Pellet Mill Press - February 19, 2019

BECCS project at Drax begins capturing carbon dioxide Drax Group has announced the first carbon dioxide has been captured at the bioenergy carbon capture and storage (BECCS) pilot at Drax Power Station. The pilot uses technology developed by C-Capture, a spin-out from Leeds University. READ MORE SHARE
Skeena Sawmills, PacBio enter wood pellet off-take agreement Skeena Sawmills Ltd. and Pacific BioEnergy Corp. have entered into a long term off-take agreement for wood pellets under which PacBio will purchase all of the pellets produced at Skeena Sawmills’ new pellet plant in Terrace, British Columbia. READ MORE SHARE
	EPA urged to alter comment periods for rules impacted by shutdown Democratic members of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works are urging the U.S. EPA to reopen and extend comment periods for all pending regulatory decisions impacted by the partial government shutdown, including its wood heater rule. READ MORE SHARE
Senate committee advances Wheeler’s nomination to head the EPA On Feb. 5, the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works voted 11 to 10 to advance the nomination of Acting EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler to fill the post of administrator of the agency. The full Senate will now consider his nomination. READ MORE SHARE
Simmons sworn in as assistant secretary of DOE’s EERE The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy has a new leader. Daniel Simmons was recently sworn in assistant secretary for energy efficiency and renewable energy. READ MORE SHARE
EIA: 900,000 tons of densified biomass fuel sold in October The U.S. Energy Information Administration recently released data showing that U.S. manufacturers produced approximately 750,000 tons of densified biomass fuel in October 2018, with sales reaching 900,000 tons. READ MORE SHARE
Canadian government funds new biomass research cluster The government of Canada has announced it will invest up to $7 million in a new biomass research cluster. An additional $3.1 million is contributions is expected from industry, bringing the total investment to $10.1 million. READ MORE SHARE
EIA updates bioenergy forecasts in February STEO The U.S. Energy Information Administration recently released the February edition of its Short-Term Energy Outlook, predicting that nonhydropower renewables will provide 11 percent of U.S. electricity generation this year and 13 percent next year. READ MORE SHARE
Pinnacle reports fire at Entwistle pellet plant On Feb. 11, Pinnacle Renewable energy Inc. announced it has temporarily suspended operations at its 400,000-metric-ton wood pellet plant in Entwistle, Alberta, following a fire that occurred earlier that day at the facility. READ MORE SHARE
C-Capture raises £3.5M in funding round led by BP, Drax, IP Group C-Capture, the designer of world-leading chemical processes for carbon dioxide removal, has raised £3.5 million in new equity funding in a round led by BP Ventures, Drax, and IP Group. The company is conducting a demonstration project at Drax. READ MORE SHARE