Bioenergy Europe has released the fourth chapter of its Statistical Report 2020, focusing on biomass for heat. The latest chapter highlights the “essential, yet neglected” role of the heating and cooling sector in 2050 European carbon neutrality. The organisation believes the link between the sector and decarbonisation in Europe has “too often been overlooked”. The... [Read More]

Elkem Metal Canada is to invest in a new biocarbon pilot plant in Canada. The project aims to secure industrial verification of Elkem’s technology for renewable biocarbon, with a long-term goal of contributing to climate-neutral metal production. The plant will source raw materials from local sawmills in Canada, including recycled bark, wood chips, sawdust and... [Read More]

Estes Express Lines, a major freight transportation carrier based in Virginia, US, will add 50 new trucks fuelled by Clean Energy Fuels’ Redeem™ renewable natural gas (RNG) to its fleet. Estes is acquiring the Class 8 natural gas trucks equipped with the Cummins Westport ultra-clean ISX12N engine for its California fleet and is expected to use around 2.8 million... [Read More]

Japanese firm Idemitsu Kosan has initiated operations to produce black pellets using the assets (unused land, facilities) available at Ensham coal mine in Queensland, Australia. Under this project through the firm’s wholly-owned subsidiary, Idemitsu Australia Resources, Sorghum is cultivated and will be used as a biomass fuel. According to Idemitsu, the plant is known... [Read More]

Renewable energy consumption in Latvia has increased by more than 44% over the last decade. Data compiled by the Central Statistical Bureau (CSB) show that in 2019, gross consumption of renewable energy sources (RES) in Latvia amounted to 75.5 petajoules (PJ) (approximately 20,972 gigawatt-hours [GWh]). Over the last five years, consumption of RES rose by 17.6%. According... [Read More]

Major US pork producer and food processing firm Smithfield Foods has become the first major protein company to commit to becoming carbon negative in all company-owned operations in the US by 2030. The announcement, which involves the use of renewable natural gas (RNG), builds on Smithfield’s goal to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 25% by 2025 across its entire... [Read More]

EQTEC has signed a co-development and option agreement with Rotunda Group and its subsidiary Shankley Biogas, for the Southport Hybrid Energy Park project in Merseyside, UK. EQTEC signed a memorandum of understanding with Rotunda, the owner of a plot of land in Southport, Merseyside, which has planning permission for a waste recycling facility, an anaerobic digestion... [Read More]

General Motors Canada (GM Canada) has completed a $28 million (€18 million) cogeneration investment at the GM St Catharines Propulsion Plant that will lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and cut costs. The cogeneration programme is expected to reduce GHG emissions by around 70% while protecting the engine and transmission plant from rising electricity and carbon... [Read More]

With a Nobel Peace Prize under her belt, and a crucial role as Enviva’s vice-president and chief sustainability officer, Dr Jennifer Jenkins is well-versed on the benefits of biomass. Bioenergy Insight caught up with Dr Jenkins to discuss the impact of COVID-19, anti-biomass campaigns and the role of bioenergy in a low-carbon future. Could you tell our readers a bit... [Read More]

Bioenergy Infrastructure Group (BIG) has appointed a new chief financial officer (CFO). Elliot Renton, a finance director with over 30 years of experience at major firms including Diageo and Luton Airport, has been appointed CFO of the independent power producer. Renton has succeeded Ben Wright, who held the role since January 2018. He was previously the CFO of Vista... [Read More]

EnviroTaqa for Sustainable Environmental Services & Renewable Energy (Egypt) has joined forces with Renergon International, based in Switzerland. The firms formed an alliance aimed at providing state-of-the-art, turnkey technology solutions for turning organic waste into renewable energy for producing both biogas and electricity as well as organic fertilisers through... [Read More]

A food industry expert has expressed concerns over plans in the Netherlands to dump 30,000 tonnes of sewage sludge on UK farmland. Kevin Quigley, commercial director at food waste recycling firm Warrens Group, said that while it is legal to use treated sewage sludge as fertiliser on UK farmland, there are more sustainable alternatives. The permit for the shipment... [Read More]

On 31 August, ENGIE’s Les Awirs biomass plant in Belgium generated power for the last time. The Engie Electrabel power station, which was commissioned in 1951 and initially operated on coal, was closed due to ageing equipment, and the end of the period for granting green certificates. The plant sits on the bank of the River Meuse, upstream of Lèige, and is instantly... [Read More]

Fortistar and Paloma Dairy have started construction on a dairy renewable natural gas (RNG) facility. The Sunoma Renewable Biofuel Project will produce 1.6 million gasoline gallon equivalents of vehicle fuel annually for the Class 8 trucking sector – enough fuel to move 10 million miles of freight. In addition to its many environmental benefits and cost-saving... [Read More]

Toyo Engineering Corporation (Toyo) will construct a 75,000 kW (75 MW) biomass plant in the city of Ichihara in Japan’s Chiba Prefecture for Ichihara Yawatafuto Biomass Power Godo Kaisha. The new plant will use wood biomass and be ‘highly-efficient’, based on the facility’s reheating system, according to Toyo. The firm will carry out the EPC turnkey contract... [Read More]

Business is returning for UK food waste recycler Andigestion, which recently celebrated three major milestones. Andigestion, based in Gloucestershire, injected a record 11 million cubic metres (m3) of biomethane gas into the national grid – enough to power 10,000 homes for a year. The company processes commercial and domestic food waste, collected from all over... [Read More]