Tag Archives: investments
€3.8B Plan To Boost Europe’s Bio-Based Industries
Patrick Madden Forty eight companies sign up for joint technology initiative to research and bring products made from renewable natural resources to market. This will provide new markets for farmers and reduce dependency on fossil fuels The European Commission unveiled a €3.8 billion Public Private Partnership (PPP) on bio-based industries, bringing together 48 large and small companies from across different sectors to develop and commercialise food, animal feed, chemicals and fuel products made from sustainable biomass and waste. The PPP, to be called BRIDGE – Biobased and Renewable Industries for Development and Growth in Europe – will be managed by the 48 corporate partners through the Biobased Industries Consortium (BIC), with the aim of enabling European companies to bridge the innovation gap between technology development and commercialisation of high-value bio-based products. These companies are making a significant commitment to BRIDGE, putting in €2.8 billion cash and in kind resources, with €1 billion coming from the Commission as part of the €70 billion Horizon 2020 R&D programme, which is due to get underway in January 2014. It is planned that €1.8 billion will be pumped into investments and infrastructure, whilst the rest will fund activities, deployment and research across the innovation chain. CEOs of companies taking part in BRIDGE said the €2.8 billion investment from industry highlights both the strong commitment to the PPP and the confidence it can achieve its objectives. Coming together to make this investment under the umbrella of BIC also reflects the collaboration which is at the core of BRIDGE, with the ambition of laying down the foundations of a post-petroleum society by combining strengths and resources, and building bridges between different sectors. The sectors that are involved include agriculture, biotech, forestry, pulp and paper, chemicals and energy. This requirement to work across sectors was stressed by Guy Talbourdet, CEO of Roquette Freres, a company specialising in making products based on starch extracted from plants. In order to develop new technologies, collaboration and joint development and support is absolutely vital, he told a briefing held to discuss the BRIDGE project. New biomass resources Berry Wiersum, CEO of paper merchants Sappi, echoed this view and pointed towards the potential for job creation, saying that for every job which would be created directly another three jobs would be created locally. In the face of evidence that European Union policies promoting biofuels have led food crops to be diverted to biorefineries, BRIDGE will continue research to replace petrol-based products with ones based on biomass. One aim is to develop a biorefinery able to handle different types of biomass that cannot be used as food, for example, non-food crop grasses and agricultural and forestry waste, and which can produce multiple products including biopolymers and biofuels. Beyond the potential of the bio-based industries project to create jobs in a broad range of sectors in Europe, in particular in rural areas, the Commission says it will also help the EU meet climate change targets. It will also aim to bridge the ‘valley of death’ that prevents research from Europe’s universities being translated through to commercial bio-based products. The BRIDGE project is a major milestone on the journey towards a smarter, more sustainable, more innovative EU economy, said Stephan Tanda, Director of Royal DSM and Chair of EuropaBio’s Industrial Biotechnology Council. “It underscores the commitment of both the Commission and of industry to work together with a broad community of European stakeholders, from farmers to foresters, to scientists to citizens in the development of a world leading EU bio-based economy,” Tanda said. Continue reading
New Report Analyzes Opportunities in European Biomass and Biogas Power Market
Published on July 5, 2013 at 8:19 AM Europe’s aim to produce 20 percent of its total power from renewable sources by 2020 will sustain the region’s biomass and biogas power market. Although biomass and biogas installed capacity will widen as a new wave of coal-to-biomass power plant conversions gains momentum, year-on-year revenue growth is likely to decrease. New analysis from Frost & Sullivan, Opportunities in the Biomass and Biogas Power Market in Europe, finds that the market earned revenues of euro 3.33 billion in 2012 and estimates this to reach euro 3.77 billion in 2017. “Biopower plants are increasingly preferred as a source for large-scale power generation owing to their low capital requirements,” said Frost & Sullivan Energy and Environmental Research Analyst Ashay Abbhi. “Their efficiency, longer operational times, and reliability further boost their popularity over other sources of renewable power generation.” While advances in biomass and biogas power generation will be vital to Europe achieving its ambitious 2020 target, deteriorating economic conditions in the continent have limited market expansion. Countries have cut down or even stopped subsidies for power generation from biomass and biogas, jeopardising the prospects of plant owners. The lack of steady raw material supply in the region poses another challenge. High-demand customers are willing to pay more to keep their power plants running, which triggers a rise in feedstock and equipment prices, affecting profitability. The withdrawal of government incentive schemes further dampens revenues. “Government support is necessary for technology development, especially as constant innovation will enable a reduction in capital expenditure,” observed Abbhi. “For now, the conversion of coal power plants to biomass plants will be the strongest market trend as it requires far less investment than setting up a greenfield biopower plant.” Going forward, the Western European biopower market, which is dominated by countries such as Germany and the United Kingdom, will slowly give way to opportunities in the developing Central and Eastern Europe markets. Poland is expected to be a hotspot in this region. Source: http://www.frost.com Continue reading
Europes Biggest Biomass Power Station At Tilbury To Be Closed
Swindon, Wiltshire, UK — RWE npower has taken the decision to halt work on the development of a biomass-fuelled power plant at Tilbury Power Station whilst options on project feasibility are assessed and reviewed. The current plant will close as announced under the LCPD legislation on 31 October 2013. According to The Guardian, the close will lead to the likely loss of 220 jobs, in a blow to Britain’s renewable power industry. The Tilbury B power station is said to be Europe`s largest biomass plant. Foto: RWE npowerIn 2008, the decision was made to opt-out the then coal-fired power station, on the banks of the River Thames in Essex, from the EU’s Large Combustion Plant Directive (LCPD), meaning that the plant would shut after 20,000 hours of operation or by the end of 2015. In 2010, RWE’s quest for continuous innovation in large-scale energy generation technologies allowed the decision to use these remaining hours of operation to trial Tilbury Power Station as the largest biomass power station in the world. With an electrical output of circa 750MW the station was converted to run on 100% sustainably-sourced biomass. The trial of Tilbury on biomass under existing environmental legislation has been a success both commercially and technically. During 2012, applications were made for work to bring the Tilbury site up to new plant standards and create a dedicated biomass power station that would be operational for the long-term. However, today RWE Generation SE, RWE’s umbrella company for generation and power plant investment in the UK has made the difficult decision to halt progress on this project whilst feasibility options are assessed and reviewed. Roger Miesen Chief Technical Officer RWE Generation said: ”It is with regret that we are announcing the decision to halt the Tilbury Biomass project. This decision has not been taken lightly. Tilbury remains a good site for future power generation. RWE still believes that biomass has a role to play in future power generation and will continue to progress options at strategic sites.” In 2012, RWE npower had big plans with the new plant: “The operation of Tilbury to run on sustainable biomass will also have a big impact on the UK’s ability to meet its ambitious and binding climate change targets. Over a third of our existing generating capacity is due to close by the end of this decade, and investment in renewable and low carbon technology is required to ensure the UK has a secure, low carbon and affordable energy supply for the future. We are now looking into the option of extending the life of Tilbury Power Station, to allow it to operate as a dedicated biomass power station for an additional 10-12 years.” Quelle: RWE npower Continue reading
