The World Bioenergy Association (WBA) has criticised the European Commission’s revised Renewable Energy Directive. The document was published on 30 November, 2016. In a statement, the WBA said: “The package contains many well designed proposals but fails to comply with the challenges set by the Paris Agreement. A reduction of the CO2 emissions by 40% by 2030... [Read More]

US President-elect Donald Trump has selected Scott Pruitt, Oklahoma attorney general, to lead the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as its administrator. Pruitt has served as attorney general since 2010, prior to which he had an eight-year tenure in the Oklahoma state senate. He said that he intends to protect the environment, but at the same time safeguard businesses... [Read More]

There is strong public support for producing bioenergy in the UK from both biomass and waste, according to a new survey carried out for the Energy Technologies Institute (ETI). The YouGov survey, commissioned by the ETI, questioned over 5,300 adults to gauge public perceptions of bioenergy in the UK, and found that 74% of people... [Read More]

The UK now has almost 90 plants injecting green biomethane into the gas grid, double the number this time last year, a new report states. The statistics were published in the Anaerobic Digestion and Bioresources Association (ADBA) December 2016 Market Report, which investigates and explores the growth, developments and market changes in the AD industry to date. The report... [Read More]

The University of St Andrews’ £25 million (€29.3m) biomass plant at the Eden Campus at Guardbridge has been officially commissioned. The plant marks a major step forward for St Andrews’ plans to become the UK’s first carbon neutral university. Located on the east side of a former paper mill site, the plant produces hot water in a biomass boiler... [Read More]

The Nordic Investment Bank (NIB) has signed a 15-year loan with the Finnish utility Lahti Energia for the construction of the new biomass-fuelled heating plant, the Kymijärvi III. The project is part of the City of Lahti’s plan to halve CO2 emissions by 2025, compared to 1990 levels. The new 170MW facility will replace the existing 350MW coal-fired plant, Kymijärvi... [Read More]

UK engineering group Doosan Babcock has announced plans to cut 470 UK jobs, the majority of which will be in Scotland. The company confirmed that 270 jobs were at risk at the company's base in Renfrewshire, Scotland, where 800 staff are currently employed. They include 140 posts at its machining and assembly facility in Renfrew, along with 130 management and back-office... [Read More]

Power giant Drax is set to buy energy supplier Opus Energy for £340m (€399m) as part of a strategy overhaul. Drax Group, which runs the UK's largest power station in Selby, said the acquisition will create Britain's fifth biggest non-domestic energy retailer. The company, which also announced the purchase of four gas turbine projects for £18.5m, is looking... [Read More]

South Africa's first independent landfill gas-to-power project has begun generation in Johannesburg, providing 3MW of renewable electricity to supply more than 5,500 homes. Project developer Energy Systems has started operation at the Robinson Deep landfill site in Johannesburg, launching the first stage of a £7.2 million (€8.5m) investment in five landfill... [Read More]

China plans to increase the share of biomass-based energy in its power supply in a bid to reduce reliance on coal and improve air quality. According to China’s National Energy Administration’s 13th five-year plan, covering the period of 2016 to 2020, the country will achieve biomass energy equivalent of 58 million of tonnes by 2020 the end of the plan. Despite... [Read More]

UK food waste recycler ReFood has launched a campaign to reduce business food waste and donate money to homeless charities for the busy Christmas food retail period. Last year’s campaign raised £4,000 (€4,750) for the company’s chosen charities and diverted an additional 192 tonnes of waste food away from landfill. This year’s project will... [Read More]

An initiative by youth organisations in Cameroon to turn human waste into biogas is reducing pollution and providing renewable energy to the university towns of Buea and Bamenda. Bioenergy-Cameroon, a non-governmental organisation run by young people, installs equipment that converts waste from septic tanks and pit latrines into biogas, which can be used for... [Read More]

Pakistan’s first commercial-size biogas plant was has been inaugurated by US consul general Yuriy Fedkiw and the Minister for Livestock and Dairy Development Department of Punjab Asif Saeed Manais. Joining these dignitaries at the government-owned Bahadurnagar Farm in Okara were Lollywood singers and dancers, bringing a bit of glamour to biogas technology. The US... [Read More]

More than one-fifth of the US population lives in a state with a goal of at least 50% renewable energy, according to the Fourth Annual Energy Report released by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). According to this new report, entitled Accelerating into a Clean Energy Future, America’s transition to a clean energy economy is irrevocably underway and delivering... [Read More]

Danish engineering and contracting company Aalborg Energie Technik (AET) has secured an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract for a biomass-fired combined heat and power (CHP) plant Novillars, France. The plant is called Cogéneration Biomasse de Novillars (CBN). The facility’s construction cost of €87 million has involved 13 players.... [Read More]

Drax Power has begun its latest search for future engineers starting from today (5 December, 2016). The company, which operates the UK’s largest power station – and now the country’s biggest single site renewable power generator – is looking to recruit a further six apprentices to join its training programme beginning in 2017. The places are... [Read More]