Biomass News
IEA Report Warns Against ‘Bad’ Biomass
Feb 8th
The International Energy Agency (IEA) identified key policies and practices that would contribute to increased biomass utilization throughout the world.”
The paper distinguishes ‘bad’ biomass from ‘good’ biomass and ‘better’ biomass. Warning that biomass could be ‘bad’ without safeguards, it notes the threat of GHG emissions and loss of biodiversity from land use change, food insecurity, overuse of water, and mismanagement of soil if the increased use of biomass is left unchecked.
Getting to ‘better’ and even ‘good’ is not just a matter of increased investment. Although biomass currently provides 75 percent of all renewable energy and approximately 13 percent of global energy supply, the paper finds that all countries are significantly underusing their domestic potential of sustainable bioenergy and international trade of bioenergy is only in its early stage of development. The paper provides a roadmap to better utilization of sustainable biomass includes specific milestones for the near-term, medium-term, and longer-term.
Source from http://www.biomassintel.com/iea-report-warns-against-bad-biomass/ posted by Mackinnon Lawrence on Wednesday, 20 January 2010.
Get more insights from IEA Bioenergy Task 40 at the Biomass Trade & Power as they will be supporting this event on 11- 12 March 2010 in Rotterdam.
Wood pellets lead biomass energy rise. Find out more at Biomass Trade & Power event on 11-12 March in Rotterdam
Feb 8th
Europe is leading rapid growth in the wood biomass energy sector with demand for wood pellets seen growing at 8 to 10 per cent annually in coming years, according to Wood Resources Quarterly.
Wood pellets are made mainly from wood waste – bark, sawdust and wood chips – from forestry operations. Compressing wood waste into pellets creates a more efficient-burning fuel than wood chips. Wood biomass fuel is seen as a valuable source of renewable energy and, if produced sustainably, offers a climate-friendly alternative to fossil fuels.
The wood biomass industry in Europe is seeing the benefits of the EU’s target to produce 20 per cent of power needs from renewable energy by 2020. It’s being led by increasing demand for pellets and investment in pellet production in Sweden, Germany, Denmark and Britain, the WRQ reports.
Sweden alone used almost two million tonnes in 2008, 20 per cent of world demand, producing almost 1.6 million tons at home and importing the balance from Canada and elsewhere in Europe. The number of pellet-producing plants in Europe has reached 450 and is expected to increase significantly over the next few years.
The industry is also benefiting from investment inspired by government green stimulus measures. The pellet market is growing in the United States where a federal tax credit of up to $1500 is currently offered on the purchase and installation of high-efficiency stoves and heaters, including wood or pellet-burning units.”
Source: http://www.carbonpositive.net Thursday, 5 November 2009.
For more information on wood pellets, join Mr. Spike Veer, Business Analyst of Endex, as he presents his paper on Wood Pellets’ Market Outlook, Pricing Trends & Benchmarking at the Biomass Trade & Power conference, 11- 12 March 2010 held in Rotterdam.
Biomass Trade conference in Rotterdam explores opportunities, challenges & complexities of Biomass Trade.
Feb 8th
The IEA BioEnergy Task 40 & the Port of Rotterdam are supporting the Biomass Trade summit on 11-12 March 2010 in Rotterdam.
Biomass Trade unites current and future producers of biomass-derived power, fuels and chemicals, energy crop growers, municipal leaders, utility executives, technology providers, equipment manufacturers, project developers, investors and policy makers to discuss and debate the Rise of this new Bio-Commodity.
The Biomass Trade conference will provide insights on:
- EU’s pending BioEnergy mandates
- Perspective and resolutions on sustainability and certification
- Biomass power generation growth in Europe
- Opportunities and barriers to global biomass trade network
- Identify gaps between technologies & capital investments
… plus much more…
Biomass Trade also provides opportunities for future and existing biofuels and biomass industry stakeholders to network other industry suppliers and technology providers, as well as utility executives, researchers, policy makers, investors and project developers.
In short, Biomass Trade is designed to help biomass industry stakeholders identify and evaluate future trends in Biomass trade. Tap into the revenue generating potential that Biomass Trade can provide.
Start the journey at the Biomass Trade summit in Rotterdam! Mark 11-12 March 2010 in your calendars.
Those keen on participation, media partnerships, exhibition space and / or sponsorship packages can submit enquiries and proposals to Ms. Hafizah Adam at hafizah@cmtsp.com.sg
ADB supports clean waste-to-energy project in the PRC! Offers $200 million in Loans for upcoming projects.
Sep 14th
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) announced recently, that it would provide up to $200m (£122m) in loans for the construction of waste-to-energy plants in China.
The proposed scheme marks a major chapter in China’s race to turn 30 per cent of rubbish into power by 2030.
The credit financing will be provided to a Hong Kong-based waste treatment project developer, to build power plants fuelled by municipal rubbish in second-tier Chinese cities. The credit line will comprise two $100m loans, disbursed by commercial banks, with ADB as the lender of record. Each loan has a maturity of up to 10 years.
The treatment of solid waste is a serious environmental challenge in China, the ADB noted in their statement, with the nation generating about 140m tonnes per year with a growth rate of about 10 per cent annually.
“Waste-to-energy processing with clean technology is the most effective method of treating municipal solid waste since it slashes waste volumes by 90 per cent and eliminates methane gas emissions from the waste treatment process,”
~ ADB investment specialist Hisaka Kimura.
China has a target of increasing the amount of municipal rubbish used in waste-fuelled power stations to 30 per cent by 2030, up from one per cent in 2002.
Find out more about China’s emerging Waste-to-Energy industry at the upcoming Biomass & WtE summit, where you will get to hear from China’s Energy and Environmental Development Research Center (EED) and Shanghai Pucheng Thermal Power Energy Co., Ltd. on Waste-to-Energy project developments in China.
>>Click here to confirm your participation for Biomass & WtE summit, on 28-29 October in Shanghai!<<
Thailand to receive $700m in loans from World Bank and IFC. Will Biomass Project developers benefit?
Aug 20th
The World Bank and its private investment arm International Finance Corp (IFC) announced plans to provide US$700m in loan financing to help fund renewable power and energy efficiency projects. The IFC will contribute $400m, while the World Bank will commit $300m through its $5.2bn Clean Technology Fund, which provides financing for carbon reduction initiatives in developing nations.
The average interest rate for the loans will range from 0.25 to 1.75 per cent, with repayment periods of 20 to 30 years. Terms for the financing, which will be disbursed through Thai banks, will be released to loan applicants later this month.
According to IFC and World Bank estimates, it will cost $4.6bn to develop Thailand’s renewable energy sector over the next two years, with private sector investments accounting for about 85 per cent of the total, or $3.9bn.
Thailand last year drafted a $440m renewable energy development plan that sets an alternative power target of 20 per cent of by 2022. The scheme calls for a drop in annual oil imports by $10.6bn and a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 29 million tonnes per year.
Officials are counting on the increased use of alternative energy, such as biomass, ethanol and biogas, as a means of achieving the targets. Fossil fuels currently account for 85 per cent of the country’s energy needs.
Biomass energy in Thailand has traditional, small-scale applications in households and rural industries. The Thai Government also launched a project, through the Energy Policy and Planning Office (EPPO), to encourage Small Power Producers or SPPs to generate electricity from biomass feedstocks including rice husk, sugar cane, corn leaves, tapioca, palm shell and woodchips.
These SPPs then sell the generated electricity to the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT). As small and medium sized businesses, these Biomass power producers stand to reap benefits from the World Bank fund.
One such power producer is A.T. BIOPOWER, who has a 22 MW rice-husk power project in the Pitchit province in Thailand. In operation in May 2006, the power plant relies on agricultural wastes (rice husks) generated by the farming activities prevalent in the province.
A.T BIOPOWER was also the first company in Thailand to qualify for CDM and earn extra income from selling carbon credits.
A.T BIOPOWER’s CEO, Natee Sithiprasasana will be sharing insights at the upcoming Biomass & WtE summit, which convenes in Shanghai on 28-29 October 2009. His session entitled, “Rice Husk Power Plant, An Operators Experience” will touch on:
- Securing supply of rice husk storage & handling
- Technologies & environmental benefits
- Incentive for SPP to sell electricity to the grid
- Monitoring project for CDM – compliance
To find out more about Thailand’s emerging Biomass to power industry, and how small power producers are tapping on Thailand’s vast agricultural waste resources, come to Biomass & WtEsummit to pose your questions to Natee Sithiprasasana and other Thai Biomass power producers who will be participating in the summit.
>>CLICK HERE<< to submit your registrations for Biomass & WtE now!
Over 16,000 MW of Potential Biomass Power generation estimated in India! Upcoming Opportunities showcased at Biomass & WtE.
Jun 26th
Globally, India is in the fourth position in generating power through biomass and with a huge potential, is poised to become a world leader in biomass energy production.
India can generate as much as 16,000MW of biomass power, according to the Biomass Resource Atlas of India, an Indian Institute of Science (IISc) project to map biomass potential in the country, but only about 700 MW is on stream now.
The upcoming capacity expansion opportunities in India’s growing Biomass to Power sector will be a key area of focus at the upcoming Biomass & WtE (Waste to Energy) conference in Shanghai on 28-29 October.
In fact, a key player in India’s upcoming Biomass to Power sector will be presenting insights at the conference. Anil Lala, Corporate Director at AllGreen Energy India Pvt. Ltd, a subsidiary of Singapore-based AllGreen Energy Pte., Ltd, will be sharing an update on All Green’s ambitious 10 Biomass-to-energy projects development plan.
AllGreen plans to raise US$100 Million to set up ten 6.5MW biomass-to-energy projects across India over three years. The first three, projected to go on-stream by March 2010, will be in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Madhya Pradesh.
India has an installed power capacity of 147,000MW and experiences a 15% shortfall during peak hours, between 7pm and 10pm, according to the Central Electricity Authority, which advises the Union government on power policies. While AllGreen’s 6.5MW power plants may seem paltry in the larger scheme of things, biomass is touted to have the potential to light up rural India, and Biomass to energy has tremendous potential in this agrarian country.
Biomass & WtE also features insights from GN Murthy, Deputy General Manager – New Initiatives, ITC Limited – Agri Business Division the Biomass feedstock supplier for AllGreen’s project. Touching on, “Ensuring Stable Biomass Supply & Quality for AllGreen’s Mega Project”, Mr. Murthy will share on key challenges in delivering the 40,000-50,000 tones of biomass/annum needed by each of the ten planned 6.5 MW Power plants.
Beyond the central government, Indian states are also taking an active role in promoting Biomass to energy and inviting private investment. In June 2009, the State owned Punjab Energy Development Agency (PEDA) announced the allocation of 31 decentralized Biomass Power Projects with aggregate capacity of 338 MW to private developers.
At Biomass & WtE we’ve invited Shirish Garud, Fellow & Area Convenor, Renewable Energy Technology Applications & Coordinator, REEEP South Asia Secretariat to share a private investor’s perspective on “Promoting Bio-Energy from Agricultural Biomass & Municipal Solid Waste (MSW)” in India.
The REEEP South Asia Regional Secretariat was established in 2005 under the AEI (Asian Energy Institute) to create a link between energy services and income generation, using innovative financing as a catalyst, and support Private Pro-poor Small-scale renewable energy Investments in South Asia.
Biomass & WtE offers a cohesive update on upcoming opportunities in India’s Biomass to energy sector in India. Those keen on participating should >>CLICK HERE<< or email jaime@cmtsp.com.sg for more information.
Shanghai’s Yuqiao “Garbage Power” Plant will welcome 50 Biomass & WtE Participants on 29 Oct 2009. More on signing up below.
Jun 12th
In Shanghai’s Yuqiao Industrial Zone, one of China’s biggest waste-to-energy power generators is processing 1,100tonnes of rubbish generated by Shanghai residents every day, and converting it into power.
The Pudong Yuqiao Waste to Energy (WtE) Plant established in 2003, was the first waste-to-energy project in Shanghai, and a landmark achievement in managing waste in China’s second largest city.
At Biomass & WtE, we are offering 50 Conference Participants a unique opportunity to tour the Pudong Yuqiao Waste to Energy (WtE) Plant in our BONUS Site Visit on 29th October 2009.
The delegation will depart from Sofitel Shanghai Jin Jiang Oriental Pudong (conference venue) at 2PM and return at 5PM.
The Site Visit option is open to conference delegates only, and due to space limitations seats will be allocated on a “first-come-first-served” basis.
If you want to join the visit to the Pudong Yuqiao Waste to Energy (WtE) Plant, >>CLICK HERE<< to confirm your participation at Biomass & WtE summit now, and check the box to register for the Site Visit!
$19 Billion Global Waste-to-Energy Sector seeks out China. Upcoming Opportunities Explored in Biomass & WtE conference in Shanghai.
Jun 4th
The global market for thermal and biological waste-to-energy (WTE) technologies was worth $19.9 billion in 2008. According to projections, the sector will be worth $26.2 billion in the next five years. And the industry has now set its sights on China for new project developments and investments.
China represents a brand new frontier for the waste-to-energy sector. Beijing has earmarked 350 billion Yuan (S$75 billion) this year for clean water and waste management on top of a 1 Trillion Yuan allocated under its 11th 5-year plan, which runs to 2010. China is also the world’s largest producer of municipal solid waste. In 2004, China surpassed the United States as the world’s largest producer of municipal solid waste at about 190 million tonnes a year. By 2030, the World Bank estimates that will have more than doubled to at least 480 million tones.
Companies like China Everbright is already in tie-up talks with waste-to-energy company Covanta Holdings, while Waste Management Inc , the largest trash hauler in the United States, announced plans to bid for refuse-fired power plants in the mainland.
In fact, the country’s largest planned waste-to-energy power plant, the Bao’an Waste-to-Energy Plant in Shenzen, will have a daily production capacity of 4,200 tons. Beijing, Shanghai and Tianjin have also begun construction of large incineration projects, according to state media reports.
CMT’s Biomass & Waste-to-Energy conference, to be held on 28-29 October in Shanghai explores these exciting new developments in the waste-to-energy industry , with focus on emerging technologies, upcoming projects around the world, feedstock issues, financing and logistics challenges across the Biomass & Waste-to-Energy value chain with a particular focus on the upcoming industry in China.
Key highlights of the program will include power generation from agricultural biomass, energy recovery from municipal solid waste or WtE (Waste to Energy), securing feedstock with biomass and dedicated energy crops, biomass processing, cellulosic ethanol and biotechnologies converting biomass to fuels and chemicals.
Beyond these, the program will feature intensive panel discussions, spot-on analysis of key industry trends and informative project sharing sessions by the world’s top Biomass players. As part of the Biomass & WtE program, the conference plans to offer two concurrent tracks, to cover Waste to Energy & Cellulosic Ethanol Biotechnologies.
Biomass & WtE is part of the BiomassWorld series of conferences, which has seen participation from over 300 key executives from leading bio-energy companies’ biomass project operators and developers, bio-refinery executives, bio-power executives, biodiesel executives, feedstock developers, policy makers, waste management experts and top players from over 40 countries.
Biomass & WtE will provide an excellent platform for companies to ‘be seen’ and promote their organization and their interests to the industry’s most influential players and investors who will be at the conference.
If you want more information on participation, sponsorship or media exchange opportunities at Biomass & WtE, contact Ms. Jaime Ng, Promotions Manager at +65 6346 9145 or email at jaime@cmtsp.com.sg
Biomass World 2009 Conference welcomed by International Biomass sector! Top Decision Makers came from over 26 countries.
Mar 27th
The Biomass World 2009 conference attracted leading Biomass & Bio Energy professionals from around the world. Companies, International Agencies and Government Departments send their top level personnel to the conference because of the customized educational value and high-level networking opportunities available at this event.
The chart below is representative of the profile of companies that participated in the recently concluded Biomass World 2009 conference in Jakarta. The mix of companies was even, with all major sectors in the Biomass Value chain evenly represented at the conference. This made networking particularly valuable for delegates at the conference.
Delegates at Biomass World 2009 included top management and other key representatives of the world’s leading biomass and BioEnergy companies and bodies. The chart below represents the profile of delegates at Biomass World 2009 by job title. The two largest groups of participants at this conference are Chief Executives and Managing Directors- Biomass World 2009 attracts the decision makers in the industry.
Biomass World 2009 in Jakarta was a truly international conference, with participants coming from all over the world; 26 countries to be exact. Representatives came from the following countries (highlighted in red on the map) to attend Biomass World 2009:-
Participants at Biomass World 2009 were very satisfied with their experience at the Biomass World 2009 conference. The median rating for the conference was “Good” with a significant proportion calling the conference “Very Good!” (Scale: Very Good, Good, Satisfactory, Poor)
Biomass World 2009 attendees in particular identified the following areas of focus as most relevant and useful:
- International Energy Association’s presentations on the future prospects of biomass to energy and 2nd generation biofuels.
- Practical operational experience utilizing palm, rice husks and sugar cane bagasse for power generation (on issues such as moist control of palm, etc).
- Technical presentation on pyrolysis and gasification.
- Progress of cellulosic ethanol towards commercialization.
Biomass World 2009 in Jakarta was a truly international conference, with on the dot insights on the most pressing issues within the Biomass industry. The conference attracted the top management of some of the world’s most influential companies and government & international agencies in the industry.
Stay tuned for more updates on the upcoming Biomass World 2009 (focus on Waste to Energy) in Shanghai in October 2009, another top-notch must attend Biomass conference brought to you by the Biomass World team!
The Biomass World Asia 2009 Interview – A Tell-ALL Discussion with Mr. Ricky Tagar Risnauli, CDM Consultant at Mitsubishi UFJ Securities
Jan 12th
We are happy to announce “Maximizing Returns from Biomass Projects” the exclusive Biomass World Asia 2009 Interview, which provides the “inside story” on the cutting edge of developments in the Biomass Conversion solution.
Ricky Tagar “Maximising Returns from Biomass Projects” features on-the-ball insights from Mr. Ricky Tagar Risnauli, CDM Consultant and Clean Energy Finance Committee member at Mitsubishi UFJ Securities.
One of the world’s leading consulting firms, Mitsubishi UFJ Securities’ Clean Energy Finance Committee actively promotes and advises on the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) and Joint Implementation (JI) projects.
Why should you listen to Mr. Ricky Tagar Risnauli ?
Mr. Ricky Tagar Risnauli is part of the award-winning team that has developed high quality projects that have met the stringent requirements of the CDM executive board and Methodology Panel in over five categories including grid-connected biomass power generation, and Biomass power generation from a dedicated energy plantation.
With his experience in consulting for key biomass projects in Asia, Ricky has a vested interest in the growth of the sector, and is in an excellent position to discuss the future direction of the industry.
In the course of our discussion, Ricky touched on:
- Future direction of the Biomass Conversion sector in 2009.
- Impact of global economic slowdown and crude oil volatilities.
- Is Biomass Conversion going to take off in Asia?
- How to measure the carbon neutrality of Biomass projects.
- Aligning Biomass projects for CDM and CERs.
- Improvements needed in the Biomass value chain…
… Plus Many More
Why should you get a copy of “Maximizing Returns from Biomass Projects” ?
Because, we’re giving you exclusive access the “Maximizing Returns from Biomass Projects” interview at NO COST! Just CLICK HERE or simply hit play button below to get instant access to the recording!
Now that you’ve heard the preview, obtain the rest of presentations that will be delivered in BiomassWorld 2009, by confirming your participation at the event to be held on 9-10 February 2009 in Jakarta Indonesia.
Seats are filling fast, so Register NOW at http://www.futureenergyevents.com/biomass/attend/register-for-biomass-world/ to confirm your participation at Asia’s most important Biomass networking and idea exchange platform.
