas under the RPS. READ MORE SHARE
Australian government announces support for biorefinery project The Australian government has announced support for a $60 million proposed biorefinery that is expected to produce electricity, raw sugar and ethanol from sugarcane. Blue agave may also be used as a feedstock. READ MORE SHARE
DOE provides $40 million for 4 DOE Bioenergy Research Centers The U.S. Department of Energy has announced $40 million in awards for the establishment of four DOE Bioenergy Research Centers that will provide scientific breakthroughs for a new generation of sustainable, cost-effective bioproducts and bioenergy. READ MORE SHARE
Celtic Renewables fuels vehicle with biofuel from whisky residue Scotland-based Celtic Renewables Ltd. has announced the inaugural journey of the first car to be fueled with its biofuel made from whisky residue. The company produces biobased butanol using draff and pot ale left over from malt whisky production. READ MORE SHARE
Engie inaugurates biomass boiler at French district heating plant In France, Engie recently announced the inauguration of a 26.5 MW biomass boiler unit at Plaine Commune Energie, a district heating plant that serves 40,000 housing units located in four municipalities. READ MORE SHARE
Inslee vetoes tax break to encourage fuel switch at coal plant On July 7, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee vetoed a portion of a bill that aimed to create tax incentives to support the conversion of the state’s only coal-fired plant to natural gas or biomass fuel in an effort to save jobs. READ MORE SHARE
EIA updates short-term bioenergy forecasts in July STEO The U.S. Energy Information Administration has released the July edition of its Short-Term Energy Outlook, predicting total generation from renewables in the electric power sector will increase by 11 percent this year, remaining unchanged in 2018. READ MORE SHARE
Oregon EfW facility celebrates 30 years of operations Covanta Marion is celebrating 30 years of providing sustainable solid waste disposal operations for the residents of Marion County. Opened in 1987, the energy-from-waste facility has processed over 5.5 million tons of waste. READ MORE SHARE
Analysis shows carbon-slashing promise of new biofuel technology Scientists at Princeton's Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment have analyzed the use of catalytic hydropyrolysis to create fuel from wood residues, sawdust and branches in a new research paper. READ MORE SHARE
St1 to add renewable diesel production, continues ethanol work St1 is investing in a new hydrogen manufacturing unit that will be built in at its refinery in Gothenburg, Sweden. This is the first step in the series of investments that will enable the facility to begin producing renewable diesel in 2020. READ MORE SHARE
ExxonMobil, UW-Madison extend research agreement The University of Wisconsin-Madison and ExxonMobil have announced a two-year renewal of an agreement to research the fundamental chemistry of converting biomass into transportation fuels. READ MORE SHARE
Funding allows ORNL to accelerate biofuel, bioproducts research The Center for Bioenergy Innovation, led by Oak Ridge National Laboratory, is one of four bioenergy centers chosen by DOE to advance a new biobased economy with the production of fuels and other products directly from nonfood biomass. READ MORE SHARE
Shell signs agreement with SBI BioEnergy Royal Dutch Shell plc, through its subsidiary Shell International Exploration and Production B.V., and SBI BioEnergy Inc. have reached an agreement granting Shell exclusive development and licensing rights for SBI's biofuel technology. READ MORE SHARE
RNG Coalition adds Kapoor to team The Coalition for Renewable Natural Gas has added Nina Kapoor as manager of legislative and regulatory affairs in Sacramento, California. The addition of Kapoor will bolster the RNG Coalition's advocacy and education efforts. READ MORE SHARE
New biofuel technology cuts biogas production time New research from a professor of engineering at University of British Columbia’s Okanagan Campus might hold the key to biofuels that are cheaper, safer and much faster to produce. READ MORE SHARE
Welsh Water secures EIB loan, signs contract with DONG Energy Welsh Water Welsh Water has reached a key milestone in its drive to cut carbon emissions by ensuring that its sites across Wales and Herefordshire are now powered by green energy. READ MORE SHARE
Cutting the cost of ethanol, other biofuels and gasoline Experts at Rutgers University-New Brunswick and Michigan State University have demonstrated how to design and genetically engineer enzyme surfaces so they bind less to cellulosic biomass, reducing enzyme costs in biofuels production. READ MORE SHARE