Foreword
Last month was a good one
for renewables. Electricity generation in the UK has been breaking records left
right and centre – solar generation hit a new high only a few weeks ago and
February had the lowest CO2 emissions per kilowatt hour of
electricity consumed. On 28th April, the National Grid reported a new record
for the longest period of coal-free electricity generation, reaching 438 hours straight
without the coal generator fired up. Granted, the combined sunny and windy
weather and the reduced demand as a result of the coronavirus is likely to have
played some part, but this is still great progress towards decarbonisation of
the electricity grid. The carbon intensity of the electricity system has halved
over the last five years and we’ve seen an even larger drop of almost 60% if we
go back to 2013. Despite this success, biomass power reliant on the global pellet
market could run into some difficulties over the next year or so, as a result
of..........
Other News this Month Includes:
Policy
- The future for renewable heating
- European approval for insect protein
expected
- Two US states move away from biomass
Markets
- Covid-19 impact on biomass may extend into
2020/21
- New renewables record set
- Biomass power bids subdued in Germany
- Slowdown results in delayed investment by
Drax
Research & Development
- Research into woody biomass - incentivising
bioenergy can increase sequestration
- EU investment in European agriculture and
the bioeconomy
- Researchers look to fava beans as non-soy
protein source
Wood & Crop
- Polish plant Valmet switches to biomass
- Plant protein growth and newcomers
- Enviva work on new US export terminal
continues
Other Feedstocks
- ‘Shoddy' makes a return to the UK through recycling
- Synthetic Palm oil through Bioscience raises
Malaysian backlash
Events
Feedstock Prices