Japan’s Renova starts Miyagi biomass power plant

Spanish Market: Biomass, Electricity
28/03/24

Japanese renewable power developer Renova started commercial operations today at its 75MW Ishinomaki Hibarino biomass-fired power plant in northeast Japan's Miyagi prefecture.

The power plant is designed to consume an undisclosed volume of wood pellets and palm kernel shells (PKS) to generate around 530 GWh/yr of electricity.

Renova originally targeted to start up the power plant in May 2023 but postponed the start-up multiple times.

Renova has been forced to delay the start-up schedules at several of its power plants. It previously targeted to begin commercial operations of the 75MW Omaezaki biomass power plant this month but postponed it to July, as the final adjustment of boiler and turbine units is taking longer than expected. It delayed the launch of the 74.8MW Tokushima Tsuda biomass power plant in September before it began commercial operations in December 2023.

Japan imported 1mn t of wood pellets during January-February, up by 14pc from the same period in 2023, according to the finance ministry. PKS purchases fell by 24pc to 466,186t.

By Nanami Oki

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30/09/26

Denmark ‘clear’ it will hit 2030, 2035 climate goals

London, 30 September (Argus) — The Danish government said today that it can demonstrate that the country will achieve its 2030 climate goal and is "clear" that it will also reach its 2035 target. Denmark has legally binding greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction targets for 2030 and 2035. It plans to cut emissions by 70pc by 2030 from 1990 levels and has a legally binding target of 82pc GHG reductions by 2035, with an "objective" for 85pc cuts — also from the 1990 baseline. The government estimates that the country will surpass its 2030 goal by a margin of 400,000t CO2 equivalent (CO2e). Denmark's GHG emissions fell by 53pc in 1990-2024 to 36.7mn t CO2e, according to the government. The country looks also to have beaten an indicative target of a GHG reduction of 50-54pc in 2025 compared with 1990, the government said. Denmark's emissions stood at an estimated 33.9mn t CO2e in 2025, a drop of around 57pc from 1990. Denmark is an oil and gas producer, and in its North Sea Agreement set an end date of 2050 for fossil fuel extraction. But the government said in February that it would "initiate a process" to look at possibly extending one or more production licences in the Danish North Sea to contribute to European energy security and independence. Any extensions must "take place within the framework of the North Sea Agreement and Denmark's long-term climate goals", Copenhagen said. Denmark has largely phased out coal, with just one remaining coal-fired combined heat and power plant set to close by the end of 2028. The government estimates that the country will miss a binding target for the country's agriculture and forestry sector of 55-65pc cuts by 2030 from 1990. It estimates that the sector will reach GHG reductions of 52pc by that date, leaving a "gap" of 700,000-2.8mn t CO2e with the lower and upper ends of the targeted range. The sector's net emissions fell to around 11.2mn t CO2e in 2024 from 20.9mn t CO2e in 1990, but it is estimated that it will still be the country's highest-emitting sector in 2030 and 2035, the government said. It plans to use measures such as a CO2 tax on livestock emissions, subsidies for reduced fertilizer use and afforestation to ensure that emissions are lowered. Denmark has set some of the most ambitious climate goals among developed countries. It aims to reach net zero GHG emissions by 2045, and negative emissions — including 110pc cuts from 1990 levels by 2050 — beyond that. By Georgia Gratton Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Spain extends fuel tax relief to year-end

30/09/26

Spain extends fuel tax relief to year-end

Madrid, 30 September (Argus) — Spain will extend tax relief on motor fuels until the end of the year and reintroduce safeguards against sharp rises in electricity and gas bills. The €0.20/litre fuel tax cut for road diesel introduced in September will continue in October, while the cut for gasoline will rise to €0.20/l from €0.05/l. Unless a price-rise safeguard is triggered, the cut for both fuels will ease to €0.13/l in November and €0.06/l in December. The safeguard restores the tax cut for either fuel to €0.20/l if Spain's consumer price index shows that its retail price has risen by more than 15pc on the year. It was triggered for diesel in September on the basis of July inflation data. The measures are part of the Spanish government's third decree-law responding to fuel price increases caused by the conflict in the Middle East. They extend relief introduced for the second and third quarters that had been due to expire at the end of September. Professional drivers will receive the general fuel tax cut plus an additional sector-specific discount, keeping their combined relief at €0.25/l throughout the fourth quarter. The additional discount will be €0.05/l in October, €0.12/l in November and €0.19/l in December, rising as the general tax cut is scaled back. It will be adjusted if the safeguard restores the general cut to €0.20/l. Fuel price relief for the agricultural and fishing sectors will also be maintained, including the €0.20/l cut on the lower-taxed coloured diesel they use. The government has also reintroduced a safeguard under which a 15pc rise in electricity or gas prices would trigger a reduction in VAT on bills to 10pc from 21pc and a cut in Spain's special electricity tax to 0.5pc from 5.1pc. The reductions previously applied from March to June. Spain will limit the rise in its regulated natural gas tariff to about 15pc in October. The government said the tariff would have risen by more than 45pc without its intervention. It will also raise the maximum regulated price for a standard 12.5kg butane cylinder to €19.55 from €18.84 and freeze it at that level until 30 June 2027. The measures take effect on 1 October, putting Spain ahead of Portugal, where parliamentary debate on the government's proposed fuel price relief is scheduled to begin on 7 October. Portuguese energy and environment minister Maria da Graca Carvalho said on Monday that Portugal could not afford fuel tax cuts beyond those already proposed by its government. She called for greater EU co-ordination, arguing that differences between national support measures could distort competition within the single market. By Jonathan Gleave Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Mexico shifts renewable financing burden

25/09/26

Mexico shifts renewable financing burden

Mexico City, 25 September (Argus) — Mexico's proposed 2027 federal budget would dial back state spending on energy transition and climate change mitigation initiatives across all agencies as part of cost-cutting efforts to narrow a fiscal deficit. This places a greater burden on the private sector to shoulder utility-scale renewable power projects to meet national clean energy targets, three independent reviews found. The shift includes a 28pc cut in funding for climate adaptation initiatives across all agencies to Ps160.1bn ($9.12bn) alongside an inflation-adjusted 8.5pc cut to the physical investment budget of state electricity utility CFE. The cut at CFE comes as it aims to add 32GW of new capacity to the national grid by 2030, about 70pc of that from renewable energy sources. To complete it on time, the energy ministry (Sener) anticipates required investments of Ps740bn for electricity generation assets and an additional Ps244bn dedicated to transmission projects in 2026-2030. That investment, averaging nearly Ps200bn/yr over five years, compares with the Ps61bn marked for CFE's physical investment in the 2027 budget proposal, "a figure far from the federal government's targets for the electricity sector", Mexican policy think tank IMCO said in its budget analysis. As a result, IMCO said, "public-private partnerships and private projects will be expected to close the generation funding gap". The move will mean an even greater reliance on Mexico's mixed participation model in the electric power sector, which requires under the constitution that CFE have 54pc minimum ownership. New tax breaks could help, in addition to streamlining regulations and giving firms greater control in some concession contracts . But cuts are deep in certain areas, including a 24pc cut in real terms to transmission projects to Ps12.9bn — funding only maintenance and operational improvements and no new transmission lines. A parallel evaluation by budget watchdog CIEP confirms this lean capital profile. CIEP's analysis indicates that the proposal prioritizes rigid operational overhead, locking in Ps94mn for immediate personnel costs and distribution network management. The budget leaves no distinct capital line items to finance clean generation assets or multi-regional high-voltage transmission upgrades, cementing the government's reliance on external financing structures, the analysis notes. To expand the grid, IMCO said, CFE will have to raise money via Fibra E investments — a real estate investment market mechanism that backs "green" infrastructure projects. CFE expects to issue $1bn in debt via Fibra E by the end of 2026, and subsequent issuances "remain a possibility". A third analysis, by the non-partisan Climate Change Budget Observatory, found the 28pc cut in climate strategy spending. It also reported a high concentration of funding earmarked as related to energy transition but going to initiatives without clear climate change-related goals. The Observatory noted that 80pc of the climate spending goes to five of 51 projects with the largest at 34pc, or Ps54bn, routed to the infrastructure and transport ministry for the government's Ps739bn passenger and freight railroad expansion project. Cross-departmental spending on energy transition is similarly concentrated, with Ps8.8bn, or 43pc of all spending on the transition strategy, also set aside for the railroad expansion program. Beyond that, roughly Ps7.1bn, or 35pc, goes to electric power infrastructure and administrative support taking another 11pc. The study stated the remaining 11pc would be spread across 68 programs, including some with few if any programmed outlays in 2027. The analysis, said the Observatory, reveals "a discrepancy between the narrative the Mexican government presents in international forums" — such as the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, "where it has put forward more ambitious mitigation and adaptation goals". "In practice, the allocation continues to drive a fossil-fuel-based energy model that exacerbates the climate crisis," the Observatory said. The final spending bill could pass by late November, after the revenue-side budget proposal is due on 20 October. Opposition lawmakers and environmental groups will likely challenge the proposed cuts in climate-related spending. By James Young Climate spending in Mexico's draft 2027 budget bn Ps Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Switzerland authorises Senegal Article 6 carbon project

24/09/26

Switzerland authorises Senegal Article 6 carbon project

Berlin, 24 September (Argus) — Switzerland has authorised a joint emissions-saving project with host country Senegal under Article 6.2 of the Paris climate agreement, supporting electric mobility in the west African country. The project has been developed by Australia-based Motion Energy and was authorised by Senegal in late August. It will roll out battery electric vehicles (BEVs) among the taxi and ride hailing service fleets of Senegalese capital Dakar, replacing mostly ageing internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles and reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the country's transport sector. The project runs from August 2024 to the end of 2030, and is expected to yield total emission reductions of 175,993t CO2 equivalent (CO2e) to be converted into tradeable internationally transferred mitigation outcomes (Itmos). Emissions reductions generated by the project and converted into Itmos started at 8t CO2e in 2024, with just eight participating BEVs, and are projected to rise to 72,279 in 2030, when over 6,000 BEVs are expected to be on the road. Swiss procurement agency the Klik foundation will finance the project by buying the Itmos, the emissions savings from which will count towards Switzerland's 2030 climate target. The project is additional to Senegal's nationally determined contribution (NDC) to the Paris agreement, as the activity sits beyond the country's unconditional NDC. BEVs are currently not prevalent in Senegal, mainly owing to the significant price disparity compared with ICE vehicles, according to the project's mitigation activity design document. This means the programme is additional — dependent on carbon credits for its economic viability — a crucial feature under Article 6. But the project developer concedes that demonstrating financial additionality is "challenging", given how vehicle costs and operational revenues are expected to change over the coming years. The project uses a more conservative version of the voluntary carbon market's VCS methodology VM0038 from registry Verra for the charging infrastructure. The BEVs will be sold by Dakar-based Mbay Mobility. By Chloe Jardine Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Germany presents roadmap for fossil fuel phase-out

23/09/26

Germany presents roadmap for fossil fuel phase-out

Berlin, 23 September (Argus) — Germany submitted its roadmap for transitioning away from fossil fuels to the UN in New York today, in line with the commitment made at the UN Cop 28 climate summit in 2023. Germany is the third country to present its roadmap as part of the transitioning away from fossil fuels initiative, following France and the Netherlands . In presenting the roadmap, the government aims to "inject further momentum into the process", so that "as many countries as possible can flesh out their respective plans", the environment ministry said. The roadmap outlines existing targets and measures that are enshrined in the country's climate action law and climate action programme, which was passed by the government in March . The "current global situation" is injecting "new momentum" into international climate policy, environment minister Carsten Schneider said at the presentation. Fossil fuels still covered 65pc of Germany's energy usage in 2024, at a cost of €76bn. These costs have since "massively" increased, the ministry said. The country plans to reach net greenhouse gas neutrality in 2045. The roadmap relies on both the growing use of renewable energies in electricity generation and the electrification of transport, heating and industrial processes. The ministry flagged the rapidly growing share of renewable energy in electricity generation, which accounts for around 55pc of gross electricity consumption and is set to rise to at least 80pc by 2030. Coal-fired power generation will be phased out by 2038, with the government eyeing an earlier phase-out by 2035. Regarding industry, the environment ministry underlined the country's strategy of electrification and modernisation, and the funding schemes that support investments in decarbonisation. This is complemented by the price signals from the EU emissions trading system (ETS) and the protection afforded by the bloc's carbon border adjustment mechanism, the ministry said. Carbon pricing is an "essential" component of German and European climate policy in the roadmap, and a "vital" driver of the transition away from fossil fuels. Some 85pc of emissions in Germany are currently covered by either the EU ETS or the domestic carbon pricing scheme, the roadmap underlines. Several working groups have been set up since the first international conference on phasing out fossil fuels held by "57 pioneering countries" — including Germany — in Colombia in April, the ministry said, to strengthen international co-operation on key issues relating to the phase-out. The presidencies of this year's UN Cop 31 climate summit in Turkey in November are also aiming to accelerate global electrification further, the ministry said. By Chloe Jardine Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

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