Tag Archives: alternative
Japan And China Imported 83% Of Traded Hardwood
North American wood pellet exports reached a new record of over one million tons in first month of this year. There has been a steady growth in shipments from both the US and Canada the past few years, mainly as a result of the continued increase in demand for pellets in the United Kingdom by S. C. Pellet exports from the two primary pellet-producing regions on the North American continent – the US South and British Columbia – showed no signs of slowing in early 2013, with the rate of growth likely to accelerate in the second half of the year. In the US South, pellet export volumes to Europe resumed their double-digit growth after a brief pause in the 4Q/12. Export volumes, based on information from industry sources as well as trade data in Europe and North America, showed exports in excess of 1.7 million tons in 2012, as reported in the North American Wood Fiber Review (www.woodprices.com). Canadian exports also rose in 2012 to 1.5 million tons, but this increase was less than that seen in the US. During the 1Q/13, total pellet exports from North America reached a new record of over one million tons for the quarter. This can be compared to the annual shipments of 750,000 tons just four years ago. The United Kingdom continues to strengthen its claim as the primary destination for North American pellets with over two-thirds of the export volume from the US and Canada going to the UK in the 1Q/13. The story of Drax’s plans for its large power plant conversion from coal to biomass in Selby, England, continues to make news across North America. Earlier in the spring, Drax Biomass International Inc (DBi), a US-based subsidiary to Drax Power, announced that it will develop, construct and manage two pellet plants, a port storage and a loading facility in the US South, which will be sending pellets to fuel the company’s UK facility. Also, in Eastern Canada, pellet producer Rentech announced an off-take agreement with Drax Biomass, which will result in new investment in ports to increase pellet-loading capacity, and in rail transportation, along with the construction and operation of two pellet facilities themselves. The increase in pellet production in Western Canada has pushed sawdust prices upward the past few years, with 2013 prices being about 15 % higher than they were in 2010, as reported in the NAWFR. In the US South, where smaller logs from thinnings and treetops are commonly used for pellet manufacturing, there has not yet been any region-wide upward price pressure as a result of the new wood-consuming sector in the region. by S. C. 02 September 2013 Teatro Naturale International n. 9 Year 5 Continue reading
Better Biofuels Coming Along, But Slowly
Advanced biofuels aren’t where U.S. lawmakers expected them to be, but that failure is in the rear-view mirror. The question now is about the road ahead, and the pro-renewables group E2 is forecasting steady growth – but whether that growth will come fast enough to meet the growing requirements of the U.S. renewable fuel standard seems doubtful. Ineos Florida plant during construction (image via Ineos Bio) That would mean the regulators at the Environmental Protection Agency would be called on to “modify the program and adjust to market realities” – and that’s a familiar story. Not that there haven’t been some signs of life from the industry. In March, Bloomberg New Energy Finance reported that the cost of enzymes, pretreatment and fermentation for cellulosic ethanol had fallen “significantly,” putting the fuel “on course to be cost-competitive with corn-based ethanol by 2016.” Continue reading
Meeting Booming Asian Pellet Demand: How Competitive Are Regional Play
CMT’s Biomass Pellets Trade & Power summit, put together with support from Premium Sponsor Pellet Association Malaysia (PAM) and Agensi Inovasi Malaysia (AIM), in Seoul, on the 09-12 September, will set the stage for deep analysis of the ground realities in pellet trade patterns, feedstocks uncertainties, sourcing strategy, sustainability initiatives and pricing dynamics in the North East Asian biomass value chain. Asian biomass markets are witnessing profound shifts in trade and feedstocks sourcing with South Korea and Japan setting the pace for China, Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia. The Korean RPS (Renewable Portfolio Standard) and the Japanese feed-in tariffs (FiTs) for biomass have been important enablers of biomass trade in the region. Despite the potential, the Asian biomass market still face an uncertain future due to diverse challenges in cultivation, sub optimal pellet capacities, price volatilities, and cross border trade shifts. Korean and Japan’s demand for bioenergy depends on competitive sourcing of pellets from global sources. Moving forward, global and regional Asian pellet suppliers will have to invent novel supply models to remain competitive. Among the panelists are Chang Joo Ok, President & CEO of Korea East-West Power Co., delivering the keynote address and Timothy Ong, interim Chairman of Pellet Association Malaysia (PAM) speaking on the new initiatives in Malaysian biomass trade. Addressing Biomass pellet trade and development of wood pellets market trends is Prof. Gyu-Seong Han from Chungbuk National University (Forest Product Marketing Center), while global trade dynamics end is covered by Nick Tsirigotis of EDF Trading. Sharing DONG Energy’s experiences in conversion of coal to wood pellets fired power plant is Jens Price Wolf and elaborating on sustainable supply strategies will be Matt Bovelander of Indufor Asia Pacific Ltd. An inside perspective on going biomass-based power generation projects from South Korea’s top power utilities, Korea Southern Power (KOSPO), Korea East-West Power (EWP), Korea South-East Power (KOSEP), Korea Western Power (KOWEPO) and Korea Midland Power (KOMIPO) allows for a rare opportunity to assess the emerging scenario. The modalities of intra-regional alliance models will be explored by JP Jaepil Song, Eco-Frontier while Philippines project status update will be provided by Michael Paik, EnerOne, Inc. Bas Melssen from Agensi Inovasi Malaysia will present an overview of Malaysia’s National Biomass Strategy 2020, International biomass pellet trade shifts will be addressed by Todd G. Bush, Green Circle Bio Energy Inc., and the Russian wood pellet market by Dr. Olga Rakitova, The National Bioenergy Union, Russia. For more information and registration contact Ms Hafizah hafizah@cmtsp.com.sg at +65 63469218 & for more details. http://www.cmtevents.com Continue reading
