Solar and wind can reliably supply the UK’s needs for new electricity capacity as coal is phased out, and they are more cost-effective than biomass, according to a new report released  by non-profit international environmental advocacy group Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). The report is entitled Money to Burn II. New economic modelling, commissioned... [Read More]

Biomass combined heat and power and waste-to-energy projects have made a strong showing in the UK’s latest competitive auction for renewable technologies. According to a press release from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (DBEIS), eleven new energy projects worth up to £176 million have been successful in the second Contracts for... [Read More]

Power is being generated at Severn Trent’s latest food waste digestion plant at Roundhill near Stourbridge, UK. The new facility uses anaerobic digestion to turn food waste from local businesses and other customers that is unfit for human use into ‘clean power’. Each year, the new Stourbridge biogas plant will be able to process over 50,000 tonnes of... [Read More]

The role of bio-synthetic natural gas (SNG) in decarbonising transport and gas networks will be a key theme at Bioenergy Insight 2017, the leading bioenergy conference and expo, taking place from 4-5th October at the Sheraton Hotel, Edinburgh. Bio-SNG is formed during the conversion of thermally-derived synthetic gas into methane. Unlike biomethane produced by anaerobic... [Read More]

Researchers at Tokyo Institute of Technology have developed a new catalyst to improve the synthesis of primary amines (derivatives of ammonia). It is claimed that in the future the newly developed ruthenium based catalyst could also impact the development of biofuels and bio-oils. Primary amines are industrially important compounds which are used in the preparation of... [Read More]

As part of a vision for a sustainable farming future, a concept tractor powered by biomethane has been unveiled. New Holland Agriculture’s new biomethane powered concept tractor is a reimagining of traditional tractor design. According to the company, it’s inspired by the belief that farmers could lead the move away from fossil fuel powered vehicles towards... [Read More]

Scottish kitchen, bathroom and bedroom specialist DM Design has boosted its green credentials by investing in biomass.  DM Design has purchased and installed a £250,000 biomass boiler at its head office in Cumbernauld. The new system will save the company the equivalent of 50 large skiploads of landfill each year. The 150kW boiler is fed with wood from old kitchen... [Read More]

The UK’s Anaerobic Digestion and Bioresources Association (ADBA) has warned that a Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy BEIS consultation risks delaying crucial reforms to the Renewable Heat Incentive. BEIS is holding a consultation on further amendments to the non-domestic Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI), introduced to bridge the gap between the... [Read More]

After several years of research, a team of scientists have developed a biocell which could serve as an alternative to classic fuel cells. Converting chemical energy into electrical energy via hydrogen combustion, fuel cells are considered a clean technology because they don’t emit greenhouse gases. However, the fact that these fuel cells rely on costly rare metal... [Read More]

Currently under construction at Marston Gate in Swindon by Advanced Plasma Power and Cadent, the UK’s first commercial bio-substitute natural gas plant will use a fully automated fuel reception and delivery solution from Saxlund International. The £25 million facility, due to commence operations in early 2018, will be capable of turning 10,000 tonnes household... [Read More]

The fire at Pacific BioEnergy’s British Columbia plant has been brought under-control according to local media, citing representatives from the company. On 24 August could be seen billowing from the top of one of Pacific Bioenergy’s pellet silos. Fire crews were quickly called to the facility, to determine the cause of the smoke and mitigate any danger. The... [Read More]

John Laing Environmental Assets Group (JLEN) has entered the anaerobic digestion sector for the first time, with the acquisition of Vulcan Renewables. Vulcan Renewables has been acquired for a total consideration, including working capital, of £15.3 million. JLEN has made the acquisition in partnership with experienced operator Future Biogas. An environmental infrastructure... [Read More]

North Carolina State University researchers have significantly boosted the efficiency of splitting water to create hydrogen gas, and splitting carbon dioxide to create carbon monoxide. The products of these two new process are valuable feedstocks which can be used for clean energy and chemical manufacturing applications, including the creation of syngas (synthesis gas). The... [Read More]

MMI Engineering has carried out comprehensive pipe integrity checks at the Port of Tyne and Lynemouth power station in the UK, after BOC supplied a nitrogen deluge fire suppression system to help facilitate the plant’s coal to biomass fuel conversion. After winning the contract to supply the nitrogen fire suppression system for the three biomass silos at the Port... [Read More]

Arensis, an international provider of off-grid energy generation, has bought the Verdo pellet plant in Grangemouth, Scotland. The acquisition, part of a £50 million (€54m) UK investment plan, gives Arensis a sustainable, carbon-neutral fuel supply for its biomass energy generation. Arensis provides off-grid, sustainable, carbon neutral energy generation to customers... [Read More]

Researchers in China have developed a new process to turn fallen leaves into a capacitor which could be used to store energy in electronic devices. Deciduous phoenix trees lining the roadside of Northern China produce a blanket of fallen leaves every autumn. Generally, these leaves are burnt as the temperatures drop, contributing to China’s air pollution problem.... [Read More]