Energy is the double-edged sword at the root of the climate crisis. Cheap energy has improved lives and underpinned massive economic growth. But because most of it comes from burning hydrocarbon fuels, we’re now left with a legacy of high atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) and an emissions-intensive economy. But what if we could flip the energy-emissions relationship on its head? …

Forest-based biofuels are occupying an increasingly important role in energy supply. Conversions of large sale industrial heat plants to renewables, including biomass is ensuring that local forest owners and wood harvesting operations are starting to sit up and really take notice. The market and demand are already there. It’s increasing and the economics are starting to stack up. Aggregating bio-fuel …

Forest-based biofuels are occupying an increasingly important role in energy supply. Conversions of large sale industrial heat plants to renewables, including biomass is ensuring that local forest owners and wood harvesting operations are starting to sit up and really take notice. The market and demand are already there. It’s increasing and the economics are starting to stack up.   Aggregating bio-fuel …

With the increased interest in bioenergy and biofuels for replacing fossil fuels a focus of sector activities is now on showing potential users where the biomass fuel they need could come from. There is no doubt that there can be adequate biomass to meet demand. However, we have to undertake some work to ensure that the right type of biomass, …

Thanks to a NZ$10-million dollar investment, all remaining coal boilers in New Zealand schools will be replaced with renewable woody biomass or electric heating sources by 2025 reducing carbon emissions by around 35,400 tonnes over 10 years, Climate Change Minister James Shaw announced. The move is part of the latest allocation from the Government’s NZ$220 million State Sector Decarbonisation Fund …

The Maryvale Energy from Waste (EfW) project has received an AU$48.2 million grant through the Australian Government’s Modern Manufacturing Initiative (MMI). The Hon Darren Chester MP, Member for Gippsland confirmed the grant at Opal Australian Paper’s Maryvale Mill, where the EfW facility will be co-located. The Maryvale EfW facility will reduce the site’s reliance on gas and electricity and assist …

Metsä Fibre, part of Metsä Group, and Veolia recently signed a long-term partnership agreement on the refining of crude methanol generated in pulp production at the Äänekoski bioproduct mill into commercial biomethanol. As part of this cooperation, Veolia will build a crude methanol refinery in connection with Metsä Fibre’s Äänekoski bioproduct mill. The refinery, owned and operated by Veolia, will …

A new study has explained how fuel can be produced from renewable sources such as waste wood and straw. The findings of the research were published in the journal ‘Frontiers in Energy Research’ in collaboration with the researchers at Straubing Campus for Biotechnology and Sustainability of the Technical in Munich (TUM) and Lappeenranta-Lahti University of Technology (LUT) in Finland. The study …

Ravensdown has announced that it has achieved NZ Government co-funding to accompany the co-operative’s investment to install a biomass combustor at its Dipton lime quarry. Locally supplied wood fuel will replace coal in the lime-drying process – an important part of preparing the naturally occurring soil conditioner for use by Southland farmers and growers. The co-operative’s commitment is being matched …

BIOCARBON, a manufacturer based in Sydney, has found a viable solution to decarbonise the steel industry via its manufacture of a 100 per cent renewable carbon material that can directly replace fossil carbon in Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) steelmaking. BIOCARBON’s new sustainable carbon neutral product will enable steelmakers to decrease their carbon footprint without incurring large capital costs for modifying …

A partnership between Pioneer Energy and Niagara Sawmilling Company Ltd in the lower South Island of New Zealand has been formed to meet the demands of the biomass market to supply high quality product to the end users, with both organisations bringing together their respective wood fuel supply businesses. Niagara’s wealth of experience in forestry, procurement, processing and transport coupled …

The New Zealand Government’s biofuel mandate will require Marsden Point’s big oil tanks and Auckland pipeline – and that means it will be more efficient to go straight to high-tech second-generation biofuels. New Zealand’s only refinery stopped processing crude oil – and now its owner Channel Infrastructure confirms it won’t run first-generation biofuels like ethanol and biodiesel down its pipe …

A prototype tractor which can run on solid biofuel is being developed for the primary industries by AgLoco®, a start-up company based in Christchurch, New Zealand.AgLoco® is developing advanced steam engines which burn dry woodchip to replace diesel tractors on farms and diesel trucks for hauling heavy loads.The company is currently building its first fully functional 150hp tractor, having already …

A report released this week by the Sustainable Aviation Fuels Alliance of Australia and New Zealand (SAFAANZ) titled Bridging the price gap for Sustainable Aviation Fuel, has identified, amongst a number of other recommendations, the creation of a Jet Council as an immediate priority action for Government to accelerate the significant opportunity presented by the development of a domestic Sustainable …

Sieving of chipped forest fuels has recently been suggested as a way to reduce dry matter losses during storage. Sieving provides a more homogeneous acceptable material with better storage properties, which reduces the risk of energy and dry matter losses and spontaneous ignition. Screened chips can be priced higher due to better quality, and both acceptable and reject fractions are …

A sustainable materials company plans to spend at least US$750 million to build a biomass manufacturing facility in Louisiana that will turn wood residue into a chemical used in plastic. Origin Materials, headquartered in West Sacramento, California, said the project is expected to create 200 new jobs. The plant will use sustainable wood residue to produce plant-based polyethylene terephthalate, or …

Genesis Energy believes converting part of the Huntly power station to run on biofuel could be economic, but it will need a source of the specialist wood fuel needed to be created in New Zealand, which the government could assist in setting up. Genesis chief executive Marc England said preliminary work showed converting two of the Rankine units at the …

Biofuels can reduce transport emissions and may reduce costs in the heavy vehicle industry reports Foresion in their latest study into Supply Chains for Future Road Transport Fuels in Australia. In some Australian states, electric vehicles still produce only slightly less carbon emissions than a regular gasoline powered vehicle because of coal-fired electricity grids. Increasing the biofuel content in regular …

South East Pine Sales in South Australia, has installed a new biomass boiler at its Wandilo facility, which will generate steam for their timber drying kilns and increase the efficiency of drying timber. SE Pine Sales received an AU$88,000 grant issued by PIRSA towards the project, as part of the AU$12m State Government’s Regional Growth Fund. The boiler will speed …

Norske Skog has entered into an agreement with Talley’s Group, a New Zealand based dairy, fishing, produce and food company, to sell the Nature’s Flame pellets company for NZD 47.8 million. The transaction is expected to close during the first quarter of 2022. “Nature’s Flame is a company producing high quality and sustainable energy pellets from wood residues, and thus …

In the global race to curb climate change and reduce carbon emissions, hydrogen is considered a serious contender to replace fossil fuels. Although hydrogen ‘burns’ cleanly, with only water as a by-product, the current way of making hydrogen a reliable fuel alternative is energy- and carbon-intensive. Whether water is split with electricity or hydrogen is released from fossil fuels or …

Located near Bakersfield, Calif., the facility aims to remove carbon from the air by diverting wood waste from open-air burn and landfills and converting it into carbon-negative hydrogen for transportation Climatetech innovator Mote has announced it is establishing its first facility to convert wood waste into hydrogen fuel while capturing, utilizing, and sequestering carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions resulting from its …

The NZ Government will introduce a Sustainable Biofuels Mandate to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the transport sector, Energy and Resources Minister Megan Woods announced on Wednesday. “Biofuels offer a practical, low-emissions solution to reduce New Zealand’s transport sector emissions and will be scaled up over time resulting in greater emissions reductions from transport fuels,” Megan Woods said. From …

Sweetman Renewables expansion plans are well underway as its significance in the green energy sector grows through lucrative contracts and assets. Emerging renewables player Sweetman Renewables will expand its three business divisions after closing multiple deals, putting the company on centre stage of the green energy revolution. After a successful pre-IPO raising prior to its planned ASX listing, the New …

Forest-based biofuels are occupying an increasingly important role in New Zealand’s energy supply. Conversions of large sale industrial heat plants to renewables, including biomass is ensuring that local forest owners and wood harvesting operations are starting to sit up and take notice. The market and demand are already there, it’s increasing and the economics are really starting to stack up. …

The increasing interest in using biomass instead of fossil fuels has finally woken up the New Zealand forestry and agricultural sectors says the Bioenergy Association in its recent newsletter. Brian Cox, executive officer of the associations says “the opportunities for additional revenue from residuals as a fuel for stationary heat, as a feedstock for producing renewable gases, and as a …

Biomass storage is an essential part of the bioenergy supply chain. Without it, there would not be a way to maintain a continuous supply of feedstock for bioenergy systems. During storage, however, natural biological, chemical and physical processes occur, resulting in: dry-matter loss, off-gassing and self-heating. The Canadian Wood Fibre Centre and collaborators have focused on finding solutions to mitigate …

Biomass is the clear favourite for industrial process heat users in the South Island of New Zealand looking to decarbonise their operations, according to the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority. Initial EECA data indicates that 90 per cent of high-temperature boiler operators in Canterbury and Southland prefer biomass to electrification because of cost considerations. Electrode boilers have much higher capital …

Arbios Biotech, a joint venture of Canadian Forest Products Ltd. and Licella Holdings Ltd, has announced their decision to proceed with the development of a pioneering biomass to low carbon biofuel plant in Prince George, British Columbia. The plant will use innovative, first-of-a-kind technology to convert sawmill residues, primarily bark, into high value renewable biocrude which can be further processed …

For New Zealand and Australia, it’s now been over eight years since the Forest Industry Engineering Association has run a wood residues programme aimed specifically at the forest products industry. Residues to Revenues 2022 will run in Rotorua, New Zealand on 9-10 March 2022. It will also be available to companies from outside the country through live or virtual streaming of …

Over half of New Zealand’s process heat demand is met by burning fossil fuels such as coal or natural gas, and in 2016 burning fossil fuels to supply process heat emitted 8.3 million tonnes of CO2e or about 28% of New Zealand’s overall energy emissions.Some of these emissions can be reduced by redesigning the underlying processes, but decarbonising the remaining …

Fonterra says it has reduced its greehouse gas emissions from coal by 11 per cent in a year, primarily due to the conversation of its Te Awamutu site to using renewable wood pellets. The reduction was reported as part of its yearly sustainability scorecard, which shows progress towards environmental and human resources targets. The 11 per cent reduction in emissions …

With the increased interest in transitioning heat boilers from using fossil fuels to wood fuel the Bioenergy Association of NZ has been receiving a significant increase in enquiries. To help answer questions about technology, fuel availability and consenting, the Association has expanded the Wood Energy Knowledge Centre which is hosted on the UsewoodfuelNZ portal www.usewoodfuel.org.nz. This website is a portal …

Emerging renewables energy business, Sweetman Renewables Limited, has inked a lucrative, multi-million dollar joint venture agreement with CAC-H2 Private Limited of Singapore to establish a hydrogen production centre of excellence in Hunter Valley, New South Wales, Australia. The AUS$15 million deal aims to establish Australia’s first wood fed hydrogen production plant, and the country’s largest green bio-hydrogen production eco-hub. CAC-H2 …

Mountains of wood waste could be broken down into hydrogen and carbon dioxide gas to reduce fossil fuel consumption, University of Canterbury researchers say. Chemical engineers Shusheng Pang and Alex Yip are developing a novel way to make climate-friendly hydrogen, which is being touted as a replacement for natural gas. Today, green hydrogen is made using electricity, though about 20 …

Attempts are being made to shift the focus of energy production globally more and more towards renewable energy sources. In Finland, the use of renewable energy increased by 1 % in 2019 compared to 2018, and it covered 38 % of total energy consumption. The use of wood fuels continued to grow and their use in 2019 reached a record …

Nelson-based company biomass fuel company Azwood Energy is building a production facility near Milton to service a burgeoning biomass fuel industry. Azwood Energy general manager Brook Brewerton confirmed that one of its clients will be Danone Nutricia New Zealand, near Clydevale, which is building a biomass boiler. Progress on the new plant was fairly advanced, he said. A Danone spokesman …

Discussions are going on about the EU-Commission’s new forest strategy. In the discussions, sawn timber is pointed out as a winner and bioenergy from the forest as a looser. Europe – the largest market for wood pellets The European market accounts for 75 % of the World’s consumption of wood pellets. WRI predicts a strong growth of this market, at …

A major political and environmental dispute has been heating up as the forestry industry and governments promote forest biomass — cutting trees, turning them into wood pellets, and burning them to make electricity. They claim the science shows biomass to be sustainable, with the energy produced resulting in zero emissions. Forest advocates and many researchers sit squarely on the other …

The issue of carbon neutrality for wood-based bioenergy just won’t go away. In recent months, Politico, The New York Times, and CNN all have run high-level stories that take the Europeans to task for using wood pellets from the U.S. South because of concerns that wood-based biomass is not carbon neutral. The problem with all these stories is creating biomass …

The Helsinki-based forest industry company Stora Enso doubled its business result in April-June compared to the same period last year, said the company in a recent press release. The operational earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) of Stora Enso in the second quarter (Q2) was 364 million euros (429.5 million U.S. dollars), compared with 178 million euros in the same …

As Minister for Energy and Resources Hon Dr Megan Woods officially opened Fonterra’s wood pellet boiler at its Te Awamutu plant, the Co-operative announced details for its next site to exit coal – Stirling cheese plant in Otago. Otago’s ‘fantastic little cheese plant’, will be coal free and using wood biomass to fire the site by August next year. This …

UK-headed Velocys plc, a developer of advanced biofuels gas-to-liquids (GTL) technology has announced that sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) produced from woody biomass residue feedstock using the company’s proprietary technology has been used in a commercial flight by Japan Airlines Co Ltd (JAL). The flight, JL 515 from Tokyo to Sapporo, was completed on June 17, 2021, and is the first …

CEAC warns that use of trucks with biodiesel will cause far more damage to environment than using electric trucks, overseas studies have found that production of biofuels for use in diesel truck engines will speed up the climate change, not slow it down as is depicted here from University of Waikato Troy Baisden, Professor (Environmental Sciences), University of Waikato. Growing, …

Residues to Revenues 2022 is a two day conference and exhibitions planned for NZ forest owners, sawmills and wood manufacturing operations who are looking at ways to better understanding the emerging bio-energy markets. It will enable the industry to better understand the real value of energy tied up in wood fibre – or residues – and the opportunities open to …

Mark 9-10 March 2022 in your calendar. Residues to Revenues 2022 is returning due to an opportunity the New Zealand industry cannot miss. The growing demand for alternatives to fossil fuels has the potential to transform the forestry sector into a provider of biofuels, bioenergy and a range of renewable bioproducts alongside more traditional wood products. Pressure is being bought …