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Two months after the US Department of Energy awarded Ameresco Inc. $795 million to finance the country’s largest biomass cogeneration plant, production began at the South Carolina facility this week. The Savannah River Site Biomass Cogeneration facility will convert biomass to power, turning 385,000 tons of forest residue into 20 megawatts of energy each year. That energy will be used to provide 30 per cent of the electricity needs for the...

Industry leaders in the US are calling on the federal government to invest more time and money on the biomass industry. Proposed cuts to a farming bill – the Biomass Crop Assistance Program (BCAP) – are a signal to some that this particular alternative energy sector isn’t receiving the intention it deserves. “Cuts in BCAP could put additional pressure on the bio-energy groups using the biomass to set feedstock prices [per ton] at a ...

The US Department of Energy has awarded Ameresco Inc. a sum of $795 million to finance, design, construct, operate and maintain a biomass cogeneration facility in South Carolina. This project marks the largest single-source energy performance savings contract (EPSC) that has ever been allocated by the US federal government. The energy generated from the plant will provide 30 per cent of the electricity needs of the 300-square mile Departmen...

During the Bio Energy Summit 2011 in New Delhi, Farooq Abdullah, Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) said the Indian government would develop a national bio energy mission for the country. According to an article published by the India Education Diary, the focus on such a mission is a very important strategy for the country. “India has been projected to face perpetual shortfall in meeting the energy demand,” the media out...

A lumber mill in Northern BC has converted a beehive burner that has not been used for over a decade into a bio-energy opportunity. The burner was once used to burn waste such as bark and sawdust from the mill, but is now being used to turn that waste in wood pellets. The Nechako Lumber sawmill in Vanderhoof, BC is also spending close to $7 million to install a one-of-a-kind high-efficiency generator that creates electrical energy from a separ...

Though they’re already one of the world’s leading developers of renewable energies, Scotland is looking to ramp up its alternative energy sectors by turning to bio-energy. Recently, drink manufacturer Diageo announced plans to build a bio-energy plant that will produce green energy from byproducts of malt whisky distilling. Initiatives like this are setting a strong example for other companies in Scotland and around the globe to look for b...

Officials from Newfoundland and Labrador’s Department of Natural Resources said their province should be seeking out ways to capitalize on bio-energy opportunities. At a talk on Bio-Energy in Newfoundland and Labrador presented at the College of the North Atlantic in Corner Brook this week, Steve Hounsell, a value added forester with the Department of Natural Resources, said companies in the province have a viable opportunity to open up new ...

The legendary canals of Venice, Italy are known for the majestic scenic views, their historical legacy and their unique appeal to tourists – but soon they could also be known for their ability to produce power. Venetian researchers have developed a method to harness bio-energy from algae growing in the canal in order to power the city’s entire port. Researchers are are currently studying the canal’s native species of algae in order to gr...

The University of Guelph’s Ridgetown Campus unveiled a new bio-digester that will produce biomass power for the campus and the community. Funded by a federal program aimed at injecting development, innovation and economic diversification in Southern Ontario, the $2.6 million digester is set to produce 250-kilowatt hours of electricity and has the capacity to produce the same amount of heat energy as well, reported an article published in the...