Letaba Biomass to Energy PDD - MyClimate

Detailed baseline information and calculations are contained in Annex 2.
PROJECT DESIGN DOCUMENT FORM (GS-VER-PDD)
Voluntary Offset Projects - Version 01
Phases 1-2 Gold Standard VER Small Scale Methodology “Ecologically sound fuel switch to biomass with
reduced energy requirement”, version 01
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The methodology will be used on two distinct components of the projects, namely the replacement of coal in the peel
driers 5 and the replacement of coal in the boilers. Throughout, steps will be taken to address the efficiency of the
plant as a whole. The fact that the methodology rewards such interventions by measuring output (as opposed to
input) is specifically why there will be an incentive to do so (otherwise the saving would only show up as a saving in
biomass once the fuel switch has been done and there would have been an incentive to be as inefficient as possible
to gain more VERs).
Throughout it needs to be borne in mind that efficiency improvements in either the peel drying process or the steam
process will lead to an aggregate saving in the historical (baseline) level of coal usage.
The emissions factor for the peel drier is first established from which the historical coal use in the peel driers is
established, meaning that the remainder of historical coal use is attributable to the boilers. An emissions factor for
single strength and sub-tropical juice is then determined. According to these emissions factors the baseline
emissions can then be accurately determined in each year with reference to the production of the respective amounts
of single strength juice and sub-tropical juice.
Phase 1 relates to the fuel switch in the peel driers and the improvement in the efficiency of the peel press. The
technological intervention in the peel driers will take the form of a biomass fuel feeding system, converting from a
chain grate system to a stepped grate system which will allow for the combustion of a wide range of fuels with
moisture contents as high as 55% in a safe and sound manner.
As part of Phase 2, one or more of the following initiatives will be used to improve the efficiency of the steam process
in order to minimise the size of biomass boiler needed:
• Upgrading of the steam lines;
• Improvement of the evaporator efficiency;
• Pre-heating of the product
The methodology and more specifically its monitoring of output as opposed to input will ensure that both efficiency
improvements and fuel switching manifest in the same variable namely a lower emission factor per unit of fruit juice
which can then be compared to the emission factor in the baseline to determine the emissions reduction occasioned
by the project activity.
It is anticipated that the largest biomass fuel source will be sawdust as opposed to wood chips.
The biomass boilers will be installed to run on either sawdust or wood chips. At least the first and probably both
boilers will be Thermax imported from India. Thermax is an internationally recognised equipment supplier in this field
and the technology is well tested, safe, appropriate and proven.
5 As a conservative measure given that the baseline is determined ex post and efficiency will improve (effectively
expanding the capacity of the peel drier) the VERs will be capped at the equivalent of the highest amount of peels
dried in the last five years. This is in accordance with the methodology.