USA. Nexterra Energy and GE Jenbacher are partnering up to create a modular Combined heat and power plants. The compnaies are testing the new application in it's product development center for the next 2 years. Please read more here and here .

USA. Ontario is identifying ways to replace coal with biomass. This fuel change would benefit the forestry industry as well as the emission reduction obligations. The utility Ontario Power Generation published a request for expression of interest on this website. To read more about this news, click here.

The CarbonTrust released a new publication -
a guide for businesses intending to install biomass heating projects.
It can be downloaded at this website after signing in.

Netherlands.

The 'Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek' (CBS) in the Netherlands published that sustainable electricity production was growing in the last year. In comparison to 2007, the energy consumption from wind and biomass grew from 1,5% to 7,5% in 2008. Click here to read more.

Oregon, USA. The Forest Service and BLM are identifying biomass energy projects for which they can apply for funding. The companies want to make use of Obama's economic stimulus package which will start spreading some of the money end of February. To read the full story click here.

RWE Innogy & Westphalia-Lippe Agricultural Association (WLV) are cooperating in biogas projects in the Muenster area. The companies aim is to partner up in constructing and operating biogas plants using local manure as resource. The first plant is located in the district of Borken and is scheduled for commissioning in the next year. If this pilot plant is successful, the company intends more biogas partnerships within Germany and Euope. Please read the full story here and here.

USA. Stimulus package provides $800 million for projects related to biomass. Read here the full article.

USA. Energy Northwest is planning to built biomass plants together with ADEGA in Washington, Idaho, Montana and Oregon. For more information, please click here.

Marks & Spencer set a goal to only use renewable energy sources within six years. The signed deal with npower deals with 2,6 TWh renewable electricity and lasts until 2015. To read the full story, click here.

The Albanian government and an Italian company closed a $1.3 billion deal for the construction of a biomass plant and a wind park in northern Albania. Please click here to read the full story.

UK. Sustainable bioenergy centre was launched by the UK's Biotechnology and Biological Science Research Council. Several universities, research institutes and industries are collaborating to improve the overall bioenergy status in the UK. Please click here to read the full article.

UK. In Elmswell, Suffolk eco- homes are built. The biomass boiler generates the needed energy and was financed by a £100,000 grant from Low Carbon Building Trust. One resident of the clay field eco- homes is responsible for looking after the woodchips fired plant. Please find the full story here.

Great Britain. The UK waste strategy deals with reducing the landfill waste which is getting more and more expensive. In this regard, biodegradable municipal waste can be separated and used for energy generation. The newly launched conference-"Energy from Biomass and Waste UK" (EBW UK), which is looking at new approaches and technologies will be held on January 26 -27th in London. Please find more information here.

USA. Biomass energy plays a role in the U.S. stimulus package. The final version of the bill is still under discussion between the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives. The bill will probably be signed by Barack Obama within this week. Please read full text here.

Canada. In British Columbia, the company Virtual Media Holdings, Inc. changed their name to Biomass Secure Power, Inc. to better reflect their business strategy. To read the full story, please click on this link.

USA. Economist Dermot Hayes was appointed to the Biomass Research and Development Technical Advisory Committee. Read the full article here.
This committee serves as a link between the federal and state agency, consumers, research institutes and agricultural industry.

$25 Million for Biomass R&D

End of January the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and Agriculture (USDA) announced that funding up to $25 million is available for R&D in bio fuels, bio energy and bio products and R&D . Click here to read the full story.