Researchers have developed a new joint system that harvests energy from the sun and, with the addition of biomass, can provide 100 percent of the heating needed for a one-story house throughout the year. In the warmer months, the system can generate excess electricity that can be sold to the grid. It…
The International Biogas Congress & Expo is an annual trade fair and conference on biogas and renewable energy in general. Since 2007, this event has taken place every year at different locations. The event aims to bring together leading manufacturers, suppliers, regulators and other committed organizations to exchange views and experiences over…
Wood pellets are used to generate energy. But how are wood pellets made? This video explains it (English)
Governments must proactively develop policies to support and accelerate the development of a circular bioeconomy and strengthen research into this. This is stated by an international research group in a recent article in the journal Frontiers in Energy Research. The group presents a framework for a circular bioeconomy, which uses biomass not only for…
Dear PBE donors and other interested parties, June 30th is the day! Finally another 'live' business meeting of the Bio-Economy Platform at the Amercentrale in Geertruidenberg. We have put together a nice varied program for you with relevant National & International themes. See attached agenda for the full program. You can register via the following link or by…
On June 29, TKI-BBE and the Biobased Economy Lectors' Platform will jointly organize the National Biobased Conference. It promises to be a day full of inspiration with attention to the latest developments in the field of production technologies, biobased materials and applications. Of course with plenty of opportunity to work on your network! Register to participate in the National Biobased Conference…
The first edition of the new networking event in the Northern Netherlands: the R&D Playground will take place on June 9. The event will be held at the FC Groningen stadium, Euroborg. The R&D Playground is an initiative that brings professionals from companies and government institutions into contact with researchers, for example from the University of Groningen and the Biobased Economy Knowledge Center of…
RWE will take over the gas-fired power plant called 'Magnum' from Vattenfall. This gas-fired power station is located in the Eemshaven in the province of Groningen. The two companies have agreed to this. The power plant, which has been in operation since 2013, is an ultra-modern gas power plant and has a capacity of 1.4 gigawatts. The Magnum power station is close to the existing…
Yesterday, the Green Gas Platform presented its Multi-Year Program to Rob Jetten, Minister for Climate and Energy. The Green Gas Platform emerged from a merger of four trade organizations and sets out in the Multi-Year Program the actions that the sector will take to expand the production of green gas in the Netherlands. This concerns…
Trade-offs and considerations of different interests are unavoidable in order to achieve the Dutch climate goals. Rejecting several options such as CCS, biomass and nuclear energy makes climate goals unattainable. This is stated by Minister Rob Jetten for Climate and Energy in the government's appreciation of the latest reports from the UN climate panel. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) published in February…
Jessica Marcus, vice president, policy and operations, US Industrial Pellet Association, wrote an op-ed in biomassmagazine.com on the revision of EU biomass regulations. At a time when Europe needs as much affordable, sustainable and safe energy as possible, last week's vote by the European Parliament's ENVI Committee to restrict the use of…
The business community in the Central and West Brabant region is ready to make a significant contribution to making the Dutch economy more sustainable in the coming years. Plans are ready from 6 leading companies for, among other things, CO2 capture and utilization, electrification of production processes and the production of green hydrogen. Together, these projects can even lead to…
The Bioenergy Europe and European Pellet Council (EPC) report anticipates key statistics from the full 2022 report to be published in October, providing insight into the latest data on pellet production and consumption in Europe and beyond. It not only presents recent developments in pellet equipment and prices,…
The four technical universities of the Netherlands work together on various energy themes to accelerate towards a CO2-neutral society. In a series of videos, leading scientists from TU Delft, TU Eindhoven, University of Twente and Wageningen University and Research explain what technology they work with and how they collaborate on research and infrastructure to facilitate the energy transition...
Bioenergy Europe welcomes the European Commission's long-awaited REPowerEU plan to gradually reduce Russia's dependence on fossil fuels. However, they regret that the plan still lacks the necessary vision to recognize sustainable bioenergy as one of the key solutions to increase the EU's energy security.…
Enviva Inc., the world's largest producer of sustainable wood bioenergy, and MOL Drybulk Ltd. (MOLDB), a subsidiary of Mitsui OSK Lines Ltd. (MOL), a leading global maritime transport group, announced that they have signed a supplementary memorandum of understanding to deploy an environmentally friendly bulk carrier (EFBC) to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in…
The Irish Bioenergy Association (IRBEA) has created a 3-minute animation about the sustainable role of wood fuels in forest management. Wood Fuel Quality Assurance allows consumers to identify sources of quality fuelwood, wood chips, pellets and briquettes.
From July 2021, EU member states should have transposed the Renewable Energy Directive into national law, which requires biomass and bioenergy producers to demonstrate that they meet sustainability requirements. Where are we with the implementation of the REDII criteria? As of May 2022, only a limited number of the 27 Member States have fully implemented the directive,…
Large-scale wood burning for energy is an acceptable option for European Commissioner Frans Timmermans to permanently phase out Russian fossil fuels. This is evident from a leaked Brussels draft proposal with measures to turn off President Vladimir Putin's gas tap as quickly as possible. This is what De Telegraaf writes, which claims to have proof. The…
Biomass was one of the alternatives to fossil fuels. The government wants to get rid of it more quickly. New subsidy applications will no longer be processed. But we also want to get rid of fossil fuels. For the climate and for our energy independence. According to critics, this is now in danger. RTL Z News had an item about this: https://www.rtlnieuws.nl/economie/tv/video/5308175/biomassa-klimaat-veiligheid-gas-poetin
How do we strive for an energy system at the lowest costs? What does our sustainable future look like and with what policies? Whether or not nuclear energy in the Netherlands? How do we accelerate the transition away from natural gas? What can the industry do and what role does the government play? In this webinar led by TNO colleague Katharina Andres, Martin…
Open letter from 500 European bioenergy companies More than 500 companies from the bioenergy value chain have called on the European Commission in an open letter to use bioenergy as part of the energy mix to end Russia's energy dependence fossil fuels. Biomass is a ready-made solution that contributes to energy security and...
The province of Overijssel will again invest money in biomass that involves burning wood. Financing for this was suspended last year because it could not be guaranteed that only sustainably grown wood was used. But it turns out that making demands is not allowed. According to the provincial government, biomass is 'necessary' for the energy transition and to achieve the climate challenge. An…
The Netherlands desperately needs all forms of sustainable energy to reduce our dependence on (Russian) fossil energy as quickly as possible and to achieve our climate goals. This also requires sustainable biomass. Without biomass it will be a lot more difficult and expensive to achieve this. Unfortunately, today the government…
It will be difficult to limit global warming. The latest UN climate report contains various scenarios in which CO2 is removed from the air to limit warming to 1,5 degrees. That can be done in different ways. Nu.nl explains it in this video.
In the Netherlands last week, more than half of all electricity used came from renewable sources. This is the first time, according to figures from the website Energieopwek.nl, a partnership between Tennet, Gasunie and Netbeheer Nederland, among others. Nearly 54 percent of the electricity used last week came from renewable sources. Like this…
GENEVA, April 4 – In 2010-2019, average annual global greenhouse gas emissions were at the highest levels in human history, but the growth rate has slowed. Without immediate and deep emissions reductions across all sectors, limiting global warming to 1,5°C is unachievable. However, there is increasing evidence for climate action,…
Biomass is our oldest source of energy (after the sun) but has largely been replaced by fossil fuels. In recent decades there has been a revival of the use of biomass, with the aim of replacing fossil fuels with sources with lower net CO2 emissions. A bio boiler emits CO2 and yet a bio boiler is considered…
Scientists at the US Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) have developed an innovative flow cell reactor that can refine sewage into valuable chemicals while simultaneously generating hydrogen that can be used to power vehicles or generate heat. This refinement process is potentially CO2 neutral and could ultimately even be CO2 negative. Led by Juan A.…
Ethanol is usually produced by the fermentation of sugars from starchy raw materials such as corn, or from lignocellulosic biomass, such as wood or straw. It is a fuel that can make the transport sector CO2-free. In collaboration with the Lappeenranta-Lahti University of Technology (LUT) in Finland, researchers from the Straubing Campus for Biotechnology and Sustainability of…
The province of Overijssel wants to invest money again in biomass that involves burning wood. According to the provincial government, biomass is 'necessary for the energy transition and to realize the climate challenge'. The financial tap of the Overijssel Energy Fund must therefore be turned on again for certain applications of biomass. This mainly concerns heating applications, such as the heating of monumental buildings…
A lot of plastic waste such as agricultural foil or crisp bags cannot now be recycled because it is too dirty or consists of multiple layers. The PyroCHEM project aims to make the chemical industry more sustainable by optimizing and scaling up the chemical recycling of plastic waste and the pyrolysis of other (biomass) residual flows. The ambition: annually from 2030…
More than 10.000 more connections to the Ede heating network and fewer CO2 and nitrogen emissions. With the Cleaner than Fossil project, Bio-energie de Vallei wants to become one of the cleanest bio-energy installations in the world. The province of Gelderland and the municipality of Ede contribute financially to this project. “With this subsidy we contribute to…
The Sustainable Energy Production and Climate Transition Incentive Scheme (SDE++) will be open for this year from 28 June. Due to the high CO2 price and the extra budget announced by the previous cabinet on Budget Day, an opening budget of € 13 billion is available. The scheme will be opened to a number of new categories, including hydrogen linked to a wind or…
Due to high energy prices, many producers of sustainable electricity and biogas are no longer dependent on government subsidies. This will result in a significant windfall for the government, the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate expects. The producers themselves also benefit. “Wind and sun do not need a euro of subsidy at the moment,” says Olof van der Gaag,…
In its aim to make the sport more sustainable, Formula 1 will switch from E5 petrol to E10 this season. That is, petrol that now contains twice as much bioethanol instead of 5 percent. Bioethanol is an alcohol that is sustainably produced from biomass, such as corn, wheat, sugar beet and rye. Its combustion emits an average of more than 60...
In the south of Germany, growers are looking for alternatives to natural gas. The recent war in Ukraine only makes the importance of that search clearer. The regional broadcaster for German Bavaria, BR24, focuses on the energy crisis in greenhouse horticulture and gives the floor to fruit vegetable grower Peter Höfler and tomato grower Rudolf Dworschak from Nuremberg. …
The Urgenda target was not achieved last year: greenhouse gas emissions have actually increased. Dutch greenhouse gas emissions increased by more than 2 percent last year compared to 2020. The so-called 'Urgenda target', of at least a 25 percent reduction compared to 1990, was therefore not achieved, according to provisional figures from the Central Bureau for the…
Four biomass power stations in Overijssel are facing closure, and the same danger threatens more than three thousand livestock farms and other companies. This threatens to turn the legal nitrogen crisis into a nightmare for countless entrepreneurs. The province of Overijssel states that it has no other choice and is forced by the judge to take enforcement action.…
Coal-fired power stations in the Netherlands must be opened further in the short term to make our country less dependent on polluted Russian natural gas. Several energy experts argued for this in the House of Representatives on Wednesday, now that the Netherlands has been plunged into a gigantic energy crisis. Andre Faaij, scientific director of TNO, told MPs on Wednesday that the use of our modern…
Innovative projects that lead to lower CO2 emissions are desperately needed to achieve the energy transition (transition to sustainable energy). Entrepreneurs sometimes encounter high start-up costs. The Renewable Energy Transition (HER+) subsidy can make the difference in allowing local projects to continue in that phase. The HER+ subsidy scheme is open until March 31...
Electricity production in 2021 fell by 2,2 billion kWh to 117,9 billion kWh compared to a year earlier. Electricity production from renewable sources, such as biomass, solar and wind energy, increased by 22 percent, while electricity production from fossil sources fell by 11 percent. In 2021, 33 percent of total electricity production came from…
The ongoing energy price crisis has had a negative impact on the well-being of EU citizens and businesses, as well as on the macroeconomic stability of Member States, contributing to higher inflation rates and a slowdown in economic growth. Wholesale gas prices have soared to a 400% increase in…
The possible savings within four years are 10 billion cubic meters. The Netherlands can consume much less natural gas in the short term through a combination of rapid energy savings and accelerated sustainable generation. The coming 'winter peak' in demand for natural gas may therefore be lower: savings of almost five billion cubic meters are possible within a year. Within about…
Author: Sible Schöne The focus on a sustainable energy supply hinders the effective approach to the climate problem, believes Sible Schöne. “We are preparing the Netherlands for the future – climate neutral, fossil-free and circular – with a clean energy supply and green industrial policy.” This is the opening sentence of the climate paragraph of the coalition agreement. The sentence illustrates that there are broad…
Among the many problems with plastic, it's manufactured from a fossil resource. The BBI JU-funded EUCALIVA project has developed a sustainable alternative that grows on trees. Lignin is a natural polymer present in most plants. Since one of its main functions is stiffening, rigid plants such as trees generally contain large amounts. Humans have not traditionally valued…
The European Commission wants to accelerate the production of sustainable energy in the EU by increasing the use of renewable and green energy sources. This should accelerate the reduction of dependence on Russian gas in particular. For the coming winter, the commission also wants to oblige EU countries to build up minimum gas stocks, possibly...
Casio announces the latest addition to the PRO TREK line of outdoor watches. The new PRW-61 is the first Casio watch made from biomass plastics derived from renewable organic substances. Biomass plastics, which are made from renewable raw materials, are gaining attention as a material that can help reduce environmental impacts due to CO2 emissions...
Today, February 21, all the sustainable energy we produce in the Netherlands has been used up for this year. If we used everything we produce this year in succession. That day is Green Energy Day. “If we move Green Energy Day forward by twelve days every year, we will arrive at December 2050 in 31,” says Olof…
Shell and Staatsbosbeheer? At first glance this may seem a surprising combination. Yet they have good reasons to join forces. Shell and Staatsbosbeheer started a long-term collaboration in the spring of 2019. We will plant more than 12 million trees in Dutch forests over 5 years. We do this in empty places that were created by ash branch death.…
Cosun Beet Company will receive a subsidy of €3 million from the province for the arrival of a sustainable bio-refinery factory in Delfzijl. In this innovative factory, sugar beet pulp from the sugar factory in Vierverlaten is converted into new vegetable products. These products can be used as environmentally friendly replacements for small pieces of plastic (microplastics) in, among others: paint, detergents, toothpaste, shampoo, etc.
Urgenda target for greenhouse gas emissions achieved in 2020. Emissions from coal-fired power stations have halved in 2020, as a result of a sharp decline in the use of coal. At the same time, the share of biomass in the energy sector has increased sharply (130 percent), according to figures from the Dutch Emissions Authority. The drop in emissions is partly due to corona.…
Answer from Minister Jetten (Climate and Energy), also on behalf of the State Secretary for Infrastructure and Water Management (received February 7, 2022) See also Appendix to Acts, meeting year 2021-2022, no. 1363 1 Do you share the opinion that it is unacceptable that the CO2 biomass emissions increased by 16 percent in 2020? [1] Answer Just as your Chamber looks…
Nature and nitrogen minister Christianne van der Wal (VVD) does not expect that nitrogen policy will have to be completely overhauled, now that the court in Zwolle has ruled that the policy of tolerance for small emitters to date is contrary to the law. She has confidence in the approach agreed in the coalition agreement. The judge has…
A new player in biogas is coming to the Netherlands. The Danish company Nature Energy already has eleven installations and branches in Denmark and focuses mainly on the production of biogas from manure and biodegradable waste products. We want to build more than ten power stations in the Netherlands in the coming years," says project developer Simon Aarskov. The first conversations…
The climate goals require a rapid energy transition. Many people consider replacing their natural gas boiler with an alternative, such as a heat pump or a bio boiler. The government wants the transition to be feasible and affordable for everyone and strives for a climate policy that is cost-effective. But how do we keep the energy transition affordable? In which…
The use of biofuels is an important pillar of a sustainable economy and bioenergy is essential to achieve the climate objective of the Paris Treaty. There are a number of questions about how these sustainable sources can best be used that touch on the relationship between the fuel and the emissions to…
