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BiogasWorld Weekly Vol 23
Climate-focused carbon investment fund expands to include dairy biogas project
September 21, 2017 – U.S.-based private investment fund Climate Trust Capital, an independent entity of the long-standing mission-driven nonprofit The Climate Trust, has reached agreement on its first carbon investment in the biogas sector — the West-Star North Dairy Biogas Project. Over $862,000 of Climate Trust Capital’s Fund I was invested in a covered lagoon digester that will destroy methane and produce carbon offsets under California’s cap and trade system. Fund I was launched in October 2016, seeded by a $5.5 million Program-Related Investment from the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, and supported by a Conservation Innovation Grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service.
Expert gives conditions necessary for biogas production
September 22, 2017 – Mr Micheal Kottner, an expert in biogas, says sustainable biogas production is possible if the Federal Government can have the political will to put the legal framework in place. Kottner, who is the Chief Executive Officer, International Biogas and Bioenergy Centre of Competence (IBBK), Germany, made this known on Friday in Abuja in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN). According to him, even smaller countries than Nigeria are producing biogas at sustainable level because their governments give the support needed through legal frame.
France cuts renewable energy grid connection costs
September 25, 2017 – France will cut the grid connection costs of renewable energy and biogas installations by 40 percent, the energy ministry said in a statement on Monday. It said that the state would spend about 30 million euros ($36 million) per year on the rollout of renewable energy installations. It said that 60 percent of the cost of connecting a biogas plant to the gas grid would remain with the power producer in order to maintain an incentive for optimising the location of the plants. The government support for the grid connection costs of power generation with renewable energy will be widened to small and medium size power producers. So far, only consumers and grid operators benefited from a grid connection discount.
Ontario biogas projects earn FIT contracts
September 25, 2017 – Ontario’s Independent Electricity System Operator recently announced it will offer contracts for 390 projects representing approximately 150 MW of small-scale renewable generation, including eight biogas projects. The IESO said the 390 contracts conclude the most recent procurement under the feed-in tariff (FIT) program, known as FIT 5. The selected projects include seven on-farm biogas projects, one municipal landfill gas project and 382 solar photovoltaic projects.
Gas lobby chief: ‘In 2050, 76% of gas could be renewable’
September 25, 2017 – The excess wind and solar electricity generated at times of oversupply could be used more systematically to produce synthetic gas, providing a convenient way of storing renewable energy that would otherwise be lost. The potential is huge, and can be used to heat homes during winter, argues Beate Raabe. Beate Raabe is Secretary General of Eurogas, the trade association representing the interests of the gas industry in Europe. She spoke to EURACTIV’s energy and environment editor, Frédéric Simon, ahead of Eurogas’s Annual Conference: “Renewable gas: balancing our energy” taking place on 27 October at The Hotel in Brussels.
Serious injuries after explosion at AD facility
September 25, 2017 – Two men were seriously injured following an explosion at an anaerobic digestion (AD) facility in Nottingham, UK, media reports. Police and firefighters were called to the Colwick industrial estate on 20 September, following reports of an explosion at Bio Dynamic’s biogas production facility. Two men were taken to the nearby Queen’s Medical Centre with serious injuries. According to the Nottingham Post, a statement released by the local police force said: “We received reports of a gas explosion and collapse of a tanker just before 10:15am today. The fire and ambulance services also attended. Fortunately, the Environment Agency was able to control pollution from the explosion.
Read more on Bioenergy Insight
Auction plan may slow biogas growth in France
September 26, 2017 – The Nordera company breeds cattle, trout and pigs while also practising BiogasDoneRight, in other words the production of biogas by exclusively re-using waste products to produce electricity and heat.
Read more on Interfax Energy
Low-carbon sources help UK to report its ‘greenest’ summer ever
September 26, 2017 – More than half of the UK’s electricity came from low-carbon sources this summer, according to the National Grid. The power transmission network has said that this summer was the “greenest” summer on record in the UK. Between late June and September, 52% percent of electricity generation was met by low-carbon sources, compared with about 35% four years ago. The Grid has launched software that forecasts the carbon intensity of electricity up to two days ahead. It hopes this will help people to understand and control energy use.
Read more on Bioenergy Insight
Estonian government to give state support to biomethane
September 26, 2017 – Estonian companies will be able to begin applying for state subsidies for the production of biomethane, according to ERR news. Estonia’s goal is for fuel produced from renewable sources to make up 10% of total fuel consumption by 2020, of which biomethane would account for one third. The measure aimed at boosting the use of Estonian made, environment-friendly biomethane will be financed with proceeds from the auctioning of carbon dioxide emission credits.
Read more on Bioenergy Insight
Amsterdam: biogas as backup energy for electrical systems
September 27, 2017 – How can urban waste biomass back up intermittent renewable electricity in cities? And how does biogas fit into this context? Wageningen University, in the Netherlands, has carried out a study on the city of Amsterdam which found that when there is a high potential for renewable energy (wind and solar), there is also a greater demand for backup capacity, which biogas can satisfy.