Swedish power utility Vattenfall plans to convert its power plant facilities in Denmark to use large quantities of biomass fuel instead of coal.
Project MaxBio will replace up to 724,000 tonnes of coal a year, beginning in 2018. As a result, it will prevent at least 1.5 million tonnes of carbon dioxide from being released into the atmosphere.
According to the company, in the Nordic region alone it will invest more than 60 billion Danish crowns (€8 billion) until the year 2016 in order to achieve this goal. The new MaxBio plan comprises investments in excess of 5 billion Danish crowns.
Singapore-based Allgreen Energy India plans to spend Rs 500 crore (€79.4 million) to construct 10 biomass projects in India.The company eyes operations of the plants for 2011/2. Each plant will have a production capacity of 6.5 MW.
Allgreen plans to start work on biomass projects in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Madhya Pradesh by March, with production expected to begin within a year.
Allgreen's plants are expected to use biomass gasification technology developed by the Indian Institute of Science.
Thailand-based palm oil crushing company Vichitbhan Group is investing almost THB2 billion (€44.3 million) to set up biogas and biomass energy businesses.Vichitbhan Group runs separate palm oil crushing mills under its Vichitbhan Palm Oil and Vichitbhan Plantation companies.Krisada Chavananand, MD of Vichitbhan Palm Oil, says the investment is part of a five-year business plan focusing on the palm oil and energy businesses, ending in 2011.Of the total investment, Bt460 million will be spent on renovation and expansion of facilities at Vichitbhan Palm Oil, which will install modern crushing processing lines. It will invest Bt300 million to set up the biogas power plant and another Bt1 billion in the biomass plant.Another Bt160 million will be spent to set up a biogas power plant at Vichitbhan Plantation’s manufacturing base. The plantation was established in 2005, as the group’s second crushing mill, with an investment of Bt500 million.
US-based Liberty Green Renewables Indiana plans to build a 28 megawatt biomass-to-electricity plant on 110 acres northwest of Milltown, Indiana.The Crawford County plant will cost $80-90 million (€57-64.5 million).Funding for the project is expected to come through equity investments, bank financing, local tax abatement and federal New Markets Tax Credits, which the company plans to seek. The company also expects to qualify for federal Renewable Energy Credits and production tax credits.
Forest Research is establishing a ‘one stop shop’ able to provide advice and guidance - signposting to other specialised sources of advice as necessary - on a wide range of biomass fuels and conversion technologies. This initiative has been undertaken in support of Government’s response to recommendations made by the Biomass Task Force.The initial focus will be on woodfuel and some energy crops, drawing on results and knowledge accumulated over many years by staff linked to our own Woodfuel Research Centre. Over the coming months we will develop links with experts in other sectors of the bio-energy industry, including waste management, and establish an information service dedicated to biomass derived heat and energy technologies and supply chains. Information will be provided via the above website and helpline.