Developers refute biofuel claims as "Untrue"

Developers in the UK that was behind a biofuel plant for Newport, Isle of Wight, have dismissed what they call "a number of spurious claims" made about their plans. The development at Stag Lane has had campaigners claiming that if the development goes ahead the unique natural environment will be at risk by polluting the River Medina as well as worsen air quality and increase carbon emissions. However, the claims have been strongly refuted by project developer, Real Ventures Ltd. In a statement they have said they are "highly misleading or simply untrue." Read more ...

Korea is to expand support and investment in renewable energy

The Presidential Committee on Green Growth has said its intends to expand support and investment for the development of renewable energy. The committee who briefed the President Lee Myung-bak on the preparation process and a range of policy measures on sustainable green growth. The decision is in part due to the challenges faced in the industry amid Europe's debt crisis by supply of renewable energy. Korea spent in 2010 6.6 trillion won (US$5.9 billion) and will increase the spending in 2012 to 10.5 trillion (US$9.3 billion). Read more ...

North Carolina pig farms using manure for electricity

Loyd Ray Farms in North Carolina have joined with a number of state pig farms to use manure in a digester to provide electricity. Duke University along with partners Duke energy and Google are testing systems that capture methane, a greenhouse gas from manure. The pig farms acting under state law to reduce emissions are becoming innovators, the methane gas fuels a small power plant that makes enough energy to run the waste-processing system and part of the farm itself. Also by utilising the manure in this way it allows the farms to reduce waste pits that can taint water and release harmful ammonia into the air. Read more ...

UK: Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) will go-ahead

The long awaited Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) is to go ahead, but there will be cuts to the tariff of large scale biomass. The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) said yesterday "the RHI for the non-domestic market had received the go-ahead from the European Commission following revisions to the regulations of the scheme. These changes will see the tariff for large-scale biomass cut by more than 60 percent. Subject to Parliamentary approval, the scheme will now launch in late November". Read more ...

British government to increase incentives for power firms

The British government are planing to increase incentives for power firms to burn more biomass to help reduce the carbon emissions, this should boost Drax Group. The firm operates the largest coal fired power station in the country, and they want to increase biomass burn by 50 percent of output by 2015. "We do not think there is much downside risk in the final decision on the incentives due in a White Paper, likely to be published in Spring 2012," Goldman analyst Andrew Mead. Read more ...

China prepares for demonstration biofuel flight

China is preparing to conduct a demonstration biofuel flight, using an Air China Boeing 747-700 is set for the end of November. A blend of conventional and hydrotreated renewable jet fuel, the flight is to be conducted as a US-China energy cooperation program which was set up in 2009. Read more ...

International Algae Congress starts early December

The fifth International Algae Congress will be held on December 1 and 2 and takes place in the Radisson DOM hotel in Berlin, Germany. Dr Eppink said “We would like to give visitors a glimpse into the complexity of the applications of bio-refinery of algae. How can you extract valuable substances like sugars, fats and proteins from these organisms and then use them in the nutrition, health and chemical markets. Read more ...

Aston University developing blueprint for bioenergy projects

Aston University, is developing a business blue print for bioenergy blueprints through an innovative partnership with leading renewable energy developers. Dr Prasanta Dey, principle investigator of the project, said: "The multiple criteria-based decision support system, will identify risk events, analyse their effect and help make decisions in every stage of project with the involvement of concerned stakeholders. This would be a completely new application of fuzzy multi criteria decision-making tools in the bioenergy industry. It is an approach which I believe fosters the best possible opportunity of business success for the developer." Read more ...

Biomass energy working group to discuss anaerobic digestion

On November 1, 2011 the Biomass energy working group are hosting a free meeting for anyone interested in anaerobic digestion. "Anaerobic digestion has been utilised primarily as a waste management technology for large confined animal feeding operations," said Chad Martin. "One of the side benefits happens to be the creation of renewable energy in the form of biogas that can be utilised for electricity generation. Now we're also looking into compressed natural gas opportunities where that gas can be pipe-lined." Read more ...

Hungary and the UK join forces for carbon barriers

A low carbon finance summit was convened today, aimed at overcoming barriers to green investment in Central and Eastern Europe and to highlight the great opportunities of the ambitious low carbon transition. The two countries have joined forces to bring together policy makers, key finance experts and business leaders to look at how to unlock private funding and to stimulate investment in low carbon infrastructure, technologies and renewable energy. Read more ...

Biofuel projects affected by rising food prices

Global food prices are increasing, however the United States Department of Agriculture Chief Advisor for Government, Academia and Industry Partnership, Cindy Smith and Deputy Coordinator for Feed the Future Initiative, Tjada McKenna have argued and claimed that using corn for biofuel is not affecting global food prices. Many Experts and activists are claiming that its the policies from both the US and Brussels, that are targeting to use more renewable energy sources including biodiesel from corn and ethanol from sugar as the biggest threats to global food security. Read more ...

Government sets out commitment to renewables

The government published its proposals to support renewable electricity and bring forward a surge of investment in the energy infrastructure. Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said: “Investing in green energy boosts growth and creates jobs the offshore wind sector alone could provide up to 66,000 jobs in this country by 2020'. He went on to say “Supporting clean, green, secure energy is the right thing to do for both the environment and the economy.“Today’s announcement makes clear the Government’s commitment to supporting long-term investment in the UK’s renewables industries.” Read more ...

Could useless grass become the next biofuel

A biologist from Berkeley has transplanted a gene from a variety of corn into a wide spread, fast growing species of grass. The result of this experiment is this grass could become an important source of biofuel. The researchers at the Agriculture Department's Plant Gene Expression Center in Albany  published their results this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the scientists say that test plots of the altered switchgrass have shown that the gene experiments have improved the starch yield in the plants by "up to 225 percent." Also important, they report, the gene transfer blocks the switchgrass plants from flowering. Read more ...

Maryland chicken manure as a source of energy

In the state of Maryland US a new initiative is being set in motion, the state is to utilise chicken manure as a source of biomass for renewable energy. This proposal could have other benefits aside from power generation, it could also reduce the amount of nitrogen, phosphorus and other nutrients found in the manure that enters the Chesapeake Bay. Maryland's governor O'Malley said, "Maryland is leading the nation's efforts in clean energy and sustainability, and our state's growing green jobs sector is vital to our ability to create jobs and compete globally in the new economy." Read more ...

New research facility for bioenergy center at Nottingham University

A UK£25 million (€40 million) research facility at Nottingham University opened its doors on Friday. The new building will be home to one of six Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) sustainable bioenergy center research programs. These programs have been set up to develop sustainable bioenergy fuels from industrial and agricultural waste materials. Professor David Greenaway said: "The research, development and demonstration which will be carried out within this new building has the potential to be transformational and far-reaching on a local, national and international level". Read more ...

Yorkshire farm hailed as positive example for biomass

A farm in Yorkshire has been hailed as a positive example of the benefits of using woodfuel, after they installed a biomass heating system that will save the farm UK£28,000 (€32,251.656) a year. Carlshead Farm, near Wetherby, has received a UK34,000 (€39,162.725) investment from CO2Sense to install the boiler, which runs on biomass fuel sourced from the farm itself. Read more ...

Welsh woodchip company to heat the National Assembly for Wales

A Welsh Renewable energy company from Monmouthshire, Path-Finder Renewable Energy has won a contract to supply the Welsh Assembly with woodchip biomass fuel. Path-finder has supplied woodchip since 2008 and is the first company in Wales to be accredited under the Woodsure scheme, backed by the Forestry Commission. The Senedd building in Cardiff Bay has a 360kw binder boiler which was installed in 2006 as part of the commitment to reducing energy consumption resulting in lower carbon emissions. Read more ...

A new study says forest biofuels increases emissions

The biofuel industry is looking to the forest for its cellulose, looking for a non food feedstock to produce fuel for aviation and automobiles. However a new study published in Nature Climate Change, point to the fact that by using woody scraps on the forest floor is the wrong way to go as it potentially would release 14 percent more greenhouse emissions.

Tara Hudiburg, lead author of the study from Oregon State University said in a statement. "Most people assume that wood bioenergy will be carbon-neutral, because the forest re-grows and there’s also the chance of protecting forests from carbon emissions due to wildfire. However, our research showed that the emissions from these activities proved to be more than the savings". Read more ...

Scotland cuts subsidies for biomass and wind but not tidal

Scotland's government plans to cut the subsidies support to wind power and biomass power. The increase in subsidies “provides the underpinning support we need for investment in our Kyle Rhea tidal array project that will be offered to the market next month,” Andrew Tyler, chief executive officer of Bristol, England-based Marine Current. The government has “serious concerns” about the sustainability of wood biomass used in larger power plants, Energy Minister Fergus Ewing said in a statement. “UK ambitions for large-scale electricity-only woody biomass plants are an inefficient use of a finite resource.” Read more ...

Biomass plants and wind farms to keep key government subsides

A recent decision made by the government ensures that renewable energy such as wind farms and biomass plants are to keep the key government subsidies using renewable obligation certificates (ROCs), which are worth around UK£40 (€46.058) per megawatt-hour on top of the UK£55 (€63.33) price of electricity. Developers of offshore wind and biomass plants expressed relief after the government said it would maintain their subsidies. Read more ...

New co-firing renewables obligation subsidies get interest

The biomass industry has cautiously welcomed the new levels of support unveiled by the government today as part of its consultation on proposed changes to the Renewables Obligation scheme. In its review of the Renewables Obligation, the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) has proposed maintaining current levels of support for biomass projects at 1.5 Renewable Obligation Certificates (ROCs) per megawatt hour (MWh). This could have a major affect on the biomass industry and the renewable energy sector. Read more ...

Microbial fuel cells the way forward in converting waste

Poor sanitation kills 5000 children per day, power demand is set to double by 2030 and global demand for water has tripled in the last 50 years. With the increasing population these trends will only get worse. new ways must be found to deal with poor sanitation, the global energy demands and water usage. A budding new technology known as Microbial fuel cell technology. MFCs can convert waste such as agricultural and industrial byproducts, sewage, food scraps, paper and plastics into clean water and power. Read more ...

Washington gives boost to wood-based biofuels

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has awarded US$40 million (€29.071million) in grants to both Washington State University (WSU) and the University of Washington (UW) to research the regions potential for cellulosic biomass that comes from the stems and stalks of trees. The proposal includes an initiative to help small- to medium-sized landowners understand if, and how, they should grow woody biomass for this new industry. Read more ...

Demonstration biomass plant to open in Alberta

Biomass Plant Diagram

FireBox Energy a Canadian company is planning to build a demonstration biomass facility in Glenevis, Alberta that will generate about 30MW of electricity. The project is expected to cost around CAN$60 million (€43.5 million) and will open in early 2012. The facility will be located on the Designated Lands of Alexis Nakota Sioux Nation Reserve. Read more ...

Biomass boiler in Yeovil factory boost sustainability

13 new homes will become the some of the most environmentally friendly and sustainable in the country due to a new biomass boiler that is located in an old Yeovil glove factory. The new 150kW boiler will be run on sustainable sourced waste wood pellets (a carbon neutral fuel that is renewable) The boiler is at the centre of an historic redevelopment project headed by developers Zero C in partnership with South Somerset District Council and Yeovil Vision, running alongside Yeovil Country Park. Read more ...

Coskata marks 15,000 run hours of operation

Coskata a biology based renewable energy company has completed a 15,000 hour run of operations using wood biomass and municipal solid waste, at their cellulosic ethanol semi commercial facility in Madison, Pennsylvania. “The data and operating experience cultivated at this pre-commercial scale facility has conclusively demonstrated that the Coskata technology is ready for commercial production today,” said Coskata President and Chief Executive Officer Bill Roe. Read more ...

Germany's north shore renewable energy gold rush

In the Northwest of Germany there an atmosphere similar to that of the American gold rush area, and the cause of this is renewable resources. This promises good jobs and great promises for the depressed Northwest regions of Germany. Natural resources are attracting investors and industry of the simple variety like wind, sunshine, agricultural products, and farm waste like liquid manure. "Renewable energy has become extremely valuable for our state," said its premier, Erwin Selling, in an interview with Reuters. Read more ...

Could this be the worlds first biomass fund

A week into the new carbon price legislation in Australia, and the appetite for clean renewable energy is growing this is to be tested by AU$100 (€74.343) million fund raising for what could become the worlds first biomass fund. A company called First Biomass, a joint venture between a German-based project developer and carbon management firm First Climate and Spar Capital, a Sydney-based advisory firm headed by Chris West. Read more ...

Can Africa provide the solution to the worlds renewable energy

In Ghana the Biomass West & Central Africa Congress will start on the November 24-25, 2011, the search for a new renewable energy source looks to Africa, with the continents huge potential for biomass and bioenergy. The congress will be attended by both governments and private industry with confirmed delegates from Ghana, Benin, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Mali, Nigeria, South Africa, Congo, USA, UK, Finland, The Netherlands, Togo & Cape Verde. Read more ...

University of Montana gets Federal grant for logging studies

The Federal government has provided a grant to the University of Montana to conduct logging-use studies in the Pacific Northwest. "The overall goal of the project is to really develop an industry in our region that can use wood to manufacture jet fuel and that part of the challenge in our region is to make higher value products like jet fuel or other chemical type products from what has been low value wood," explained Bureau of Business and Economic Research Forest Industry Research Director Todd Morgan. Read more ...

Denmark looks to UK as potential location for Biomass CHP

Denmark's largest power producers Dong is looking at the United Kingdom as a possible location for power plants that convert household waste to energy. The UK government is interested in this technology but the industry has been waiting for the government to reveal more on its future structure of renewable energy subsides. Dong has a history in the biomass market and currently produces heat and electricity at three waste-fired CHP plants in Jutland, Denmark. Read more ...

Wood its role in US energy policy

Industry experts gathered at the Northeast Biomass Conference & Trade Show, held October 11-13, in Pittsburgh. To discuss the biomass industry and getting a singe, science based definition of biomass is the main aim to bolster policy that can spur on development according to Charlie Niebling general manager of pellet producer New England Wood Pellet.

Comparing the biomass industry policy environment in 2010 to that of today, Niebling pointed out the burgeoning tax policies, Farm Bill, fiscal stimulus, and new investments of 2010. “It was a very rich and fertile period,” he said, adding later, “Things have changed rather dramatically in the past 18 months.” Read more ...

On hold the biomass project in Vancouver

The proposed biomass project in Vancouver has been put on hold, well an administrator decides whether it can go ahead. Clark County and Schneider Energy have proposed a power plant that would create electricity from burning the waste wood culled from forest management. "In 2007 council adopted the Vancouver City Center Vision Plan to cover the entire downtown. That's where many of these policy statements about what the city wants for different areas was laid out.” said Chad Eiken is the city's Planning Review Manager. Read more ...

Florida's grand opening of its 100MW biomass facilities

The grand opening of the Gainesville Renewable Energy Center biomass facility in Gainesville, Florida, on October 11. This new facility will be one of the two largest biomass facilities in the United States. The new biomass center already employs hundreds of local construction workers but will eventually employ several dozen permanent jobs. “It is truly thrilling to witness the grand opening of what will become one of the largest biomass facilities in the country,” said Bob Cleaves, president and CEO of the Biomass Power Association. Read more ..

Renewable energy to boost MSMEs

Two major international organisations have joined forces the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the Bank of Industry (BOI) has partnered to boost the use of renewable energy with the activities of Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs). The Administrator, UNDP, Mrs. Helen Clark said that there is huge energy potential in Nigeria not just from fossil fuels but from sun and rice husks to feed into biomass fuel. According to her, the United Nation Secretary General has said that come 2030, there will be sustainable energy for all adding that his is a big agenda and will require a lot of investment. Read more ...

Saskatchewan renewable power generation project

Medow Lake Bioenergy Center is to use wood byproducts from the NorSask forest products mill to generate 36MW of renewable, low emissions power for the Saskatchewan province. "This is the first project to come about through the support of FNPA, which reflects the vision of the Government of Saskatchewan to actively engage First Nations in the province's growing economy," said Rob Norris, Minister responsible for SaskPower. Read more ...

Environmental groups challenging federal rules

The Environmental Law Center and other environmental groups are suing the US Environmental Protection Agency over rules that will exempt some of the biomass-burning power plants from the clean air regulations. The environmental law center are worried that the rules will cause too much investment in biomass, and may prompt the industry to start cutting down forests. Read more ...

IFIF elects new chairman

The International Feed Industry Federation (IFIF) has announced a new chairman Mario Sergio Cutait, Founder and President of Feed Latina. The current Chairman Dave Cieslak who has lead IFIF for the last three years formally handed over the Chairmanship at the IFIF Annual General Assembly in Rome on  October 6, 2011 “IFIF is at a critical phase of renewal in the face of important global challenges in the food and feed industry and Mario Cutait is well placed to lead the organisation to contribute to the growth of a sustainable feed industry worldwide,” says Mr. Cieslak. Read more ...

New Ecoenergy boiler at Northumberland Hotel

One of the UK's largest biomass boilers makers Ecoenergy have installed a new Ecoenergy boiler at the Matfan Hall hotel, The new boiler will supply all the hot water for the hotel and the heating of the 53 bedroomed hotel. The Boiler will be supplied with wood chip from the 500 acres of sustainably managed woodland on the Metfan estate. The boiler is expected to use about 370 tons of wood chip a year and save about 250 tons of carbon dioxide a year. Read more ...

USC demands refund of $20 million from builders

The University of South Carolina's Columbia campus is demanding repayment of US$20 (€14.691) million from the supplier of a biomass power plant that exploded. The University closed the power plant in March and has demanded a full refund from the builders Wisconsin-based Johnson Controls Inc. The plan was for this power plant to provide 75 percent of the steam for the campus, but the plant only provided 98 days out of 534 days in one two year period. Read more ...

EIB loans €500 million for climate change mitigation projects

The European Investment Bank has provided a €500 million (US$674.825) loan to the Brazilian Development Bank (BNDES) of Brazil for projects in the renewable energy sector supporting climate change mitigation. The objective of this operation is to support investments that generate environmental benefits with respect to combating climate change. Read more ...

BTEC and RPG embark on joint biomass venture

The US Forest Service's Wood Education and Resource Center (WERC) has awarded a $70,000 (€52,000) grant to the Biomass Thermal Energy Council (BTEC) and Resource Professional Group (RPG). Both RPG and BTEC have embarked on a joint venture to encourage energy saving and helping commercial buildings to become more efficient and lower the greenhouse gas emissions. Both companies will bring together heating and cooling (HVAC) design experts with biomass energy equipment manufacturers. Read more ...

China to develop renewable energies over the next five years

China economy has grown and millions have had their living standards raised thanks to coal, but there is a downside to using coal, one is the transportation of coal, in a major traffic jam with over 20,000 other vehicles that lasted two days. The main reason for this was the majority of the trucks trapped in the extreme gridlock were there for the same reason, to transport coal. Now China seeks to change that by developing non fossil renewable energies over the next 5 years. They plan to increase consumption of non fossil energies by 210 million tons coal equivalent. Read more ...

New biomass plant for New Hampshire get underway

A groundbreaking ceremony was scheduled for Thursday morning at the site of an old paper pulp mill, construction is due to begin on a new US$275 (€207.195) million biomass power plant in Northern New Hampshire. The plant will provide about 400 construction jobs and 40 permanent jobs, it will also impact on other including loggers and foresters. The new plant is expected to be up and running by late 2013. Read more ...

Canada's renewable energy future looks bright

Avrim Lazar the president and CEO of the Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC) believes that with the right government support that Canada could replace nine nuclear reactors with renewable energy from the Canadian Forest Industry. "We could easily triple our clean energy output using waste products from our mills," says Lazar.  "Already we are self-generating about two thirds of our energy needs and about a half dozen of our mills are now net exporters of energy to provincial grids. Further developing this significant source of green energy needs to be a larger part of governments' energy development plans" Read more ...

Biomass could lead to a race for land grab acquisition

The International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), based in London is raising concern over the global demand for biomass fuels, could to a race for land acquisition in the developing world. This would have a major effect on the poor and hungry, with less land to grow crops for food. Already many countries are importing wood pellets and the demand for wood and other biomass crops could exceed supply by up to 600 percent. Read more ...

Anglesey to get biomass power station

The prospective buyers of the Anglesey Aluminium site are planning to build a biomass power station and a fish farm which they say could create up to 400 jobs. The company Lateral Power are also planning to use soiled from the fish farm and CO2 from the power station will feed greenhouses for food to be grown. A spokesman believed the plant at Holyhead would be "one of the largest biomass power stations and the largest combined aquaculture facility in the world". Read more ...

The next generation of Biofuels are the benefits worth it

A recent study carried out by the research council an arm of the National Academy of Sciences, warns that producing the future biofuels may cause problems, such as competition for farm land and they may not do as much to reduce greenhouse gas emissions as was first thought. The study also showed that hitting these targets that was set in 2007 that refiners use more biofuels can not be met with out significant improvements in the technology. Read more ...

Heating biomass give us a cheap sugar for biofuel

At Iowa State University a group of engineers have developed a way to make low cost sugars from biomass, this discovery has the potential to reduce the cost of producing biofuels. This new method of extracting sugar from biomass involves quickly heating it up without oxygen to produce liquid or gas products. Professor Brown calls this new method pyrolysis. Read more ...