Opening in November is Europe's first biomass exchange

On November 3, Europe's first biomass exchange will open, trading wood pellets that are used to replace coal in electric generation. The new exchange will be in the Port of Rotterdam, the Anglo-Dutch exchange APX Endex said in a statement. the biomass exchange project is a joint venture between Anglo-Dutch power and APX-Endex and Europe biggest port. Read more ...

Green heat scheme delayed in the UK

The green heat scheme will be launched by the end of November, one month after it was due to begin. The delay comes from complaints by the European commission (EC) that subsidies were too high for large biomass technology. A spokeswoman for the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) said "the EC are concerned that the tariff setting methodology used for the large scale biomass tariff differed from that applied for other technology bands, resulting in too high a tariff being set." Read more ...

Changing from fossil fuels to biomass energy

In Europe, North America and East Asia governments are looking for ways to end the use of fossil fuels and move into biomass energy and mitigate climate change. Biomass makes up 77 percent of the worlds renewable energy, trees, woody plants account for 87 percent of that biomass. Anjuli Bamzia, program director in the National Science Foundation's Division of Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences says, "To meet the growing energy needs of humanity-at- large in a sustainable manner, it's important to understand the implications of switching to alternate energy options such as bio-energy." Read more ...

Thailand to get biomass power plant

DP CleanTech are to convert a coal fired power plant to biomass and run on wood and eucalyptus bark in Thailand. The retrofitted combined-heat-and-power plant will provide 20 megawatts of electricity to a nearby 1-million-liter-per-day bioethanol plant being constructed by TPK Ethanol in Nakorn Ratchasima. “This is a great project for DP CleanTech as it allows us to build our reference list in Thailand and prove ourselves in coal conversion projects,” said Jerome Le-Borgne, DP CleanTech sales manager for Southeast Asia. Read more ...

USDA announced a fund for renewable energy

The US Department of Agriculture along with University partners Washington, Louisiana, Tennessee and Iowa are to lead projects that focus on the development of aviation biofuels from tall grasses, crop residues and forest resources. US$136 million (€99.74 million) for five projects which will run over for five years. US Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said “We have an incredible opportunity to create thousands of new jobs and drive economic development in rural communities across America by continuing to build the framework for a competitively-priced, American-made biofuels industry”. Read more ...

ABO and the University of Minnesota to jointly host show on Algae

The Algal Biomass Organisation (ABO), the leading trade association for the algae industry, is partnering with the University of Minnesota to offer a unique workshop and tour for attendees of the 5th annual Algae Biomass Summit, which will be held October 24 - 27, at the Hyatt Regency Minneapolis. "The growing algae industry, and the biofuels and other products that come from it, will play a role in the economic development of Minnesota and the surrounding region," said John Sheehan, Scientific Director for Biofuels and the Global Environment with the University of Minnesota's Initiative for Renewable Energy and the Environment. "We're excited to show attendees how this region and the University of Minnesota in particular is making a unique contribution to the industry." Read more ...

Fined for violating air quality permit, biomass plant

Seneca Sustainable Energy LLC

A new wood burning power plant near Eugene has been fined ore than US$9000 (€6,611), they were fined for turning off a pollution-control system believed to be registering incorrectly. Richard Re, general manager of Seneca Sustainable Energy LLC said "We spent US$11.5 million (€8.448) million on pollution control equipment and we're getting this reading". A more expensive test is due to be carried out at a cost of US$65,000 (47.800) next month. Read more ...

Biofuel company HQ moving to Philadelphia

A biomass energy company plans to move its HQ to the suburbs of Philadelphia from Georgia and will create 150 jobs over the next three years. The company Renmatrix will be developing ways to turn products like wood and waste into, as well as developing methods to access the fermentable sugars that are the foundation of biofuels. Venture capitalist John Doerr said "Sugar is the next crude, the new crude, done right, this can revitalize the American economy." Read more ...

Power plant looks to sorghum instead of coal as a fuel

Rio Bravo Poso Cogeneration Facility

A power plant in the US is looking to move away from coal and petroleum as its fuel, and is looking at a strain of sorghum bred specifically for its high heat content, drought tolerance and ability to grow on marginal land. There are issues to be worked out, one of which is is the cost of producing enough sorghum to keep the plant running 24 hours a day. "This is a bit of a R&D project," said Steve Gross, a regional manager for one of the power plant's co-owners. Biomass, as the technology is known, is hardly new to Kern County California. Read more ...

Vancouver plans a biomass plant at former Pepsi bottling plant

Former Pepsi bottling plant Vancouver

At the former site of the Pepsi bottling plant in downtown Vancouver, Clark County the new owners are planning a biomass plant be built on the site. The planning is being held up as last month the planning review officer ruled that under city zoning codes a biomass plant is not allowed a decision that has been challenged Read more ...