In Finland, Taaleri and Gasum have completed an arrangement to transfer the ownership of the Biotehdas group to Gasum. The nationwide Biotehdas group, owned by Taaleritehdas Biotehdas I Private Equity Fund, is the market leader in the biogas sector in Finland. It comprises operational biogas plants in Huittinen, Kuopio, Oulu, and Honkajoki, and a plant to be completed... [Read More]

Kwadcha First Nation in Canada is seeking financial help to build a small-scale biomass power plant to replace petroleum diesel with a sustainable alternative. The Kwadcha community – one of two remote First Nations on the north end of Williston Lake, British Columbia – is looking to set up a biomass facility to produce around 145kW of electricity for its just... [Read More]

Japanese Sumitomo Corp. has signed a contract to acquire up to 20% of Cosan Biomassa, a subsidiary of the world's largest sugar and ethanol company, Cosan S.A. Industria e Comercio. The sale is subject to the prior approval of anti-trust authorities in some jurisdictions.   Cosan Biomassa has developed a fuel pellet made from sugarcane residues, such as bagasse... [Read More]

Weltec Biopower's subsidiary Nordmethan has acquired a decommissioned biogas plant in Germany. The German biogas plant manufacturer will invest €2 million in the renovation of the combined heat and power (CHP) facility, which is located in Falkenhagen, Brandenburg and will use mainly maize silage and pig manure. The company hopes that the plant, which has power generation... [Read More]

The Renewable Energy Association (REA), a UK-based renewable energy trade body, has issued a new report calling on the UK government to support on-site anaerobic digestion (AD). In its new report, entitled 'REA paper on support for small scale AD Feb 2016', the REA states that AD can provide supplementary income for hard pressed dairy farmers and help to decarbonise the... [Read More]

DONG Energy, a Denmark-headquartered energy firm, has unveiled plans to build a bio plant which turns unsorted household waste into energy in the UK. The plant, which the company will finance, build and operate, will use an enzyme technology it calls REnescience. DONG claims that "it will be the first bio plant in the world to handle unsorted household waste, without prior... [Read More]

The Tasmania state government in Australia, is actively considering the use of biomass as a renewable energy source. Tasmania Minister for Resources Paul Harriss said that due to recent unprecedented events, including the failure of the Basslink, which is the world’s second longest undersea electricity cable, and low rainfall, the government is now considering the... [Read More]

Comet Biorefining will build its commercial-scale biomass-derived sugar facility in the TransAlta Energy Park in Sarnia, Ontario. The 60 million lbs/y plant will come online in 2018 producing dextrose sugar from locally-sourced corn stover and wheat straw. Corn stover consists of residues left in the field after harvest, including stalks, leaves, husks, and cobs. Using... [Read More]

UK consumers could save more than £2 billion (€2.56bn) if the country’s government’s planned renewable energy auctions are opened up to include a wider mix of technologies, a new report finds. Drax, UK's largest power producer, commissioned NERA Economic Consulting and Imperial College to look at hidden costs that are not reflected in the contracts... [Read More]

Solar 21, an Irish renewable energy company, is set to build a 22MW biomass power plant near Hull in England. The company has acquired the project rights and is seeking to raise €60 million through a fundraising round for the scheme. The Hull plant is the first in a pipeline of five projects in partnership with energy recovery systems company Heat Recovery Solutions,... [Read More]

IHI Corp., a Japanese heavy equipment manufacturer, will build a 49MW woody biomass power plant in the southwestern Japanese prefecture of Kagoshima. Construction will begin this year and the plant will start generating power by the end of 2018, the company said in a statement. The station will produce enough electricity to power 77,000 homes.  ... [Read More]

Covanta, a US waste management firm, has signed a new waste supply contract for Dublin's energy-from-waste (EfW) plant with Panda — an Irish waste and recycling collection company. To date, 60% of the facility's waste processing capacity has been secured under long-term contract. "We are pleased to have made significant progress in securing waste contracts on terms... [Read More]

The European Commission (EC) has launched a consultation on the preparation of a sustainable bioenergy policy for the period after 2020. The objective is to consult stakeholders and citizens on an updated EU policy on sustainable bioenergy for the period 2020-2030, as part of the EU renewable energy package foreseen before the end of 2016. In a statement, the EC said:... [Read More]

The Australian state of Victoria is investing AUS$300,000 (€188,145) in anaerobic digestion (AD) projects to keep organic waste out of landfill and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The funding will support local government and businesses to install small-scale on-site or precinct-scale AD technology for organics recovery and as an alternative energy source. With the... [Read More]

More than 110 environmental groups across the globe have signed a declaration demanding that bioenergy be excluded from the EU's next Renewable Energy Directive (RED). The EU is considering renewal of the RED for 2020 onwards in a consultation which ended yesterday (10 February). A decision is expected by the end of the year. The RED will determine Europe's path forward... [Read More]

FCC Environment, a UK-based waste management company, has announced that its Buckinghamshire energy-from-waste (EfW) plant has taken its first delivery of residual waste and is generating power. Staff at Greatmoor EfW site, near Calvert, welcomed the first batch of bulked waste recently after passing all the relevant inspections. It means the plant — which will treat... [Read More]