|
Education
PFI announces call for papers for July AGM
Feb 4, 2012, Arlington, VA - The Pellet Fuels Institute has called for papers for the 2012 Annual Conference, held July 29-31 at the Foxwoods Resort & Casino, Mashantucket, CT.
First labs and auditing agencies PFI accredited
Jan. 31, 2012, Arlington, VA - The Pellet Fuels Institute and the American Lumber Standard Committee have made the first step to roll out the new densified biomass fuel standard for North America by accrediting ten auditing agencies and two laboratories.
FPInnovations to study BC bioproducts
Jan 29, 2012, Vancouver - British Columbia's Provincial Government has provided $700,000 for a study of BC's bioeconomy, work that will be carried out by FPInnovations.
BioNitrogen announces Chief Technology Officer
Jan. 26, 2012, Miami, FL - BioNitrogen Corp. is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Mario G. Beruvides, Ph.D., P.E., as Chief Technology Officer.
Over 200 abstracts submitted to World Bioenergy
Jan. 26, 2012, Jönköping, SE - With almost four months left until the World Bioenergy 2012 conference, preparations are already underway to make it a global event.
Ontario Feed-in Tariff Forum announces 2012 speakers
Jan. 24, 2012 - The speaker line-up for this year's Ontario Feed-in Tariff Forum has been announced today with the province's key government and FIT policy administrators confirmed to speak on April 3-4 in Toronto.
Pike Research launches advisory service
Jan. 24, 2012, Boulder, CO - Pike Research announced the launch of its new Bioenergy Advisory Service, a subscription-based information suite that provides market intelligence and strategy insights for those in the biomass ecosystem.
BIO congratulates companies on progress
Jan. 23, 2012, Washington, DC - The Biotechnology Industry Organization congratulated Fiberight and its technology partner Novozymes, a member of BIO, on their progress.
NASA maps tree cover in the United States
 Jan. 16, 2012 - The NASA Earth Observatory has released a map showcasing the amount of tree cover in the United States, thanks to research done by the Woods Hole Research Center in Massachusetts.
Woody biomass prices continue to decline
Jan. 13, 2012, Seattle - Prices for woody biomass have decreased throughout the US for the past three years, according to the North American Wood Fibre Review.
Conference emphasis is on wood
 Jan. 10, 2012 - More than 40 speakers will participate in the Bioenergy Fuels & Products Conference & Expo to be held February 28-29, 2012 at the Omni Hotel at CNN Center in downtown Atlanta, Georgia.
Schutte-Buffalo's Laboratory scale Hammer Mill
 Jan. 6, 2012 - Sometimes, smaller is better, as is the case with the new Schutte-Buffalo Laboratory Scale Hammer Mills.
BioTalent Canada names new chair
Jan. 6, 2012 - BioTalent Canada has broadened its leadership team with the appointment of François Schubert as Chair of the BioTalent Canada Board of Directors effective immediately.
How do you define biomass?
Jan. 6, 2012 - What qualifies as "biomass"? The American Council on Renewable Energy has compiled the first global definition of biomass for introduction into legislation.
Will corporations control the green economy?
Jan. 3, 2012, Ottawa, ON - A new report, "Who will control the green economy?" by the NGO Action Group on Erosion, Technology and Conservation states that green technology in today's market will depend on large corporations for support.
Biomass facility hosting public tours
Jan. 2, 2012, Wichita, KS - For two days in February, Advanced Energy Solutions Inc. will hold public tours for its Kansas Biomass Research Institute facility.
Five new program tracks for Denver biomass conference
Dec. 22, 2011, Denver, CO - Five new program tracks have been announced for the 5th annual International Biomass Conference & Expo, which takes place from April 16-19, 2012.
AESI launching Biomass Research Institute
Dec. 21, 2011, Wichita, KS - Alternative Energy Solutions International Inc. (AESI) is launching its Biomass Research Institute, which includes a full-scale boiler operation at the beginning of February 2012.
Call for papers for Denver biomass event open
Dec 17, 2011, Denver, CO - The call for papers for the International Biomass Conference & Expo to be held here April 16-19, 2012 remains open until January 4, 2012.
Renewables initiative launched in North Bay
Dec 10, 2011, North Bay, ON - The Biomass Innovation Centre at Nipissing University, with funding from the Community Energy Partnership Program, has recently launched a new project: The Blue Sky Renewable Energy Initiative.
New UK wood fuel supply map is online
Dec. 7, 2011 - A new map has been released showcasing the areas to obtain woody biomass in the UK, so that suppliers can take advantage of the new Renewable Heating Initiative.
2012 Chipper & Grinder Guide
Our annual guide to portable/mobile chippers and grinders is back with more new gear.
Responding Safely to Silo Fires
In the past 10 years, the use of solid biofuels, and in particular wood pellets, has increased dramatically.
International Bioenergy 2012 announces themes
Dec 3, 2011, Prince George, BC - Canada's largest conference devoted to the global bioenergy sector is firing up for its biggest and best year yet. The 5th International Bioenergy Conference and Exhibition takes place June 13 - 15, 2012 in Prince George, B.C.
COFI Meeting Looks at Biomass Potential
The survival of wood as an industry has meant a change not only in markets but also in medium.
DEMO and Conference Boast Biomass
Organizers and planning committees for DEMO 2012 met in Quebec City late in October to work on details of both the pre-DEMO conference and the live logging event itself.
Want to Go on a Date?
Biomass magazines do not often carry a column promoting a dating service, but this type of romance is not simply roses and champagne.
World Bioenergy announces themes, extends call
Dec 2, 2011, Jonkoping, Sweden - The 2012 edition of World Bioenergy is taking shape, as organizers today announced the six main themes the conference will highlight, and extended the call for papers a few more weeks.
Biomass heat map helps find suppliers
Dec. 1, 2011 - The Carbon Trust and the Biomass Energy Centre are helping businesses take advantage of the new Renewable Heat Incentive through an interactive map, allowing consumers to find nearby suppliers.
Kruger Products wins CIPEC Leadership Award
Nov. 30, 2011, Mississauga, ON - Kruger Products L.P. was recognized for its environmental leadership and energy conservation achievements through the 2011 Canadian Industry Program for Energy Conservation (CIPEC) Leadership Awards.
Residual biomass could power part of Midwest US
Nov. 30, 2011 - Residual biomass found in the Midwestern states could potentially be used to sustainably generate 15 percent of the electricity needed for the area.
Biomass to burn, but no markets
 Nov. 25, 2011, North Bay, ON – Last week, representatives
from all aspects of the biomass industry met in North Bay for a conference held
by the Biomass Innovation Centre, through Nipissing University.
Canadian Biomass sponsors IBCE 2012 in Prince George
Nov 23, 2011, Prince George, BC - The board of the International Bioenergy Conference and Exhibition has named Canadian Biomass magazine as the exclusive media partner for the 5th biennial event.
International Bioenergy 2012 calling for papers
Nov 17, 2011, Prince George, BC - Organizers of the 5th International Bioenergy Conference & Exhibition are formally calling for papers for the event to be held June 13-15, 2012.
Upcoming conference discusses biomass
Nov. 11, 2011, North Bay, ON - On November 22-23, individuals involved in biomass and bioenergy will converge on the North Bay Clarion Resort Pinewood Park to discuss how to properly harvest biomass in Ontario and how it can truly be sustainable.
DEMO and conference boast biomass
 Nov. 7, 2011 - Organizers and planning committees for DEMO 2012 met in Quebec City late in October to work on details of both the pre-DEMO conference and the live logging event itself. Planning for both events is well underway, and in both cases the emerging biomass sector looms large.
FPAC says bioenergy can replace nine nukes
Oct. 8, 2011, Ottawa /CNW/ - The President and CEO of the Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC), Avrim Lazar, says that with the right government support the Canadian forest industry could produce enough clean renewable energy to replace nine nuclear reactors.
PFI Report: BC Forest Safety, WPAC unveil safety audits
July 25, 2011 - The Canadian wood pellet industry is about to get serious about plant and employee safety, as WPAC unveils a new program to U.S. manufacturers.
2011 Biomass Boiler Buyers Guide
As the price of oil continues to rise and enterprises, institutions, and municipalities look for renewable energy options, biomass furnaces and boilers are becoming ever more attractive.
Survey Says…
The results are in for our first industry survey, giving a snapshot of current activity in the Canadian biomass industry.
Paving with Wood
Almost everywhere on the planet, people are taking a hard look at fuel and other products made from petroleum, and some are coming up with exciting renewable alternatives.
Tips for fire prevention
Fire protection for biomass and wood fibre conversion plants is critical from several key standpoints.
Building an Empire
New England Wood Pellet (NEWP) operates two pellet plants and has recently started up a third. The newest facility is located at the former Norbord panel mill site in Deposit, New York.
Government Funding
Our latest federal election in Canada has shown that numerous politicians and supporters are willing to spend many hours knocking on doors looking for your support.
Fuelling the Future
The stage is being set for the biomass, bioenergy, and bioproducts industry to take some giant leaps forward.
Saint-Félicien Cogeneration
This pre-drying process will increase the heat value of the fuel and require less fuel to run the plant at peak capacity, ensuring top performance during winter conditions.
Danish Renewable Energy
While promoting Canadian wood pellets, I recently visited two of Denmark’s largest power generators—Dong Energy and Vattenfall—and toured their power plants near Copenhagen.
Choosing a Dryer
Although growth of the biomass energy sector here in North America has lagged behind that in jurisdictions such as Europe, new pellet mills, briquette mills, and combined heat and power (CHP) operations are sprouting up—and which dryer is chosen to remove moisture from the wood residue is critical.
Expert Resources
As a high school basketball coach, I often think about how best to teach and prepare young athletes for the rigours of a fast paced, high-pressure play-off game.
Heating with Biomass
More than 100 people attended a daylong seminar in December 2010 to learn about the woody biomass industry and biomass heating.
State of the Industry
Biomass has boomed over the past few years. While helping to support a limping forest industry, it has developed into an industry in its own right.
Cleaner Engines
The world might be breathing easier, but a lot of diesel engineers are hyperventilating in their efforts to reach the new Tier 4 Interim (IT4) standards for 2011.
Staying on track
As I sit down to write the seventh article in this series on project financing, I can’t help but think about a magazine editor’s nightmare—trying to corral novice writers into meeting strict and regular timelines.
Perfect Timing
The challenge of correct timing for equipment selection is illustrated often by clients who finally call to talk about financing but already have the equipment invoice in their hands
Making the Grade
U.S. pellet manufacturers will soon have to jump another hurdle to get their pellets on the market.
Vermeer Introduces Whole-tree Chipper
Vermeer Corporation is introducing the WC2300 whole-tree chipper, designed specifically to produce chips for the growing biomass industry.
2011 Chipper & Grinder Guide
Our annual guide to portable/mobile chippers and grinders is back with more new gear.
Drying Technology
From biomass combustion to wood pellet and briquette production, drying your biomass can be a key step in your plant’s processing efficiency. Wood biomass dryers come in a variety of types, temperatures, and configurations. Canadian Biomass provides a comprehensive guide of the biomass drying technology available to help you in considering the best system for your particular application. All information is provided by the manufacturers.
Healing Power
As Brian Bertrand walks through the almost completed North Bay Regional Health Centre in North Bay, Ontario, he is obviously very proud of what he and his team have accomplished.
Marketing: a Tour de France
Marketing your finished product is a critical step in obtaining bioenergy project financing. Compiling a 20-page marketing study or speaking in generalities about potential customers is not enough.
Prevent Fires, Explosions
The wood pellet business is hazardous. Dock workers have unknowingly entered loaded ship holds and perished from carbon monoxide emitted by wood pellets.
Shareholder Strategy
Facing the challenge of a collapsing kraft pulp industry in the Atlantic region and the resulting limited market for low-grade logs, an entrepreneurial group of woodlot owners has joined forces with other community residents to build a pellet plant.
Biomass backlash
The contrast between Scandinavia and North America is stark. In Scandinavia, biomass is becoming a major renewable energy source that’s replacing non-renewable fossil fuels. In North America, people are increasingly finding fault with biomass as renewable energy.
Residues to Riches:A Case for Covering
This is the final column in a series on the importance of moisture content in forest-origin biomass, paying by energy content, and managing residues through the use of best practices to reduce moisture content in the field.
The Supply ‘S’-Words
Item number four in the ten-step checklist of “Strengthening your Bioenergy Project for Financing” is the biomass supply. I now discuss three ‘S’-words influencing your feedstock: security, suitability, and sustainability.
District Heat – Pellet Expansion
The Green Timiskaming Development Co-operative consists of municipal, First Nations, business, financial, and individual members promoting a district energy industry similar to that in Europe.
Tenure Trouble
Reliable fibre supply is the most important factor in any biomass operation, whether the fibre is used for combustion or further fashioning into value-added products.
Fire in the hole!
The North American biomass industry is exploding. Literally. For April 2010, a quick search of the Internet uncovered three reports of wood dust-related fires in that month alone.
Conveying & Storage Gear
To complement our material handling feature in this issue of Canadian Biomass, we have compiled a listing of new products, product upgrades, feature products, and systems and service providers for biomass conveying and storage. All information has been provided by the suppliers and manufacturers.
Bioenergy conference set for Kingston
Apr. 28, 2010, Kingston, ON – The third annual Conference on Biomass for Energy - The Great Lakes Bio-Region: Market Opportunities and Carbon Pricing - is set for May 30-31, 2010, at Ban Righ Hall, Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario.
Residues to Riches: Pay for energy
In my last column, I introduced the importance of moisture content for biomass quality, as well as its effect on burning efficiency and the overall efficiency of the supply system.
Biomass and Innovation
A capacity crowd of over 600 people filled the Wheeler Pavilion at the Oregon Logging Conference (OLC) in Eugene, Oregon, in late February 2010 to hear Nate Clark deliver the keynote address.
Building the Team
As I stood with thousands of other Canadians in downtown Vancouver, yelling “Go Canada, go!” I couldn’t help but feel the passion and enthusiasm.
Warming the Neighbourhood
District heating is one of those concepts that give warm and fuzzy feelings to people working in the bioenergy field, but few people have much direct experience with it in Canada.
Is Biomass Carbon Neutral?
For my last New Year’s resolution, I decided to visit schools to give presentations about trees and forestry. At my first outing, in a class of six-year-olds, I easily convinced the kids of the benefits of forests—clean air, stable soils, habitat for furry and feathery little things, etc. I then moved on to the products humans can get from trees, including biomass for bioenergy. That’s when Mrs. J., the teacher, interrupted to say, “Dear, we don’t need to cut trees anymore; we have all those wonderful substitution products to replace wood.” I looked at her, aghast, and then launched into a fumbling diatribe about greenhouse gas emissions and carbon footprints. I quickly realized that had I lost the toddlers’ interest after my third mention of “life-cycle analysis”.
Bio-Business 101
There are more variables than constants in bioenergy today, and anyone looking for long-term success had best deal with that fact. This was the main take-home message for the more than 300 attendees at the sixth annual Canadian Renewable Fuels Summit held in early December 2009 in Vancouver.
Don’t Pay for Water
One of the hidden enemies of an efficient supply chain is a simple compound: water. Because of the importance of this subject, I will take a couple of columns to cover the topic properly.
Combustion Troubleshooting
Biomass boiler owners and operators are showing increased interest in evaluating the combustion performance of their equipment to improve its efficiency. The driving forces behind this interest are: (1) the rising cost of fossil fuels and the need to generate steam from cheaper sources; (2) stricter environmental regulations to reduce air pollutant emissions, requiring cleaner biomass combustion; (3) the general desire to operate equipment more efficiently and minimize wasted heat; and (4) the increasing demand for using renewable fuels to reduce carbon dioxide output from fossil fuels.
From Dream to Reality
As the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics approach, our thoughts turn towards the athletes and all the hard work and sacrifices that have gone into making their respective Olympic teams. They started with a dream that might have begun when they were six years old. It doesn’t matter how or when the dream started. It only matters that after tremendous sacrifice and hard work, they are now on the edge of fulfilling their dream of competing in the Winter Olympics.
Controlling the Variables
Don’t get me wrong – I love forest biomass. It’s a great Canadian asset that is currently underutilized. It’s a renewable energy option in a country that will soon need all available options. It’s home grown, building our communities and filling our wallets. For the right entrepreneur with the right idea, opportunities abound. Still, from time to time a dose of reality helps keep us humble, forces us to do our homework, and helps separate bad ideas from golden opportunities.
Editorial: Image Matters
In the popularity contest among alternative bioenergy options, biomass is the kid getting shunned in favour of its better-dressed classmates.
Residues to Riches: Keep on Truckin’
One of the critical cost points in the recovery of roadside residues is the interface between the comminution and transportation phases. In Canada today, the most common recovery method is to discharge the comminuted material directly from the chipper’s blower or grinder’s conveyor into a van.
Biomass Is Booming
There was a whole lot of networking going on at the Canadian Bioenergy Association (Canbio)’s annual conference and trade show. Over 100 participants and various exhibitors from Canada, Finland, and Sweden converged on Edmonton in late October 2009 to discuss Canada’s developing biomass economy.
Big World of Bioenergy
After a huge success in 2008, World Bioenergy is back. The 2010 event is slated for May 25–27, and once again, the Elmia organizers have taken a three-pronged approach to maximize attendee travel dollars, with tours, conference, and trade show.
Canbio Update: Talking About Biomass
Talk to me about wind power and I picture a great white turbine. Wax poetic on solar energy and I see fields of long, black photovoltaic cells. But biomass? Well, there are wood chips, elephant grass, garbage, and chicken feces.
2010 Chipper & Grinder Guide
We’re doing something special for our annual guide to portable/mobile chippers and grinders this year.
Fighting Addiction
The Baldy Hughes site just outside Prince George, British Columbia, is the first certified therapeutic community and addiction treatment centre in Canada providing multi-phase residential addiction treatment and long-term recovery to British Columbians suffering from addiction disorders.
Conference Report: Steady Growth
Many of the world’s top bioenergy experts were in Vancouver in late August 2009 for the International Energy Agency’s (IEA) Bioenergy conference.
Canbio Update: Generating Biomass Power
Ontario is promoting more renewable electricity generation and conservation through the Green Energy Act. Biomass represents one renewable electricity option for the province.
Editorial: Pellets Down Pat
It has been clear for some time that any major growth in the Canadian wood pellet industry will come from new fibre sources.
Residues to Riches: Tools of the Trade
There are three basic methods for handling forest residues:transportation of loose residues, compaction, or comminution. For themost part, transporting residues in a loose form is not practical oreconomical. The payload is very low, restricting their economicaltransport to very short haul distances.
Growing with biomass
As energy prices become less predictable and more prohibitive, many greenhouses are turning to biomass fuels to meet their heating needs and provide cost savings. Energy costs can make up 30 to 50% of greenhouse operating costs for Canadian vegetable producers, and reducing these costs can help growers to meet their bottom line.
Canbio Update: What Bioeconomy?
The theme song of a popular prairie-based sitcom, called Corner Gas, is Not a Lot Goin’ On. It naturally included a line about the opportunity to watch your dog run away for three days.
It’s Hot up North
Biomass and bioenergy are hot topics these days. There has been so much interest in the sector over the last couple of years that entire conferences are being dedicated to the topic at a breakneck pace. And even at conferences targeted at other industries, such as the ailing forest industry, biomass is stealing the show.
Forest industry’s priorities for federal budget
Ottawa, ON – In December 2008, the Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC) laid out five urgent priorities that the federal government
Blazing Trails in Biomass Use
“We have blazed a lot of trails here,” says Wayne Mercer, Western Canada manager of fibre supply for Tembec, an integrated forest products company.
Industry set to Explode
As the costs of fossil fuels escalate and climate change policies come into force, the use of woody biomass for energy is becoming an increasingly attractive option.
Mapping Success
This year, bioenergy projects in Canada are on fast-forward. Fighting a strong loonie, a declining US housing market, rising oil prices, and high fibre and energy costs, biomass rich-communities, entrepreneurs, sawmills, harvesters, power companies, |
|
|
|
|
|
© 2009 - 2011 Annex Business Media. All rights reserved.
