Industry headlines

Public exhibitions are taking place this week for the proposed biomass power plant in North Blyth. As part of its pre-application community consultation process for the 100MW renewable energy project, the developer RES is holding exhibitions in and around Blyth 9-11 September. Click here for full story

Clare Wenner, Head of renewable transport, Renewable Energy Association writes to The Guardian: Your article (EU urged to end African 'land grab' for biofuels, 30 August) on the latest report from Friends of the Earth on biofuels falls into the trap of being overly simplistic on a topic of enormous complexity – namely, how can we ensure smart land use across the globe to meet human needs for food, fuel, clothing, building materials, medicines and a host of other requirements? The FoE report focuses on biofuels, but appears to ignore the fact that the UK and the EU have mandatory rules for the sustainable production of biofuels, including minimum reductions in carbon emissions. Shouldn't all sectors have similar rules? Click here for full story

The soaring price of wheat has raised questions about the UK's commitment to biofuels as it attempts to wean itself from its dependence on oil. A network of biorefineries that convert wheat and other crops into bioethanol that can then be blended with petrol are being developed as the UK looks to meet its EU renewable transport fuels obligations. Click here for full story

Irish renewable energy firm Kedco has received planning permission to develop a 12MW waste wood biomass-gasification facility at a site in Enfield, North London. Permission for the platn, which the company expects to cost £45 million to develop, was granted earlier this week (August 31) by Enfield council. The planning approval means that Kedco can now begin securing funding for the plant. Click here for full story

Shell and Cosan, one of the world’s largest sugarcane ethanol companies based in Brazil, signed binding agreements to form a $12 billion joint venture for the production and commercialization of ethanol and power from sugar cane. The resulting joint venture, if completed, will be the third largest ethanol producer in the world with 4,500 retail stations and annual production capacity of 2 billion liters (440 million gallons). Click here for full story

European Union countries must drop their biofuels targets or else risk plunging more Africans into hunger and raising carbon emissions, according to Friends of the Earth (FoE). In a campaign launching today, the charity accuses European companies of land-grabbing throughout Africa to grow biofuel crops that directly compete with food crops. Biofuel companies counter that they consult with local governments, bring investment and jobs, and often produce fuels for the local market. Click here for full story

New research from Eurostat, the statistical office of the EU, has shed light on how each country is coping with meeting their quota, with some faring much better than others. According to the figures, Sweden was found to have the highest share of renewable energy in total consumption in 2008, with 44.4 per cent of its resources coming from the likes of biomass and wind power. Other top performers in the research included Finland (30.5 per cent), Latvia (29.9 per cent), Austria (28.5 per cent) and Portugal (23.2 per cent)....... As the biomass industry in Europe builds momentum within a complex legislative environment it highlights the need for a collective discussion of leading minds from both a government and industry perspective. Energy IQ has done just this by producing the EU Biomass Forum with the objective to shape debate on European policy, feedstock availability and the economic feasibility of biomass projects. Click here for full story

The UK's emerging anaerobic digestion (AD) industry was thrust into the limelight this week after two major new projects that promise to demonstrate the viability of the waste-to-energy technology were unveiled. First up, energy firm Farmgen broke ground on the first in a wave of anaerobic digestion plants, designed to provide farmers with an additional revenue stream from 'energy farming'……. In related news, airport operator BAA announced yesterday that it has signed a deal with food management firm Vertal that will see travellers food and drink waste turned into fertiliser for use on local farms. The company said that food waste from Heathrow's daily 180,000 passengers will be collected separately and sent to Vertal’s recycling facility in South London where it will be composted within 72 hours. Click here for full story

Waste management firm SITA UK has today (August 26) set out its intention to improve its offering in energy from waste with the formation of a dedicated energy recovery division. The division, called SITA Energy Solutions, is set to be a 160-strong team formed in the wake of internal restructuring at the Maidenhead-based waste management firm. The staff for the new division is drawn from across the company's UK energy operations and is set to focus on energy recovery, landfill gas operations and energy-related technologies. Click here for full story

Proposals have been unveiled for a multimillion-pound biomass plant on an industrial site near Fort William which could create up to 20 jobs. But the plant, which would operate round the clock, has already given rise to worries from the local community about emissions, noise and visual impact as well as serious concerns about its viability and sustainability. Click here for full story

Renewable energy firm Farmgen has started building work on the first of two anaerobic digestion tanks for its Carr Farm facility near Preston which is the first project to be developed under its plan to expand the UK's on-farm AD capacity. The plant at Wharton in Lancashire is designed to be the ‘spearhead' of the Lancashire-based company's investment plans, which include proposals for plants across Lancashire, Cumbria and Staffordshire. Click here for full story

…. One of the most onerous legacies the new Government has been given is the agreement to produce 15 per cent of all energy consumed in the UK from renewable sources by 2020. This includes industry, transport and household energy and not just the production of electricity. But focusing on renewable energy sources neglects security of our energy supply or affordability because most renewable sources are intermittent and need a greater overall capacity to provide back-up. This got me thinking about Drax. Click here for full story

An innovative renewable energy from landfill waste project by Quercia Ltd, the sister company of Blackburn based Neales Waste Management Ltd, will create enough green electricity to power 700 homes, while cutting annual carbon emissions by the equivalent of around 30,000 tonnes, equivalent to the environmental benefit of three million trees. The project, at Clayton Hall Landfill Site near Chorley, in Lancashire, started operation in June. It will capture methane gas produced from the landfilled waste and convert it into clean electricity that will be fed into the National Grid. Click here for full story

Most biofuels used by motorists in the UK are imported and meet no environmental standards, it has been revealed. Latest figures from the Renewable Fuels Agency (RFA), which is charged by the Government to regulate the British biofuels industry, found around 80 per cent of feedstock used to produce biofuel for British vehicles had been produced abroad. It added more than three quarters of biofuels used on UK forecourts met no environmental standards whatsoever. Click here for full story

Edinburgh Napier University has developed a new biofuel made from whisky by-products. It is the result of two years work by the universities biofuel research centre. The £260,000 project was funded by Scottish Enterprise's Proof of Concept programme. It has been welcomed by WWF Scotland's director Dr Richard Dixon who said it would help a "clean environment" industry to reduce transport emissions. Click here for full story

Plans to build a biomass plant in Dundee have been lodged with the Scottish Government. Forth Energy wants to build a renewable energy plant, which includes a 300ft chimney, at the Port of Dundee. The company claims the plant will generate enough power to provide 86% of Dundee with electricity while reducing the city’s carbon footprint and putting it at the forefront of the renewable technology revolution. If approved, the development could generate about 300 jobs during the construction phase, with about 60 permanent jobs once it is completed. Click here for full story

Argus reported that UK based Helius Energy's plans to increase its biomass operations have moved forward after it secured land at Southampton port for a 100 MW plant. Helius said that it has signed an option to lease a 20 acre site in the port for the proposed construction of the biomass fuelled power plant. Click here for full story

First official report says burying charcoal in the soil has potential to cut greenhouse gases but scientific uncertainties remain. The idea of burying charcoal produced from microwaved wood to tackle global warming is still beset with scientific uncertainties, says the UK government's first report on "biochar". The warning comes as a separate US study published this week said that as much as 12 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions could be offset by biochar. Click here for full story

Waitrose is making carbon savings equivalent to permanently taking a thousand cars off the road – all by stopping its food waste from going to landfill. The scheme is producing enough electricity to continually power around 200 homes. The food waste is collected from one hundred of its stores and processed by specialist anaerobic digestion operators BiogenGreenfinch. Click here for full story

The European Union started an investigation into shipments of U.S. biodiesel to Europe as it seeks to find out if antidumping measures introduced last year are being circumvented. The probe will look at whether biodiesel originating in the U.S. is being shipped to the EU through Canada and Singapore, thereby getting around tariffs on U.S. producers, the European Commission said in the Official Journal. Click here for full story

The Renewable Heat Incentive (proposed April 2011) will be a major focus at EBEC 2010. Under the proposed RHI a new market for Biodiesel will be created as it will can be blended with heating oil to provide a real growth opportunity for the Biodiesel sector estimated at 900 million litres. This will stimulate significant production volumes again in the UK and sustainable growth for the industry as many investors have left this market over the last two years. Click here for full story

Entrepreneur Robin Parker is planning to bring biomass hopeful NET Energy Group to AIM by raising up to £20 million for the company, which he plans in five years to build into a ‘renewable power utility’ using wood pellets to generate 50 megawatts of power a year. Click here for full story

The building phase of a proposed new energy from waste facility could generate up to 200 new construction jobs on Teesside, it has been forecast. According to Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council, the plant is intended to generate renewable power from non-hazardous business and household rubbish generated in the area. Click here for full story

Adler and Allan recently hosted a ground-breaking biofuels discussion forum at the Fire Service College in Gloucestershire to highlight the issues arising from the potential introduction of bio-components to all elements of the fuel supply chain. The forum covered both national and European legislative changes and the recent and projected amendments to fuel specifications whilst exploring the impact that these changes have on fuel management and housekeeping requirements. Click here for full story

…… Tesco says it has implemented a very efficient ordering system to reduce waste, but what waste there is can be re-used, recycled, or turned into energy. Leftovers fit to eat are distributed to those in need by a charity called FareShare. Waitrose also works with FareShare, says a spokesman, and 115 branches generate renewable energy from food waste. Click here for full story

Plans for a multimillion-pound waste reprocessing plant on Teesside which will create 50 jobs have been unveiled. Power company Sembcorp UK and waste management firm Sita UK want to build the energy recovery facility at the Wilton International site in Redcar. The plant would reprocess non-hazardous business and household waste into renewable energy. The firms said the green development would also help reduce carbon emissions. Click here for full story

Bio-oil could become a more efficient source of renewable energy with a potential of replacing fossil fuels such as diesel, according to a £1.4 million project. The Bio-oil Refinery Project, part funded by the Research Council of Norway, aims to develop integrated bio-oil technology to transform biomass more efficiently into biofuels through fast pyrolysis. Click here for full story

Aston University’s (UK) Bioenergy Research Group (BERG) is involved in a £1.4-million (US$2.2 million), two-year project aimed at developing technology for producing and fractionating bio-oil components as a basis for a biorefinery producing green chemicals, transportation fuels and energy. The Bio-oil Refinery Project is part funded by the Research Council of Norway (RENERGI) program, and will develop new, integrated bio-oil technology to transform biomass more efficiently into biofuels through fast pyrolysis. Click here for full story

New Energy Technologies, a wood- chips-to-pellets supplier to the power industry, is planning its debut on the Alternate Investment Market next month to raise £5m tfor new plants. Robin Parker, NET's chairman, said he is bringing the fledgling biomass company to the stock market to raise capital to build the latest wood-generation plants, allowing it to supply local users as well as the UK's big power stations with renewable fuel. Click here for full story

The production and use of biofuels for transport has increased dramatically in recent years and is set to continue, reducing carbon dioxide emissions and meeting growing consumer demand. As most biofuels will be transported by sea, the industry needs to take stock of its growing experience of what can go wrong aboard ship and develop safe and efficient shipping, loading, handling and storage practices. Click here for full story

Drax, Britain's largest emitter of carbon dioxide, could stop burning coal by the end of the decade. Finance director Tony Quinlan said the company was looking to convert all six units of the coal-fired power station so they only burn biomass, such as wood chip, within the next 10 years. "Drax is a viable business today as a coal plant," he told the Guardian. "But the opportunity to turn it into a renewable power company is an exciting one and makes sense for the UK's carbon targets and for our shareholders." Click here for full story

Renewable energy firm Peel Energy has unveiled plans to develop a 200,000 tonnes-a-year capacity biomass facility in Trafford, which will use commercially and municipally-sourced waste wood as its primary feedstock. The proposed plant, known as the Barton Renewable Energy Plant, is expected to cost £70 million to develop on land on the south side of the Manchester Ship Canal, near Barton High Level Bridge in Trafford. Click here for full story

The Government has given the go-ahead for a large expansion in bioenergy power projects across the UK: removing a key obstacle to financing projects by guaranteeing levels of support under the Renewables Obligation for 20 years after completion. Projects fuelled by wood and wastes have a crucial role in helping the UK meet its renewable energy targets. There are currently over 5,000 megawatts of dedicated biomass, energy from waste, gasification, pyrolysis and biogas that have been stalled in the development process. Click here for full story

Daniel Leaver, senior waste & resources manager at engineering and environmental consultancy Wardell Armstrong, discusses the benefits for smaller contractors of Scotland's ‘largest ever' anaerobic digestion plant being given the go-ahead. Click here for full story

A massive increase in the use of biomass fuel to power baseload electricity generating plants is needed to prevent blackouts by 2016, according to a report by Tory thinktank the Bow Group. According to the report, called The Case for Energy Crops, Britain needs to build eight gigawatts (GW) of new renewable electricity generation in less than 10 years to meet legally binding green energy and greenhouse gas reduction targets. Click here for full story

Russia has some of the largest energy reserves in the world, but it keeps searching for new sources - even if it means going underwater. Two Russian deep-water submersibles have once again taken a dive in Lake Baikal, to study recently found fields of gas hydrates, a possible fuel of the future…… During this summer's venture, researchers hope to further analyse recently discovered sites of sub-bed gas hydrates. These crystalline water-based solids look like ice and inside them are huge amounts of gases - biochemical methane and traces of nitrogen, carbon dioxide and ethane.

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Out of the frying pan into the Met’s tyres; in a slick operation the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) are recycling waste vegetable oil to power the vehicles which deliver their groceries. The move is part of a drive by the MPS with energy company Convert2Green and 3663 First for Foodservice - which provides the food and catering supplies - to cut emissions of harmful greenhouse gases. Click here for full story

The U.K. government removed an obstacle to financing biomass power plants, which burn living matter to generate electricity, saying it would support the industry through obligations on utilities to use clean energy for the next 20 years. The Department of Energy and Climate Change said it will “grandfather” its backing for anaerobic digestion and energy- to-waste plants. For biomass developers, the government also extended its support to all fuel costs. It initially planned to support only non-fuel costs, including construction. “Today’s announcement will come as a great relief and follows many months of intense discussions between the industry and government,” Gaynor Hartnell, chief executive of the Renewable Energy Association, said in a statement. “This should unlock some 13 billion pounds ($20 billion) of much-needed private investment in the sector.” Click here for full story

Waste-to-energy company Monsal has secured £14m in expansion capital from FourWinds Capital Management’s Water Resources Fund. The Water Resources Fund, managed by natural resource-focused investment firm FourWinds, will initially take an equity stake through a £4m commitment, alongside Monsal’s management team and private equity investor Matrix Private Equity Partners. The funding will be used to support the expansion of the UK-based company’s core anaerobic digestion technology. Click here for full story

Korean renewable energy developer, Eco-Frontier has signed a non-binding offtake agreement to purchase biocrude produced through Florida-based PetroAlgae's micro-crop technology. The agreement that the two companies signed means that Eco-Frontier is willing to establish a market in Korea and other areas for biocrude produced by the PetroAlgae system (used in co-firing energy applications. Click here for full story