Other News

In the UK, city councillors have declined the biomass power plant proposed for Avonmouth. The refinery, which would have utilised 70,000 tonnes of vegetable oil from tropical palm trees to power 25,000 homes, received more than 1,100 letters of objection before the meeting. The high demand for palm oil has been linked to large areas of deforestation. Councillors voted 6-2 against the plans…
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Major European oil refiner PKN Orlen will be presenting on the execution of targets for biofuels at the upcoming Bioenergy International expo & conference in Prague on 5-6 May. Robert Gmyrek, the director of the biofuels department will also cover the need for top quality biofuel. PKN Orlen is the pioneer in the Polish market when it comes to selling biofuels and both its diesel and petrol…
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The European Commission is taking an active role in steering member states on to the right path for renewables. It has worked with key industry associations and producers, many of which say they will produce surplus biofuels and bioenergy than mandated. By 2020 the European Union must source 20% of its total energy (including heat, power and transport) from renewable sources. This target was set…
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Hawaii-based ClearFuels Technology will build a biorefinery in Wayne County, Tennessee, US. The $200 million (€148.3 million) biorefinery will turn sawdust, wood shavings and wood chips into diesel or jet fuel. The refinery would employ 50 people and be built at lumber supplier Hughes Hardwoods’ facility in Collinwood. Construction is scheduled to begin near the end of 2011 with operations…
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Europe’s largest wheat to ethanol refinery has shipped its first renewable fuel product. Tanker Clipper Nelly left independent terminal operator Vopak’s North Tees, UK, terminal loaded with Ensus ethanol and headed for Rotterdam in the Netherlands. Ensus’ £300 million (€332 million) plant at Wilton went into production last month, making the green road fuel, valuable animal feed and…
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Brazil state-run oil company Petrobras has begun work on raising capacity at its Candeias biodiesel plant. Petrobras aims to double capacity to 217.2 million litres a year from its current capacity of 108.6 million litres. The Candeias plant is located alongside a Petrobras refinery near Salvador, Bahia State in northeast Brazil. Candeias is sited on Todos Os Santos Bay and benefits from…
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In Wales, UK, Elin Jones, rural affairs minister, has revealed a multi-million pound scheme, called the Wood Energy Business Scheme 2, which could see Wales sitting at the top of wood-to-energy production in Britain. The scheme is managed by Forestry Commission Wales on behalf of the Welsh Assembly Government, and will provide £7.8 million (€8.6 million) in European funding. This financial…
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A pilot biogas project in Narahenpita, Sri Lanka, has begun. Due to the high number of complaints about garbage collection received by CMC, the mediation of Sri Lanka Sustainable Energy Authority aims to reduce this problem by instigating a biogas production project at the place where biomass is plentiful. The recyclable waste can be separated on the site itself and has therefore been chosen…
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Electricity-generating company Drax has threatened to relocate its biomass projects oversees if the government refuses to undo its decision to limit subsidies. Drax, operator of the coal-burning facility in Selby, West Yorkshire, UK, is the biggest polluter in Western Europe. Now, plans to build three biomass power plants are in place to help the company reduce its carbon emissions. The…
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It has long depended on neighbour Russia for its natural gas and oil imports, but now Ukraine is building up renewable energy sources of its own. Richard Spinks, previous CEO of agricultural company Landkom International, has set up a new company, Alternativa (IOM) and now plans to develop various biofuels projects in the Ukraine, Russia and Canada. According to a report, Alternativa (IOM) and…
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In the UK, Danish company Dong Energy is planning a multi-million pound biomass power station in Hull. If plans go ahead, the refinery will be constructed on an 80,000 m2 site that is owned by Associated British Ports (ABP). The biomass plant will burn waste wood to generate 300MW of electricity – enough to power 500,000 homes. Dong Energy and ABP are also working on plans for a new £100…
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In Georgia, US, American Process Inc (API) has unveiled its cellulosic ethanol pilot plant. A joint venture between ethanol producer Valero and API, the plant will produce cellulosic ethanol from wood biomass and will be the foundation for eventual expansion to a commercial scale plant co-located with a pulp and paper mill. According to API, it might license its technology for…
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In the UK, W4B is back, after its application for a biofuel plant in Portland was rejected in 2009. W4B Renewable Energy has submitted a second proposal for planning permission on a £35 million (€40 million) palm oil facility. W4B wants to construct the multi-million pound power plant at Portland Port, on the edge of Balaclava Bay. Now, in a bid to show their lack of support for revived…
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