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Biogas didn’t take any leave during the holidays!
Here’s an overview of key biogas news.
GOVERNMENT POLICIES & LAW
Clean Fuel Standard Regulatory Design Paper Publication
Environment and Climate Change Canada released the Regulatory Design Paper on the Clean Fuel Standard on December 20, 2018. The Clean Fuel Standard will reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the fuels we use. This document presents key elements of the design of the Clean Fuel Standard regulations. There will be separate requirements for liquid, gaseous and solid fossil fuels. The focus of this document is on the liquid stream regulations, which will be published first. Some information is also provided on the other streams, which will follow soon.
Read more on Government of Canada’s Website
BNDES to provide R$ 163 million for projects that reduce GHG gas emissions
The Brazilian Development Bank (BNDES) will inject R$ 163 million (≈ US$43.8 million) for new financing within the scope of the Climate Fund programme. These funds are included in the R$ 228 million (≈US$61.3 million) announced in late September and were enabled after the edition of Provisional Measure 851/2018, which incorporated the income of the equity Fund. According to a statement, the funds of the Climate Fund can be used to support the implementation of projects, the acquisition of machinery and equipment and the technological development that is related to the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and to the adaptation to climate change and its effects. The programme is divided into ten sub-programmes: native forests; renewable energies; efficient machinery and equipment; urban mobility; sustainable cities and climate change; solid waste; charcoal; carbon management services; and innovative projects.
Read more on Bioenergy International
Arizona Corporation Commission action supports bioenergy
The Arizona Corporation Commission has announced a new effort to expand bioenergy production within the state. On Dec. 19, the group announced its commissioners recently voted to adopt a policy statement addressing the role of forest bioenergy in Arizona and the use of biogas and biomass as a renewable energy source. A press release issued by the commission explains that a docket was opened in May 2017 to explore the use of wood biomass generated from public lands to create energy from the grid. Through the policy statement adopted in December, the Arizona Corporation Commission said it has given a directive to examine developing 60 MW or more biomass energy. “The affected utilities, as defined by REST rules, would be required to acquire their appropriate share of the 60 MW total as determined by a one-source.
CITIES AND MUNICIPALITIES
SoCalGas Receives Funding from AQMD for Projects to Reduce Emissions in Residential and Commercial Buildings
Southern California Gas Co. (SoCalGas) today announced the utility was awarded $1.7 million in funding from the South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD) for two projects to reduce emissions in residential and commercial buildings. The funding will support a commercial water heating incentive program that provides rebates to distributors selling ultra-low emission water heaters. The award will also be used to build a 1.5 kilowatt fuel cell in a new, mixed fuel, zero-net-energy home that will demonstrate how renewable energy and natural gas can work together to reduce emissions at the lowest cost for the homeowner. The money is part of a $61 million funding pool for projects that will reduce stationary and mobile source emissions in the Los Angeles Basin.
More than $46M approved for clean water and Chesapeake Bay
The Maryland Board of Public Works has approved more than $46 million in funding to reduce pollution and save energy. “This is a great start to the new year with smart investments that protect public health and the environment while saving money and energy in Maryland communities,” said Maryland Environment Secretary Ben Grumbles. “The Piscataway sewage treatment plant bio-energy project is a big step in greening the economy, cleaning the Chesapeake Bay watershed, and combating climate change.” The Piscataway Wastewater Treatment Plant Bio-Energy project in Prince George’s County received total funding of $46,959,973, including a $43,959,973 Water Quality State Revolving Loan Fund loan and a $3 million Energy-Water Infrastructure Program grant.
COMPANIES & ORGANIZATIONS
QED forms strategic partnership with Siegrist
Environmental monitoring and remediation equipment manufacturer QED Environmental Systems entered into a strategic partnership with Siegrist GmbH. A long-established company from Karlsruhe, Germany, Siegrist has been providing advanced gas measuring technology and environmental engineering to a global market place for more than 30 years. The company has been designing and distributing measuring devices for toxic gases, radioactive, explosive and hazardous materials, for work place monitoring, process analytics and civil protection under the motto ‘Sign of Safety’. Through the years, Siegrist has gained considerable reputation for its high-tech environmental monitoring and measuring technologies and solutions. Its expertise in the design and distribution of products within the areas of anaerobic digestion, landfill and biogas in particular, will facilitate QED’s long-term vision of serving a global market place.
This french-fry plant is fuelled by potato scraps
Cavendish Farms says switching to biogas has allowed it to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 60 per cent. What goes around comes around at Cavendish Farms in New Annan, P.E.I. — potato scraps from the french-fry plant are used at the nearby biogas facility to fuel the fry factory they came from. According to the company, generating biogas allowed it to reduce its dependency on fuel oil by 30 per cent, reducing greenhouse gases by about 35,000 tonnes — the equivalent of taking 7,300 cars off the road for one year. “We were burning about 10 million litres per year of Bunker C fuel oil,” said Darren Cash, manager of safety and environmental operations. The company further reduced its oil consumption in 2012 in the fry plant by switching the remainder of its fuel oil to natural gas.
Finnair announces first phase partners for its biojet fuel and CO2 offset service
Air travellers are increasingly interested in reducing the carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions of their flights. Finland’s national air carrier Finnair announced last summer that as of early 2019 it will start offering its customers a new service allowing customers to offset the CO2 emissions of their flights by funding emissions reduction projects or carbon sinks, or by supporting the use of biofuels. The company has recently selected its first partners for its offset service. For sustainable biofuels, Finnair’s partner will be Netherlands-headed biojet fuel supplier SkyNRG, and for emission reduction projects, Finnair will partner with the Nordic Environment Finance Corporation (NEFCO), an international financial institution backed by the Nordic states.
Read more on Bioenergy International
RESEARCHES & STUDIES
The global waste management market size is expected to reach $484.9 billion by 2025 from $303.6 billion in 2017, growing at a CAGR of 6.0% from 2018 to 2025
Waste Management Market by Waste Type (Municipal and Industrial) and Service (Collection and Disposal): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2018 – 2025. The global waste management market size is expected to reach $484.9 billion by 2025 from $303.6 billion in 2017, growing at a CAGR of 6.0% from 2018 to 2025. Waste management is the collection, transportation, and disposable of garbage, sewage, and other waste products. It involves treatment of solid waste and disposal of products and substances in a safe and efficient manner. The growth of the global waste management market is driven by increase in adoption of proactive government measures to reduce illegal dumping. In addition, surge in population and increased globalization have led to rise in the overall waste volume, worldwide.
UK sets new quarterly record for renewable electricity generation
The U.K. government recently released updated quarterly energy statistics showing that the renewables share of electricity generation increased to a record 33.1 percent during the third quarter of 2018, up from 30 percent during the same period of 2017. Overall renewable energy capacity in the U.K. reached 43.2 gigawatts (GW) at the end of the third quarter, up 10 percent—or 3.9 GW—when compared to the same period of the previous year. period of the previous year. Electricity production from all renewables reached 25 terawatt hours (TWh) during the third quarter of 2018, up 10 percent when compared to the same period of 2017. Generation from bioenergy, including cofiring, reached 9 TWh, up 15.2 percent when compared to the third quarter of 2017 and was the highest among all renewable technologies.