It could be the ultimate expression of a heated sibling rivalry. The younger brother makes something and the older one burns it up. But in this case, Chris and Francis Sharron are partners in a problematic revival of the oldest human heating method: setting fire to wood. Chris Sharron’s West Oregon Wood Products compresses mill [...]
Southeast Biomass Study: Is It Too Late?
A new study of southeastern forests in the U.S. finds that in the long run, burning wood instead of fossil fuels to make electricity can reduce heat-trapping carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, but not soon enough to prevent worsening the conditions leading to global climate change. The study also shows that as the industry expands [...]
Ameresco Starts Up Biomass Power Plant
Following a series of performance tests, Ameresco, Inc. has received its Final Acceptance Certificate from the U.S. Dept. of Energy Savannah River Operations Office for the now operational DOE Savannah River Site (SRS) Biomass Cogeneration Facility (BCF) installed under the $795 million energy savings performance contract (ESPC) awarded to Ameresco in 2009. The 20 MW [...]
ConocoPhillips, Enviva Form ECo Biomass
Enviva LP has partnered equally with ConocoPhillips to create a new company, ECo Biomass Technologies, which will bring torrefied biomass fuels to market. The company’s initial facility, scheduled to be operational in 2013, will produce wood pellets that will be sold under agreements with major utilities. The torrefaction process involves superheating biomass to create a [...]
USDA Announces Funding For Two New Renewable Energy Programs
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack recently announced the availability of funds for Fiscal Year 2012 for two key programs to encourage the use of renewable biomass and production of advanced biofuels. About $25 million will be made available through each program. “President Obama has laid out a new era for American energy, an economy fueled by [...]
Global Demand For Torrefied Biomass On The Rise
Torrefied biomass is on the brink of becoming a viable feedstock for utility-scale electricity generators, potentially displacing coal as well as some conventional untreated biomass and wood pellets. A new report by Hawkins Wright forecasts that favorable renewable energy policies in Europe, North America and Asia would result in global demand of more than 70 [...]
Coal Emissions Tax Funding Biomass Grants In Canada
Revenue from a coal emissions tax is being used to fund grants encouraging biomass fuels in Manitoba. New Agriculture Minister Ron Kostyshyn recently announced that the province will provide up to $400,000 in grants to get coal users to switch, boosting support for Manitoba’s biomass industry. “Biomass is a made-in-Manitoba fuel that can be produced [...]
World’s Largest Wood Pellet-Based Power Plant Set To Go Online
The world’s largest wood pellet-based biomass power plant, RWE npower’s Tilbury, England facility, will be fully commissioned and producing electricity by the end of January, according to company officials. The plant will generate nearly 750 MW of electricity using wood pellets produced at RWE’s Waycross, Ga. facility. The facility is currently running two of three [...]
EcoGen Plans Biomass Power Plant In Florida
Florida’s Public Service Commission (PSC) has approved Progress Energy Florida’s (PEF) purchase of power from a proposed U.S. EcoGen Polk, LLC (EcoGen) biomass electric generating facility in Fort Meade, Fla. EcoGen plans to sell 60 MW of capacity and associated energy to PEF for approximately 29 years beginning January 1, 2014. The company plans initially to [...]
Bioenergy Graduate Program Offered At SD College
South Dakota State University has teamed up with three other land-grant universities to offer a Bioenergy and Sustainable Technology Graduate Certificate fully online in an effort to advance the renewable energy industry. The Bioenergy and Sustainable Technology (BST) graduate certificate program was developed with the support of a USDA Higher Education Challenge Grant. The USDA [...]