Pellet Mill Press - December 1, 2020

Senate hearing addresses Forest Health and Biomass Energy Act A county official from Arizona offered testimony in favor of the Forest Health and Biomass Energy Act during a Senate hearing held Nov. 18. The bill aims incentivize the removal of dangerous overgrowth in forests. READ MORE SHARE
Alliance for Green Heat urges Biden to support wood heating The Alliance for Green Heat congratulates President-elect Joe Biden and Kamala Harris on their 2020 presidential victory and welcome their commitment to scale up renewable energy and energy efficiency. READ MORE SHARE
	Japan’s wood pellet imports to reach 2.1M metric tons in 2020 Japan imported a record 1.6 million metric tons of wood pellets last year, according to a report filed with the USDA FAS Global Agricultural Information Network. Wood pellet imports for 2020 are expected to reach 2.1 million metric tons. READ MORE SHARE
Wood pellets can help Biden administration reach climate goals FutureMetrics LLC published a white paper in mid-November describing how co-firing sustainably produced wood pellets at existing power stations can help the Biden administration meet its climate goals. READ MORE SHARE
UK details plans for future of the CfD scheme The U.K. government on Nov. 24 confirmed that coal-to-biomass conversion projects will be excluded from future allocation rounds under its CfD scheme. Dedicated biomass with combined-heat-and-power (CHP) will continue to be eligible. READ MORE SHARE
Canfor sells Fort Nelson forest tenure to Peak Renewables Canfor announced on Nov. 17 it has reached multi-year $30 million agreements with pellet producer Peak Renewables involving the sale of the company’s forest tenure in the Fort Nelson region of British Columbia. READ MORE SHARE
EU seeks comments on review of RED II, biomass sustainability The European Commission has launched a public consultation on the EU's review of its Renewable Energy Directive (RED II) focused on aligning RED II targets with the European Green Deal and a review of sustainability criteria for for forest biomass. READ MORE SHARE
UK 10-point plan addresses SAF, move to zero-emissions vehicles The U.K. government on Nov. 18 issued its 10-point plan for a green industrial revolution, which addresses sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) and an accelerated phase-out of the sale of new gasoline- and diesel-fueled vehicles. READ MORE SHARE
Company adds new capabilities to North Carolina pellet plant American Wood Fibers Inc. has selected Scotland County, North Carolina, for a new manufacturing site and will create 51 jobs. The company will invest $19.5 million to add new capabilities to a facility previous operated by Nature’s Earth Pellets. READ MORE SHARE
Wood-fired district heating plants result in climate savings A new report from researchers at the University of Copenhagen shows that the burning of wood is significantly more climate friendly than coal and slightly more climate friendly than natural gas over the long run. READ MORE SHARE