Drax Biomass earns SBP certificates issued by SCS Global Services

The first Sustainable Biomass Partnership certificates issued by SCS Global Services, a leading global third-party certifier, were presented this week to industry leader, Drax Biomass Inc., for its Morehouse BioEnergy and Amite BioEnergy wood pellet manufacturing facilities. This certification follows on the heels of last month’s announcement that SBP had approved SCS as its newest certification body.  The SBP certification program is the world’s foremost standard for sustainable woody biomass production for use in industrial, large-scale energy production.

 

Read the full story: Biomass Magazine 

China finalises CO2 allocation plan for world’s biggest carbon market

China’s National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) has finalised the allocation plan for the national emissions trading scheme and is awaiting approval by the State Council, but has already begun implementation talks with provincial leaders, a senior official said Thursday. 

California cap-and-trade expenditure deal benefits biomass

The California legislature has passed legislation that aims, in part, to support biomass plants within the state. The bill calls on electricity retailers to enter into five-year contracts for 125 MW of biomass power from facilities that generate energy from wood harvested from high fire hazard zones.

The bill, SB 859, features an expenditure plan for unallocated cap-and-trade proceeds. According to information released by the office of California Gov. Edmund Brown, the expenditure plan deal will reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions through programs that benefit disadvantage communities, support clean transportation, reduce short-lived climate pollutants and protect natural ecosystems. The biomass provisions are among many provisions included in the bill.  

 

Read the full story here: Biomass Magazine 

Court Rejects Self-Managed Bankruptcy of Renewables Firm German Pellets

A German court has rejected a bankruptcy protection plan filed Wednesday by German Pellets, one of the world’s largest producers of wood pellets for heating, Handelsblatt has learned.

The insolvency court in Schwerin in northern Germany turned down the renewable energy company’s plan to effectively self-manage the bankruptcy process. Under the proposal, German Pellets’ founder Peter Leibold’s would have remained head of the company, with an insolvency administrator monitoring progress in the talks with bondholders.

Instead, the court has ruled in favor of a conventional bankruptcy. Bettina Schmudde of the law firm White&Case has been named the company’s insolvency administrator and will take charge of the proceedings. The court would not comment on its ruling when contacted by Handelsblatt.

A number of major bondholders, including investors in the United States, had been sharply critical of the plan because of Mr. Leibold’s continued leadership role, believing he should answer for the company’s financial collapse. Many had planned to vote against the plan, according to sources.

Frank Günther, a consultant who advised Germen Pellets on the bankruptcy and has been named its interim head, sharply criticized the court’s rejection and argued that most bondholders were behind it: “With this decision the court has defied the wishes of seven major creditors. That is unheard of,” he told Handelsblatt.

Read the full story here:  Handelsblatt

 

200 Largest Fossil Fuel Companies’ Global Carbon Emissions 460% Over World Carbon Budget

The total potential CO2 emissions from the total reserves of the world’s 200 largest publicly traded coal, oil, and gas reserve-owning companies now sits at over 460% of their carbon budget.

This is the primary conclusion from the third annual report from the Fossil Fuel Index, or FFI, a provider of financial research and products for investors looking for information on how to understand, measure, and act on climate risks. The report analyzes the previous year’s changes to what is known as The Carbon Underground 200TM (CU200), FFI’s list of the top publicly traded coal, oil, and gas-reserve-owning companies, ranked by their potential carbon emissions.

For investors, this continued over supply leaves open the possibility of stranded assets as investors seek to evaluate their portfolios. 

Read the full story here: Clean Technica 

 

Seagrass sequesters up to 45 times more than Amazonian rainforest

Seagrasses are flowering plants (not seaweed!) that grow in shallow coastal waters and are up to 35 times more effective in carbon uptake than Amazonian rainforests, and now they are being considered as a valuable way to reduce our carbon emissions. 

The Seagrass Grow campaign promotes its carbon offset program, a program which allows people to purchase carbon offset credits that funds seagrass planting. Seagrass habitats are up to 45 times more effective than the most pristine Amazonian rainforest in their carbon uptake abilities and provide protection and shelter to ocean habitat. For every $1 invested in coastal restoration projects, $15 in net economic benefits is created.

By utilizing this unique carbon offset program, The Ocean Foundation is able to combat ocean acidification, a result of carbon produced climate change, as well as help restore ocean habitat, and support the local communities that depend on ocean health.

Read the full story here: The Ocean Foundation 

Ice Cream Waste Used To Power UK Homes This Summer →

Chocolate ice cream has emerged as the most powerful flavour for green energy, following an innovative project involving the world’s third largest ice cream manufacturer, R&R Ice Cream, Iona Capital and resource management company, Veolia, in which inedible ice cream waste is being turned into biogas for the National Grid.

The R&R factory, based in Leeming Bar, North Yorkshire, is the UK’s largest producer of own label ice cream as well as top brands such as Nestlé’s Fab, Rowntrees’ Fruit Pastille lollies, Cadbury’s Dairy Milk chocolate sticks, Oreo ice cream and Yoomoo frozen yogurt, and now what is left over from the production of these sweet treats will help power local homes.

Read the full story here: CIWM journal

The Death of DECC: What’s in a Name?

Theresa May’s dismantling of the department of energy and climate change (DECC) can be viewed either as a removal of climate change as a frontline government priority at a critical post Paris COP21 stage, or else a bold and positive statement that the importance of addressing climate change has become so well integrated into the structure of modern government across all departments, that a specific department of climate change has become superfluous.

Read the full story here: Huffington Post

 

Abolition of Decc 'major setback for UK's climate change efforts' →

The abolition of the Department of Energy and Climate Change has been condemned by former ministers as a major setback to British efforts to combat global warming.

Decc was closed in a series of sweeping changes to the government unveiled by the new prime minister, Theresa May, on Thursday. Its functions, which include representing the UK at international climate talks, responsibility for meeting carbon targets and levying subsidies for green energy, have been transferred to a beefed-up business department led by Greg Clark.

Read the full story here: The Guardian 

IKEA to install biogas-powered fuel cell systems at 4 more stores

IKEA, the world’s leading home furnishings retailer, recently announced it is furthering its renewable commitment with plans for biogas-powered fuel cell systems at four more of its California stores.

A year ago, IKEA completed installation of such a project at IKEA Emeryville, one of the Swedish company’s two San Francisco-area stores. IKEA now plans to expand its fuel cell portfolio to 1.3 MW with a system at its other San Francisco-area store (in East Palo Alto), as well as three stores in Southern California

Read the full story here: Biomass Magazine 

EIB provides loan to biomass plant in Finland

The European Investment Bank has announced a loan agreement with an energy utility company in Finland for the deployment of a biomass-fired combined-heat-and-power (CHP) plant.

The EUR 75 million ($84.49 million) agreement was signed with Lahti Energia. According to the EIB, the new biomass plant is set to replace the old Kymijärvi I coal-fired power plant by 2019 and will run on 100 percent forest biomass.

According to information published by Lahti Energia, the facility will have the capacity to supply more than 780 GWh of thermal energy annually to a district heating network in the Lahti region of central Finland.

 

Read the full story at: Biomass Magazine 

US Department of Energy seeks input in support of developing a billion-ton bioeconomy

The U.S. Department of Energy has issued a request for information (RFI) regarding the ability to eventually supply up to a billion dry tons of biomass feedstock annually for a variety of end uses.

The DOE is seeking feedback from industry, academia, research laboratories, government agencies and other stakeholders to support a “billion-ton bioeconomy.”  The RFI asks for stakeholder input on specific aspects in the development of large-scale supply systems and technologies to supply up to a billion tons of biomass feedstock each year. According to the DOE, the goal is to develop the components of processing and handling of biomass and demonstrate the viability of advanced feedstock supply systems (AFSS). 

Specific submission requirements are available on the DOE’s Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Exchange website under DE-FOA-0001630. 

Read the full story at: Biomass Magazine  

Survey finds positivity about the future of the Carbon Markets: IETA

The annual survey of International Emissions Tradition Association (IETA) members published on 25th May 2016 at Carbon Expo, finds 82% of members expect the existing carbon markets to expand as a result of the Paris Agreement. 

  1. 82% of survey respondents believe that existing carbon markets will expand in scale as a result of the Paris Agreement. This figure is up from 58% in 2015, showing that feelings are more positive post-Paris.

  2. National and sub-national emissions trading systems (ETSs) are expected to be the most signi cant drivers of carbon market expansion. The UNFCCC is seen as the guiding light for these national systems.

  3. The global carbon price needed to achieve the objectives
    of the Paris Agreement has risen dramatically from €30 to €40. This is signi cantly higher than the current price expectations for the major markets. 

Read the full IETA report here: GHG Market Sentiment Survey 2016 

Duke Energy accounts swine waste power deal in North Carolina

Duke Energy recently announced it has finalized a second deal in 2016 to buy captured methane gas derived from swine waste. The planned project will be at farms in Kenansville, North Carolina.

The project will use captured methane gas to generate carbon-neutral renewable electricity at two power stations. Optima KV will construct a digester at each farm and pipe the captured methane gas to a centralized facility where it will be cleaned to pipeline quality specifications and injected into the natural gas pipeline system.

Read the full story here: Biomass Magazine

 

Tradition adds new Recyclables business to the “Tradition Green” Hub

Tradition, one of the world’s largest interdealer brokers in commodity and financial products, is pleased to announce the launch of its newest product “Recyclables” within the Tradition Green Business Hub.  

Francois Megret has joined to facilitate transactional and logistics services for plastics, metals and other recyclable materials between large and medium enterprises. Focused on French, Benelux Spanish and UK markets, the new business will facilitate transactions over a large geographical area, allowing for greater expansion of client business in this emerging market.

The Recyclables business will include the arrangement of physically settled trades for waste Polyethylene films coming from both agricultural and construction industries. When pelletized, the waste product can be reused to produce new Polyethylene films, thereby conserving natural resources, saving energy, reducing  greenhouse gas emissions from the manufacturing process, and reducing landfill.

This new business is the second to be announced so far in 2016 for Tradition Green, the business hub which brings together all environmental products brokered by Tradition under one brand.  In January a new biomass business was announced, covering transactions of wood chips and wood pellets. Tradition is committed to the development of new and emerging environmental markets, and the addition a Recyclables business further strengthens its position as a market leader in the environmental markets.

 

Desk Contacts

Francois Megret, Recyclables +44 (0)207 198 5837 francois.megret@traditiongreen.com

David Jenkins, Biofuels +44 (0)207 550 1750 david.jenkins@traditiongreen.com  

 

Press and Media Contacts

Lucy Mortimer, Tradition Green +44 (0) 207 198 1562 lucy.mortimer@traditiongreen.com

Pellet producer Viridis Energy for sale

Publically traded Canadian pellet production company Viridis Energy Inc. is up for sale.

Just weeks after the company announced it would cease operations at Okanagan Pellet Co., its West Kelowna, British Columbia, wood pellet production facility, the company informed investors that its lender, Royal Bank of Canada, has made a demand for payment in full of OPC’s outstanding debt, and that the company could not pay the $2.61 million sum by the date specified in the demand notice.

Viridis stated its reasons for ceasing operations at OPC as being recently discovered structural challenges of the building, and additional requirements from local authorities concerning dust management.

To read the full story click here: Biomass Magazine 

 

Nippon Paper to install torrefied pellet demonstration plant

Nippon Paper Industries Co. Ltd. has signed a joint research and development agreement with Phoenix Pulp and Paper Public Co. Ltd., a core company of SCG Packaging's Fibrous Business Chain, invested by Nippon Paper Industries in Thailand.

In the course of this joint research, they will install demonstration facilities in Thailand for the production of woody biomass fuel (torrefied pellets) using torrefaction technology along with the woody biomass resources that PPPC possesses.

o read the full story click here: Biomass Magazine

Australian climate policy vacuum looms as government halts funding to ERF

The budget proposed by the Australian government Tuesday contained no fresh funding for the Emissions Reductions Fund (ERF), meaning the country’s primary tool to drive carbon cuts looks likely to run out of cash at the end of the year.

Finance Minister Mathias Cormann had already signalled in February that the A$2.55-billion ($1.93-billion) ERF would not receive any further money in this year’s budget.

Even though the budget cut was expected, questions remain as to Australia’s ability to cut emissions going forward and the future of the country’s carbon project developers.

To read the full story click here: Carbon Pulse

Poll shows 57% of Australians back carbon market proposal

More than half of Australians back the opposition Labor party’s proposal to raise the nation’s 2030 CO2 target and introduce an emissions trading scheme, a poll showed Tuesday.

Labor maintained its 52-48 majority on a two-party preferred basis from last month ahead of the likely July 2 election, the Essential poll showed.

Climate change is emerging as one of the major issues yet again in an Australian election campaign after Labor’s policy release last week, which included setting up two emissions trading schemes.

To read the full story click here: Carbon Pulse