INDUSTRY NEWS
INDUSTRY NEWS SMALLTALK
Cellulosic biofuel R&D programs
In Sweden, the country’s energy agency will invest 16 million Euros in two research programs it believes will help to achieve commercial viability of cellulosic biofuels with an eye on using forestry, agriculture and timber industry residual products. The programs will look at biochemical and thermochemical conversion of the waste streams to produce fuel.
Miscanthus for Ukraine power plants
In Massachusetts, Boston-based Ukraine Agro Valley Association wants to set up 20 biomass power plants around the Ukraine in order to wean the country off its dependence on Russian gas. The company wants to use miscanthus as feedstock, with 10,000 acres of the crop surrounding each of the 20 plants that would then be converted into pellets and fired to produce heat. Each factory would cost around $20 million to build, with hopes for funding to come from the US and Europe and ideally the first plant online in 2017.
Muconic acid from cellulosic
feedstocks In France, Deinove has produced muconic acid at its laboratory using second- generation substrates. “Bio- based muconic acid is a real renewable alternative for the chemical industry – it will be able to replace petroleum-based industrial processes on significant markets,” said Emmanuel Petiot, CEO of Deinove.
Asian banks to invest in green energy
In Japan, the Asian Development Bank is teaming with other national banks on a $750 million green energy fund that will go towards projects among a wide variety of renewables, including biofuels, primarily in India and China. The fund is expected to eventually grow to $1 billion by May, 2016, thanks to participation from regional banks and overseas financial institutions. The investments will take place over five-year periods, but will be redeemed in ten years.
4 Autumn 2015 4 Training operators to maintain biomass boilers B
iomass heating pioneer re:heat is using its expertise to raise professional standards
in the wood heat industry in the UK. Whilst there is a rise in the number of firms installing and running biomass boilers nationally, there are currently few relevant standards to help regulate the industry. Yet, despite the lack of standards, employers have an obligation to ensure operators of this specialist equipment are fully trained and understand the risks, benefits and maintenance requirements.
Ben Tansey, co-founder of re:heat, said: “Whether it’s health and safety, risk assessment or refreshing the basics, employers have an obligation to make sure operators are competent when maintaining these innovative and large pieces of equipment.
Ben Tansey, co-founder of re:heat.
“It is also key for staff to fully understand how to operate the systems effectively in order to se- cure the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) and avoid cost implications for businesses.”
With re:heat co-founder Neil
Harrison elected to the board of directors for the Wood Heat Asso- ciation (WHA) at the start of 2015, the business has increasingly been called upon to develop train- ing packages to ensure operator competency.
Stobart signs biomass supply agreement
The Board of Stobart Group Ltd has announced the signing of a 14-year, index-linked fuel supply agreement to a 40 MWe waste wood-fuelled biomass plant at Port Clarence on Teesside in the North-East of England. The construction period will be 24- 26 months with commissioning scheduled for mid-2017 and operations to start in early 2018.
The supply of biomass will begin in late 2017.
Stobart Energy will source, process and supply 250,000 tonnes per annum of recycled waste wood to Port Clarence over 14 years equating to 3.5m tonnes over the life of the agreement and Stobart Energy’s transport business will be responsible for transporta- tion of the product, delivering 250
loads to Port Clarence each week. Developers of the Project are Eco2 (developer of other biomass projects at Margam, Sleaford, Snetterton, Port Talbot and Brigg) and Temporis Capital. The Stobart Group is not involved in the financing of the project, which is being funded by equity from Glennmont Partners and project finance from a club of lenders.
More demand for plastic pipes
Global demand for plastic pipes is expected to rise by 6.7% per annum to reach 19.3 billion metres in 2019. This increase was forecast in World Plastic Pipe, a new study from The Freedonia Group, a Cleveland, US-based industry research firm.
According to the study, strong
growth of construction activity, particularly in China and the US, will boost demand for plastic pipes in both building and non- building construction applica- tions. Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is the leading resin used in plastic pipes and its performance, cost and installation advantages will
also drive increasing use over competing pipe materials such as concrete, copper and steel. The energy sector is a less intensive user of plastic pipes in comparison to the construc- tion sector, but improvements in technology have boosted its share of the market.
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