News

The United States represents the largest consumer worldwide, as stated by the new market research report on Biofuels (Bioethanol and Biodiesel). Given the recent shortages in supply from Brazil and the consequent high prices of sugar in the country, the US is expected to outperform Brazil, thereby becoming the leading ethanol exporter in the world in the near term. In production terms, there has been a tremendous increase in the production of biofuels, with the global biofuel production almost tripling since the year 2000.
The biofuel industry is exploring other feedstock, such as algae, jatropha seeds, and palm oil to reduce the dependence on corn so as to overcome the controversy associated with food as well as the supply and pricing issues. Next generation biofuels, are predicted to offer more benefits when compared to the first generation biofuels. These include cellulosic ethanol, BTL from solid biowaste, and renewable diesel to name a few. However, with the process of conversion of cellulose into sugars for fermentation being quite difficult, research is underway for developing microbes, enzymes, and fungi that could breakdown celluloses into sugars.
Despite the opportunities, certain concerns with regard to overall energy efficiency of biofuels, environment, prices, food security, and economic rationale are coming in the way of the sector's development. Such an uncontrolled diversion is predicted to have serious implications on the production, availability as well as prices of these agricultural commodities in future. Not just on food security, but implications of the rapid development of biofuels is expected on biodiversity, environment, and rural development. Monetary tightening and few other factors, such as the withdrawal of fiscal stimulus in many countries across Europe, is expected to dampen growth prospects for biofuels.

20/11/2012 08:40

Stora Enso and Skanska to collaborate in BoKlok project in Finland
Stora Enso and Skanska have agreed on collaboration in which Stora Enso will supply wooden modular elements for a BoKlok project at Kivistö in Vantaa, Finland. BoKlok is a concept for moderately priced housing developed by Skanska and IKEA. At Kivistö in Vantaa, Finland, all 36 BoKlok apartments will be built of wooden modules supplied by Stora Enso’s Hartola production unit. Preliminary marketing of the project will start at the beginning of next year and construction work will commence next April. The project, comprising seven small multi-storey buildings, will be ready for occupation just eight months after the start of construction work.

“The idea of the BoKlok concept is to create better housing that combines good quality and design with easy reproduction and moderate living costs. The concept is now being relaunched in Finland following extensive collaboration with Stora Enso on development. Stora Enso’s modular technology based on wooden materials considerably shortens construction time at the work site, and that and the manufacturing concept are directly apparent in construction costs and therefore the final prices of the apartments,” says Skanska’s Project Development Manager Riku Patokoski.

“We stressed the importance of industrialisation in finally achieving a breakthrough for wooden construction when we acquired the Hartola module production unit as part of our building solutions team late last summer. The BoKlok project to be built in collaboration with Skanska is a significant step in achieving this breakthrough and above all an excellent indication of the potential for us to establish a totally novel wood construction market in Finland,” explains Hannu Kasurinen, EVP, Stora Enso Building and Living.

Modular construction means construction with advanced prefabricated housing modules. This reduces construction time by up to 50–70% compared with traditional element construction. In addition to speed, wood-based modular building offers quality and ecological benefits. The modules are built from start to finish indoors and not exposed to moisture or variable weather at any stage of construction. Since late summer 2012 Stora Enso has been manufacturing modules based on structural cross-laminated timber and other Stora Enso wood products for multi-storey and urban construction at the Hartola production unit. A new concept in modular construction has been developed since then in close collaboration with leading Finnish construction firms and developers, and the first results will be handed over to their owners in the near future.

Skanska and IKEA jointly developed the BoKlok concept in the mid-1990s. The first BoKlok homes were built in southern Sweden in 1997, and about 5 000 BoKlok homes have already been sold in Sweden. The BoKlok concept represents small-scale urban construction in small multi-storey buildings. The advantages of the concept include a shared sheltered yard, and scope for horticulture and a sauna shared by the housing in the yard. Owner-occupied BoKlok homes were most recently built in Finland in 2006 in Porvoo and Vantaa.

14/11/2012 07:37

EC Policy - Overview of New Directives within the European Biomass Industry
On 17th of October 2012 the European Commission presented its policy for biofuel through a proposal aims to limit global land conversion for biofuel production and raise the climate benefits for biofuel used in the EU. If approved by the EU Governments and lawmakers, the proposal will amend the Directive 98/70/EC related to the quality of petrol and diesel fuels and the Directive 2009/28/EC on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources.

The proposal to minimizes the climate impact of biofuels, by amending the current legislation on biofuels through the Renewable Energy and the Fuel Quality Directives. In particular, the proposals suggest:

To increase the minimum greenhouse gas saving threshold for new installations to 60% in order to improve the efficiency of biofuel production processes as well as discouraging further investments in installations with low greenhouse gas performance.
To include indirect land use change (ILUC) factors in the reporting by fuel suppliers and Member States of greenhouse gas savings of biofuels and bioliquids;
To limit the amount of food crop-based biofuels and bioliquids that can be counted towards the EU's 10% target for renewable energy in the transport sector by 2020, to the current consumption level, 5% up to 2020, while keeping the overall renewable energy and carbon intensity reduction targets;
To provide market incentives for biofuels with no or low indirect land use change emissions, and in particular the 2nd and 3rd generation biofuels produced from feedstock that do not create an additional demand for land, including algae, straw, and various types of waste, as they will contribute more towards the 10% renewable energy in transport target of the Renewable Energy Directive.

The continuing high level economic growth in several countries across the globe, more particularly in the developing countries, also resulted in the need for alternative sources or fuels, including biofuels, which provide an opportunity for improving energy security, while reducing the dependence on fossil fuels. Development of biofuel projects is underway in many countries across the globe owing to several benefits offered by these alternative fuels over fossil fuels. Biofuels are currently attracting generous governmental support for R&D and large-scale production. Regulatory frameworks and policies are also in place in several countries for guiding and promoting the usage of biofuels in the respective transportation sectors.

The United States represents the largest consumer worldwide, as stated by the new market research report on Biofuels (Bioethanol and Biodiesel). Given the recent shortages in supply from Brazil and the consequent high prices of sugar in the country, the US is expected to outperform Brazil, thereby becoming the leading ethanol exporter in the world in the near term. In production terms, there has been a tremendous increase in the production of biofuels, with the global biofuel production almost tripling since the year 2000.

The biofuel industry is exploring other feedstock, such as algae, jatropha seeds, and palm oil to reduce the dependence on corn so as to overcome the controversy associated with food as well as the supply and pricing issues. Next generation biofuels, are predicted to offer more benefits when compared to the first generation biofuels. These include cellulosic ethanol, BTL from solid biowaste, and renewable diesel to name a few. However, with the process of conversion of cellulose into sugars for fermentation being quite difficult, research is underway for developing microbes, enzymes, and fungi that could breakdown celluloses into sugars.

Despite the opportunities, certain concerns with regard to overall energy efficiency of biofuels, environment, prices, food security, and economic rationale are coming in the way of the sector's development. Such an uncontrolled diversion is predicted to have serious implications on the production, availability as well as prices of these agricultural commodities in future. Not just on food security, but implications of the rapid development of biofuels is expected on biodiversity, environment, and rural development. Monetary tightening and few other factors, such as the withdrawal of fiscal stimulus in many countries across Europe, is expected to dampen growth prospects for biofuels.

25/09/2012 14:51