The U.S. EPA has posted the draft agenda for its April 7 workshop on the role of biomass in the Clean Power Plan. The free event is scheduled to be held in Washington, D.C., and will be broadcast live via webcast.
On March 3, two subcommittees associated with the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology held an oversight hearing on the U.S. Department of Energy's loan guarantee program. Abengoa projects were among those discussed during the event.
The Port of Tyne recently recorded the largest ever cargo of wood pellets ever handled in a single shipment at the port. The MV Agnes bulk cargo vessel delivered a record 57,845 metric tons of wood pellets into the Port of Tyne.
The Inter-American Development Bank has joined efforts with Klabin S.A. to finance the construction of a pulp mill in Brazil. The mill will include a 255 MW biomass facility that will sell 56 percent of its energy surplus to the national grid.
The U.S. Energy Information Administration has released the March edition of its Short-Term Energy Outlook, predicting total renewables used in the electric power sector will increase by 8.7 percent this year and 6.5 percent next year.
The Hawaiian Electric Companies reported the data in the annual renewable portfolio standard (RPS) report filed with the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission. The consolidated RPS for the companies was 23.2 percent last year.
A small stand of poplar trees harvested from a University of Tennessee AgResearch Center is set to help scientists progress further down the path toward low-cost, high-quality biomass and a bioeconomy.
AEG CoalSwitch, the renewable energy division of Active Energy Group Plc, recently announced it has received the results from the burn testing of its CoalSwitch fuel at the University of Utah's Clean and Secure Energy Institute.
AEBIOM recently responded to the public consultation on the preparation of a new renewable energy directive for the period post-2020. The renewable energy package is part of the European Commission's Energy Union Framework Strategy.
Oregon has passed a bill that doubles its renewable portfolio standard (RPS), phases out coal power by 2025 and provides incentives to energy efficiency, small- and community-scale renewable projects and some existing biomass energy plants.
On March 3, the U.K. Department of Energy and Climate Change launched a consultation on reforms to the Renewable Heat Incentive.
The USDA recently published a fact sheet highlighting its investments in rural America, including several related to sparking innovation in America's bioeconomy to support the development of biomanufacturing and advanced biofuels.
The European Commission is seeking public input on its post-2020 sustainable bioenergy policy. The three-month consultation period began Feb. 10 and concludes May 10. Those who wish to weigh in are asked to complete a nine-part online survey.
On Feb. 24, the House Committee on Agriculture held a hearing on the state of the rural economy featuring testimony by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. Biofuels and bioenergy were among the topics discussed during the nearly three-hour event.
Every year since 2012, Biomass Magazine and BBI International have given out two awards at the International Biomass Conference & Expo: the Groundbreaker of the Year Award, and the Excellence in Bioenergy Award.
Sumitomo Corp. recently signed a contract to acquire up to 20 percent of Cosan Biomassa S.A., a subsidiary of Cosan S.A.Industria e Comercio, and producer of sugarcane pellets for power generation.
The U.S. EPA has scheduled a public meeting of the chartered Science Advisory Board March 31-April 1. During the meeting, the SAB is expected to conduct a quality review of a draft report on the accounting framework for biogenic carbon emissions.
Nordmethan GmbH, a subsidiary of the plant manufacturer Weltec Biopower, recently purchased an existing biogas plant in Falkenhagen, Brandenburg, Germany. The facility is being updated and is expected to resume operations later this year.
The U.S. Department of Energy has announced an open meeting of its Biomass Research and Development Technical Advisory Committee is scheduled for March 8-9 in Arlington, Virginia.
In February, U.K.-based NERA Economic Consulting and Imperial College prepared an analysis for Drax that makes the case for allowing biomass conversion to compete for contracts for difference (CfD).
Researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have identified regions in the United States where bioenergy crops would grow best while minimizing effects on water quantity and quality.
ElectraTherm has shipped the Power+ Generator 4400 to a chicken farm in the United Kingdom, its second application in the country to utilize biomass to generate emission-free electricity. The project is expected to be commissioned this spring.
The Biomass Research and Development Board, an interagency collaboration composed of senior decision-makers from federal agencies and the White House, recently published a report, titled “Federal Activities Report on the Bioeconomy.�
Despite a tough year influenced by severe deterioration of the commodities market and a challenging regulatory environment, Drax had a very good operational year and stands ready to convert more units to biomass, said CEO Dorothy Thompson.
Risk drives project developers to more carefully consider every aspect of a project, identify potential problems within it, and develop and deploy measures to protect against them whenever possible.
A world first bio plant for handling unsorted household waste will be built in Northwich, Cheshire by DONG Energy. The facility will handle unsorted household waste, without prior treatment, using enzymes.
A report released to the European Union Directorate-General for Energy, titled “Carbon impacts of biomass consumed in the EU: quantitative assessment,� confirms using bioenergy has significant carbon savings and can reduce greenhouse emissions.
GE recently announced that it has been selected by Mechelen-based Belgian Eco Energy to build the largest greenfield, 100 percent biomass-fired power plant in the world. The plant will be powered by wood chips and agro residues.
Two firms with long histories of investment in alternative energy are partners in a Canadian biomass power venture.
While significant growth would be welcome news for biomass, what we need now is solid help for existing facilities that are facing challenging market conditions.
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