Heavy logging equipment is the epitome of the tip of the spear when it comes to biomass harvesting, the area of focus of the June issue of Biomass Magazine.
The USDA Farm Service Agency has announced incentives will resume this month through the Biomass Crop Assistance Program. According to the USDA, $3 million is available for BCAP during fiscal year 2016.
Rallying for a Rebound Year
By Anna Simet, photos by Lenn Long Photography
May 23, 2016
Low oil, dipping power prices and a warm winter have presented the biomass industry with a challenging year.
The USDA has announced the availability of $21 million in funding through its Agriculture and Food Research Initiative to support the development of regional systems in sustainable bioenergy and biobased products, as well as education and training.
Where there are already accepted and useful standards in place, the creation of another standard may cause uncertainty and confusion in the industry, as well as present another hurdle for fuel suppliers.
New Holland is plowing the path to commercial use of woody biomass crops for bioenergy.
The Big Four equipment manufacturers in the forest harvesting space discuss product offerings and technological advancements to improve emissions, operator comfort and safety, productivity and efficiency.
The U.K.-based Port of Tyne has announced plans to start building new facilities to handle, store and transport wood pellets for Lynemouth Power Ltd., which is making good progress with its plan to convert from coal to biomass.
If the country is serious about renewable energy, it means getting a lot more serious about all renewable heating options.
The Sustainable Biomass Partnership has announced that PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (PwC), Canada has become the third SBP-approved certification body. PwC has been approved for certification of biomass producers in Canada and the U.S.
The Pellet Fuels Institute recently announced the qualification of two additional pellet plants into the Pellet Fuels Institute standards program, including NWP Jasper LLC and New England Wood Pellet's Allegheny plant.
Northeast Wood Products LLC commenced pellet production in December at its retrofitted 120,000-ton-per-year pellet plant located in Jasper, Tennessee, and now is poised for ramp up, but will wait on the sidelines until the market rebounds.
Skilled, professional, and motivated technicians and operators are in demand for first-generation, advanced biofuel and cogeneration plants, and other bioenergy facilities.
University of Montana researchers will use a grant awarded by the USDA and U.S. Department of Energy to identify and overcome the barriers to using biomass from fuels-reduction and forest-restoration treatments.
Effective May 12, Michele Rebiere has resigned as president of the Wood Pellet Association of Canada. Former vice president Rene Landry will serve as president until the next general meeting of the membership is held in September.
On the court's own motion, the U.S. EPA's Clean Power Plan oral arguments scheduled for June 2 have been pushed back to Sept. 27, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit announced on May 16.
The U.S. Forest Service has announced more than $8.5 million to expand and accelerate technologies and strategies that promote the use of wood in heat and power generation, commercial construction, and other wood product innovations.
The May/June issue of Pellet Mill Magazine covers the industry's relationship with feedstock, the market dynamics impacting feedstock buyers and sellers, as well as industry requirements ensuring sustainability within a feedstock program.
Stockpiled inventory throughout the pellet supply chain is putting downward pressure on raw material prices—a possible advantage for some producers long-term.
The U.S. Energy Information Administration recently released the May edition of its Short-Term Energy Outlook, predicting total renewables used in the electric power sector will increase by 11.3 percent in 2016 and 4.4 percent in 2017.
Earlier this month, FutureMetrics LLC published a white paper that discusses why an editorial the Washington Post published at the end of April, and the letter to U.S. Congress the article was based on, are wrong about biomass for energy.
Diversification and sustainability are key to the future of the pellet sector. Rebiere says the industry must band together to invest in the long-term development effort of a domestic industrial market to support pellet producers of all sizes.
Andritz recently released first quarter financial results, reporting sales of nearly EUR 1.29 billion ($1.46 billion), down 8.5 percent from the same period of 2014. According to the company, all business areas recorded a decline in sales.
On May 11, Rentech Inc. reported first quarter results significantly below historic levels, attributing a main reason as being the struggles faced by the domestic wood pellet industry in the face of a warm winter and low oil prices.
U.S. Energy Information Administration released its International Energy Outlook 2016, which continues to show rising levels of energy demand over the next three decades. Renewables are the fastest-growing energy source over the projection period.
Sustainability factors weigh heavily on biomass projects, in development or in operation, and some have led seasoned investors and operators to cease operations.
Heating with pellet fuel exists by virtue of a social license, and to keep it, Niebling says, industry must come to terms with the concept of sustainability and incorporate its consideration into everything it does, especially sourcing feedstocks.
The European Biomass Association (AEBIOM) welcomes the initiative of the European Commission to define a sustainable European Union bioenergy policy for the period post-2020, and to open up the debate through its public consultation.
The law firm of an attorney serving as insolvency administrator to German Pellets GmbH has released a statement noting three of the company's pellet plants in Germany have been sold, with negotiations ongoing in the sale of a fourth.
As the Sustainable Biomass Partnership gains momentum, the first U.S. pellet producer to achieve accreditation shares its journey to this status.
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