Next oil boom: biofuels?

Researchers from the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) in Australia strongly believe that oil in the leaves and stems of plants as well as the seeds may become a game changer in the global production of renewable oils.

Biomass instead of natural gas for heating in the Netherlands

 A biomass heating facility was recently constructed to replace natural gas-fired heating In Pumerend, a city of 80,000 residents in the Netherlands.The Dutch National Forest Service supplies the 10-inch wood chips used as feedstock under a 25-year deal. The plant is powered by 4 boilers each with 11-megawatts of capacity. Residents pay for their heat at a price level that is similar to the natural gas “reference price”. The plant’s state-of-the-art design cuts CO2 emissions by 50,000 tons compared to natural gas.  Read more at theenergycollective.com

Toward Carbon-Negative Power Plants With Biomass Co-firing and CCS

The goal of CO₂ emissions reductions and renewable energy incentives have led some power plant operators to broaden their fuel palette to include various carbon-neutral biomass fuels. Biomass can be carbon neutral because it binds carbon from the atmosphere that is then released when it is burned, minimizing net emissions. Carbon capture and storage (CCS), another potential option to cut CO₂ emissions from the power sector, is currently under extensive research, development, and demonstration globally. CCS is advancing toward commercialization, but there are still hurdles, mostly nontechnical, that are impeding its widespread deployment. Read more >>>
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