Biomass energy project

BTG Biomass Technology Group (The Netherlands) in co-operation with EC Baltic Renewable Energy Centre Poland, is implementing a project in which an alternative energy system is proposed.

Within this project, the two coal fired boilers will be replaced by one efficient biomass heating plant of 580 kW_th. The system, supplied by KARA Energy Systems, The Netherlands, will be fuelled by 1,500-2,000 m³ of wood residues originating from the greenery works, which are under responsibility of MPGK.

Currently, MPGK is preparing modification of the existing boiler house and the construction of a storage and drying facility, a walking floor and additional civil works. Meanwhile, KARA is constructing the combustion system in The Netherlands. Installation and commissioning of the system in Jelenia Gora is scheduled for November /December 1999.

SENTER finances the project, under the umbrella of the Dutch Programme for Bilateral Co-operation with Countries in Central Eastern Europe. It should be considered as a pilot phase of Joint Implementation project, referring to the Memorandum of Understanding between The Netherlands and Poland, signed a in 1997, in which both countries agree on the joint abatement of greenhouse gases (Joint Implementation).

To determine the actual reduction of CO₂-emissions, a baseline study was carried out this year, investigating the current emission levels. Next year, the biomass heating plant will be extensively monitored to determine the new emission situation.

Benefits

Implementation of the biomass energy system will result in both environmental and economic benefits. Environmental benefits include:

·        reduction of CH₄ and CO₂ emissions by utilisation of currently disposed wood residues;

·        reduction of ash, CO and SO_x emissions due to the implementation of an efficient biomass boiler.

Economic benefits include:

·        avoidance of the purchase of expensive hard coal (90 EUR/tonne); the wood residues are free of charge;

·        avoidance of waste wood disposal costs (30 EUR/tonne);

·        avoidance of environmental charges and penalties.

Polish Biomass Energy Centre

As a part of the implementation project, a biomass energy information and support centre has been established under the name: Polish Biomass Energy Centre. The centre has been initiated in April 1999 and is located in the office of EC BREC, Warsaw. The main objectives of the centre are:

·        exchange and dissemination of information on biomass energy

·        promotion of biomass energy activities

·        identification and development of new biomass energy projects

·        development of a strong market position for biomass energy

The Polish Biomass Energy Centre will actively supply relevant information to interested parties, attend seminars and conferences, organise site visits, identify new projects and project partners and facilitate their co-operation.

Finish Wood Energy Technology Programme 1999-2000

The Wood Energy Technology Programme focuses on developing the production technology and improving the quality of forest chips from logging residues and small-sized trees.

Objectives

In 1998, energy use of forest chips in Finland amounted to 0.5 million solid-m³. The aim of the Programme is to reach 2.5 million solid-m³ in 2003. Thus, the annual use of forest chips is to increase five-fold in five year.

The target is to be achieved mainly by increasing the production of chips from logging residues from regeneration areas because of their better cost competitiveness. In addition, technology of promoting the energy use of small-sized trees from early thinning is also developed, because of the great sylvicultural benefits involved.

Increasing the use of forest chips requires further reduction of costs. The cost of chips made from logging residues is competitive against peat and fossil fuels in favourable conditions, but large-scale use presupposes recovery of forest fuels from more difficult stand conditions and over longer distances as well.

The programme also aims to develop quality control and storage of wood fuels. The quality of chips can be seen as a cost factor, since the energy obtained from the chips, emissions and reliability of delivery all depend on fuel properties.

Quality improvement is not confined solely to forest chips. It is just as important for the process residues from the forest industry. For this reason the scope of the programme also includes bark, sawdust and other solid wood residues from the forest industry that are suitable for fuel.

Areas of focus

Increasing the use of forest chips to five-fold in five years requires large consumers and large-scale procurement schemes integrated with the production of industrial timber. A further requirement is that forest chips have to be produced by environmentally friendly methods and the sustainability of the forest ecosystem must be safeguarded.

The main research areas

·      integration of energy production into industrial wood production in the conventional forestry

·      development of planning and logistics in the production and storage of forest chips

·      development of technology for chipping, handling and storage including operations at chip terminals and at the end-users facilities

·      development of long-distance transport of fuel chips and unchipped forest residues

·      preparing forest machine and truck contractors for the production of forest chips on a large scale

·      development of quality control to improve the heat value of the chips and the operational reliability of wood chip-fired plants

·      improving the handling and combustion properties of bark, sawdust and other solid wood residues from forest industry.

Extent of the programme

The programme's total budget for 1999-2003 is FIM 250 million, Tekes' share of which amounts to FIM 50 million.

The INTERNET corner @

http: //retscreen.gc.can

RETScreen Renewable Energy Project Analysis Software elaborated by CEDRL (Natural Resources Canada)

www.energie-cites.org

Association of European Municipalitoes towards urban energy efficiency

http: //btg.ct.utwente.nl/eeci

European Energy Crops overview and inter-network

http: //www-zv.uni-paderborn.de/europabuero

Information prepared by European Office of Paderborn University about partners from Central and Eastern Europe for scientific co-operation. (Projektpartner aus Osteuropa).

http: //www.fnr.de/ctvo

CTVO-net page (Chemical-Technical Utilisation of Vegetable Oils)

http: //www.virgo.com.pl/ekomedia e-mail: artmedia@virgo.com.pl
Ekomedia Art Found

http: //www.most.org.pl/zb e-mail: zb@zb.most.org.pl
Publishing House "Green Brigades"

Advertisements of events

Renewable Energy Source (RES) Conference,
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Rational Use of Renewable Energy Sources In Agriculture,
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Progress in Thermochemical Biomass Conversion
Tyrol, Austria, 21-26 May 2000
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Tel: +44 121 359 3611 (ext. 4647 or 4633)
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First World Conference and Exhibition on Biomass for Energy and Industry
Seville, Spain, 5 - 9 June 2000
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Chemical-Technical Utilisation of Vegetable Oils. Final Conference of CTVO-net
Bonn, Germany, 20-21 June 2000
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World Renewable Energy Congress VI, WREC-2000
Brighton, UK, 1-7 July 2000
Contact: Prof Ali Sayigh
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