Jan. 7, 2019 - From a North American producer’s perspective, 2018 was one of the best years in quite some time for the wood pellet trade. After several years of tempered development following the ramp up of the Drax power station in the UK, new markets and consumers drove strong growth in global demand. Imports to Denmark, South Korea and Japan all increased at least 40 per cent from previous highs, with Japanese wood pellet imports more than doubling. Better market conditions and less inventory also led to strong growth in North American and European heating markets after several weak years.

Dec. 21, 2018 - The past year was one of the strongest years for trade in the global wood pellet markets in recent years, according to the latest white paper from FutureMetrics. Year-on-year growth of pellet imports from 2017 to 2018 is projected to be 26 per cent.

Dec. 11, 2018 - Fire crews safely extinguished a minor fire at Great Northern Pellets in Upper Musquodoboit, N.S., on the weekend. 

Dec. 3, 2018 - The European Pellet Council, governing body of the ENplus certification for wood pellets, has announced the launch of a revision process for the scheme’s procedures and requirements. As part of ENplus efforts to constantly meet the needs of the pellet market, this third revision in the scheme’s history will factor in stakeholders’ feedback, as well as the latest scientific data and its own certification management experience.

Nov. 30, 2018 – Timberlands International Inc., a subsidiary of Active Energy Group (AEG), has received two five-year commercial cutting permits to harvest 100,000 m3 annually on the Great Northern Peninsula.

Jan. 11, 2019 - As global consumer trends and demands continue to shift at an escalating pace, a new Forest2Market report shows that both structural and temporal market shifts in recent decades have impacted the markets for wood fibre residuals. The report, Changes in the Residual Wood Fiber Market 2004 to 2017, analyzes data from the U.S. Forest Service, Forest2Market’s proprietary database of timber transactions and other scientific research to understand the relationship between the supply and demand of wood residual materials over a 14-year period.

Jan. 11, 2019 - Trimble today released its Connected Forest Xchange (CFX) and Connected Forest Business (CFB) as core solutions to provide the global forestry industry with an end-to-end ecosystem for supply chain management, trading partner collaboration and financial settlement. CFX and CFB are integral to Trimble's Connected Forest initiative to provide solutions to manage the full raw materials lifecycle of planning, planting, growing, harvesting, transporting and processing.

Jan. 7, 2019 - In the 3Q/18, Chinese importation of hardwood chips reached a record high, and Vietnam substantially increased its shipment as compared to 2017, reports Wood Resource Quarterly (WRQ). While the average import price has only increased slightly in the past year, Australian prices have gone up substantially from the end of 2017.

Dec. 20, 2018 - Two Indigenous forestry projects in New Brunswick have received $295,000 in funding from the federal government.

Dec. 5, 2018 - A new and spatially accurate forecast of the available waste biomass from agricultural activity in Europe has been made, with the results soon to be published. This data, gathered as part of the Rehap project, can be used by the second-generation bioconversion industry to drive Europe towards a post-petroleum age where materials and fuels are made from renewable resources.

Nov. 26, 2018 - Today, SBP chief executive officer, Carsten Huljus, named the members of the SBP Standards Committee who will take up their positions in January 2019.

Jan. 4, 2019 - Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory have created a recipe for a renewable 3D printing feedstock that could spur a profitable new use for an intractable biorefinery byproduct: lignin.

Jan. 2, 2019 - In the pursuit of mitigating climate change, one B.C. company has developed a method to make bioplastics from wood. But rather than another bio-alternative for plastic straws and containers, Advanced BioCarbon 3D Ltd (ABC3D) is creating a wood-based engineered grade high performance plastic.

Dec. 20, 2018 - Cutting edge waste transformation company Anergy has completed its first Canadian High Temperature Pyrolysis (HTP) plant, carried out in collaboration with Toronto-based CHAR Technologies Ltd and supported by the Canadian government.

Dec. 18, 2018 - Portuguese bioenergy start-up Futerra Torrefaçao e Tecnologia S.A. (Futerra Fuels) has started the construction of their first commercial scale torrefied pellet production plant in Valongo, Portugal. The plant will have an annual production capacity of 120,000 tons of torrefied pellets and 55,000 tons of regular industrial wood pellets per year.

Dec. 11, 2018 - Fortress Advanced Bioproducts (FortressAB) has entered a collaboration with Mondelēz International, one of the world's largest snacking companies, that will grant FortressAB an exclusive license to use Mondolēz's sugar-based bioproduct manufacturing technology on byproducts from Fortress's dissolving pulp mill.

Dec. 24, 2018 - Sustainability has never been higher on the agenda for food and drink companies than it is now. Not only does operating in an ethical and environmentally responsible way make sense for both planet and pocket, but it’s clear that this is what consumers want, too. Research from Globescan revealed that 92 per cent of consumers think that food companies should focus their efforts on securing the future sustainability of food, with many also believing that farmers should be paid more for their produce. So, what more could U.S. food producers be doing to increase their sustainability credentials?

Dec. 18, 2018 - Researchers in Malaysia are investigating ways to improve biodiesel production by using electrical fields to break open microalgae cells, with varied results, according to a new study in the Pertanika Journal of Science & Technology.

Dec. 17, 2018 - Fulcrum BioEnergy has selected Gary, Indiana, for the location of its Centerpoint BioFuels Plant, which will convert municipal solid waste into low-carbon, renewable transportation fuel.

Dec. 17, 2018 - A new report on the global market potential of biogas will be launched by the World Biogas Association (WBA) at the inaugural World Biogas Summit 2019 in July.

Dec. 14, 2018 – Xebec Adsorption Inc., a global provider of clean energy solutions, is pleased to announce that it entered into an arm’s length transactional agreement on Dec. 6, 2018 to acquire all of the outstanding shares of Compressed Air International Inc. (CAI) for a purchase price of CAD$2,200,000, subject to customary closing adjustments, effective Jan. 1, 2019. CAI’s principals will remain with CAI after the acquisition to optimize CAI’s integration in Xebec’s industrial compressed air treatment business.

Jan. 10, 2019 - The new YMX 5000 Detector series from Flamex represents a unique and technologically advanced generation of infrared spark and flame sensors for industrial applications. An industry exclusive self-monitoring optics feature provides “through the lens” testing for each detector in real time to immediately alert the user of a reduction of detector capability caused by damage or lens contamination.

Jan. 7, 2019 - A global innovator in dust and odour control technology has updated its family of self-powered dust suppression equipment with Tier IV Final-compliant generators. BossTek made the announcement with the debut of the new DustBoss DB-60 Fusion, a field-proven suppression system driven by a high-reliability 25 HP electric motor and paired with a gen set powered by a heavy-duty four-cycle indirect injection diesel engine. Designed, engineered and assembled in the U.S., the generator features a dual-containment fuel cell, heavy gauge lockable enclosure and oversized brushless alternator for easy starting.

Jan. 4, 2019 - Morbark, LLC, announced that it completed the acquisition of Denis Cimaf, Inc., based in Roxton Falls, Que.. This transaction represents the company’s second acquisition since private equity firm Stellex Capital Management LP acquired Morbark in 2016. The acquisition of Rayco Manufacturing in October 2017, brought a lineup of innovative equipment into the Morbark family across multiple product categories. In particular, Rayco stump cutters, aerial trimmers, forestry mulchers and crawler trucks. The purchase of Denis Cimaf is another step in the company’s strategic focus on broadening the range of tree care and industrial equipment, aftermarket parts, and service offered to their customers.

Dec. 19, 2018 -Dec. 12, 2018 – Bandit Industries finalized its transition to a 100 per cent ESOP (employee stock ownership plan) company on Nov. 1.

Dec. 10, 2018 - Morbark, LLC, debuted its all-new line of Eeger Beever brush chippers, as well as the Rayco C120R Forestry Mulcher and AT75 Aerial Trimmer, at the TCI Expo in Charlotte, N.C., last month. The new equipment was designed with customers’ feedback in mind and is “Made for More” to keep pace with tree care crews’ needs.

Dec. 13, 2018 – Biomass Magazine announced this week the agenda for the 12th Annual International Biomass Conference & Expo taking place March 18-20, 2019 at the Savannah International Trade & Convention Center in Savannah, Ga. The three-day agenda will be divided into four tracks covering pellets & densified biomass, biomass power & thermal, biogas & waste-to-energy, and advanced biofuels & biobased chemicals, as well as a pre-conference event titled, the Biomass Preparation, Handling and Storage Workshop. The pre-conference event is a full-day session taking place Monday, March 18, prior to the evening opening reception in the expo hall and will detail the latest advancements in material handling. More information can be found here.

Nov. 9, 2018 - The Canadian Biogas Association is excited to announce that the agenda and tours are now confirmed for Value of Biogas West taking place in Vancouver Jan. 15-16.

Nov. 6, 2018 - Over the past 10 years the development of biomass heating projects has increased significantly. The Northeast United States led the way, motivated by replacing fossil fuels with biomass in public buildings. Biomass Resource Energy Center (BERC) has been at the forefront of promoting the push towards biomass heating.

Oct. 30, 2018 - More than 70 international and Canadian bioeconomy industry leaders and policy makers will head to Ottawa November 5–7 for Scaling Up 2018: Competing in the Global Bioeconomy Market. Scaling Up is the largest industrial bioeconomy conference of its kind in Canada dedicated to advancing the commercialization of bio-based solutions to meet the growing need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Oct. 2, 2018 - Gianni Kovacevic will be the keynote speaker for the third annual Biomass North Forum. Kovacevic is an internationally known investor and strategist who specializes in decoding complicated current events. He is a published author who draws from over 20,000 hours of research, and is a sought-after commentator related to wide ranging themes – from the divestment pivot in modern energy, to the rise of a new spending class in emerging markets.