Pellet Mill Press - June 19, 2018

EU reaches deal on REDII, sets new goals for renewables On June 14, negotiators from the European Commission, the European Parliament and the European Council reached a deal on a revised Renewable Energy Directive (REDII) that sets new targets for renewables. READ MORE SHARE
Senate ag committee restores 2018 Farm Bill Energy Title funding The Senate ag committee has approved its version of the 2018 Farm Bill with bipartisan support. The legislation includes an amendment offered by Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., that restores mandatory funding to Farm Bill Energy Title programs. READ MORE SHARE
	Drax moves closer to coal-free future with unit four conversion Drax Power Station June 6 took a step closer to achieving its coal-free ambitions by taking its fourth coal-fired power generating unit offline as part of a planned outage program as it prepares to convert it to run on sustainable biomass. READ MORE SHARE
EIA: 640,000 tons of densified biomass fuel sold in February The U.S. Energy Information Administration recently released data showing that U.S. manufacturers produced approximately 570,000 tons of densified biomass fuel in February, with sales reaching 640,000 tons during the month. READ MORE SHARE
EU researchers develop biomass torrefaction process A new steam drying technique for wood developed through the EU-funded SteamBio project could significantly reduce transportation costs for biomass, according to the German-based Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology. READ MORE SHARE
EPA to change how it considers costs, benefits of regulations On June 7, the U.S. EPA issued an advanced notice of proposed rulemaking, announcing the agency is soliciting public input on whether and how to change the way it considers costs and benefits in making regulatory decisions. READ MORE SHARE
Carbon utilization bill could create value for CO2 emissions Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., has introduced legislation would allow carbon utilization technologies and biogas production to access USDA loan guarantees, research programs and rural development loans. READ MORE SHARE
RDIF, JBIC to develop wood pellet project in Russia A coalition that includes the Russian Direct Investment Fund and JBICIG Partners have agreed to consider potential investments in Russia’s wood pellet industry. Construction on a 135,000-tom-per-year facility is expected to begin this year. READ MORE SHARE
Senate’s 2018 Farm Bill reauthorizes Energy Title programs The Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry released its version of the 2018 Farm Bill on June 8. The bill reauthorizes Energy Title programs, but provides insufficient funding to ensure their success, according to the AgEC. READ MORE SHARE
Valmet to deliver boiler, equipment to biomass plant in Japan On June 7, Valmet announced it will supply a biomass-fired 75 MWe CFB boiler and flue gas cleaning system to Air Water & Energia Power Onahama Corp.’s Onahama Plant in Japan. The plant will be primarily fueled by wood pellets and palm kernel shells. READ MORE SHARE
Walz Scale develops volumetric measurement systems for biomass Illinois-based Walz Scale has developed new volumetric measurement systems for the biomass industry. The non-contact laser based measurement systems provide high accuracy volume measurement for trucks and conveyor belts. READ MORE SHARE