Author Archive for Meghan Sapp
Viaspace to market Giant King Grass in Europe
In California, Viaspace will be taking its grass for biomass to Europe for the first time and heading into the German market to supply the biogas industry there. Thus far the company has focused on growing the grass in China, processing it into logs and exporting it to the US fireplace market.
Previously the German biogas [...]
Babcock & Wilcox to swap coal for biomass at UMizz
In Missouri, Babcock & Wilcox Power Generation Group, Inc. will replace a coal-fired boiler at the University of Missouri with a biomass boiler. The 150,000 pound-per-hour bubbling fluidized bed (BFB) boiler will burn chipped hardwoods and other local wood wastes.
Engineering work is underway and the boiler is expected for delivery in 2011.
More on the story.
Opinion: “The administration’s heart is in the right place in terms of promoting biomass.”
Bob Cleaves, president and CEO of the Biomass Power Association: “We think the administration’s heart is in the right place in terms of promoting biomass, but it has to adopt rules that are fair and reasonable at home or there is no future for this technology. In fact, we’re going to take a step backward.”
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Canada’s ACE says small mills shut out of biomass-to-power scheme
In 2009, the provincial government put out to bid proposals for using the feedstock—based on a 2008 policy—and eight of the 16 applications have been approved. The electricity will be used to run forestry mills within the province with additional electricity sold to the provincial power grid.
Alliance for Community Energy complained that resources were only [...]
UK protesters aim at biomass plant siting: Clean energy good, NIMBY better
In the UK, neighbors of a proposed biomass co-generation plant in East Yorkshire are protesting the siting of the facility in a rural area, claiming the damage to the local environment and local infrastructure far outweigh the benefits of what proponents claim is cleaner energy.
Because the plant will not take advantage of the heat generated [...]
Netherlands’ Eneco awaits OK for 50 MW biomass power plant
In the Netherlands, Dutch utility Eneco is awaiting final environmental approval for a 50MW biomass-fired plant—which could be online by 2012— and is planning to develop another two 25MW plants as well, including one in Rotterdam.
The utility is shooting for use of 100% renewables by 2030. Last year it increased its installed capacity of renewables [...]
HECO gains Hawaii PUC OK for biodiesel test burn for power gen
In Hawaii, the state Public Utilities Commission has approved Hawaiian Electric Company’s plan to test biofuel blends in a 90-megawatt steam turbine generating unit at Kahe Power Plant that presently runs on low sulfur fuel oil (LSFO). The PUC gave the utility permission to spend up to $4.7 million on new equipment including pumps and [...]
Biomass Power Association says proposed EPA rule will cost $7 billion.
In Maine, the Biomass Power Association said that the EPA’s proposed boiler maximum achievable control technology, or MACT, rule would be prohibitively expensive to biomass installations and would halt new investments in biomass power.
The EPA’s proposed rule would set emissions control standards for dioxin, mercury and other emissions from utility boilers. The agency is currently [...]
Massachusetts study: biomass fired power worse than coal
In Massachusetts, the results of a study commissioned by the state’s environmental officials shows that biomass-fired electricity is more harmful to the environment than coal-fired. The study found that by 2050, emissions from biomass would increase 3% compared to coal.
The study looked at the ‘carbon debt’ of harvesting trees for biomass power versus the carbon [...]
Sustainable Packaging Coalition releases food waste study
In Virginia, the Sustainable Packaging Coalition has released a study of 40 facilities that accept food waste. Survey questions covered topics such as types of food waste accepted, composting methods utilized, how packaging is handled and what problems facilities have encountered in accepting packaging.
Of the respondents, 82.5% want a more universally recognizable label of compostability. [...]
