Biomass-to-energy could face stronger rules and limits on wood it can process
Swiss researchers find vast benefits from roll out, but say there are “challenges to overcome”
Biomass-to-energy showed the biggest growth in demand for waste wood with the UK making steady growth towards the 3Mt/yr capacity goal
Finland/Sweden: First plant is due to open next year and will process feedstock including forestry residues, elephant grass, bagasse and other types of fast-growing energy crops
This month: The biomass sector continues to consolidate rather than expand, the UK launches a probe into the same sector and a new EfW plant builder is revealed. Here’s the full round up of the month’s industry news and facilities updates
Czechia: 40MWth facility will replace an ageing coal-fired unit in Prerov with RDF and biomass
Germany/Finland: The shift to using barges aims to “radically cut” CO2 emissions
UK: Facilities have a combined capacity of 85.7MWe and process up to 490,000t/yr of mainly straw
The industry body says the volume of certified pellets is likely to increase by about 2Mt on the 2020 level
UK: Judicial review was launched after a council “regularised” changes to a planning consent last year
UK: Facility is due to be the world’s largest purpose-built biomass-fired plant when it goes into operation
Review will look at the potential for “biomass to support the UK’s net zero target”
Facilities in the pipeline at the end of 2020 represent non-contracted tender opportunities worth a potential aggregate of €559m
Netherlands: Facility will process locally sourced biomass and is being built at one of the world’s largest mushroom farms
Combined Veolia-led business will have revenues of “around €37bn” a year
Carbon capture technology could save “around £4.5bn” of the additional costs needed for the UK to meet its fifth carbon budget, which runs from 2028 to 2032
UK: First three rounds have backed several waste and biomass-fired plants, but only one new build project has so far been completed
UK: World’s first coal-to-waste conversion has made progress, but faces political issues on two fronts
Scottish environmental watchdog might not be fully operational for two more years after a cyber attack last December
UK/Canada: Power station has secured all the approvals needed for the deal to takeover the biomass producer and supplier