Spain-based renewable energy project developer Abengoa announced May 6 that it plans to build a 15-megawatt (MW), gasification-based waste-to-energy (WTE) plant in Glendale, Ariz.

The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) on May 7 issued its final Solid Waste Master Plan (SWMP) and specifically approved gasification-based waste-to-energy (WTE) as a much cleaner alternative to prohibited garbage incineration (“mass burn”).

Connecticut-based Green Waste Energy (GWE) announced May 15 that it signed a deal whereby GE will supply an “undetermined number” of GE Jenbacher J620 gas engines for GWE waste-to-energy (WTE) projects around the world.

The local board of supervisors of Placer County, Calif. announced May 9 that they voted to approve a proposed 2-megawatt, gasification-based waste-to-energy (WTE) project near Tahoe City.

U.K.-based Atkins announced May 14 that it won a contract from gasification-waste-to-energy (WTE) specialist Energos to help build the Glasgow Recycling and Renewable Energy Center (GGREC) in Scotland.

Sweden’s Royal Academy of Sciences (KVA) last month published its “Norrland Project” report urging that policy-makers focus upon non-food-based biofuel development, principally forest-waste gasification followed by methanol and dimethyl ether (DME) synthesis.

The Wisconsin-based Oneida Tribe of Indians voted May 5 to kill a proposed gasification-based waste-to-energy (WTE) project on tribal land, following an earlier decision by the city of Green Bay to void a permit for the proposed plant at another site.

The U.S. Patent Office announced April 9 that General Electric won a patent for a “model predictive-control system and method for integrated-gasification combined cycle [IGCC] power generation.”

Eleven companies in Europe jointly announced April 26 the formation of the “North Sea Power to Gas Platform” (P2G), aiming to convert surplus wind and solar power to natural gas – via water electrolysis and subsequent reforming of hydrogen to methane.

U.S. natural gas prices hit a two-year high during the first quarter of 2013 because of cutbacks in natural gas drilling and production, along with higher demand.

The Mississippi chapter of the Sierra Club announced May 16 that it’s asking the state Supreme Court to reverse a settlement deal between Mississippi Power Co. (MPC) and the state Public Service Commission (PSC) allowing certain rate recoveries for the under-construction, US$3.4-billion, 582-megawatt (MW) “Kemper” integrated-gasification combined cycle (IGCC) power plant.

Leucadia Corp.’s Lake Charles Clean Energy (LCCE) project – involving petcoke gasification, methanol production and carbon dioxide (CO2) capture and storage (CCS) – is now open for public comment for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) draft environmental impact statement (EIS).

The Technology Centre Mongstad (TCM) carbon-dioxide (CO2) capture test facility adjacent to the Statoil refinery in Norway will host a new round of testing of other CO2 absorption solvents in 2014.

North Carolina-based RTI International and Norcem (a division of Germany-based HeidelbergCement) announced May 15 that they’re partnering on a pilot-scale demonstration of a solid-sorbent carbon dioxide (CO2) capture technology at Norcem’s cement plant in Brevik, Norway.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) on May 10 hailed the start up of a US$431-million carbon dioxide (CO2) capture project at an Air Products hydrogen plant in Port Arthur, Texas.

The U.S. Patent Office announced April 18 that Mitsui is seeking a patent on a scheme employing ordinary water for separating and capturing carbon dioxide (CO2) from integrated-gasification combined cycle (IGCC) syngas streams.