Canadian Biogas Association (CBA) provides tools and training for biogas project developers

The Canadian Biogas Association recently hosted two Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) Workshops for municipalities as part of a series of targeted communications for municipal and public sector staff to learn more about this important renewable fuel. Participants of the first workshop have learn about RNG technologies, tools for measuring GHG emission reductions, such as GHGenius, and a number of RNG projects that have been implemented by municipalities across Canada.

Has fracking really reduced greenhouse gases in U.S.?

A publication in NEWSMAXFINANCE states that hydraulic fracturing for shale oil and gas drilling (fracking) is the primary reason of  recent reduction in GHG emissions in the U.S. The author argues that fracking produces massive amounts of natural gas, and, as a consequence, natural gas prices have fallen in the past decade from above $8 per million BTUs to about $2 this year, what led America to use more natural gas instead of significantly much more carbon intensive coal. However this statement contradicts with results of an international scientific studies,

Despite controversies and protests Woodfibre LNG project got Canadian federal approval

Last October the  project was granted an environmental assessment certificate by the B.C. government along with 25 conditions meant to mitigate the negative impacts construction and operation of the plant will have on  marine life and water quality.The Squamish mayor and residents of the coastal town, near which plant is supposed to be built, have repeatedly voiced their concerns and opposition to the project.

After spending $7 billion Shell quit drilling in the Arctic

Royal Dutch Shell announced it will indefinitely suspend its Arctic drilling off the Alaska coast after finding insufficient oil and gas in one of its exploratory wells to justify costly development.

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

Better ways of using natural gas

For maximum advantage, instead of substituting gas directly for coal in the power generation sector, we should rather use every single cubic foot of gas we possibly can to displace electricity in end uses.  Attention to this issue by policy makers can save untold gigatons of carbon emissions over the coming decades.  Read more at http://theenergycollective.com

The Global Energy Security War

In his opening address at the Atlantic Council’s Energy and Economic Summit 2014 in Istanbul (19-20 November), President and CEO Frederick Kempe immediately made it clear the Atlantic Council is playing for high stakes. “Europe is in the middle of an inflection point of its history”, he said. 2014 “is every bit as dramatic as 1815 – the year of Versailles”. Or, he added, 1989, the year of the fall of Communism. “The future of the international liberal order”, said Kempe, “is at stake”. Read more >>>
Energy Post

How Ukraine Is Changing Global Energy Flows

Increasingly isolated by the crisis, Russia is looking East for new energy markets. On September 1, 2014, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese Premier Zhang Gaoli initiated the construction of what they claim will be “the world’s largest construction project.” This 3,968 km “Power of Siberia” pipeline connecting gas fields between Russian’s Siberia and China’s Northeast region is expected deliver four trillion cubic meters of gas to China over the next thirty years. Read more ...
The Diplomat