RENOVA
Date: 2021-04-09
In Japan, Omaezakikou Biomass Energy GK, manager of the woody biomass power specialist RENOVA-led 74.95 MW Omaezakikou Biomass power generation project in Shizuoka Prefecture, reports plant construction is underway for an expected startup in July, 2023.

Aside from Omaezakikou Biomass, RENOVA's biomass power portfolio includes the fully operational Akita Biomass power generation facility and the Kanda and Tokushima Tsuda Biomass power generation facilities, which are under construction. (Source: RENOVA, REM, 6 Apr, 2021) Contact: Omaezakikou Biomass Energy, www.renovainc.com/en/business/power_plant/omaezaki_kou_biomass; RENOVA, www.renova.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Woody Biomass,  RENOVA,  

Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection
Date: 2021-04-05
The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has revoked the approval for a long controversial proposed 35-MW woody biomass-fired power plant in Springfield due to the developer's -- Palmer Renewable Energy -- failure to start construction of the plant within two years of the approval being issued.

The $150 million power plant project was first planned a decade ago but has met determined public and environmental community opposition from the start. (Source: Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, PR, WAMC News, 2 Apr., 2021) Contact: Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, www.mass.gov/orgs/massachusetts-department-of-environmental-protection; Palmer Renewable Energy, c/o Palmer Paving Corp., (413) 283-8354, www.palmerpaving.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection,  Woody Biomass,  Palner Renwable Energy,  

Okinawa Electric Power
Date: 2021-03-31
Japanese power producer Okinawa Electric Power reports it has begun co-burning coal and woody biomass pellets at its Kin coal-fired power plant as part of normal operations. The plant can burn wood pellets made from domestically-supplied construction waste at the 220MW No.1 and No.2 coal-fired units, with the ratio of biomass mixture at around 3 pct.

Okinawa Electric Power also uses woody biomass at its 312MW Gushikawa coal-fired power plant and forecasts using a total 30,000 tpy of wood pellets for both plants and cutting its CO2 emissions by around 40,000 tpy.

The move to woody biomass pellet fuel is in line with the utility's plan cut greenhouse gas emissions to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. (Source: Okinawa Electric Power, Korea Herald, Mar 29, 2021) Contact: Okinawa Electric Power, www.okiden.co.jp/en

More Low-Carbon Energy News Okinawa Electric Power,  Woody Biomass,  Wood Pellet,  Carbon Emission,  

DRAX, Pinnacle Renewable Energy
Date: 2021-03-17
Further to our 8 Feb., coverage, UK, Yorkshire-based power station operator Drax Group reports its indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary Drax Canadian Holdings' previously announced acquisition of Vancouver, British Columbia-based wood pellet producer Pinnacle Renewable Energy is moving forward.

The deal, which is subject to shareholder approvals, is expected to add 2.9 million tpy of biomass power production capacity to DRAX group and significantly reduce its average cost of production. (Source: DRAX, PR, Website, 15 Mar., 2021) Contact: DRAX, Will Gardiner, CEO, +44 (0) 1757 618381, www.drax.com; Pinnacle Renewable Energy, Duncan Davies, CEO, 604.270.9613, 604.270.9914--fax, www.pinnaclepellet.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Wood Pellet,  DRAX,  Woody Biomass,  Pinnacle Renewable Energy,  

Sustane Technologies, Arbios
Date: 2021-03-10
In British Columbia, the Prince George city council reports it is considering two biomass/biofuel projects from Nova Scotia-based Sustane Technologies and Vancouver-based forest products specialist Canfor.

The first project from Sustane would divert and recycle roughly 90 pct of municipal solid waste from landfill. Sustane would build and operate the plant, which would employ roughly 25 workers.

A second project, proposed by Canfor and Arbios, would use recovered waste and woody biomass to produce biofuel. The Arbios project would be located at the Intercon facility, creating 150 direct jobs and an additional 600 indirect jobs. Overall greenhouse gas emissions in Prince George would reportedly drop 10-pct as a result of the project. An environmental review is currently underway. (Source: City of Prince George, PR, mypgnow, 8 Mar., 2021) Contact: Sustane Technologies, Peter Vinall, CEO, (902) 200-1642, info@sustane.co, www.sustane.co; Arbios Biotech, www.arbiosbiotech.com; Canfor Pulp Products, (604) 661-5241, info@canfor.com, www.canfor.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Sustane Technologies,  Canfor,  Woody Biomass,  Biofuel ,  

DRAX
Date: 2021-03-03
In the UK, Yorkshire-based woody biomass power producer DRAX Group reports it plans to used bioenergy with carbon capture and ctorage (BECCS) to remove millions of tonnes of CO2 from the atmosphere and create a negative carbon footprint for the company.

The planned project is subject to its application for a Development Consent Order (DCO) -- a process which takes around two years to complete. If approved construction on the first of two 8 million tpy BECCS units could get underway in 2024.

As we reopoert in Dec. 2020, an Imperial College London report for DRAX Electric Insights found the UK's electricity grid has decarbonised faster than other countries in the last decade and that renewable power has grown six-fold in the last 10 years, helping the UK cut its carbon intensity by 58 pct -- double the reduction seen in other major economies over the 2010-2120 period. The report also noted coal-fired power generation dropped from 30 pct to just 2 pct with renewables rising simultaneously from 8 pct to supplying 42 pct of the UK's electricity over the last decade.

The shift to renewables means individual UK households have cut reduced their CO2 emissions by .75 tpy, according to the report. (Source: DRAX, PR, Yorkshire Post, Mar., 2021) Contact: DRAX, Will Gardiner, CEO, +44 (0) 1757 618381, www.drax.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News DRAX,  Bioenergy,  CCS,  BECCS,  

Canadian Minister of Environment and Climate Change,
Date: 2021-03-03
In Ottawa, Canadian Minister of Environment and Climate Change, the Hon. Jonathan Wilkinson, is reporting the Ministry will invest $530,000 to support a project that converts wood, woody biomass and municpal waste into energy in the Rocky Mountains Town of Banff (pop. 8,000), Alberta.

The town's planned $1.3-million biomass district heating system will replace natural gas with wood waste--woody biomass to heat four municipal buildings. The project will see a roughly 6,000 tonnes reduction in greenhouse gas emissions over the project's lifetime. The federal funding comes from the Government of Canada's Low Carbon Economy Challenge, which invests in projects that reduce carbon pollution, save money, and create good jobs. (Source: Canada Minister of Environment and Climate Change, CNW, Mar., 2021) Contact: Town of Banff, 403.762.1200, www.banff.ca; Canada Minister of Environment and Climate Change, www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change.html

More Low-Carbon Energy News Canadian Minister of Environment and Climate Change,  Woody Biomass,  

Enviva Biomass, Finite Carbon
Date: 2021-02-17
Bethesda, Maryland-headquartered ENVIVA, a leading global renewable energy company specializing in sustainable wood bioenergy, has announced its goal of achieving net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from its operations by 2030.

This commitment to climate action reinforces ENVIVA's core purpose to displace coal, grow more trees, and fight climate change. It sets forth an ambitious plan for eliminating GHG emissions from its operations in keeping with international climate goals, including the Paris Agreement's goal to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 degree C. To that end, ENVIVA will:

Reduce, eliminate or offset all of its direct emissions. Enviva will immediately work to minimize the emissions from fossil fuels used directly in its operations -- its Scope 1 emissions.

Source 100 pct renewable energy by 2030with an interim target of at least 50 pct by 2025.

Drive innovative improvements in its supply chain and proactively engage with partners and other key stakeholders to adopt clean-energy solutions.

Transparently report progress. Enviva will track and publish its progress in reducing its emissions annually and intends to disclose climate-relevant data and risks through CDP (formerly the Carbon Disclosure Project) by the end of 2022.

ENVIVA's sustainably sourced wood is used to manufacture wood pellets as a drop-in alternative to fossil fuels. ENVIVA exports its sustainable wood pellets primarily to the U.K., Europe, the Caribbean and Japan, enabling its customers to reduce their carbon emissions by more than 85 pct on a lifecycle basis, helping them reach their greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets with renewable energy, according to the ENVIVA release. (Source: ENVIVA, PR, 17 Feb., 2021) Contact: ENVIVA Partners, LP, (301) 657-5560, www.envivabiomass.com; Carbon Disclosure Project, CDP, Lance Pierce, Pres. North America, (212) 378 2086, info.northamerica@cdp.net, www.cdp.net

More Low-Carbon Energy News Carbon Disclosure Project,  ENVIVA,  Enviva,  Net-Zero Emissions,  Wood Pellet,  Woody Biomass,  

DRAX, Pinnacle Renewable Energy
Date: 2021-02-08
UK-headquartered DRAX Group is reporting a £226 million agreement for its wholly-owned subsidiary DRAX Canadian Holdings' acquisition of British Columbia-based wood pellet producer Pinnacle Renewable Energy. The deal, which is subject to DRAX shareholder, regulatory approval and other customary conditions, is expected to close in Q3 this year.

According to the release, DRAX and Pinnacle combined will have 17 wood pellet plants, 3 major fibre baskets, 4 deep water ports, 4.9 Mt capacity from 2022 with 2.9 Mt available for self-supply, 2.6 GW of renewable biomass generation, with potential for BECCS, global growth opportunities for sustainable biomass. (Source: DRAX, Website, Various Media, 8 Feb., 2021) Contact: Pinnacle Renewable Energy, Duncan Davies, CEO, 604.270.9613, 604.270.9914--fax, www.pinnaclepellet.com; DRAX, Will Gardiner, CEO, +44 (0) 1757 618381, www.drax.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Wood Pellet,  DRAX,  Woody Biomass,  Pinnacle Renewable Energy,  

Enviva Biomass
Date: 2021-01-25

Together renewable fuels will further displace coal and natural gas -- As countries take aggressive action on climate change to decarbonize their respective economies by 2050, the direction is clear -- all carbon-neutral and carbon-negative renewable fuels will need to work together if we want to achieve carbon neutrality by mid-century. As the global energy demand for alternative fuels increase, 2021 will mark a turning point for the industry as wind, solar, geothermal, woody biomass, hydrogen, and lithium-ion battery energy providers (among others) make a collective and coordinated effort to combat the global climate crisis.

The aftermath of COVID-19 will push economies into a renewable future -- The COVID-19 pandemic has forever changed how societies, businesses, and governments view the world. As various industries saw a decline in the demand for products and/or services throughout the pandemic, the energy industry witnessed the opposite. Energy production and distribution remained essential regardless of the pandemic.

Throughout the pandemic we've seen an increased global interest in reducing carbon emissions. Looking ahead, we expect renewable fuels will continue to play a crucial role in power generation for decades to come. For this reason, we don't foresee a job loss, rather a job transfer -- or perhaps a job boom - in renewables in 2021. For those currently working in fossil fuels, this shift will present a great opportunity to transition skills as the energy sector continues to evolve into a clean energy future.

Europe will continue to be the "Poster Child" for renewable energy implementation, but there will be some regulatory uncertainty. -- Delivering Europe's long-term ambition to become the first climate neutral continent by 2050 requires an extensive set of urgent measures to scale up action. At the very least, the world-leading sustainability criteria established by the Renewable Energy Directive II (REDII) will need to be fully implemented by all member states if Europe plans to meet their 2030 and 2050 emission reduction goals. At best, member states will need to further amend the directive if they wish to succeed in cutting carbon emissions by 55 pct in the next decade from 1990 levels.

Bioenergy is the largest renewable energy source in the EU and will be critical to increased deployment of wind and solar -- The use of bioenergy has more than doubled since 2000 as a result of its end-use as heat, transportation, and electricity. In fact, biomass is the only renewable fuel on the market that is readily available today and can replace fossil fuels for heat generation. In heavy industries such as steel, aluminum and cement, sustainably sourced wood-based biomass offers a carbon-neutral fuel replacement for coal and gas-fired furnaces (and combined heat and power plants). As a dependable and dispatchable renewable fuel, sustainably-sourced biomass represents a prime solution to complement the intermittency of wind and solar (among other renewables) that will reduce carbon emissions by more than 85% on a lifecycle basis.

Biomass to assist the development and deployment of a hydrogen economy -- Looking ahead to more future-oriented solutions, such as the development of the hydrogen economy, biomass is projected to play an important role. The most obvious is to use biomass directly to create hydrogen through gasification and thereby avoid carbon emissions that are associated with natural gas. Even further down the road, when surplus solar and wind could potentially be used to create hydrogen at scale, there will be an exciting opportunity to produce aviation and other fuels with carbon capture of biomass that could result in even fewer net greenhouse gas emissions. Likewise, as decarbonization efforts in the steel and cement industry rapidly increase, they too will look to bioenergy solutions for support.

BECCS on the short rise -- Bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) is one of the very few options on the table that can remove carbon from the atmosphere. Once matured, BECCS could mark the beginning of a new era for low-carbon fuel applications that will enable us to meet and/or exceed international net zero targets while still enjoying air travel and heavy goods transport, which is difficult and very expensive to decarbonize. We expect 2021 will be the year that we see true progress in climate change mitigation, as a result of new initiatives/policies, new innovations, and new collaborations that are already taking shape.

ENVIVA Holdings, LP is the world's largest producer of industrial wood pellets, a renewable and sustainable energy source used to generate electricity and heat. Through its subsidiaries, ENVIVA owns and operates wood pellet processing plants and deep-water export terminals in the Southeastern United States and exports pellets primarily to power plants in the UK, Europe and Japan that previously were fueled by coal, enabling them to reduce their lifetime carbon footprint by up to 85 pct. We make our pellets using sustainable practices that protect Southern forests. ENVIVA Holdings, LP conducts its activities primarily through two entities: ENVIVA Partners, LP, a publicly traded master limited partnership (NYSE: EVA), and ENVIVA Development Holdings, LLC, a wholly owned private company. (Source: Enviva Holdings, LP, Jan., 2021) Contact: ENVIVA Holdings, LP., www.envivabiomass.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Enviv news,  Woody Biomass Wood Pellet news,  CCS news,  Renewable Fuel news,  

ENVIVA
Date: 2021-01-25
The following has been submitted by the world's largest industrial wood pellets producer, ENVIVA Holdings LP:

Bioenergy is the largest renewable energy source in the EU and will be critical to increased deployment of wind and solar -- The use of bioenergy has more than doubled since 2000 as a result of its end-use as heat, transportation, and electricity. In fact, biomass is the only renewable fuel on the market that is readily available today and can replace fossil fuels for heat generation.

In heavy industries such as steel, aluminum, and cement -- sustainably sourced wood-based biomass offers a carbon-neutral fuel replacement for coal and gas-fired furnaces (and combined heat and power plants). As a dependable and dispatchable renewable fuel, sustainably-sourced biomass represents a prime solution to complement the intermittency of wind and solar (among other renewables) that will reduce carbon emissions by more than 85 pct on a lifecycle basis.

Biomass to assist the development and deployment of a hydrogen economy -- Looking ahead to more future-oriented solutions, such as the development of the hydrogen economy, biomass is projected to play an important role. The most obvious is to use biomass directly to create hydrogen through gasification and thereby avoid carbon emissions that are associated with natural gas. Even further down the road, when surplus solar and wind could potentially be used to create hydrogen at scale, there will be an exciting opportunity to produce aviation and other fuels with carbon capture of biomass that could result in even fewer net greenhouse gas emissions. Likewise, as decarbonization efforts in the steel and cement industry rapidly increase.

ENVIVA is the world's largest producer of industrial wood pellets, a renewable and sustainable energy source used to generate electricity and heat. Through its subsidiaries, ENVIVA Holdings, LP owns and operates wood pellet processing plants and deep-water export terminals in the Southeastern U.S. and exports primarily to previously coal-fired power plants in the U.K., Europe and Japan. We make our pellets using sustainable practices that protect Southern forests and employ about 1,100 people and support many other businesses in the U.S. South. ENVIVA Holdings, LP conducts its activities primarily through two entities: ENVIVA Partners, LP, a publicly traded master limited partnership (NYSE: EVA), and ENVIVA Development Holdings, LLC, a wholly owned private company. (Source: ENVIVA Holdings, LP, Jan., 2021) Contact: ENVIVA Holdings, LP. ENVIVA Biomass, Enviva Partners, LP, (301) 657-5560, www.envivabiomass.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Enviva,  Woody Biomass,  Wood Pellet,  Renewable Fuel,  CCS,  

ENVIVA
Date: 2021-01-25
The following has been submitted by ENVIVA Holdings, LP, the world's largest industrial wood pellets producer:

Together renewable fuels will further displace coal and natural gas -- As countries take aggressive action on climate change to decarbonize their respective economies by 2050, the direction is clear -- all carbon-neutral and carbon-negative renewable fuels will need to work together if we want to achieve carbon neutrality by mid-century. As the global energy demand for alternative fuels increase, 2021 will mark a turning point for the industry as wind, solar, geothermal, woody biomass, hydrogen, and lithium-ion battery energy providers (among others) make a collective and coordinated effort to combat the global climate crisis.

Europe will continue to be the "Poster Child" for renewable energy implementation, but there will be some regulatory uncertainty. -- Delivering Europe's long-term ambition to become the first climate neutral continent by 2050 requires an extensive set of urgent measures to scale up action. At the very least, the world-leading sustainability criteria established by the Renewable Energy Directive II (REDII) will need to be fully implemented by all member states if Europe plans to meet their 2030 and 2050 emission reduction goals. At best, member states will need to further amend the directive if they wish to succeed in cutting carbon emissions by 55 pct in the next decade from 1990 levels.

Bioenergy is the largest renewable energy source in the EU and will be critical to increased deployment of wind and solar -- The use of bioenergy has more than doubled since 2000 as a result of its end-use as heat, transportation, and electricity. In fact, biomass is the only renewable fuel on the market that is readily available today and can replace fossil fuels for heat generation. In heavy industries such as steel, aluminum, and cement, sustainably sourced wood-based biomass offers a carbon-neutral fuel replacement for coal and gas-fired furnaces (and combined heat and power plants). As a dependable and dispatchable renewable fuel, sustainably-sourced biomass represents a prime solution to complement the intermittency of wind and solar (among other renewables) that will reduce carbon emissions by more than 85 pct on a lifecycle basis.

Biomass to assist the development and deployment of a hydrogen economy -- Looking ahead to more future-oriented solutions, such as the development of the hydrogen economy, biomass is projected to play an important role. The most obvious is to use biomass directly to create hydrogen through gasification and thereby avoid carbon emissions that are associated with natural gas. Even further down the road, when surplus solar and wind could potentially be used to create hydrogen at scale, there will be an exciting opportunity to produce aviation and other fuels with carbon capture of biomass that could result in even fewer net greenhouse gas emissions. Likewise, as decarbonization efforts in the steel and cement industry rapidly increase, they too will look to bioenergy solutions for support.

Bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) -- is one of the very few options on the table that can remove carbon from the atmosphere. Once matured, BECCS could mark the beginning of a new era for low-carbon fuel applications that will enable us to meet and/or exceed international net zero targets while still enjoying air travel and heavy goods transport, which is difficult and very expensive to decarbonize. We expect 2021 will be the year that we see true progress in climate change mitigation, as a result of new initiatives/policies, new innovations, and new collaborations that are already taking shape.

COVID 19 Pandemic aftermath -- Throughout the pandemic we've seen an increased global interest in reducing carbon emissions. Looking ahead, we expect renewable fuels and energy will continue to play a crucial role in power generation for decades to come.

ENVIVA Holdings, LP is the world's largest producer of industrial wood pellets, a renewable and sustainable energy source used to generate electricity and heat. Through its subsidiaries, ENVIV Holdings owns and operates wood pellet processing plants and deep-water terminals in the Southeastern U.S. and exports pellets primarily to formerly coal-fired power plants in the U.K, Europe and Japan. ENVIVA makes pellets using sustainable practices that protect Southern forests and employ about 1,100 people and support many other businesses in the U.S. South. ENVIVA Holdings, LP conducts its activities primarily through two entities: Enviva Partners, LP, a publicly traded master limited partnership (NYSE: EVA), and ENVIVA Development Holdings, LLC, a wholly owned private company. (Source: ENVIVA Holdings, LP, Jan., 2021) Contact: ENVIVA Holdings, LP, www.envivabiomass.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News ENVIVA,  Renewable Energy,  Woody Biomass,  Wood Pellet,  

Resalta
Date: 2021-01-13
In Croatia, Zagreb-based Resalta -- fka GGE -- reports the sale of its 5 MWe woody biomass-fired cogeneration power plant in Slatina, eastern Croatia, for an undisclosed price to Luxembourg-based Pearl Infrastructure Capital.

The plant was sold through Energy 9, a Resalta subsidiary that owned the power plant in partnership with Slovenian electrical equipment supplier Iskraemeco. Resalta opened the cogeneration plant in 2019 following investment of 24 million euro ($29 million). The plant generates 40 GWh of electricity per year. (Source: Resalta, PR, Balkan Green Energy, 11 Jan., 2021) Contact: Resalta, Luka Komazec, CEO, +386 59 035 200, info.si@resalta.com, www.resalta.com; Pearl Infrastructure Capital, www.pearlinfracap.eu

More Low-Carbon Energy News Woody Biomass,  Resalta,  

Pinnacle Renewable Energy
Date: 2021-01-11
British Columbia-based wood pellet producer Pinnacle Renewable Energy is reporting an extension of a long-term, take-or-pay off-take contract with Japan-headquartered Mitsubishi Corporation Ltd. Under the terms of the extension, Pinnacle will supply 80,000 to 90,000 metric tpy of industrial wood pellets to Mitsubishi beginning in Q1 2023. The industrial wood pellets will be used by a biomass power generation plant in Japan.

Wood pellet usage in Japan has continued to grow alongside the build-out of biomass generating capacity there, providing Pinnacle with a geographically advantaged opportunity to continue expanding in this market, according to the release. (Source: Pinnacle Renewable Energy, Website, PR, 7 Dec., 2020) Contact: Pinnacle Renewable Energy, Duncan Davies, CEO, 604.270.9613, 604.270.9914--fax, www.pinnaclepellet.com; Mitsubishi Corp., www.mitsubishicorp.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Pinnacle Renewable Energy,  Wood Pellet,  Woody Biomass,  Biomass Power,  Mitsubishi Corp,  

Veolia
Date: 2021-01-06
In the UK, Veolia reports it is expanding its present 410,000 tpy waste wood recycling and processing capacity by 50,000 tpy in keeping with its commitment to recycling and renewable biomass energy.

To that end, the company's new Runcorn Wood Recycling Facility is designed to support the treatment of wood waste from the Merseyside area for use as flooring, furniture, worktops, and other particle board applications. Lower-grade material will be used for power generation.

In the UK, Veolia's renewable biomass energy operations have saved more than 500,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions in the last four years, according to the company. (Source: Veolia, Website, PR, 5 Jan., 2021) Contact: Veolia UK,www.veolia.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Veolia ,  Woody Biomass,  

Voltalia
Date: 2021-01-06
The Paris-headquartered international renewable energy company Voltalia is reporting its Cacao forestry wood waste/woody biomass plant in Roura, French Guiana has begun operation. The €75 million plant has an installed capacity of 5.1 MW and 550 kW/250 Kwh storage capacity and is expected to prevent 28,500 tpy of CO2-equivalent emissions.

The company operates three solar, two biomass, and one hydroelectric, as well as battery storage units with a total installed capacity of 30 MW renewable energy facilities in French Guiana. (Source: Voltalia, PR, Website, Bioenergy Insights, 5 Jan., 2020) Contact: Voltalia, Sebastien Clerc, CEO, +33 (0)1 81 70 37 00, www.voltalia.com

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Enviva
Date: 2020-12-23
Bethesda, Maryland-based wood bioenergy specialist Enviva Partners LP and blockchain firm GoChain are reporting the results of a pilot programme to enhance the traceability of sustainable biomass.

The pilot programme leveraged GoChain's blockchain to identify a select group of suppliers from Enviva's U.S. wood sourcing regions to monitor forest tract locations, load weights, fibre commodity types, forest types and other related data.

In total, more than 1,000 loads of woody biomass were delivered from the forest to the production facility and recorded 'on-chain' during the pilot. The results yielded considerable insights and the pilot has the potential to further increase the accuracy of Enviva's proprietary Track & Trace system, which provides publicly available data and tracks exactly where the low-value wood used in the production of Enviva biomass comes from.(Source: Enviva, PR, Bioenergy Insight, 22 Dec., 2020) Contact: Enviva Partners, LP, (301) 657-5560, www.envivabiomass.com; GoChain, www.gochain.io

More Low-Carbon Energy News Enviva,  Woody Biomass,  Biomass,  Wood Pellet,  

Idemitsu
Date: 2020-12-02
Tokyo-headquartered oil refiner Idemitsu reports plans to begin commercial operations of a 50MW biomass power generation plant at its Tokuyama petrochemical complex in western Japan's Yamaguchi prefecture in December 2022.

The plant will initially use roughly 230,000 tpy of imported wood pellets and palm kernel shells to produce around 360GWh/yr of electricity, which will be sold under the country's feed-in-tariff scheme to meet demand of around 100,000 households. The company plans to eventually shift the fuel to domestically-supplied woody biomass, such as thinned and waste wood.

Idemitsu currently participates in small-scale woody biomass power ventures, including the 6.25MW Tosa and 7.34MW Fukui projects, and is developing technology to produce black pellets from sorghum. (Source: Idemitsu, PR, Argus, 30 Nov., 2020) Contact: Idemitsu, ,www.idemitsu.com

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Neste
Date: 2020-12-02
The Government of Quebec has announced $5.943 million ($4.55 million US) in funding to a non-profit organization Bioenergie La Tuque (BELT) to develop and demonstrate the potential of producing advanced biofuels from locally-sourced forestry waste, woody biomass in La Tuque, Quebec, Canada. The funding will be used to continue project development and plant design, and the potential of building a renewable fuels plant in the area.

BELT, the Council of the Atikamekw Nation and renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel provider Neste have been jointly assessing the feasibility of utilizing sustainably-sourced forest-based biomass and residues for advanced sustainable biofuels production since 2017.

The BioEnergie La Tuque project would utilize 650,000 metric tpy of forest biomass and aligns with and supports Quebec's established forest product industry and commitment to sustainable forestry management and biodiversity, according to the release. (Source: Neste Corporation, Press Release, 30 Nov., 2020) Contact: Neste Corp., Thorsten Lange, Exec. VP, +358 10 458 4128, www.neste.com

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FortisBC,REN Energy International
Date: 2020-11-27
Edmonton, Alberta-based Thermo Design Engineering Ltd (TDE) reports it is partnering with Kelowna, B.C.-based REN Energy International (REN) to develop a first-of-its-kind, Woody Biomass, wood-waste RNG plant in British Columbia.

REN will build, own, and operate the facility in Fruitvale while FortisBC will own and operate the interconnection facility connecting the project to FortisBC's natural gas transmission system. (Source: Thermo Sesign Engineering, REN, Bioenergy 26 Nov., 2020) Contact: Thermo Design Engineering, Sean Montgomery, Pres., (780) 440-6064, www.thermodesign.com; REN Energy International, Phillip Viggiani, CEO, (250) 999-7766, www.rencorp.ca; FortisBC, Scott Gramm, RNG Supply Manager, Douglas Stout, VP, Market Dev., www.fortisbc.com

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University of Kentucky
Date: 2020-11-09
In Lexington, the University of Kentucky reports it is leading a national group of scientists and industry partners studying ways to reduce sulfur levels in pine forestry waste -- including needles, bark, branches and pulp -- used to produce biofuels. The sulfur levels of some byproducts are high enough to exceed U.S. EPA standards, if the sulfur was carried over to biofuels.

Through a three-year grant from the U.S. DOE EERE, the research team, led by Assistant Professor Jian Shi, will work to identify the reasons behind the sulfur variability in pine feedstocks by studying byproducts collected from across the nation. The research aims to better understand how sulfur accumulates in biofuel feedstocks, what happens to the sulfur during thermochemical conversion and how to remove sulfur and improve gasification.

With the DOE grant and cost-share dollars from universities and the industry, the project will total more than $2 million. Partners include researchers from UK's Center for Applied Energy Research, Kansas State University, Idaho National Laboratory, Mississippi State University and Red Rock Biofuels. (Source: University of Kentucky, College of Agriculture, Food and Environment Contact: University of Kentucky, College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, Jian Shi, Lead Researcher, 859-257-3468, www.ca.uky.edu

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DRAX, Forest Trust
Date: 2020-10-30
In the UK, Yorkshire-based DRAX Group reports it is partnering with the not-for-profit Earthworm Foundation -- fka Forest Trust -- on Healthy Forest Landscapes (HFL), an evidence-based tool to measure and evaluate the health of a forest in four key areas -- forest cover, carbon stock, biodiversity, and community well-being, all key focus areas for Drax and its woody biomass-fired power generation plants. The tool will give businesses like Drax the information needed to ensure its operations positively impact the forests where it sources its biomass feedstocks.

HFL measures changes in the forest landscape using empirical evidence such as big data from government statistics and input from earth observations from satellites, other remote sensing technologies, and its own socio-economic evaluation methodology to assess community wellbeing. (Source: DRAX, Bioenergy Insight, 28 Oct., 2020) Contact: Earthworm Foundation, www.earthworm.org; DRAX, Richard Peberdy, Head of Sustainable Forests, +44(0)1757 618381, www.drax.com

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Biofine Developments Northeast
Date: 2020-10-30
In the Pine Tree State, Bangor-based cellulose bioproducts spcialist Biofine Developments Northeast Inc. (BDNE) reports it has formed a partnership with Portsmouth, New Hampshire-based wholesale energy supplier Sprague Resources LP to produce and market a patented biofuel made from 100 pct ethyl levulinate (EL), an organic chemical compound.

The company hopes finalize the site of its first biorefinery within the next month and begin operation in 2023. The plant would process 100 tpd of lumber industry woody biomass and paper mill wastes to make 3 million gpy of competitively priced "zero-emissions heating oil as well as a side stream of marketable renewable chemical by-products.

Biofine is working with Treadwell Franklin Infrastructure Capital to bring the project to commercial scale and raise $70 million from private investors. Biofine is a member of Biobased Maine, the trade group promoting sustainable manufacturing and biomass solutions. (Source: Biofine Developments Northeast Inc., Press Herald, Oct., 2020) Contact: Biofine Developments Northeast Inc., www.biofinedevelopments.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Woody Biomass,  BDNE,  

Renova
Date: 2020-10-28
Renewable energy and biomass power developer Renova Inc reports it has made a final investment decision and will proceed with the 75-MW Sendai-Gamo Biomass Project in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan.

The Sendai-Gamo Biomass Project will utilise wood pellets and palm kernel shells to generate roughly 553,300 MWh annually -- sufficient power for 170,000 households.

Sumitomo Forestry, United Purpose Management, Mizuho Leasing, and Daiwa Energy & Infrastructure are participating in the project which is slated to break ground in Feb, 2021 for completion and startup in Nov., 2023. (Source: Renova,Website PR, 26 Oct., 2020) Contact: Renova Inc., www.renovainc.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Renova ,  Woody Biomass,  Wood Pellet,  

Enviva Biomass, Finite Carbon
Date: 2020-10-23
Bethesda, Maryland-based woody biomass pellet manufacturer Enviva reports it is partnering with Wayne, Pa.-based forest carbon offset specialist Finite Carbon to engage small forest landowners across the U.S. Southeast to voluntarily participate in global greenhouse gas emissions reduction programs. The partnership, leveraging Finite Carbon's CORE Carbon free, online platform, will help more than 1.5 million family and non-industrial forest owners address climate change while generating a new annual income stream.

Finite Carbon's CORE Carbon Platform utilizes remote sensing technologies to dramatically reduce the costs and barriers to market entry for smaller forest landowners with as little as 40 acres of forestland. The initial phase of CORE Carbon will focus on a deferred harvest methodology, co-authored with American Carbon Registry, focusing on high conservation value forests such as mature bottomland hardwood stands in the U.S. Southeast. (Source: Enviva Holdings, Enviva Biomass, PR, Valdosta Daily Times, 21 Oct., 2020) Contact: Enviva Holdings LP, John Keppler, CEO, (301) 657-5560, www.envivabiomass.com; Finite Carbon, Sean Carney, Pres., Jazmin Varela, (919) 724-7402, jvarela@finitecarbon.com, www.finitecarbon.com; American Carbon Registry, www.americancarbonregistry.org

More Low-Carbon Energy News Enviva Biomass,  Finite Carbon,  Carbon Offset ,  

Netherlands
Date: 2020-10-21
At the Hague, the Netherlands government is reportedly planning to phase out subsidies for woody biomass power stations, subject to the availability of affordable and environmentally suitable alternative fuel sources. To that end, the government has asked the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency (PBL) for its recommendations.

Under the present subsidies program, 628 Netherland biomass installations will receive roughly €11.4bn in subsidies over the next few years.

The PBL previously noted the use of biomass may be unavoidable if the Netherlands is to meet the EU targets on energy neutrality, adding that without using biomass the Netherlands will have to increase solar and wind energy installations at a faster rate than presently underway.

The government's advisory body SER has also recommended that subsidies for biomass power be phased out. Despite the subsidy decision, the government said it "remains convinced that the use of biomass is necessary in the transition to a climate neutral and circular economy by 2030 and 2050." (Source: Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency, DutchNews.nl, 19 Oct., 2020) Contact: Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency, www.pbl.nl

More Low-Carbon Energy News Woody Biomass,  Biomass Subsidies,  

Woody Biomass,Canada Woody Biomass
Date: 2020-10-19
In Ottawa, the Canadian federal government reports it is spending $13 million on six Northern Ontario projects to help build greener businesses, promote forest sector opportunities facilitate Indigenous community economic development by better positioning them to participate in Canada's bio-economy and benefit from clean energy solutions that use forest-based biomass.

The funding is part of the six-year, $220-million Clean Energy for Rural and Remote Communities Program -- Bio Heat Stream, which aims to reduce reliance on diesel fuel in rural and remote communities. (Source: Chronicle Journal, 18 Oct., 2020)

More Low-Carbon Energy News Forest Biomass news,  Woody Biomass news,  

CSIRO
Date: 2020-10-09
In the Land Down Under, CSIRO, Australia's Commonwealth science agency, reports it joined researchers across the globe to produce a 1km resolution map of carbon accumulation potential from forest regrowth. Published in Nature, the study is the first of its kind wall-to-wall global map that highlights forested areas with greatest carbon returns if allowed to regrow naturally.

The researchers found that average default forest regrowth rates used by the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) may have been underestimated by 32 pct.

Led by the Nature Conservancy, the study redefined international estimates and highlighted the role of natural forest regrowth in carbon accumulation, according to Report co-author and CSIRO Principal Research Scientist Dr. Stephen Roxburgh. "The global study complemented recent Australian work on carbon accumulation rates for planted and naturally regenerating stands of woody biomass across Australia," Roxburgh noted and added climate, rather than past land use, was the most important driver of potential carbon accumulation.

The study provides an important benchmark to assess the global potential of forest regrowth as a climate mitigation strategy. (Source: CSIRO, Spatial Source, October, 2020) Contact: CSIRO, +61 3 9545 2176, enquiries@csiro.au, www.csiro.au

More Low-Carbon Energy News CSIRO,  Carbon Capture,  

US EIA
Date: 2020-10-09
According to the just released U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) Winter Fuels Outlook and an updated Short-Term Energy Outlook , approximately 1.4 pct -- 1.8 million U.S. households will use cord wood or wood pellets as their primarily residential spacing heating fuel during the 2020 – 2021 winter. The EIA report forecasts that U.S. residential energy consumption will be higher than the 2019 -- 2020 heating season.

In the electric power sector, biomass expected to be used to generate 27.9 billion kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity this year, including 15.6 billion kWh from waste biomass and 12.3 billion kWh from wood biomass. Generation from biomass reached 28.8 billion kWh in 2019, including 15.7 billion kWh from waste biomass and 13 billion kWh from wood biomass. In 2021, generation from biomass is expected to increase to 31.2 billion kWh, including 16.4 kWh from waste biomass and 14.9 billion kWh from wood biomass. The electric power sector is expected to consume 0.233 quadrillion Btu (quad) of waste biomass this year, down from 0.236 quad in 2019, but increasing to 0.244 quad in 2021. The sector consumed 0.211 quad of wood biomass in 2019, with consumption expected to fall to 0.2 quad in 2020, and increase to 0.241 quad in 2021.

In the electric power sector, biomass generating capacity was at 6,672 MW in 2019, including 3,945 MW of waste biomass capacity and 2,727 MW of wood biomass capacity. Capacity by the end of 2020 is expected to fall to 6,628 MW, including 3,902 MW of waste biomass capacity and 2,727 MW of wood biomass capacity. Biomass capacity is expected to reach 6,638 MW by the end of 2021, including 3,912 MW of waste biomass capacity and 2,727 MW of wood biomass capacity.

Download the EIA Short-Term Energy Outlook HERE. (Source: US EIA, PR, Oct., 2020)

More Low-Carbon Energy News US EIA,  Woody Biomass,  Bimass,  

Marubeni, Chubu Electric
Date: 2020-09-30
In Japan, Marubeni Corporation and Chubu Electric Power are reporting establishment of Gifu Seino Green Power (GSGP), a special-purpose company to develop a wood-based biomass power plant in Godo Town in Japan's Gifu Prefecture.

The 7,500 kW project has a loan agreement with Ogaki Kyoritsu Bank and Juroku Bank and is slated to begin operations in March 2023. (Source: Marubeni Corporation, Chubu Electric Power, PR, 24 Sept., 2020) Contact: Marubeni Corporation, www.marubeni.com; Chubu Electric Power, www.chuden.co.jp

More Low-Carbon Energy News Woody Biomass,  Marubeni,  Chubu Electric,  

DRAX,Worley
Date: 2020-09-23

Biomass
Date: 2020-09-23
In Ottawa, the Canadian Minister of Natural Resources (NRCAN) reports it is investing nearly $13 million in woody biomass projects in First Nation communities across northern Canada.

The $13 million investment includes $2.4 million for the Wiikwemkoong Development Commission to demonstrate the effectiveness of forest-based biomass for heating in the Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory.

The Wiikwemkoong community has converted 102 homes to wood biomass boilers and wood pellet furnaces to reduce the community's reliance on fossil fuels. (Source: Canada Minister of Natural Resources, PR, 22 Sept., 2020) Contact: Canada Minister of Natural Resources Seamus O'Regan, www.narcan.gov.ca

More Low-Carbon Energy News Woody Biomass,  NRCAN,  

CRB Innovations,CanmetENERGY
Date: 2020-09-09
The Canadian federal Minister of Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) reports its Clean Growth Program will invest $4.5 million in Sherbrooke, Quebec-based CRB Innovations to support eco-sustainable development of the forest sector. The Quebec government Wood Innovation Program invested $2.5 million in the project -- a first of its kind for Canadian bio-refineries.

CRB Innovations is developing a commercial pilot project to convert forestry residuals and other woody biomass sources into intermediate products that will be converted into biofuels and co-bioproducts.

The Natural Resources Clean Growth Program -- a $155-million investment fund -- also provided support to CRB Innovations collaboration with CanmetENERGY (Ottawa) to convert CRB Innovations' mid-products to drop-in transportation biofuels. The NRC investment was made through the program's Science and Technology Assistance for Cleantech (STAC) initiative which provides federal laboratory support for innovators, intended to help bring Canadian clean technologies to market by providing federal research expertise, facilities and equipment. (Source: Natural Resources Canada, CNBW, PR, 8 Sept., 2020) Contact: NRCan, Natural Resources Canada Clean Growth Program, www.nrcan.gc.ca/climate-change/canadas-green-future/clean-growth-programs/20254#wb-cont; CRB Innovations, (819) 566-2335; CanmetENERGY, www.nrcan.gc.ca/energy/energy-offices-and-labs/canmetenergy/5715#wb-cont

More Low-Carbon Energy News CanmetENERGY,  Natural Resources Canada,  Bioenergy,  Woody Biomass,  

Elkem
Date: 2020-09-09
Oslo, Norway-headquartered Elkem reports it will invest $19.7 million in a new pilot plant in Chicoutimi, Quebec, Canada to pilot an industrial biocarbon process specifically for silicon and ferrosilicon production.

The pilot plant will source raw materials including recycled bark, wood chips, sawdust, and wood shaves, with more than 2 million green tons (Gt) of potential raw material from local sources. The project has received financial support from the Canadian government, the Quebec government and the city of Saguenay.

The pilot is intended to verify Elkem's technology for renewable biocarbon, with a long-term goal of contributing to climate-neutral metal production. The technology has potential other industry application while contributing to reduced CO2 emissions, the company says. (Source: Elkem, Chemical Weeks, 9 Sept., 2020) Contact: Elkem, Michael Koenig, CEO, www.elkem.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Elkem,  Biocarbon,  Woody Biomass,  Biomass,  

Atlantic Power Corporation
Date: 2020-09-04
Dedham, Mass.-headquartered Atlantic Power Corporation is reporting reconstruction of its 2019 fire-damaged 40-MW woody-biomass plant in Cadillac, Michigan, has been completed and the plant re-commissioned and returned to service in Aug.

Atlantic Power Corporation is a power generation and infrastructure company with a portfolio of assets in the United States and Canada. The company is engaged in power generation through hydro, natural gas, biomass, and coal fired power plants, according to Wikipedia. (Source: Atlantic Power Corp., PR, Sept., 2020) Contact: Atlantic Power Corp., James J. Moore, Pres., CEO, (617) 977-2400, www.atlanticpower.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Atlantic Power Corporation news,  Woody Biomass news,  Biomass news,  

NRDC
Date: 2020-09-04
"Our two biggest global environmental challenges -- climate change and biodiversity loss -- are inextricably linked so keeping forests standing must be a priority of all governments.

"Much of the wood burned in UK power plants is cut down and shipped from ecologically sensitive forests in the US Southeast. Those forests are efficient and powerful carbon- capture systems and support unique wildlife found nowhere else in the world. But they can't serve that important purpose if the trees are cut and turned into wood pellets, and don't grow back for decades." -- Sasha Stashwick, Natural Resource Defense Council www.nrdc.org

More Low-Carbon Energy News Woody Biomass,  NRDC,  

Engie
Date: 2020-09-02
French energy major ENGIE is reporting the immediate shut-down of its 1951-vintage Engie Electrabel biomass plant in Les Awirs, Belgium.

Originally commissioned to burn coal, the 75MW plant began burning biomass in 2005. The closure coincides with the ending of the period for the granting of green certificates. (Source: ENGIE, PR, renews. 28 Aug., 2020) Contact: ENGIE, Gwenaelle Avice-Huet, VP Renewables, +33 (0)1 44 22 66 29, ir@engie.com, www.engie.com/en

More Low-Carbon Energy News Engie,  Biomass,  Woody Biomass,  

Enviv
Date: 2020-08-07
Following up on our 22nd June report, Bethesda, Maryland-based woody biomass pellet specialist Enviva Partners LP is reporting completion of its previously announced acquisition of an industrial-scale, 800,000 metric tpy wood pellet production plant in Waycross, Georgia. The Waycross plant is now called "Enviva Pellets Waycross."

With this acquisition, Enviva operates nine wood pellet production plants and five deep-water export terminals across Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and Florida. Enviva's total annual wood pellet production capacity is approximately 4.9 million metric tpy. (Source: Enviva Partners, Aug., 2020) Contact: Enviva Partners, (240) 482-3856. ir@envivabiomass.com, www.envivabiomass.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Enviva,  Woody Biomass,  Wood Pellet,  

GranBio, NextChem
Date: 2020-08-05
In Sao Paulo, Brazil-based GranBio is reporting a strategic alliance with Italian engineering giant Maire Tecnimont S.p.A. subsidiary NextChem to co-license its patented technology for "second generation" cellulosic ethanol production worldwide.

The partnership will combine GranBio's biomass and second-generation biofuels expertise with NextChem's engineering intelligence and Group global presence, to offer integrated services -- feasibility studies, development of integration projects, engineering and construction of factories worldwide, according to the release.

GranBio's 2G ethanol technology has been implemented in its $220 million factory located in Sao Miguel dos Campos, in Alagoas. Currently, the company has the capacity to produce around 7.9 million gpy of 2G ethanol.

GranBio developed a flexible model for the use of sugarcane, corn stover, straw, woody biomass and other waste to produce cellulosic ethanol. (Source: GranBio, PR, 3 Aug., 2020) Contact: GranBio, Paulo Nigro, CEO, www.granbio.com.br; NextChem, Ilaria Catastini, Coomunications, +39 327 0663447, mediarelations@nextchem.it, www.nextchem.com; Maire Technimont, www.mairetecnimont.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News GranBio,  NextChem,  Cellulosic Ethanol,  

Red Rock Biofuels, Velocys
Date: 2020-08-03
UK-based renewable fuels specialist Velocys plc is reporting delivery of four of its Fischer-Tropsch reactors to Red Rock Biofuels in Lakeview, Oregon. The reactors will be used to convert 136,000 tpy of waste woody biomass into more than 15 MMgy of renewable diesel, sustainable aviation fuel and naphtha fuels. Red Rock Biofuels has the option to purchase an additional two reactors from Velocys by the end of this year. (Source: Velocys, Aug., 2020) Contact: Veloys, Henrik Wareborn, CEO, +44 1235 838 621, (713) 275-5840 -- Houston Office, info@velocys.com, www.velocys.com; Red Rock Biofuels, Terry Kulesa, CEO, (970) 223-6766, tkulesa@redrockbio.com, www.redrockbio.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Red Rock Biofuels,  Fischer-Tropsch,  Velocys,  

Woody Biomass
Date: 2020-07-22
"The views of the public are clear: Burning wood for electricity is both unpopular and destructive. It's time for the (UK) government to end the wasteful subsidies for this polluting industry -- especially when people don't even consider it to be renewable energy. In this respect, our data shows a striking disconnect between government policy and public opinion." -- Sasha Stashwick, NRDC

A new online YouGov poll has found only 23 pct of Britons think electricity generated by burning forest woody biomass should be classified as "renewable energy". Additionally, 55 pct also disagreed with the Government's continued subsidies for this dirty source of energy as part of the UK's renewable energy strategy. Currently, the government gives more than £2 million per day in subsidies to power stations that burn biomass.

While wind energy has 80 pct public backing and solar has 82 pct, only 3 pct say the Government should help companies that burn wood sourced from forests overseas, the poll found. Nearly all UK biomass is imported.(Source: NRDC, Southern Environmental Law Center, 22 July, 2020)Contact: SELC, David Carr, General Counsel , 434-977-4090, www.southernenvironment.org; NRDC, www.nrdc.org

More Low-Carbon Energy News NRDC,  Woody Biomass,  UK Woody Biomass,  Wind,  Solar,  

Southern Environmental Law Center
Date: 2020-07-22
As we previously reported in June, the Charlottesville, Virginia-based Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC) reported it was joining with Biofuelwatch, the Dogwood Alliance and NRDC in the "Cut Carbon Not Forests Campaign."

The campaign is intended to convince the UK to end more than £1 billion a year in government subsidies to biomass-fired power producers. A large portion of the biomass fuel used in the UK is sourced from forests in the Southeastern US then shipped to the UK -- Europe's largest user of biomass-fired electricity.

"The UK classifies biomass electricity as a carbon-neutral fuel. It is anything but. Cutting live trees, shipping them thousands of miles across an ocean and then burning them to generate electricity both reduces forest capacity for carbon capture and releases more carbon pollution into the atmosphere. It is a lose-lose proposition for the environment and a definite contributor to climate change," according to the SELC release.

Download Cut Carbon Not Forests campaign details HERE. (Source: Southern Environmental Law Center, PR, 22 June, 2020) Contact: SELC, David Carr, General Counsel , 434-977-4090, www.southernenvironment.org

More Low-Carbon Energy News Southern Environmental Law Center,  Woody Biomass,  Climate Change,  

Simec Atlantis
Date: 2020-07-20
UK-based Simec Atlantis reports it is in talks with data center developer TechRE to re-purpose a coal-fired power station in Uskmouth, Wales to burn 50 pct woody biomass and un-recyclable plastic waste-derived fuel pellets. The Uskmouth power station is expected to generate 220MW of base-load electricity from this sustainable fuel source when fully converted.

The project will be developed in two phases -- conversion of the first 110 MW generation unit at the power station and upon commissioning a second unit will be converted to increase the station's total net output to 220MW. (Source: SIMEC Atlantis Energy, Website, 16 July, 2020) Contact: SIMEC Atlantis Energy, Tim Cornelius, CEO, +44 1633 292700, www.simecatlantis.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Simec Atlantis,  Biomass,  

SunGas Renewables
Date: 2020-06-29
Des Plaines, Illinois-based biomass gasification systems specialist SunGas Renewables Inc. is reporting a strategic alliance with the global advisory, development consulting, multidisciplinary engineering and project delivery firm, Hatch. The partnership will leverage the companies' technical expertise, engineering capabilities, and market knowledge to accelerate the deployment of SunGas' biomass gasification system.

SunGas' gasification systems are based on pressurised fluidised bed technology, originally developed by the Gas Technology Institute (GTI). The technology platform generates syngas from woody biomass in the large scale production of renewable, low-carbon Biofuels fuels and chemicals, according to the company's website. (Source: SunGas Renewables, Hatch Websites, 25 June, 2020) Contact: Hatch, www.hatch.com; SunGas Renewables, Daniel S. LeFevers, VP Business Development, www.sungasrenewables.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News SunGas Renewables news,  Biogas news,  Biomass news,  Biomass Gasification news,  

Southern Environmental Law Center
Date: 2020-06-24
The Charlottesville, Virginia-based Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC) reports it is joining with Biofuelwatch, the Dogwood Alliance and NRDC in the Cut Carbon Not Forests campaign.

The campaign is intended to convince the UK to end more than £1 billion a year in government subsidies to biomass-fired power producers. A large portion of the biomass fuel used in the UK is sourced from forests in the Southeastern US then shipped to the UK -- Europe's largest user of biomass-fired electricity.

"The UK classifies biomass electricity as a carbon-neutral fuel. It is anything but. Cutting live trees, shipping them thousands of miles across an ocean and then burning them to generate electricity both reduces forest capacity for carbon capture and releases more carbon pollution into the atmosphere. It is a lose-lose proposition for the environment and a definite contributor to climate change," according to the SELC release.

Download Cut Carbon Not Forests campaign details HERE. (Source: Southern Environmental Law Center, PR, 22 June, 2020) Contact: SELC, David Carr, General Counsel , 434-977-4090, www.southernenvironment.org

More Low-Carbon Energy News Southern Environmental Law Center,  Woody Biomass,  Climate Change ,  

Pinnacle Renewable Energy
Date: 2020-06-22
In British Columbia, Vancouver-based Pinnacle Renewable Energy reports its Williams Lake facility has rebooted operations following months of capital upgrades.

The completed upgrades included equipment that can process wetter fiber. Instead of primarily relying on the shavings and sawdust of sawmills, the plant can also process up to 80,000 additional tpy of woody biomass debris, damaged and dead wood.

Between upgrades at the Williams Lake facility and the previously reported work on its Meadowbank facility in Quesnel, the company has invested roughly $30 million in the region over the past year.

(Source: Pinnacle, PR, Biomass Mag., 22 June, Contact: Pinnacle, Robt. McCurdy, CEO, (604) 270-9613, investors@pinnaclepellet.com, www.pinnaclepellet.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Pinnacle,  Woody Biomass,  Wood Pellet,  

Enviva Biomass
Date: 2020-06-22
Bethesda, Maryland-based woody biomass pellet specialist Enviva reports it has agreed to purchase Georgia Biomass Holding 800 mtpy woody pellet plant in Waycross, Georgia, from innogy SE and one of its subsidiaries for $175 million cash subject to usual adjustments.

Enviva will also acquire Enviva Pellets Greenwood Holdings which, through its wholly-owned subsidiaries, owns a pellet production plant in Greenwood, South Carolina, for $132 million and the assumption of a $40 million third-party promissory note. Enviva plans to invest $28 million to increase the Greenwood plant’s production capacity to 600,000 mtpy by the end of next year, according to the release. (Source: Enviva, PR June, 2020) Contact: Enviva, John Keppler, CEO, (301)657-5560), www.envivabiomass.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Enviva,  Biomass,  Wood Pellet,  

US Forest Service
Date: 2020-06-15
The Washington State Department of Corrections is reporting receipt of $250,000 in U.S. Forest Service grant funding for a woody biomass energy project at the Larch Corrections Center.

The $1.7 million project will include a biomass boiler and fuel handling system and is intended to offset use of fuel oil for heating and domestic hot water.

Along with other energy-efficient upgrades, the biomass system could reduce the Larch Center's 74,000 gpy of fuel oil consumption to 2,470 gallons and cut greenhouse gas emissions by 91 pct, according to the release. (Source: Washington State Department of Corrections, The Reflector, 14 June, 2020)

More Low-Carbon Energy News US Forest Service,  Woody Biomass,  

DRAX
Date: 2020-06-01
"Once you move from local usage ... to extracting trees from distant countries and shipping them to a factory, you are adding quite a significant amount of additional CO2 to the atmosphere. It takes anything from several decades to centuries to recover through the growth (of new trees)." -- Michael Norton, Environment Programme Director, European Academies Science Advisory, May, 2020 Contact: EU European Academies Science Advisory Council, www.ec.europa.eu/knowledge4policy/organisation/easac-european-academies-science-advisory-council_en; DRAX, Will Gardiner, CEO, +44 0 1757 618381, www.draxpower.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Carbon Emissions,  DRAX,  Woody Biomass,  Biomass,  Wood Pellet,  

DRAX
Date: 2020-06-01
Situated in Yorkshire, northern England, the Drax Group power plant will complete its switch next year after embarking on a journey almost a decade ago to use organic matter alongside the fossil fuel to slash carbon emissions. The Drax operation, providing four million households with electricity, sees CO2 emitted from burnt wood captured by newly planted trees.

Four of the plant's six reactors use wood pellets and a carbon-capture system, while Drax intends on becoming carbon negative by 2030, by removing more CO2 from the atmosphere than it emits. Drax adds that the switch, in line with UK government policy to ban the use of coal by 2025, allows it to keep the plant running and maintain 900 jobs. (Source: DRAX, France24, 30 May, 2020) Contact: DRAX, Will Gardiner, CEO, +44 0 1757 618381, www.draxpower.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News DRAX,  Woody Biomass,