Wind Energy and renewable energy blog

New Energy finance today reported that during the week beginning 31 March and ending 6 April, the best energy performer in terms of share prices was the biofuels and biomass sector with NYSE-listed Chinese biodiesel producer Gushan Environmental Energy enjoying rising share prices of 49% as it commissioned the expansion phase of a biodiesel plant in Beijing, which will double its annual capacity. Shares of Brazilian ethanol producer Cosan jumped 38% following a statement from the chairman of Petrobras Biocombustiveis, a subsidiary of Brazilian oil company Petrobras, saying that it is contemplating a partnership with local ethanol producers.

Biomass is important for renewable energy production in the United States where according to the USA Biomass Power Producers Alliance, generating power from biomass helps Americans avoid some 11 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions that burning the equivalent amount of fossil fuels would create each year. It also helps avoid annual emissions of some two million tons of methane per year.

In Denmark 6% of country’s total energy consumption is provided by biomass energy. This represents 75% of the country’s renewable energy production. Denmark produces large quantities of straw ( around 2.3 Mt/a) and animal wastes (3 Mt/a or 26 PJ), which are increasingly being used as renewable sources of energy.

In the UK, biomass contributes towards renewable energy generation -particularly in agricultural areas such as the East of England where materials such as straw and chicken litter are burnt in dedicated biomass power stations. In this region biomass accounted for roughly the same amount of installed renewable energy capacity as wind energy in 2008 at just over 100 MW.

Biogas is favoured amongst farmers in Germany which provides a feed in tariff to generators through the EEG environmental subsidy package.

Biomass is also an important energy source in developing countries where it is used for heat and power.

Although in many places wind energy is overtaking biomass in terms of installed renewable energy generation, it will continue to play an important role in reducing harmful emissions as long as the fuel source is transported over sensible distances.