08.01.2013 Views

European Bio-Energy Projects

European Bio-Energy Projects

European Bio-Energy Projects

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

Create successful ePaper yourself

Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.

PROJECT SYNOPSES<br />

<strong>European</strong><br />

<strong>Bio</strong>-<strong>Energy</strong> <strong>Projects</strong><br />

1999-2002<br />

EUR 20808


Interested in <strong>European</strong> research?<br />

RTD info is our quarterly magazine keeping you in touch with main developments (results, programmes, events, etc).<br />

It is available in English, French and German. A free sample copy or free subscription can be obtained from:<br />

<strong>European</strong> Commission<br />

Directorate-General for Research<br />

Information and Communication Unit<br />

B-1049 Brussels<br />

Fax: (32-2) 29-58220<br />

E-Mail: research@cec.eu.int<br />

Internet: http://europa.eu.int/comm/research/rtdinfo_en.html<br />

EUROPEAN COMMISSION<br />

Directorate J <strong>Energy</strong><br />

Unit RTD-J-3 New and Renewable <strong>Energy</strong> Sources<br />

B-1049 Brussels<br />

Helpdesk : rtd-energy@cec.eu.int<br />

For further information on energy research in the EU,<br />

please refer to the following Internet sites :<br />

http://europa.eu.int/comm/energy/index_en.htm<br />

http://www.cordis.lu/sustdev/energy


Interested in <strong>European</strong> research?<br />

RTD info is our quarterly magazine keeping you in touch with main developments (results, programmes, events, etc).<br />

It is available in English, French and German. A free sample copy or free subscription can be obtained from:<br />

<strong>European</strong> Commission<br />

Directorate-General for Research<br />

Information and Communication Unit<br />

B-1049 Brussels<br />

Fax: (32-2) 29-58220<br />

E-Mail: research@cec.eu.int<br />

Internet: http://europa.eu.int/comm/research/rtdinfo_en.html<br />

EUROPEAN COMMISSION<br />

Directorate J <strong>Energy</strong><br />

Unit RTD-J-3 New and Renewable <strong>Energy</strong> Sources<br />

B-1049 Brussels<br />

Helpdesk : rtd-energy@cec.eu.int<br />

For further information on energy research in the EU,<br />

please refer to the following Internet sites :<br />

http://europa.eu.int/comm/energy/index_en.htm<br />

http://www.cordis.lu/sustdev/energy


EUROPEAN COMMISSION<br />

<strong>European</strong><br />

<strong>Bio</strong>-<strong>Energy</strong> <strong>Projects</strong><br />

1999-2002<br />

2003 Directorate-General for Research EUR 20808


LEGAL NOTICE:<br />

Neither the <strong>European</strong> Commission nor any person acting on behalf of the Commission is responsible for the use which might be<br />

made of the following information.<br />

The views expressed in this publication are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the<br />

<strong>European</strong> Commission.<br />

A great deal of additional information on the <strong>European</strong> Union is available on the Internet.<br />

It can be accessed through the Europa server (http://europa.eu.int).<br />

Cataloguing data can be found at the end of this publication.<br />

Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the <strong>European</strong> Communities, 2003<br />

ISBN 92-894-4831-8<br />

© <strong>European</strong> Communities, 2003<br />

Reproduction is authorised provided the source is acknowledged.<br />

Printed in Belgium<br />

PRINTED ON WHITE CHLORINE-FREE PAPER<br />

Europe Direct is a service to help you find answers<br />

to your question about the <strong>European</strong> Union<br />

New freephone number:<br />

00 800 6 7 8 9 10 11


Introduction<br />

Renewable energy sources will play an important role in the<br />

sustainable development in the future, protection of the<br />

environment and the security of energy supply being the main<br />

driving forces in the short term.<br />

Amongst the Johannesburg conclusions there was an agreement<br />

to “urgently and substantially increase the share of renewable<br />

energy sources” while the Kyoto protocol implies for the EU a<br />

reduction of 8% of the greenhouse gas emissions (corresponding<br />

to around 600 million tons of CO2-equivalent) between 2008<br />

and 2012 (compared to 1990 level).<br />

Figure 1 presents the energy sources used in the EU in 2000.<br />

Renewable energy share is 6%, the biggest contributions coming<br />

from biomass and large hydropower.<br />

Figure 1: <strong>Energy</strong> sources utilized in the EU in 2000.<br />

To reach the <strong>European</strong> Union’s objective of increasing the share<br />

of renewable energy sources to 12% in 2010 (Council resolution<br />

on renewable energies of May 1998), all the different<br />

technologies, including geothermal, solar and ocean, have to be<br />

supported. Further increasing the use of biomass will be<br />

necessary, and biomass is expected to cover as much as 8%<br />

of the energy supply in 2010.<br />

Today, energy from biomass already contributes to about 4% of<br />

the EU energy supply, predominantly in heat and, to a lesser<br />

extent, in combined heat and power (CHP) applications. <strong>Bio</strong>mass<br />

accounts for 98% of total renewable heat production. Furthermore,<br />

biomass is the only renewable energy source that can produce<br />

competitively priced liquid fuels for transport. Reduced need to<br />

import oil (67% of oil is for road transport purposes), increased<br />

security of supply, reduction of emissions, improved local<br />

environment and new jobs are the primary benefits.<br />

<strong>Bio</strong>mass based energy systems can be built on a wide variety<br />

of feedstocks and use many different conversion technologies<br />

to produce solid, liquid or gaseous fuels. These fuels can then<br />

be used to provide heat, electricity or to power vehicles. It is<br />

possible to upgrade biomass to obtain fuels that are identical<br />

to or have properties close to those of fossil fuels. This<br />

minimises the need to adapt end-use technologies.<br />

Research and technological development are crucial for the<br />

development of bio-energy. In the Fifth Framework Programme<br />

(1998-2002) bio-energy was dealt with in two parts of the<br />

programme “<strong>Energy</strong>, environment and sustainable development”<br />

and “Cleaner energy systems and economic and efficient energy<br />

for a competitive Europe.”<br />

The research efforts covered the whole chain from production<br />

of feedstock to the end-use. Priority was given to proposals, which<br />

employ an innovative approach to the large-scale production and<br />

use of bioelectricity including CHP applications, and to innovative<br />

technologies that result in gains in conversion efficiency.<br />

For projects focused on technology development, priority areas<br />

were co-combustion of biomass in coal fired electricity plants,<br />

development and optimisation of conversion technologies such<br />

as combustion, gasification and pyrolysis. Furthermore, emphasis<br />

was put on biomass operated gas turbines and co-generation.<br />

New and improved technologies for production of biofuels<br />

was an important part of the efforts as well as development<br />

of cost efficient methods for cleaning of biofuels to be used in<br />

combustion engines and fuel cells. Socio-economic and<br />

prenormative research topics were also covered.<br />

This synopsis presents 100 projects supported by the <strong>European</strong><br />

Union in the Fifth Framework Programme. The publication<br />

demonstrates the many possible fields of utilisation of bioenergy<br />

and shows the breadth of the Union’s research and<br />

demonstration efforts and its commitment to develop bio-energy<br />

for the future.<br />

Günther Hanreich Pablo Fernández Ruiz<br />

Director Director<br />

5


Contents<br />

� Forestry<br />

- <strong>Energy</strong> Wood Production Chains in Europe – ECHAINE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10<br />

- Integrated <strong>Energy</strong> and Fibre Production by a Sulphur-free and Carbon Dioxide Neutral Process – EFPRO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12<br />

� <strong>Energy</strong> Crops<br />

- <strong>Bio</strong>-<strong>Energy</strong> Chains from Perennial Crops in South Europe – BIOENERGY CHAINS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14<br />

- Large <strong>Bio</strong>ethanol / ETBE Integrated Project in China and Italy – ECHI-T . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16<br />

- <strong>Energy</strong> Forest Development on Areas in Central-Eastern Europe, where Agricultural Production is Uneconomical –<br />

An Assessment Study – ENERGY FORESTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18<br />

- Big Scale Demonstration of <strong>Energy</strong> Crops Utilisation for <strong>Bio</strong>electricity Generation – BIOELECTRICITY CROPS . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20<br />

� <strong>Bio</strong>residues<br />

- Maximum <strong>Energy</strong> Yield from Organic Wastes and Decontamination to a High Quality Organic Fertilizer<br />

by a Microbiological Hybrid Process – ENERDEC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22<br />

- An Anaerobic Digestion Power Plant for Citrus Fruit Residues – ANDI-POWER CIFRU . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24<br />

- Demonstration of an Optimised Production System for <strong>Bio</strong>gas from <strong>Bio</strong>logical Waste and Agricultural<br />

Feedstock – AGROPTI-GAS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26<br />

- CHP Plant Based on Catalytic Liquid Conversion Process – CATLIQ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28<br />

- Power Plant Based on Fluidised Bed Fired with Poultry Litter – DEPR-Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30<br />

- <strong>Energy</strong> from Waste by Gasification and Plasma Cracking of Syngas with Multiple Recovery and Inert<br />

Rendering of Residues – ECO-WASTE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32<br />

- Demonstration of Three Innovative Steam Boiler Parts for a Considerably Higher Electricity Recovery Rate<br />

in Waste Incineration – HIGH ENERGY RECOVERY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34<br />

- Mixed <strong>Bio</strong>-Fuel 38MWe Power Plant Project – MBF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36<br />

- Optimised <strong>Bio</strong>mass CHP Plant for Monaghan Integrating Condensing Economiser Technology – MON-CHP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38<br />

- Reshment with Advanced <strong>Energy</strong> Yield – READY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40<br />

- Development of an Innovative Acidic Shape-Selective Mineral Catalyst added Pelletised Fuel<br />

from Organic Wastes – ASMICAF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42<br />

� Gasification & Pyrolysis<br />

- Catalyst Development for Catalytic <strong>Bio</strong>mass Flash Pyrolysis Producing Promissing Liquid <strong>Bio</strong>-Fuels – BIOCAT . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44<br />

- A new Competitive Liquid <strong>Bio</strong>fuel for Heating – COMBIO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46<br />

- <strong>Bio</strong>gas – MCFC Systems as a Challenge for Sustainable <strong>Energy</strong> Supply – EFFECTIVE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48<br />

- Pyrolysis Oil for Heat Generation: Verification of a Second Generation Pyrolysis Process – PYROHEAT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50<br />

- Straw Gasification for Co-Combustion in Large CHP Plants – STRAWGAS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52<br />

- Completion of the Arbre Plant with the Typhoon Gas Turbine – ABRE TYPHOON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54<br />

- Pyrolysis Oil Toxicity Assessment for Safe Handling and Transport – BIOTOX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56<br />

- Demonstration of a Flash Pyrolysis Plant – DEMO-PYROLYSIS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58<br />

- EU-Brazilian Industrial Demonstration of Gasification to Electricity – EU-BRIDGE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60<br />

- Network Cluster on Thermal <strong>Bio</strong>mass Conversion Implementation – THERMONET . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62<br />

- Re-operation of the Vaernamo Gasification Plant and Demonstration for RDF and Used Tyres (TDF)<br />

Gasification – VAERNAMO WASTE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64<br />

� Hydrogen From <strong>Bio</strong>mass<br />

- Decentralised CHP with the <strong>Bio</strong>mass Heatpipe Reformer – BIO-HPR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66<br />

- <strong>Bio</strong>mass-Gasification and Fuel-Cell Coupling via High-Temperature Gas Clean-up for Decentralised<br />

Electricity Generation with Improved Efficiency – CLEAN ENERGY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68<br />

- A New Approach for the Production of a Hydrogen-Rich Gas from <strong>Bio</strong>mass: An Absorption Enhanced<br />

Reforming Process – AER-GAS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70<br />

- Hydrogen Rich Fuel Gas from Supercritical Water Gasification of Wine Grape Residues and<br />

Greenhouse Rest <strong>Bio</strong>mass – WINEGAS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72<br />

- Efficient and Clean Production of Electricity from <strong>Bio</strong>mass via Pyrolysis oil and Hydrogen,<br />

utilizing Fuel Cells – BIO-ELECTRICITY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74<br />

- <strong>Bio</strong>mass and Waste Conversion in Supercritical Water for the Production of Renewable Hydrogen – SUPERHYDROGEN . . 76<br />

7


8<br />

� <strong>Bio</strong>gas<br />

- Advanced Prediction, Monitoring and Controlling of Anaerobic Digestion Processes Behaviour Towards<br />

<strong>Bio</strong>gas Usage in Fuel Cells – AMONCO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78<br />

- Development of an Improved <strong>Energy</strong> Recovery of <strong>Bio</strong>gas by Cooling and Removal of Harmful Substances – EROB . . . . . . . . 80<br />

- Three Step Fermentation of Solid State <strong>Bio</strong>waste for <strong>Bio</strong>gas Production and Sanitation – 3A-BIOGAS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82<br />

- Enhanced Production of Methane from Anaerobic Digestion with Pre-processed Solid Waste – DIPROWASTE . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84<br />

- Optimisation of the <strong>Energy</strong> Valorisation <strong>Bio</strong>mass Matter According to the Philosophy of a Natural Park – ENERGATTERT . . 86<br />

- Sludge for Heat – SFH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88<br />

� Gas Cleaning<br />

- Development of Selective Catalytic Oxidation “SCO” Technology and Other High Temperature NH3 Removal Processes<br />

for Gasification Power Plant – AMMONIA REMOVAL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90<br />

- Degradation of Tarwater from <strong>Bio</strong>mass Gasification – DE-TAR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92<br />

- <strong>Bio</strong>mass Gasification for CHP with Dry Gas Cleaning and Regenerative Heat Recovery – DRY GAS CLEANING . . . . . . . . . . . . 94<br />

- Improvement of the Economics of <strong>Bio</strong>mass/waste Gasification by Higher Carbon Conversion and Advanced<br />

Ash Management – GASASH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96<br />

- Tar Decomposition by Novel Catalytic Hot Gas Cleaning Methods – NOVACAT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98<br />

- The Influence of Tar Composition and Concentration on Fouling, Emission and Efficiency of Micro and Small Scale<br />

Gas Turbines by Combustion of <strong>Bio</strong>mass Derived Low Calorific Valued Gas – TARGET . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100<br />

� Combustion<br />

- Aerosols in Fixed-bed <strong>Bio</strong>mass Combustion – Formation, Growth, Chemical Composition, Deposition,<br />

Precipitation and Separation from Flue Gas – BIO-AEROSOLS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102<br />

- Application of Liquid <strong>Bio</strong>fuels in New Heating Technologies for Domestic Appliances Based on Cool Flame<br />

Vaporization and Porous Medium Combustion – BIOFLAM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104<br />

- Clean <strong>Energy</strong> Recovery from <strong>Bio</strong>mass Waste & Residues – BIOWARE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106<br />

- Intelligent Process Control System for <strong>Bio</strong>mass Fuelled industrial Power Plants – INTCON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108<br />

- Elaborated MGO Products for Efficient Flue Gas Treatment with Minimisation of Solid Residues for Waste<br />

to <strong>Energy</strong> Plants – MGO-GAS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110<br />

- Optimisation and Design of <strong>Bio</strong>mass Combustion Systems – OPTICOMB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112<br />

- Efficient Industrial Waste-To-<strong>Energy</strong> Utilisation through Fuel Preparation and Advanced BFB Combustion – EIWU . . . . . . . . 114<br />

- Neural Modelling for Reactive Turbulent Flow Simulation – NEMORETS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116<br />

- Multi Fuel Operated Integrated Clean <strong>Energy</strong> Process: Thermal Desorption Recycle-Reduce-Reuse<br />

Technology – TDT-3R MULTI FUEL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118<br />

� Co-Firing<br />

- Advanced <strong>Bio</strong>mass Reburning in Coal Combustion Systems – ABRICOS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120<br />

- <strong>Bio</strong>mass/Waste FBC with Inorganics Control – BIFIC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122<br />

- Combustion Behaviour of Clean Fuels in Power Generation – BIOFLAM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124<br />

- Influences from <strong>Bio</strong>fuel (Co-) Combustion on Catalytic Converters in Coal Fired Power Plants – CATDEACT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126<br />

- Steering Group for Clean Electricity and Heat Production with Co-Utilisation of <strong>Bio</strong>mass and Coal and Reduced<br />

Carbon Dioxide Emissions – CLEANSTEER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128<br />

- Mitigation of Formation of Chlorine Rich Deposits Affecting on Superheater Corrosion under Co-Combustion<br />

Conditions – CORBI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130<br />

- Safe Co-combustion and Extended Use of <strong>Bio</strong>mass and <strong>Bio</strong>waste in FB Plants with Accepted Emissions – FBCOBIOW . . 132<br />

- <strong>Bio</strong>fuels for CHP Plants - Reduced Emissions and Cost Reduction in the Combustion of High Alkali <strong>Bio</strong>fuels – HIAL . . . . . 134<br />

- Quality of Secondary Fuels for Pulverised Fuel Co-combustion – SEFCO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136<br />

- Reduction of Toxic Metal Emissions from Industrial Combustion Plants-Impact of Emission Control Technologies – TOMERED . 138<br />

- Unification of Power Plant and Solid Waste Incineration – UPSWING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140<br />

- Maximum <strong>Bio</strong>mass Use and Efficiency in Large-scale Cofiring – BIOMAX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142<br />

- Innovative Combined Flue Gas Treatment for Refused Urban Waste – CO-FGT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144<br />

- Novel Reactor System for Utilisation of Unprocessed <strong>Bio</strong>mass and Waste Fuels to Replace Fossil Fuels – HOTDISC . . . . 146


- Studies of Fuel Blend Properties in Boilers and Simulation Rigs to Increase <strong>Bio</strong>mass and <strong>Bio</strong>-waste Materials Used<br />

for Co-firing in Pulverised Coal Fired Boilers – POWERFLAM2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148<br />

- Utilization of Residues from <strong>Bio</strong>mass Co-Combustion in Pulverized Coal Boilers – UCOR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150<br />

� CHP<br />

- <strong>Bio</strong>mass Cogeneration Network – BIOCOGEN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152<br />

- 13 MW CHP Plant Based on <strong>Bio</strong>mass Gasifier with Gas Engines – BGGE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154<br />

- A 1MWe <strong>Bio</strong>mass Fluidised Bed Gasifier Power Plant with Catalytic Conversion of Tars – BIO-GASCAT-POWER . . . . . . . . . . . 156<br />

- Small-Scale CHP Plant Based on a Hermetic Four-Cylinder Stirling Engine for <strong>Bio</strong>mass Fuels – BIO-STERLING . . . . . . . . . . . 158<br />

- <strong>Bio</strong>mass-fired CHP Plant Based on a Screw-type Engine Cycle – BM SCREW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160<br />

- Multi-Agricultural Fuelled Staged Gasifier with Dry Gas Cleaning – LIFT-OFF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162<br />

- Fuzzy Logic Controlled CHP Plant for <strong>Bio</strong>mass Fuels Based on a Highly Efficient ORC-process – LOW EMISSION BIO ORC . . 164<br />

- New Small Scale Innovative <strong>Energy</strong> <strong>Bio</strong>mass Combustor – NESSIE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .166<br />

� <strong>Bio</strong>fuels & <strong>Bio</strong>chemicals<br />

- <strong>Bio</strong>chemicals and <strong>Energy</strong> from Sustainable Utilisation of Herbaceous <strong>Bio</strong>mass – BESUB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168<br />

- Integrated <strong>Bio</strong>mass Utilisation for Production of <strong>Bio</strong>fuels – CO-PRODUCTION BIOFUELS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170<br />

- Technological Improvement for Ethanol Production from Lignocellulose – TIME . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172<br />

- Project for the Production of 200 Million Litres of <strong>Bio</strong>ethanol in Babilafuente (Salamanca)<br />

from Cereals and Lignocellulose – BABILAFUENTE BIOETHANOL PROJECT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174<br />

- Demonstration of the Production of <strong>Bio</strong>diesel from Tallow and Recovered Vegetable Oil (RVO) – BIODIEPRO . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176<br />

- Sustainable Community through the Production of 30.000 Tm/year of <strong>Bio</strong>-Diesel Starting<br />

from Sunflower, Rapeseed and Palm <strong>Bio</strong>mass – BIODINA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178<br />

- Forest <strong>Energy</strong> – A Solution for the Future Power Needs – FORENERGY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180<br />

- Development of a <strong>Bio</strong>technological High Yield Process for Ethanol Production Based on a Continuous<br />

Fermentation Reactor – FERMATEC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182<br />

� Standards & Guidelines<br />

- Pre-Normative Work on Sampling and Testing of Solid <strong>Bio</strong>fuels for the Development<br />

of Quality Management – BIONORM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184<br />

- Standardisation of a Guideline for the Measurement of Tars in <strong>Bio</strong>mass Producer Gases –<br />

TAR MEASUREMENT STANDARD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186<br />

- Development of a Standard Method (Protocol) for the Measurement of Organic Contaminants “Tars”<br />

in <strong>Bio</strong>mass Producer Gases – TAR-PROTOCOLL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188<br />

- Waste to Recovered Fuel – TBR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190<br />

� General <strong>Bio</strong>energy Issues<br />

- Thermochemical Conversion of Solid Fuels – Processes of Pyrolysis, Gasification and Combustion<br />

of <strong>Bio</strong>mass and Wastes – CONBIOT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192<br />

- ERA <strong>Bio</strong>energy Strategy – Short Term Measures to Develop the <strong>European</strong> Research Area for <strong>Bio</strong>energy RTD –<br />

ERA BIOENERGY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194<br />

- BIOmass-based Climate Change MITIgation through Renewable <strong>Energy</strong> – BIOMITRE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196<br />

- Promotion of EU <strong>Bio</strong>mass Technology in Agro-Industry of High-Potential Third Countries – BIO-SME-TC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198<br />

- Clear Data for Clean Fuels – CLEAR DATA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200<br />

- Accompanying Measure to Assist Technology Transfer of EU <strong>Bio</strong>mass / <strong>Bio</strong>mass Waste Utilisation<br />

Technologies to China – EU CHINA BIOTECH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202<br />

- Information Initiative, Concerning <strong>Bio</strong>mass <strong>Energy</strong> Experience from EU Countries – INFBIOMENXP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204<br />

- Waste Management in Island Communities: Strategy to Integrate Waste to <strong>Energy</strong> Policies – WTE-ISLE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206<br />

- Accompanying Measure on Critical Technology Selection and Conference for Renewable <strong>Energy</strong> Recovery<br />

from <strong>Bio</strong>mass Generated within the <strong>European</strong> Leather Sector – MOND . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208<br />

9


ECHAINE Challenges<br />

Objectives<br />

The future development of bioenergy in<br />

Europe depends to a large extent on<br />

the availability of resources and their<br />

possible impacts on the environment.<br />

The fast growing market for wood energy<br />

and other renewables in Europe in recent<br />

years have already raised questions about<br />

their influence on the environment. Some<br />

of these resources are already available<br />

in the physical form of residues from<br />

agriculture and forestry as well as from<br />

their related industries. Most of the bark<br />

could be used internally in the forest<br />

industry for energy purposes. Increasing<br />

quantities of other by-products, mainly<br />

sawdust, are used for the production<br />

of pellets, briquettes and powder for energy<br />

purposes. The marketable quantity<br />

of recycled wood and other waste<br />

materials is increasing for fuel purposes.<br />

One important aspect is that the<br />

assessment of these potentials in the<br />

appraisal of these resources plays a part<br />

in the setting of targets and limits for their<br />

practical utilisation. Another important<br />

aspect is public opinion – how can the<br />

acceptability of renewables be improved?<br />

There are several other factors to take<br />

into account, e.g. noise, visual intrusion,<br />

environmental concerns and even other<br />

non-technical obstacles.<br />

<strong>Energy</strong> wood production<br />

chains in Europe<br />

The main goal of the project is: to provide data<br />

and deal with the key issues in the identification<br />

and evaluation of economical and environmentally<br />

and socially friendly supply chains for utilisation<br />

of energy wood sources for heat/power<br />

production. The main problems to be solved<br />

are: 1) Optimisation of energy wood utilisation<br />

chains; 2) Reducing production costs of energy;<br />

3) Improving the systems environmental<br />

friendliness; 4) Improving public acceptability<br />

of renewables and sustainable development;<br />

5) Creation of market opportunities; and 6) Use<br />

of new ICTs.<br />

Project structure<br />

To reach the above-mentioned goals, 11 work<br />

packages have been targeted as follows: WP1<br />

will detail administrative and scientific coordination<br />

of the project. WP2 is designed to<br />

cover the public dissemination and commercialisation<br />

of project results. Dissemination also<br />

includes the setting up of an innovative<br />

educational web-based tool (ICT). In WP3, socioeconomic,<br />

environmentally friendly production<br />

chains of energy wood are identified and<br />

evaluated. In WP4, the environmental/ecological<br />

impacts associated with the most promising<br />

energy wood production chains are identified<br />

and the impacts recorded. In WP5, socioeconomic,<br />

environmentally friendly production<br />

technology for heat and power production using<br />

energy wood is identified and evaluated. In WP6,<br />

the environmental/ecological impacts associated<br />

with the most promising technologies for energy<br />

wood utilisation for heat and power production<br />

are identified and the impacts recorded. WP7<br />

deals with identifying, describing, and evaluating<br />

the most important socio-economic barriers that<br />

hamper the acceptance of wood for energy<br />

10<br />

production and utilisation. The market structure<br />

and policy issues of the energy wood supply<br />

chains in the participating countries will also be<br />

investigated. WP8 is used for energy and emergy<br />

analysis of the energy wood production and<br />

utilisation. In WP9, available quantities of energy<br />

wood in a medium-time horizon, around ten<br />

years, are determined under different socioeconomic<br />

and ecological considerations. In<br />

WP10, a life-cycle analysis will be carried out for<br />

the energy wood utilisation chains. WP11 deals<br />

with the new information and communication<br />

technologies (ICTs, GIS, web, etc.) and their<br />

relevance for energy wood production chains.<br />

The project will be carried out by an international<br />

team comprising members from nine <strong>European</strong><br />

countries (Sweden, Finland, Germany, Portugal,<br />

Spain, Greece, Switzerland, Bulgaria and<br />

Romania), three of which are from the associated<br />

countries (Bulgaria, Romania and Switzerland).<br />

The team members offer a wide range of<br />

knowledge, covering the whole production chain<br />

“from the raw material source to the chimney”.<br />

The ECHAINE project has a multi-disciplinary<br />

approach and covers several disciplines (e.g.<br />

systems analysis, LCA, energy and emergy<br />

analysis, systems ecology, socio-economics,<br />

management, techniques, ecology, economics,<br />

etc.). Data for analyses are collected from<br />

field experiments, research reports, and<br />

interviews with farmers, forest owners, contractor<br />

companies, and citizens and, to some extent,<br />

from experiences and studies of machinery<br />

prototypes. We will also use a Geographical<br />

Information System (GIS) to join the spatial data<br />

generated in different studies in the project.


Expected impact and exploitation<br />

The project will result in: 1) A review of energy<br />

wood production chains and energy wood-based<br />

heat and power production, e.g. CHP, in Europe<br />

and in Eastern Europe, and the driving forces for<br />

the implementation of these activities; 2) Links<br />

with international organisations; 3) Market<br />

analysis of energy wood and energy wood-based<br />

heat and power production concerning different<br />

barriers; 4) Policy analysis of energy wood and<br />

energy wood-based heat and power production;<br />

5) An analysis of energy wood and energy woodbased<br />

heat and power production; 6) <strong>Energy</strong><br />

and emergy analysis of energy wood utilisation<br />

chains; spatial distribution of energy wood<br />

resources; 7) A description of selected flagship<br />

projects across Europe; 8) Co-operation between<br />

EU and Eastern <strong>European</strong> countries; and<br />

9) Dissemination of the results through scientific<br />

publications, open seminars, workshops,<br />

educational and training activities as well as by<br />

development of a website including an integrated<br />

interactive GIS- application for the analysis of<br />

spatial information.<br />

The socio-economic, market and<br />

policy implication of energy wood<br />

production<br />

As an innovation, the project will also identify<br />

socio-economic problems resulting from the<br />

production chains for energy wood. The project<br />

will suggest actions needed in order to contribute<br />

joint EU legislation for utilisation of energy wood<br />

and to gain the EU forestry and energy policy<br />

processes and socio-economic aspects,<br />

strategies and options at EU-level for the<br />

implementation of internal and international<br />

commitments. Results and synergetic interactions,<br />

e.g. employment, can in many cases be<br />

translated into other EU countries and even<br />

other parts of the world. This fact can lead to<br />

increased export of goods and services from the<br />

EU, an aspect which is one of the important goals<br />

of the Fifth Framework Programme to create<br />

market opportunities for the Union members.<br />

Environmental impacts<br />

The ECHAINE project also includes a module<br />

that analyses the environmental effects of using<br />

wood as a source of energy and which will<br />

promote preservation of natural resources by<br />

providing information about forestry strategies<br />

beneficial for the environment. These studies will<br />

contribute to an increase in the knowledge about<br />

possible problems, benefits and impacts on the<br />

environment due to production chains for energy<br />

wood and increased use of energy wood.<br />

Research will cover the specific problems of<br />

urban forestry and the possible impact of climate<br />

change on forests, along with adaptation to<br />

climate change, prevention of forest fires and<br />

landslides in, for example, the Mediterranean<br />

ecosystems, carbon cycles and CO2 sequestration.<br />

Also to be considered are cost-effective<br />

forestry management and multifunctional use<br />

of forest resources to ensure proper levels<br />

of biodiversity.<br />

Progress to date<br />

The specific objectives for the first six-month<br />

period are as follows: 1) To initialise the project;<br />

2) Launch a web page (http://www.echaine.org);<br />

3) Publish a first leaflet and poster about the<br />

project; 4) Download information on to the web<br />

page; 5) Gather basic information for the project;<br />

6) Gather basic information for the FAQ activity<br />

on the web page; 7) Initialise the field test<br />

activities; 8) Initialise variable definitions; and<br />

9) Launch a test version of the GIS-tool.<br />

11<br />

INFORMATION<br />

References: ENK5-CT-2002-00623<br />

Programme:<br />

FP5 - <strong>Energy</strong>, Environment and<br />

Sustainable Development<br />

Title:<br />

<strong>Energy</strong> Wood Production Chains<br />

in Europe – ECHAINE<br />

Duration: 36 months<br />

Contact point:<br />

Matti Parikka<br />

Swedish University of Agricultural<br />

Sciences Department of <strong>Bio</strong>energy (S)<br />

Tel: +46-18-671639<br />

Fax: +46-18-673800<br />

matti.parikka@bioenergi.slu.se<br />

Partners:<br />

Swedish University of Agricultural<br />

Sciences (S)<br />

Centre for Research and Technology<br />

Hellas (GR)<br />

University of Oulu (FIN)<br />

Centre for Renewable <strong>Energy</strong> Sources (GR)<br />

Escola Superior Agrária de Beja (P)<br />

Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung<br />

der Angewandten Forschung (D)<br />

ETH Zürich (CH)<br />

SchlumbergerSema Sociedad<br />

Anónima Española (E)<br />

Technical University of Sofia (BG)<br />

Oskar von Miller – Conception, Research<br />

and Design Institute for Thermal Power<br />

Equipment (RO)<br />

Website: http://www.echaine.org<br />

EC Scientific Officer:<br />

Garbiñe Guiu Etxeberria<br />

Tel: +32-2-2990538<br />

Fax: +32-2-2993694<br />

garbine.guiu@cec.eu.int<br />

Status: Ongoing


EFPRO Challenges<br />

A. <strong>Energy</strong> production and spent<br />

liquor recovery in recovery<br />

boilers<br />

Objectives<br />

The EFPRO project – Integrated energy<br />

and fibre production by a sulphur- free<br />

and carbon dioxide neutral process – is<br />

a research project supported by the<br />

<strong>European</strong> Commission under the Fifth<br />

Framework Programme. The main objective<br />

of the EFPRO project is to increase the<br />

production of green electricity in the<br />

production of chemical pulp from <strong>European</strong><br />

hardwoods, especially birch and<br />

eucalyptus. This target is to be obtained<br />

by adopting a new sulphur-free chemical<br />

pulping process. Here, the main results<br />

relating to power production and how<br />

power production can be increased in a<br />

sulphur-free process, are reported.<br />

Sulphur-free cooking –<br />

How to get more power from<br />

your process<br />

12<br />

Spent liquor from sulphur-free cookers was<br />

analysed for its chemical composition and<br />

physical properties. The liquors have a net<br />

heating value higher than conventional Kraft<br />

cooking spent liquors. Alternative recovery<br />

boiler processes for the new cooking method<br />

have been evaluated and the work done so<br />

far indicates that considerable improvements<br />

can be achieved compared to present<br />

recovery boiler technologies.<br />

B. <strong>Energy</strong> production and spent<br />

liquor recovery via gasification<br />

The heating value as well as the elemental<br />

composition of sulphur-free spent liquors<br />

confirms the potential for designing a<br />

gasification process. A laboratory-scale study<br />

on spent liquor gasification has been carried<br />

out. The characteristic values of spent liquors<br />

in pressurised and atmospheric conditions<br />

have been used to outline a suitable IGCC –<br />

Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle –<br />

plant concept for the sulphur-free cooking<br />

process.<br />

Project structure<br />

The work plan is broken down into five work<br />

packages so that the ultimate objectives can be<br />

achieved in three parallel or consecutive phases:<br />

1. Laboratory and pilot-scale work to provide<br />

pulping spent liquors for studies on energy<br />

production, and to confirm good papermaking<br />

properties of the pulps.<br />

2. Laboratory and engineering work to study<br />

energy production and recovery chemicals<br />

from the spent liquors provided in phase 1.<br />

3. Feasibility study on energy production and<br />

recovery of the cooking chemicals, mainly<br />

provided in phase 2.<br />

Expected impact and exploitation<br />

The EFPRO project has created contacts between<br />

research organisations in Portugal, France,<br />

Germany and Finland. All participating partners<br />

have their own expertise and the project has<br />

opened up possibilities for exchanging<br />

information and visions on the technical work<br />

needed in future. The EFPRO project has also<br />

brought non-traditional expertise to chemical<br />

pulping process development.<br />

A sulphur-free chemical pulping process with a<br />

high electrical energy output will improve the<br />

quality of life locally at the pulp mills and reduce<br />

CO2 emissions from the process. The reduced<br />

CO2 emissions have a global influence on the<br />

quality of life.<br />

The <strong>European</strong> Union is the leading supplier of<br />

systems and machinery for the chemical pulping<br />

industry. The project will create new products and<br />

possibilities for the <strong>European</strong> supplier industry.


Results<br />

The main result of this project is a detailed<br />

techno-economical description of energy<br />

production and recovery of cooking chemicals as<br />

part of a sulphur-free pulping process. The<br />

project results will be used to decide whether a<br />

larger-scale piloting and further developing and<br />

refining of a sulphur-free and CO2 neutral process<br />

for energy and pulp production is justifiable<br />

using <strong>European</strong> hardwoods as the raw material.<br />

Another expected result of the project is<br />

optimised cooking and bleaching conditions so<br />

that the papermaking properties of the pulps are<br />

at the same level as those of reference pulps.<br />

The pilot tests performed with pulp produced at<br />

pilot scale indicate that the papermaking<br />

properties will correspond to those that can be<br />

achieved using conventional pulp production<br />

methods.<br />

13<br />

INFORMATION<br />

References: ENK5-CT-2000-00306<br />

Programme:<br />

FP5 - <strong>Energy</strong>, Environment and<br />

Sustainable Development<br />

Title:<br />

Integrated <strong>Energy</strong> and Fibre Production by<br />

a Sulphur-free and Carbon Dioxide Neutral<br />

Process – EFPRO<br />

Duration: 36 months<br />

Contact point:<br />

Kari Ebeling<br />

UPM-Kymmene<br />

Tel: +358-20-4150076<br />

Fax: +358-20-4150334<br />

kari.ebeling@upm-kymmene.com<br />

Partners:<br />

UPM-Kymmene (FIN)<br />

Andritz Corporation (FIN)<br />

Centre Technique de l’Industrie des<br />

Papiers, Cartons et Celluloses (F)<br />

Instituto de Investigação<br />

da Floresta e Papel (P)<br />

Siemens (D)<br />

EC Scientific Officer:<br />

Garbiñe Guiu Etxeberria<br />

Tel: +32-2-2990538<br />

Fax: +32-2-2993694<br />

garbine.guiu@cec.eu.int<br />

Status: Ongoing


BIOENERGY<br />

CHAINS<br />

Objectives<br />

The overall objective of this project is to<br />

define and evaluate complete bioenergy<br />

chains from biomass production to<br />

thermochemical conversion for the<br />

production of valuable energy products.<br />

Four energy crops, Arundo donax (giant<br />

reed), Cynara cardunculus (cardoon),<br />

Miscanthus x giganteus (miscanthus) and<br />

Panicum virgatum (switchgrass) will be<br />

cultivated in small and large fields in<br />

Greece, Spain, Italy and France. The crops<br />

have been carefully selected to provide a<br />

year-round availability of raw material.<br />

Each crop will be fully characterised and<br />

subjected to a comprehensive test<br />

programme of combustion, gasification and<br />

fast pyrolysis. The complete chains will be<br />

evaluated in technical, environmental and<br />

economic terms in order to identify the<br />

most promising combinations of biomass<br />

resources and technologies.<br />

<strong>Bio</strong>energy chains<br />

from perennial crops<br />

in South Europe<br />

Challenges<br />

In the whole bioenergy chain – biomass<br />

production, processing and conversion<br />

–considerable time and funds have been spent<br />

to date on research solely for biomass production<br />

or energy conversion processes. Little attention<br />

has been paid to measuring and evaluating the<br />

performance of energy crops (perennial or<br />

annual) in an integrated bioenergy chain. The use<br />

of a mixture of crops offers the potential for a<br />

year-round operation without the need to store<br />

large quantities of materials, while feeding<br />

systems developed for energy crops and related<br />

materials would be capable of handling a wide<br />

range of materials with comparable handling<br />

characteristics.<br />

Laboratory tests on the different stages of<br />

handling, pretreating and processing these less<br />

commonly processed materials are an essential<br />

first step towards the development and evaluation<br />

of integrated systems, particularly for comparing<br />

performance on these materials with performance<br />

criteria derived from more orthodox biomass<br />

forms such as wood. Measures of product yield<br />

and product quality are particularly important.<br />

Project structure<br />

Five work packages have been scheduled. WP1<br />

will address the whole biomass production chain<br />

of the four selected perennial crops. WP2 will<br />

address the thermochemical conversion<br />

processes, covering fuel characterisation and<br />

multifuelled tests of combustion, pyrolysis and<br />

gasification of the raw material produced in<br />

WP1. A financial/economic assessment of the<br />

data collected from the previous work packages<br />

will be accomplished in WP3. The overall<br />

14<br />

performance from biomass in the field to a<br />

delivered energy product as heat and or power<br />

will be measured by reference to the component<br />

parts in the chain, starting in the field and<br />

progressing through each stage of handling and<br />

processing. An overall performance model will<br />

be derived to provide consistent comparison<br />

between different bioenergy chains. This will be<br />

complemented in WP4 with an environmental<br />

assessment which will be conducted at all stages<br />

of all bioenergy chains. A list of the best options,<br />

in terms of economic and environmental benefits,<br />

of a combination of biofuels and technology,<br />

will be produced for each country. Finally, the<br />

Work Package 5 (WP5) details the coordination<br />

of the project, dealing with the consortium’s<br />

managerial, exploitation and dissemination<br />

activities.<br />

Expected impact and exploitation<br />

The project will provide technical and economic<br />

evidence on the evaluation of entire bioenergy<br />

chains, and identification of the best options in<br />

terms of resource and technology to reach the<br />

cost targets for 1 500 €/kWe and 0.05 €/kWh<br />

investment and electricity production cost, as<br />

set by the EU.<br />

One of the most important bottlenecks to<br />

achieving the cost targets is the raw material<br />

cost. Among the cost components, storage<br />

comes high on the list, ranging from 0.45 to<br />

22.69 €/odt, depending on the feedstock<br />

and storage type. Through the multicropping<br />

cultivation and successive harvesting, an<br />

80-90% reduction of the storage cost will be<br />

feasible.


Furthermore, multifuelled tests of combustion,<br />

pyrolysis and gasification processes for the four<br />

selected crops will contribute to the security of<br />

feedstock supply to the energy plant.<br />

Fuel availability and associated costs play an<br />

important role in finding economic incentives<br />

for the introduction of biofuels-based energy<br />

production. A fuel-flexible system would increase<br />

plant availability and, at the same time, probably<br />

reduce the operating costs through limited<br />

feedstock storage costs.<br />

The results and information obtained will be of<br />

significant use for policy-makers in south<br />

<strong>European</strong> countries and/or regions, as well as<br />

in the EU. Scientists working in this field, biomass<br />

producers, manufacturers and users of biofuels<br />

will be able to use the results to optimise<br />

processes and production chains in technical,<br />

economic and environmental terms.<br />

Progress to date<br />

� The four selected crops have been established<br />

in large- and small-scale fields. The establishment<br />

of giant reed, cardoon and switchgrass<br />

in all fields has been carried out successfully,<br />

while miscanthus seems to be more sensitive<br />

to the soil and climatic conditions.<br />

� Fuel characterisation tests on feedstock<br />

samples from each crop are ongoing,<br />

depending on the harvesting time of each<br />

crop. Preliminary tests of combustion and<br />

gasification have also been performed. In<br />

most cases, as the chemical composition<br />

of the perennial crops is closer to the chemical<br />

characteristics of straw rather than to woody<br />

biomass fuels, the technological solutions<br />

developed for the combustion of straw should<br />

be considered for the evaluation of these<br />

crops.<br />

� A cost analysis and economic model is being<br />

prepared.<br />

� The environmental characteristics of the<br />

biomass production relative to those of<br />

conventional agricultural production have been<br />

investigated. Based on the data collected, an<br />

input grid for all activities accomplished during<br />

plant establishment has been generated and<br />

life-cycle inventories have been compiled. The<br />

environmental impacts for accomplished lifecycle<br />

steps were calculated on a countryspecific<br />

and crop-specific basis.<br />

� A conclusive interpretation of the results so far<br />

is not yet possible as most of the crops have<br />

not even completed their first growing cycle.<br />

15<br />

INFORMATION<br />

References: ENK6-CT-2001-00524<br />

Programme:<br />

FP5 - <strong>Energy</strong>, Environment and<br />

Sustainable Development<br />

Title:<br />

<strong>Bio</strong>-<strong>Energy</strong> Chains from Perennial Crops<br />

in South Europe – BIOENERGY CHAINS<br />

Duration: 45 months<br />

Contact point:<br />

Myrsini Christou<br />

Centre for Renewable<br />

<strong>Energy</strong> Sources<br />

Tel: +30-210-6603300, -394<br />

Fax: +30-210-6603301<br />

mchrist@cres.gr<br />

Partners:<br />

Centre for Renewable<br />

<strong>Energy</strong> Sources (GR)<br />

Universidad Polytecnica de Madrid (E)<br />

Institut National de la Recherche<br />

Agronomique (F)<br />

University of Bologna (I)<br />

University of Aston (UK)<br />

Institut für Umweltstudien (D)<br />

TU Graz (A)<br />

BTG <strong>Bio</strong>mass Technology Group (NL)<br />

Agricultural University of Athens (GR)<br />

Institut für Energie und Umweltforschung (D)<br />

EC Scientific Officer:<br />

Komninos Diamantaras<br />

Tel: +32-2-2955831<br />

Fax: +32-2-2993694<br />

komninos.diamantaras@cec.eu.int<br />

Status: Ongoing


ECHI-T Challenges<br />

Objectives<br />

The project aims to demonstrate the<br />

feasibility of sweet sorghum cultivation for<br />

the renewable and sustainable production<br />

of transport fuels (bio-ethanol, and even<br />

bio-hydrogen and bio-methanol), energy<br />

(electricity and heat) and other products<br />

(such as animal feed, pulp for paper,<br />

charcoal, activated coal, etc.) in Europe<br />

and abroad. During the project, a detailed<br />

technical, economic and financial study on<br />

an Integrated <strong>Bio</strong>energy Complex based on<br />

sweet sorghum was performed, the main<br />

goal being to define the plant configuration<br />

and logistics, from biomass receipt to<br />

product supply: three possible sites were<br />

selected, two in The People’s Republic of<br />

China and one in Italy. Also, a preliminary<br />

environmental impact assessment and an<br />

evaluation of the socio-economic benefits<br />

(i.e. job creation) were carried out. Finally,<br />

the results achieved in the project were<br />

summarised in a comprehensive brochure,<br />

with the aim of disseminating the<br />

information to target groups in China and<br />

the <strong>European</strong> Union.<br />

Large-scale production<br />

of bio-ethanol from sweet<br />

sorghum<br />

The main issue addressed by the project is to<br />

increase the technical knowledge about ethanol<br />

production from sweet sorghum; the alcohol<br />

production, in fact, is usually obtained (in Brazil<br />

and Europe) from sugar beet, so there is a<br />

general lack of know-how on its production from<br />

sweet sorghum. The cultivation of this dedicated<br />

crop is common in China, thus providing the<br />

necessary skills to carry out the project. The<br />

other main issue in the project concerns<br />

consideration of the fact that the processing of<br />

sweet sorghum can be done using existing<br />

commercial technologies, but the application of<br />

these technologies to this crop is very innovative<br />

and research activity is needed. Furthermore,<br />

the integrated processing of an energy crop<br />

into several products with high added value (e.g.<br />

chemicals) has not been implemented to date.<br />

Project structure<br />

A variety of knowledge in energy and agriculture,<br />

industrial experience and several technologies for<br />

defining the proposed innovative commercial<br />

bioenergy complex is the novelty factor of the<br />

proposed project. The objective of the feasibility<br />

study for the projects in Italy and China is, in fact,<br />

the definition of each single step needed to<br />

implement the bioenergy system: first, the<br />

selection of the sweet sorghum varieties for<br />

bio-ethanol production; secondly, analysis of the<br />

entire chain from the harvesting to the supply of<br />

the feedstock for the production of bioethanol,<br />

combined heat and power and other products;<br />

finally, identification of the best configurations for<br />

the three sites, the related economic analysis,<br />

16<br />

the ‘project-financing plan’, and assessment of<br />

the environmental impact and of the main legal<br />

issues. Therefore, the implementation of such<br />

a project requires a large number of partners to<br />

make an all-inclusive feasibility study possible:<br />

13 partners from six countries and three<br />

continents participated in this two-year project:<br />

The project comprises 14 tasks:<br />

1. Identification of sweet sorghum seeds;<br />

evaluation of productivity<br />

2. Preliminary configuration of the three<br />

complexes<br />

3. Preliminary identification of technologies<br />

4. Study of logistics<br />

5. Evaluation of sweet sorghum production<br />

cost and co-products value<br />

6. Techno-economic assessment of the<br />

cogeneration plant<br />

7. Preliminary study of the bio-ethanol plant<br />

8. Techno-economic assessment of the DDG<br />

(Distillers’ Dried Grains) plant<br />

9. General layout of the three complexes<br />

10. Economics of the three complexes<br />

11. Environmental impact analysis of the three<br />

complexes<br />

12. Project financing plan<br />

13. Identification of legal aspects; market analysis<br />

14. Dissemination of results


Expected impact<br />

The integrated sweet sorghum complex can<br />

contribute to the achievements of policies and<br />

objectives of both <strong>European</strong> Member States and<br />

developing countries. The production of<br />

renewable energy at a competitive cost, the<br />

diversification of energy supply, the production<br />

of vegetal proteins (DDG) and permanent job<br />

creation are goals relevant to the first group of<br />

countries; the fight against poverty and<br />

unemployment, a phenomenon typical of rural<br />

and remote areas, and the innovation and<br />

development of advanced technologies are very<br />

important for the second group.<br />

Results<br />

Scheme: <strong>Bio</strong>energy Village.<br />

The ECHI-T project examined a wide range of<br />

bioenergy schemes based on sweet sorghum in<br />

Italy and The People’s Republic of China. A<br />

survey of the three sites has been carried out,<br />

and areas suitable for sweet sorghum cultivation<br />

and the related industrial processing activities<br />

have been identified. Two different approaches<br />

have been chosen: the first one aimed at<br />

designing a large-scale centralised scheme to be<br />

adopted in Basilicata (Italy) and Dongying (P.R.<br />

China), while the second one, based on smallscale<br />

clustered units suitable for rural areas<br />

and probably lower quality soils, was evaluated<br />

for Huhhot (P.R. China).<br />

The project demonstrated that the integrated<br />

bioenergy scheme is technically feasible on the<br />

basis of existing commercial technologies, even<br />

if minor adaptations are necessary. The<br />

economics of the projects are favourable, even<br />

if some support is needed to make the<br />

investment more economically sound, given the<br />

favourable impact on the environment and the<br />

connected socio-economic benefits. Moreover,<br />

the scheme in Europe and abroad is eligible for<br />

several financial measures supporting renewable<br />

energy projects, such as Structural Funds or<br />

CO2 trading, which could significantly improve the<br />

returns on investment. In addition, the possibility<br />

of combining the production of bio-ethanol from<br />

sweet sorghum with bio-ethanol from other crops<br />

could extend the use throughout the year of the<br />

ethanol production plant, and therefore improve<br />

the economics.<br />

Sorghum plantation © Tommaso Guicciardini.<br />

17<br />

INFORMATION<br />

References: ENK6-CT-2000-80130<br />

Programme:<br />

FP5 - <strong>Energy</strong>, Environment and<br />

Sustainable Development<br />

Title:<br />

Large <strong>Bio</strong>ethanol / ETBE Integrated<br />

Project in China and Italy – ECHI-T<br />

Duration: 18 months<br />

Contact point:<br />

Angela Grassi<br />

ETA - Energia, Trasporti, Agricoltura<br />

Angela.Grassi@etaflorence.it<br />

Partners:<br />

ETA Renewable Energies (I)<br />

EUBIA - <strong>European</strong> <strong>Bio</strong>mass<br />

Industry Association (B)<br />

SIEMENS Power Generation (D)<br />

WIP Renewable Energies (D)<br />

ENERGIDALEN (S)<br />

BAFF - <strong>Bio</strong>Alcohol Fuel Foundation (S)<br />

Delta - T (USA)<br />

ISCI - Istituto Sperimentale<br />

Colture Industriali (I)<br />

SORGHAL (B)<br />

COTEI (I)<br />

Berwin Leighton Paisner (B)<br />

CAREI - China rural <strong>Energy</strong> Industry<br />

Association (P.R. China)<br />

Beijing E&E <strong>Bio</strong>mass Development<br />

(P.R. China)<br />

EC Scientific Officer:<br />

Helmut Pfrüner<br />

Tel: +32-2-2965487<br />

Fax: +32-2-2966882<br />

helmut.pfruener@cec.eu.int<br />

Status: Completed


© Courtesy of Geo-Montan Ltd.<br />

Permission by Geo-Montan Ltd.<br />

ENERGY<br />

FORESTS<br />

Objectives<br />

The main goal of the project is to classify<br />

energy plants and low quality agricultural<br />

land to help farmers and decision-makers<br />

to choose the best types of biomass and<br />

planting sites for growing energy crops.<br />

We shall analyse the socio-economic<br />

implications and environmental effects<br />

of biomass planting and design a new<br />

computerised database to support<br />

decision-makers.<br />

We are advocating biomass planting and<br />

renewable energy related research is one<br />

of our main priorities. The consortium<br />

operates a website, organises meetings,<br />

and publishes a newsletter.<br />

The lessons learned will be summed up in a<br />

comprehensive final report entitled ‘<strong>Energy</strong><br />

Forests for Re-cultivation’, which will be<br />

available in hard-copy format.<br />

<strong>Bio</strong>mass:<br />

Reclaiming our oldest<br />

energy source<br />

Problems addressed<br />

Increasing reliance on renewable energy is an<br />

important priority of the <strong>European</strong> Union, since<br />

it can reduce the dependence on imports and<br />

prevent future imbalances in the energy market.<br />

What is more, increasing productivity in the<br />

agricultural sector and unfavourable market<br />

conditions, such as overproduction, constrain<br />

land use and acreage dedicated to plant<br />

cultivation. This decline in traditional agricultural<br />

activities creates a surplus of land and labour and<br />

has repercussions on our rural communities.<br />

We would like to promote a more rational use of<br />

low quality agricultural land and present energy<br />

forest planting as a viable alternative to<br />

unprofitable agricultural activities. We intend to<br />

offer would-be entrepreneurs guidance and help<br />

them cope with major investment risks.<br />

Barriers to overcome<br />

<strong>Energy</strong> production from biomass is not always a<br />

popular proposition. We often encounter<br />

obstacles such as weak infrastructure, steep<br />

production costs, lack of history and public<br />

support, or just pure and plain conservatism.<br />

Although biomass planting has a far greater<br />

potential in Hungary then other types of<br />

alternative energy sources, it is often completely<br />

ignored by policy makers and professional<br />

organisations. To help overcome these barriers<br />

we would like to inform stakeholders of the<br />

potential benefits of biomass planting and the<br />

verdict of our experts.<br />

18<br />

Project structure<br />

The consortium carrying out this project consists<br />

of five members from four different countries, two<br />

educational and research institutions and three<br />

SMEs. The project is fully funded and was made<br />

possible by a grant from the budget of the<br />

<strong>European</strong> Union’s 5th Framework Programme.<br />

The 18 month long collaboration officially started<br />

in December 2002 and the first preparatory<br />

stage has been completed in May 2003.<br />

The execution is divided into six blocks, called<br />

work packages, each of which is either focused<br />

on a specific field of research or related to<br />

project management. Each work package has a<br />

strict deadline and an organisation that is<br />

responsible for its execution.<br />

Work packages 1 and 2 are dedicated to project<br />

management and dissemination. Scientific work<br />

will start in work package 3 (land classification)<br />

with the characterisation of potential planting<br />

sites. Work package 4 (energy forest plantation)<br />

deals with the optimal selection of biomass<br />

types. Work package 5 (socio-economic outcomes)<br />

will discuss the effects of biomass planting.<br />

Since work package 6 (the re-cultivation of open<br />

cut mining sites) is very important in some<br />

parts, it will run for almost the entire duration of<br />

the project.


Expected impact and exploitation<br />

We hope that biomass planting will gain more<br />

acceptance and popularity, and that the risks and<br />

start-up costs involved could be reduced<br />

significantly.<br />

Our research will help stakeholders to consider<br />

planting energy crops as a real alternative by<br />

supplying them with hard data. By influencing the<br />

public opinion we will certainly contribute to a<br />

better climate for future initiatives.<br />

Progress to date<br />

The project was launched in December 2002 and<br />

four and a half months later we can report<br />

progress on two fronts.<br />

At our start-up meeting we agreed to focus on<br />

three reference areas, one in Poland, one in<br />

Hungary and one in the Czech Republic. So far<br />

we have reviewed the Hungarian literature with<br />

a special emphasis on little known pioneering<br />

experiments, carried out by timber companies<br />

and forestry engineers in the past. In the case<br />

of Poland, we have characterised the most<br />

common biomass types.<br />

As regards software development, we have<br />

defined the essentials required of the proposed<br />

database and the corresponding land classification<br />

methodology. Our earliest results will be made<br />

public in our first newsletter coming out in mid-May.<br />

Forestry experiment<br />

© Courtesy of Erik Temesvari, 2003 /<br />

Permission by Erik Temesvari.<br />

Source: ‘Toward a <strong>European</strong> Strategy for Security of <strong>Energy</strong> Supply.’<br />

From the Green Paper adopted by the <strong>European</strong> Commission on<br />

29 November 2000 © <strong>European</strong> Communities, 2001.<br />

19<br />

<strong>Energy</strong> Security in Europe<br />

INFORMATION<br />

References: ENK5-CT-2002-80647<br />

Programme:<br />

FP5 - <strong>Energy</strong>, Environment and<br />

Sustainable Development<br />

Title:<br />

<strong>Energy</strong> Forest Development on Areas in<br />

Central-Eastern Europe, where Agricultural<br />

Production is Uneconomical – An<br />

Assessment Study – ENERGY FORESTS<br />

Duration: 18 months<br />

Contact point:<br />

Pal Rozsnoi<br />

Geo-Montan<br />

Tel: +36-30-9147584<br />

Fax: +36-12-492105<br />

prozsnoi@hotmail.com<br />

Partners:<br />

Geo-Montan (HU)<br />

Geonardo Environmental Technologies (HU)<br />

Central Mining Institute (PL)<br />

Vodnj Zdroje GLS Phraha (CZ)<br />

Centre for Renewable <strong>Energy</strong> Sources (GR)<br />

EC Scientific Officer:<br />

Komninos Diamantaras<br />

Tel: +32-2-2955851<br />

Fax: +32-2-2993694<br />

komninos.diamantaras@cec.eu.int<br />

Status: Ongoing


Brassica Carinata field.<br />

BIOELECTRICITY<br />

CROPS<br />

Objectives<br />

The scientific objective of this project is to<br />

obtain reliable data about all the processes<br />

related to the utilisation of crops as<br />

biomass for the generation of energy on a<br />

large scale. The project aims to compile,<br />

compare and analyse concrete information<br />

on both the global process and each of its<br />

parts, paying special attention to the<br />

growing and the logistics of the raw<br />

material (in this case Brassica Carinata<br />

and Triticale). This is in order to decrease<br />

the market risk and uncertainty that<br />

surround this subject and to increase<br />

the interest of the actors related with it.<br />

The technical objective of this project is<br />

to apply the obtained information to<br />

demonstrate and widely disseminate the<br />

viability of the utilisation of energy crops<br />

at an industrial scale and its benefits, and<br />

to identify improvement points to exploit<br />

in the present or future projects.<br />

Large scale demonstration of<br />

energy crops for combustion<br />

in a power plant<br />

Challenges<br />

Nowadays, there is no real data about the large<br />

scale utilisation of energy crops. The only solution<br />

is to take references of other types of biomass (for<br />

example, straw) but take into account that the straw<br />

is a secondary product of a food crop, instead<br />

of a crop cultivated for the generation of energy.<br />

The lack of reliable data about investment costs,<br />

running costs, etc. is a significant barrier for the<br />

large scale introduction of energy crops.<br />

Increasing the knowledge in this area means<br />

increasing the confidence in these kinds of<br />

renewable energy sources and decreasing its<br />

market uncertainty.<br />

Therefore, it can be said that this project will<br />

contribute to reduce the investment costs through<br />

the decrease of the financial risk associated<br />

with such investment.<br />

Project structure<br />

This is the first <strong>European</strong> demonstration project<br />

carrying out industrial scale tests jointly on the<br />

cultivation, harvesting, logistics and combustion<br />

of an energy crop. 15 000 tons of Brassica<br />

Carinata and 720 tons of Triticale are grown to be<br />

used specifically in an existing biomass 25 MWe<br />

combustion power plant located in Sangüesa<br />

(Spain), and devoted 100% to the generation and<br />

sale of bioelectricity to the grid. The project is<br />

developed in six work packages:<br />

20<br />

WP1: Demonstration of field performance.<br />

A total of 1 500 Ha of Brassica Carinata<br />

and 90 Ha of Triticale are grown in the<br />

course of three years, according to the plan<br />

below. Results obtained from the different<br />

situations are studied.<br />

WP2: Harvest and logistics.<br />

This task consists of biomass collection,<br />

handling, packing, storage and transport to<br />

the combustion plant.<br />

WP3: Economical assessment.<br />

WP4: <strong>Energy</strong> balance and environmental impact.<br />

WP5: Combustion tests.<br />

The objective of this work is to determine<br />

the characteristics, quality and combustion<br />

behaviour of the studied crops.<br />

WP6: Dissemination.<br />

The consortium consists of six partners:<br />

• EHN División <strong>Bio</strong>masa. The biomass branch of<br />

EHN, a renewable energy promoter, Spain<br />

• Tech-Wise. Engineering and consultancy in<br />

energy with biomass, Denmark<br />

• ITGA. Agrarian technical institute, Spain<br />

• CIEMAT. Research centre, Spain<br />

• Fundación Soriactiva. Non-profit organisation<br />

for the development of the Soria region, Spain<br />

• SAIS. Agro-industrial organisation of sorghum,<br />

France


Expected impact and exploitation<br />

This project evaluates, in an integrated scheme,<br />

the profitability of both Brassica Carinata and<br />

Triticale for power production by reproducing and<br />

evaluating the whole supply and energy generation<br />

chain on a real scale. Major scientific and<br />

technological prospects are the ‘decrease of<br />

uncertainty’ degree related to biomass energy<br />

and the possibility of ‘promoting future R&D’ and<br />

‘demonstration projects’ on the identified<br />

improvement points.<br />

On the one hand, a significant saving in the cost<br />

of energy is expected at the end of the project,<br />

which could be approximately 10%, beginning<br />

with the cost of energy produced with straw<br />

(0,08 euro per kWh). In the long term, there will<br />

be a clear improvement potential in all the<br />

economic areas mentioned above, thanks to the<br />

exploitation of the improvement points that are<br />

going to be identified in this project.<br />

On the other hand, the exploitation plan includes<br />

the encouragement of biomass penetration in<br />

Southern Europe, for example the creation of<br />

biomass plants in the Mediterranean area. As a<br />

first step, the aim of the project is to develop an<br />

effective supply chain of new Mediterranean<br />

energy crops up to the production plant, taking into<br />

account not only the farmers but also the final<br />

electric or heat utility and all the intermediate<br />

actors. The restricting factors for developing the<br />

energy crops on a large scale will also be identified<br />

and measured.<br />

Concerning the environmental impact, the project<br />

also addresses the large scale generation of<br />

Crop Region Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Total<br />

(hectares)<br />

Brassica Navarra 100 250 400 750<br />

Carinata (Spain)<br />

Soria (Spain) 100 250 400 750<br />

Triticale Le Lauragais 30 30 30 90<br />

(France)<br />

Total 230 530 830 1 590<br />

WP1: Demonstration of field performance.<br />

electricity with reduced CO2 emissions from<br />

biomass. In particular, the project will produce<br />

15 720 tons of energy crops and be able to create<br />

an electricity generation of nearly 20 GWh (that is<br />

10% of the annual production of a 25 MW biomass<br />

power plant).<br />

This will therefore mean the elimination of the use<br />

of 15 720 tons of coal, thus avoiding the emission<br />

of about 20 000 tons of CO2, 321 tons of SO2 and<br />

48 tons of NOx. The effect will be similar to the<br />

purification effect of 970 000 trees.<br />

Progress to date<br />

The project started on 1 February 2003 and will<br />

last for 36 months. In June 2003, the state of the<br />

project is:<br />

• The plots of Brassica Carinata and Triticale<br />

have been sown and the crops are growing<br />

• The common methodology for essays and<br />

measurements in the land plots, in order to<br />

obtain comparable results (agricultural, energy<br />

and economic) in every plot, has been<br />

established<br />

• The process of data collection (agricultural,<br />

energy and economic) from the plots has<br />

started.<br />

21<br />

Sangüesa’s 25 MW combustion power plant<br />

INFORMATION<br />

References: NNE5-605-2001<br />

Programme:<br />

FP5 - <strong>Energy</strong>, Environment and<br />

Sustainable Development<br />

Title:<br />

Big Scale Demonstration of <strong>Energy</strong> Crops<br />

Utilisation for <strong>Bio</strong>electricity Generation –<br />

BIOELECTRICITY CROPS<br />

Duration: 36 months<br />

Contact point:<br />

Alfredo Erviti Lopez<br />

EHN Division <strong>Bio</strong>masa<br />

aerviti@ehn.es<br />

Partners:<br />

EHN (E)<br />

Tech-Wise (DK)<br />

ITGA (I)<br />

CIEMAT (E)<br />

Fundacion Soriactiva (E)<br />

Société Agro-industrielle du Sorgho (F)<br />

Institut Technique des Céréales et des<br />

Fourrages (F)<br />

EC Scientific Officer:<br />

José Riesgo Villanueva<br />

Tel: +32-2-2957939<br />

Fax: +32-2-2966261<br />

jose.riesgo@cec.eu.int<br />

Status: Ongoing


ENERDEC Challenges<br />

Objectives<br />

Based on an existing organic waste<br />

treatment hybrid process B.S.F.C., in which<br />

the waste is separated into a liquid fraction<br />

for anaerobic digestion and a solid fraction<br />

for composting, the project objective of<br />

ENERDEC (Maximum energy yield from<br />

organic wastes and decontamination<br />

to a high quality organic fertiliser by<br />

a microbiological hybrid process) is<br />

to establish an environmentally beneficial<br />

process with optimised utilisation of all<br />

output mass flows in terms of maximum<br />

energy yield and valuable soil fertiliser,<br />

by performing the following measures:<br />

• improving energy production for different<br />

new organic waste materials;<br />

• upgrading the biogas for use in<br />

the natural gas grid and in fuel cells;<br />

• depletion of heavy metals and salt<br />

in raw material to improve compost<br />

quality; and<br />

• development of an economically<br />

acceptable method to reduce N and P<br />

contaminations in the liquid digested<br />

residues for recycling into the process<br />

and environmental protection.<br />

<strong>Energy</strong> and high-quality<br />

fertiliser from biowaste<br />

The project’s approach is based on the state of<br />

the art of the following disciplines: organic waste<br />

composting and digestion, biogas up-cleaning,<br />

reduction of organic waste contaminants, and<br />

environmental contamination through liquid<br />

manure fertilising.<br />

<strong>Energy</strong> production from organic wastes, based<br />

on biological methods, can only be achieved by<br />

generation of biogas via the digestion process.<br />

We want to achieve maximum energy yield from<br />

the digestion process by means of an innovative<br />

digestion technology and optimised process<br />

control of wastes from slaughterhouses and the<br />

leather industry.<br />

Fuel cells (FC) have been developed mainly with<br />

natural gas as the fuel. The introduction of<br />

biogas into the natural gas grid requires the<br />

removal of inert components in order to improve<br />

energy density and to meet existing standards.<br />

The main parameters that may require removal<br />

in an upgrading system are H2S, water, CO2,<br />

and halogenated and silicon containing<br />

compounds. Closing the gap between 50 ppm<br />

(state of the art) and 10 ppm H2S (required<br />

by the FC) will be achieved by an especially<br />

reliable biotrickling filter, as well as technologies<br />

to remove siloxanes, CO2 and CxHy compounds.<br />

Today, reduction of organic waste contaminants<br />

can only be achieved either by mixing the material<br />

with non-contaminated additives (e.g. wood), or<br />

by the addition of complexing agents and<br />

separation of the soluble metal complexes. The<br />

Komptech-Farwick`s B.S.F.C. process (<strong>Bio</strong>waste<br />

Separation Fermentation Composting) is able<br />

to reduce heavy metals and salt contamination<br />

22<br />

in organic wastes exclusively by dry mass splitting<br />

to produce an up-cleaned compost without<br />

dilution methods. The aim is to optimise depletion<br />

of heavy metals and salt in the raw material for<br />

composting by improving the separation process<br />

performed through a mash-separator.<br />

Furthermore, an economically acceptable method<br />

to reduce N and P contamination in the liquid<br />

digested residues has to be developed. The<br />

new technology will smooth the way for the<br />

construction of small, autonomous plants which<br />

are highly adapted to local situations.<br />

Expected impact and exploitation<br />

ENERDEC will help to create a set of technologies<br />

for use in the fields of renewable energy,<br />

biotechnology, agro-industry and environmental<br />

protection. These technologies will help to<br />

strengthen the competitiveness of the SMEs<br />

involved by expanding their competence and<br />

experience in the waste-treatment and energyproduction<br />

sectors, as well as contributing to the<br />

sustainable care of the environment by recycling<br />

waste into the product cycle.<br />

As a technological impact, the digestion process<br />

will be combined with the improved composting<br />

technology to establish a new B.S.F.C. technology<br />

of solid organic waste treatment systems on<br />

the market and to restructure existing plants.<br />

A concept for decontamination of liquid digested<br />

residues, which must be both economically and<br />

ecologically attractive, will raise the acceptance<br />

of such technologies. Another main impact<br />

should be the application of a biological biogas<br />

purification system to pass the up-cleaned biogas<br />

into the natural gas grid.


Figure 1: Enrichment and depletion of substances in the waste solid after<br />

the B.S.F.C. separation process, on the basis of dry weight – (Source TU<br />

Wien 2000).<br />

Progress to date<br />

After half a year, work on the project is<br />

progressing according to schedule.<br />

In the digestion part of the project, different<br />

types of organic wastes, such as kitchen waste,<br />

slaughterhouse waste and pulper waste, were<br />

pre-processed under different conditions and<br />

tested for their digestion behaviour, their potential<br />

for biogas formation, and the composition of<br />

liquid digested residues. The slaughterhouse<br />

wastes were investigated in more detail: After<br />

separation into five fractions, each was<br />

processed in continuous lab-scale digestion<br />

units as a basis for specific loading calculations.<br />

For the methodological development of a<br />

purification treatment for the digested residues,<br />

two different reactor types – a sequencing batch<br />

reactor (SBR) and a fluidised bed reactor (FBR)<br />

– were installed at laboratory scale and operated<br />

using centrifuged digested residue to maintain<br />

the process parameters. Nitrification was<br />

observed to be quite good, as was denitrification,<br />

but the latter process depends on the availability<br />

of carbon which might be insufficient. Currently,<br />

tests are running with the addition of an external<br />

carbon source. COD could be degraded from an<br />

initial 10 g/l to concentrations below 1 g/l.<br />

Centrifugation experiments on digested residues<br />

on a technical scale provided the necessary<br />

amount of digested liquid for these investigations.<br />

Arrangements for experiments on the reduction<br />

of heavy metals and salt content in the solid<br />

products of the B.S.F.C. process have now been<br />

finalised – a survey of the process was<br />

performed by detailed monitoring of the method.<br />

A suitable filter arrangement was planned for the<br />

biogas upgrading tasks. As a first step, a<br />

laboratory-scale biotrickling filter is actually being<br />

constructed in order to optimise H2S removal.<br />

The lab tests started in July and will run until<br />

December. Based on the results, a prototype will<br />

be constructed and combined with membrane<br />

and activated carbon technology for the removal<br />

of the detrimental compounds. This prototype<br />

system will be tested under field conditions in<br />

Spain in March 2004.<br />

It is presumed that in 2004 a second organic<br />

waste treatment plant at industrial scale will be<br />

available near Vienna for on-site investigations.<br />

Figure 2: Laboratory-scale sequencing batch reactor for treatment of digested<br />

residues at IFA Tulln, Austria.<br />

23<br />

INFORMATION<br />

References: ENK6-CT-2002-30030<br />

Programme:<br />

FP5 - <strong>Energy</strong>, Environment and<br />

Sustainable Development<br />

Title:<br />

Maximum <strong>Energy</strong> Yield from Organic<br />

Wastes and Decontamination to a High<br />

Quality Organic Fertilizer by a<br />

Microbiological Hybrid Process – ENERDEC<br />

Duration: 24 months<br />

Contact point:<br />

Martin Wellacher<br />

Komptech-Farwick GmbH<br />

Tel: +43-3126-5050<br />

Fax: +43-312-505180<br />

m.wellacher@komptech.com<br />

Partners:<br />

Komptech-Farwick (A)<br />

Profactor (A)<br />

Institut für Agrartechnologie in Tulln (A)<br />

ETP Energietech Anagenbau (A)<br />

Entsorgungs- und Verwertungs GmbH<br />

Eggertshofen (D)<br />

Scuola Agrario del Parco di Monza (I)<br />

Indutherm (E)<br />

Societá Estense Servizi Ambientali (I)<br />

Matadero Frigorifico del Nalon (E)<br />

EC Scientific Officer:<br />

Jeroen Schuppers<br />

Tel: +32-2-2957006<br />

Fax: +32-2-2993694<br />

jeroen.schuppers@cec.eu.int<br />

Status: Ongoing


ANDI-POWER<br />

CIFRU<br />

Objectives<br />

This project aims to demonstrate an<br />

efficient and viable solution for the<br />

management of residues from small and<br />

medium-size citrus juice industries.<br />

The developed methodology is based on<br />

the anaerobic digestion of this biomass<br />

stream and succeeds not only in the<br />

adequate management of this waste<br />

stream but also provides an excellent<br />

investment plan generating a significant<br />

energy amount from renewable<br />

(=sustainable) sources.<br />

<strong>Energy</strong> utilisation<br />

of citrus fruit residues<br />

Challenges<br />

The management of the Solid Waste stream<br />

resulting from the Citrus Fruit Juicing Process<br />

is considered the major problem of the juicing<br />

industries.<br />

Uncontrollable disposal induces odours, insect<br />

reproduction and pollution on surface and in<br />

underground water. On the other hand, sanitary<br />

landfilling generates leakages of high <strong>Bio</strong>logical<br />

Oxygen Demand value (BOD=120.000 mg/l)<br />

which it is impossible to treat conventionally.<br />

The most common way of disposing citrus fruit<br />

residue safely is by processing it to produce<br />

animal food. The main disadvantage of this<br />

method is the consumption of huge amounts of<br />

energy but also the amount of leakage is a<br />

problem as it is difficult to treat it conventionally<br />

due to the high concentration.<br />

<strong>Energy</strong> production by citrus fruit residue<br />

provides an alternative solution that will greatly<br />

contribute to the solution of the juicing factories’<br />

solid wastes disposal problem.<br />

The major advantages of the proposed method<br />

are the following:<br />

- Complete elimination of the juicing factories’<br />

solid wastes,<br />

- Utilisation of the energy content of the citrus<br />

residue,<br />

- <strong>Energy</strong> production from Renewable,<br />

- <strong>Energy</strong> Sources.<br />

24<br />

The citrus fruit residue is fed to the energy<br />

production power plant where, through their<br />

anaerobic digestion and under very strictly<br />

controlled conditions, biogas is produced. The<br />

methane content of this biogas is high enough<br />

so that when it is fed to gas engines thermal and<br />

electric energy is produced. The sludge that<br />

comes from the anaerobic digestion of citrus fruit<br />

residue is treated in a special way and leads to<br />

the production of fertiliser (compost) with a high<br />

purity and considerable sustenance for the soil.<br />

Project structure<br />

The project implementation strategy is based on<br />

a team of excellence and relies on a multidisciplinary<br />

approach in order to execute a logical<br />

and performance-guided sequence of work<br />

packages for the successful completion of the<br />

project. The aim is to demonstrate a full-scale<br />

anaerobic digestion plant fed with citrus fruit<br />

residue producing renewable energy. The scope<br />

of the project is to design, manufacture, install,<br />

commission, operate, optimise and monitor<br />

the citrus rejects anaerobic digestion plant for<br />

the supply of 2 MWe to the public grid and<br />

8000 tons/a steam to industrial applications.<br />

The innovative process has been designed to<br />

process citrus residue to biomass suitable for<br />

continuous anaerobic digestion and power<br />

generation, an approach that can find numerous<br />

applications in equivalent industries in Greece<br />

and the EU. The consortium will be led by<br />

ENVITEC, the most experienced company in


Greece on environmental technologies, while<br />

SCHWARTING UMWELT will provide technical<br />

expertise for the fermentation part. The plant will<br />

solve a major environmental problem for the<br />

juice factory owner, CHRISTODOULOU, and when<br />

it becomes known, to similar industries. The<br />

project risks are low since the main components<br />

of the plant are either proven on pilot scale or<br />

are based on optimised proven technologies.<br />

However, the integration of all components is<br />

unique. The work is divided into Work Packages<br />

covering the design, procurement, construction<br />

and assembly, commissioning, demonstration,<br />

marketing and dissemination of the programme’s<br />

results. It will also include actions to improve the<br />

acceptability of bioenergy by the local population.<br />

These last WPs, although not technical, are<br />

considered very critical in order to overcome<br />

non-technical barriers for bioenergy penetration.<br />

The project will prove the technical and economic<br />

viability of the proposed innovative technology and<br />

its suitability for power generation. The technology<br />

also has very high export potential thus<br />

supporting <strong>European</strong> SMEs.<br />

Expected impact and exploitation<br />

The results expected from the project will<br />

demonstrate the successful design and<br />

implementation of an anaerobic digestion plant<br />

with biogas generation fuelled by citrus fruit<br />

residue. Operation and monitoring over a period<br />

of one year will demonstrate the overall technical<br />

reliability, environmental soundness and<br />

economic viability of this technology.<br />

Dissemination activities carried out during<br />

the course of the project will raise awareness<br />

and encourage replication of the opportunities<br />

and potential of the proposed technology, not<br />

only in the <strong>European</strong> Union but also on a worldwide<br />

scale.<br />

Progress to date<br />

The project is at the design phase, while<br />

construction of the digestion plant is in the<br />

pipeline.<br />

25<br />

INFORMATION<br />

References: NNE5-364-2000<br />

Programme:<br />

FP5 - <strong>Energy</strong>, Environment and<br />

Sustainable Development<br />

Title:<br />

An Anaerobic Digestion Power Plant<br />

for Citrus Fruit Residues – ANDI-POWER<br />

CIFRU<br />

Duration: 36 months<br />

Contact point:<br />

Panagiotis Kalogeropoulos<br />

ENVITEC SA<br />

Tel: +30-210-6855560<br />

Fax: +30-210-6855564<br />

envitec@envitec.gr<br />

Partners:<br />

ENVITEC (GR)<br />

Christodoulou Bros (GR)<br />

Schwarting Umwelt (D)<br />

EC Scientific Officer:<br />

Kyriakos Maniatis<br />

Tel: +32-2-2992093<br />

kyriakos.maniatis@cec.eu.int<br />

Status: Ongoing


AGROPTI-GAS<br />

Objectives<br />

Many cities are looking for vehicle fuels<br />

and waste management systems that are<br />

environmentally friendly and cost effective.<br />

This full-scale system for co-digestion of<br />

biological municipal waste and agricultural<br />

feedstock will demonstrate a new way of<br />

meeting these needs. A process technique<br />

that allows a unique low water content will<br />

enable a cost effective production and<br />

distribution system.<br />

The objectives are to demonstrate:<br />

1. A process technique with components<br />

to enable the co-digestion of easily<br />

degradable, solid biomass as a<br />

municipal, source-sorted, biological<br />

waste with agricultural feedstock<br />

2. <strong>Bio</strong>gas being competitive as a vehicle<br />

fuel and waste management system<br />

3. The advantages for the farmer to be part<br />

of the system.<br />

AGROPTI-gas<br />

Demonstration of an<br />

optimised production<br />

system for biogas<br />

Challenges<br />

• To demonstrate techniques for the co-digestion<br />

of biological solid waste and agricultural<br />

feedstock with minimised fresh water<br />

addition/dilution<br />

• To demonstrate how the integrated system<br />

can contribute to a lower environmental impact<br />

and sustainable resource management<br />

• To demonstrate how an information and<br />

communication forum will improve the mutual<br />

understanding in integrated rural-urban cooperations<br />

• To carry out the introduction of a system for<br />

profitable production of renewable energy in<br />

the form of biogas as a vehicle fuel<br />

Project structure<br />

In order to demonstrate and evaluate this novel<br />

concept we have gathered a dedicated group<br />

consisting of one municipality, different biological<br />

and technical researchers and a regional<br />

agricultural association. The partners come from<br />

Sweden, Denmark, Germany and Bulgaria.<br />

To structure the work that will be needed during<br />

the project's different phases it as been divided<br />

into nine work packages; Co-ordination,<br />

Procurement, Building, Communication, Analysis<br />

of socio-economic aspects, Dissemination,<br />

Evaluation of the co-digestion process, Evaluation<br />

of the rural-urban biogas system and Conclusions<br />

with a final report.<br />

26<br />

Expected impact and exploitation<br />

The AGROPTI-gas project will demonstrate a<br />

novel concept for the profitable production of<br />

renewable energy in the form of biogas as a<br />

vehicle fuel. A full-scale system for co-digestion<br />

of biological household waste and agricultural<br />

feedstock will be built and the digested slurry will<br />

be used as a natural fertiliser. By using novel<br />

process techniques, including new components,<br />

a unique low water content production and<br />

distribution system can be achieved, which<br />

optimises the whole system including logistics.<br />

If the demonstration in full-scale proves<br />

successful, the system has a large potential in<br />

Europe with large environmental benefits as an<br />

outcome. The environmental benefits are in the<br />

form of decreased emissions of greenhouse<br />

gases, improved air quality in the cities due to<br />

cleaner vehicle fuel and optimal circulation of<br />

nutrients with less need for artificial fertiliser.


Project structure.<br />

Progress to date<br />

The pre-project is now finished and the application<br />

for the environmental permit was sent to the<br />

County Administration Board in September 2002.<br />

There have been a number of meetings with<br />

local interest groups and with surrounding<br />

municipalities. Negotiations are in progress with<br />

these municipalities about the delivery of<br />

biowaste, and with farmers about the delivery of<br />

silage and digested slurry. The tender documents<br />

for the public tender have been produced and are<br />

now out on the market. A PowerPoint presentation<br />

showing the animated <strong>Bio</strong>gas plant, together<br />

with the animated pump station, has also been<br />

produced. (See pictures above)<br />

<strong>Bio</strong>gas plant animation. <strong>Bio</strong>gas pump animation.<br />

27<br />

INFORMATION<br />

References: NNE5-484-2000<br />

Programme:<br />

FP5 - <strong>Energy</strong>, Environment and<br />

Sustainable Development<br />

Title:<br />

Demonstration of an Optimised Production<br />

System for <strong>Bio</strong>gas from <strong>Bio</strong>logical Waste<br />

and Agricultural Feedstock – AGROPTI-GAS<br />

Duration: 48 months<br />

Contact point:<br />

Steve Karlsson<br />

Municipality of Växjö<br />

Tel: +46-4-7041000<br />

Fax: +46-4-7041580<br />

Steve.Karlsson@kommun.vaxjo.se<br />

Partners:<br />

Municipality of Växjö (S)<br />

University of Southern Denmark (DK)<br />

Federal Agricultural Research Centre (D)<br />

Bulgarian Association of Investors (BG)<br />

Lantebrukarnas Ekonomi (S)<br />

Purac (S)<br />

Stiftelsen JTI (S)<br />

EC Scientific Officer:<br />

José Riesgo Villanueva<br />

Tel: +32-2-2957939<br />

Fax: +32-2-2966261<br />

jose.riesgo@cec.eu.int<br />

Status: Ongoing


CATLIQ Challenges<br />

Objectives<br />

The overall objective of the project is to<br />

develop a catalytic process for the<br />

conversion of biomass with a high water<br />

content into fuels for energy production.<br />

The process will treat several feed types,<br />

like sewage sludge or liquid manure, at a<br />

considerably lower price than conventional<br />

conversion processes. The organic fraction<br />

of the biomass is converted into hydrogen,<br />

methane and liquid fuels like hydrocarbons<br />

or alcohols. One objective of the project is<br />

to control the fuel composition by<br />

controlling the process conditions. Another<br />

objective of the project is to study the<br />

performance of the catalyst under applied<br />

process conditions.<br />

In particular, the objective of the project<br />

is to demonstrate the process, first in<br />

laboratory scale and then by operating<br />

a proof-of-concept plant with a capacity<br />

of 100 kg/h sewage sludge. The results<br />

of the POC plant tests will serve for the<br />

optimisation of the process, and as a design<br />

basis for a full-scale demonstration plant.<br />

Catalytic conversion<br />

of aqueous biomass<br />

The flow sheet of the catalytic conversion<br />

process, named the CatLiq process, is shown in<br />

figure 1. The feed is mixed into a re-circulation<br />

stream, heated and fed to the catalytic reactor<br />

in which the biomass is converted. Upon<br />

depressurisation the product is separated into<br />

gas and liquid fuels, and the liquid fuel is further<br />

separated into oil and water-soluble substances.<br />

The major challenges of the project are technical<br />

issues connected to the catalytic conversion; how<br />

to avoid catalyst de-activation, and the formation<br />

of soot or tars during pre-heating of the feed.<br />

Another important issue is to control the fate of<br />

the inorganic fraction of the biomass, i.e. to<br />

prevent accumulation of inorganic particulate<br />

in the process equipment.<br />

Further challenges are how to achieve full<br />

conversion of the biomass organics and, at the<br />

same time, force the product composition<br />

towards a desired fuel type by controlling the<br />

process conditions.<br />

28<br />

Expected impact and exploitation<br />

The knowledge created in the project will be<br />

used to design and verify a process for catalytic<br />

conversion of all kinds of biomass with high<br />

water content, constituting an economical,<br />

competitive alternative to conventional treatment<br />

processes for such wastes. The process will be<br />

made available to the market worldwide and is<br />

expected to create a number of impacts.<br />

One impact is to provide a means for treating<br />

aqueous organic wastes at a considerably lower<br />

cost than conventional processes, like farmland<br />

deposition. The treatment plants are scalable to<br />

be installed directly at the various waste sources,<br />

like waste water treatment facilities, industrial<br />

waste sources etc., and are expected to create<br />

widespread employment at the waste generation<br />

facilities. Another impact is that the process is<br />

a source of CO2 neutral fuels, with the fuel type<br />

being adaptable to local requirements.


Progress to date<br />

The process of the proposed scheme is verified<br />

on sewage sludge feedstock at laboratory scale,<br />

with the experiments proving acceptable<br />

conversion rates of sewage sludge, and the<br />

production of the expected fuels, e.g. methane,<br />

hydrogen, methanol and hydrocarbon oils, at<br />

the given process conditions.<br />

An existing pilot plant at Forschungszentrum<br />

Karlsruhe is currently under reconstruction to<br />

serve as the POC plant for the process. During<br />

2004, the POC plant will be used to further<br />

verify the process scheme, particularly the<br />

potential of controlling the product distribution<br />

and the fuel quality.<br />

Figure 1: The CatLiq process scheme.<br />

29<br />

INFORMATION<br />

References: NNE5-393-2001<br />

Programme:<br />

FP5 - <strong>Energy</strong>, Environment and<br />

Sustainable Development<br />

Title:<br />

CHP Plant Based on Catalytic Liquid<br />

Conversion Process – CATLIQ<br />

Duration: 36 months<br />

Contact point:<br />

Tommy Larsen<br />

FLS Miljø<br />

Tel: +45-36181100<br />

Fax: +45-36174599<br />

tol@flsmiljo.com<br />

Partners:<br />

FLS Miljø (DK)<br />

Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe (D)<br />

Kjeld Anderson Environmental<br />

Consulting (D)<br />

EC Scientific Officer:<br />

José Riesgo Villanueva<br />

Tel: +32-2-2957939<br />

Fax: +32-2-2966261<br />

jose.riesgo@cec.eu.int<br />

Status: Ongoing


DEPR-Project Challenges<br />

Objectives<br />

The objective of the DEPR project is to<br />

design, develop and monitor the operation<br />

of a commercially viable, fluid-bed<br />

combustion plant. This will be capable of<br />

burning 350,000 t.p.a. of Dutch poultry<br />

litter, whilst complying with the following<br />

stringent air emission standards:<br />

(10mg/Nm3 for total dust, 150mg/Nm3 for NOx and 100mg/Nm3 for SO2, dry flue<br />

gas with 6% O2).<br />

The plant is to be built at Moerdijk in the<br />

Netherlands, and must operate efficiently<br />

and reliably for at least 7,500 hours per<br />

annum, generating at least 225,000 MWh<br />

p.a. of ‘green’ electricity. If this is<br />

achieved, the plant will represent a<br />

sustainable solution to the long-term<br />

problem of poultry litter disposal, by<br />

converting a difficult agricultural waste<br />

into renewable power. The valuable<br />

phosphate and potash content of the<br />

poultry litter will be recovered as a dry<br />

powdered ash, capable for use as an<br />

organic fertiliser feedstock.<br />

It is expected that the DEPR plant will<br />

avoid the production of around 80,000 t<br />

of CO2 equivalent per annum.<br />

Sustainable power from<br />

Dutch poultry litter<br />

To achieve the overall aim of the project, we have<br />

had to balance the financial risk limitations of the<br />

project sponsor with the technical risk perceived<br />

by the ‘Turnkey’ contractor, who is required to<br />

build a plant which is three times bigger than<br />

any similar facility currently operating worldwide.<br />

In addition, we have had to provide comfort to<br />

financial investors that the project will not only<br />

achieve its performance requirements at handover,<br />

but will be capable of doing so for its<br />

projected life of 20 years.<br />

The vast majority of the income to this scheme<br />

will result from the sale of electrical power.<br />

Over the last 18 months, the Dutch green<br />

power market has been in a state of turmoil,<br />

following radical changes in government<br />

support mechanisms, combined with two<br />

national elections.<br />

The plant will consume about 25% of the national<br />

poultry waste produced in the Netherlands.<br />

It has had to be demonstrated that this could<br />

be procured and delivered on a ‘just in time’,<br />

long-term basis, for a known cost. This task<br />

has been further compounded by the recent<br />

outbreak of Newcastle’s disease within the<br />

Netherlands, which has restricted the free<br />

transport of fuel and caused bankruptcy amongst<br />

potential fuel suppliers.<br />

30<br />

Project structure<br />

The project has been developed by a consortium<br />

of participants comprised of an energy company<br />

from the Netherlands (Essent Milieu), an<br />

engineering company from the UK (EPR), a<br />

foundation representing the Dutch poultry<br />

farmers (DEP), and a Dutch special purpose<br />

development company (DEPR).<br />

It is possible that the selected ‘Turnkey’<br />

contractor will also join the consortium at a<br />

later stage.<br />

The development of the project is divided<br />

into three work packages. The first phase<br />

encompasses the basic engineering, permitting,<br />

production of tender documents and contract<br />

negotiations. The second phase covers awarding<br />

contracts and plant construction. The final phase<br />

commences on plant commissioning and covers<br />

monitoring and information dissemination during<br />

the early phase of operations.<br />

The main responsibilities are as follows:<br />

<strong>Energy</strong> Power Resources has coordinated<br />

the internal communication and financial<br />

administration of the project team.<br />

Essent assisted with the co-ordination and<br />

communicated with its related companies with<br />

regards to the purchase of land, integration of<br />

cooling water, electrical grid connections and<br />

gas supply.<br />

DEP was responsible for the fuel supply contracts<br />

with over 450 producers. It also played a major role<br />

in negotiating the ash off-take arrangements.<br />

DEPR was responsible for obtaining the<br />

necessary permits and providing project<br />

management during the basic engineering phase.<br />

It will be responsible for managing the ‘Turnkey’<br />

contractor during construction, with particular<br />

emphasis on quality and ensuring a smooth<br />

transition between the project phases.


Construction Details of DEPR-Plant.<br />

Expected impact<br />

The benefits resulting from the successful<br />

operation of this plant are significant, both on<br />

a local scale and on a <strong>European</strong> scale. At<br />

the local level it will provide a secure future for<br />

450 Dutch poultry farmers by providing them with<br />

a guaranteed safe disposal route for their poultry<br />

litter waste. It is hoped that the successful<br />

demonstration of this plant will stimulate the<br />

construction of a second facility within the<br />

Netherlands and generate interest, particularly<br />

from within Eastern Europe.<br />

The Netherlands alone produces in excess of<br />

1million tonnes of litter per annum. Much of<br />

this is spread on farmland with the consequent<br />

risk of land and water contamination through<br />

leaching of the highly soluble nitrates and<br />

phosphates present in the litter. This can lead<br />

to seasonal, toxic algal blooms, resulting in the<br />

rapid poisoning of local water sources.<br />

Combustion of the litter in the DEPR plant will<br />

covert these soluble elements into 50,000 t.p.a.<br />

of an easily manageable organic ash, which it is<br />

hoped will form the basis for a new sustainable<br />

fertiliser industry.<br />

The most obvious benefit resulting from<br />

this facility will be the generation of over<br />

225,000 MWh pa of renewable electricity from<br />

a sustainable agricultural fuel source. It is<br />

expected that the plant will avoid the production<br />

of 370 g/kWh of CO2 when compared with a<br />

CCGT facility, which will equate to an annual<br />

net CO2 avoidance of around 80 000 tonnes.<br />

Progress to date<br />

Scheme of DEPR-Plant.<br />

Due largely to the Dutch political uncertainty<br />

and an outbreak of disease in the Dutch flock,<br />

progress has been slower than originally<br />

expected. Nevertheless, DEPR has pressed<br />

ahead and completed a number of key<br />

milestones. The ‘Turnkey’ EPC O&M contractor,<br />

(a consortium of Siemens Nederland NV and<br />

Austrian <strong>Energy</strong> & Environment AG) has been<br />

appointed. The project is now fully permitted<br />

and the ash has been classified as a ‘product’<br />

allowing it to be more easily traded.<br />

The recent ratification of the Dutch Government’s<br />

MEP Laws (June 2003) will allow the DEPR<br />

project to move forward to a financial close this<br />

autumn. Construction is expected to commence<br />

before the end of the year and the plant should<br />

be operational during 2005.<br />

31<br />

INFORMATION<br />

References: NNE5-75-1999<br />

Programme:<br />

FP5 - <strong>Energy</strong>, Environment and<br />

Sustainable Development<br />

Title:<br />

Power Plant Based on Fluidised Bed Fired<br />

with Poultry Litter – DEPR-Project<br />

Duration: 44 months<br />

Contact point:<br />

John Hewson<br />

<strong>Energy</strong> Power Resources Ltd.<br />

Tel: +44-1789-265000<br />

Fax: +44-1789-262891<br />

jhewson@eprl.co.uk<br />

Partners:<br />

<strong>Energy</strong> Power Resources (UK)<br />

<strong>Energy</strong> Systems (NL)<br />

Stichting Duurzame Energieproductie<br />

Pluimveehouderij (NL)<br />

NV Elektriciteits-Produktiemaatschappij<br />

Zuid-Nederland (NL)<br />

EC Scientific Officer:<br />

Kyriakos Maniatis<br />

Tel: +32-2-2990293<br />

Fax: +32-2-2966261<br />

kyriakos.maniatis@cec.eu.int<br />

Status: Completed


ECO-WASTE<br />

Objectives<br />

The objective is to build and demonstrate<br />

a commercial operating PyroArc plant<br />

south of Trondheim in Norway. The capacity<br />

of the plant is 10 500 tonnes of waste per<br />

year and it will be possible to treat all<br />

sorts of waste, except radioactive.<br />

The plant will recover the energy from<br />

the combustible part of the waste and slag<br />

and metal from the non-combustible part.<br />

The energy will be recovered as hot water<br />

and electric power. The hot water will be<br />

utilised in the local grid and the electric<br />

power will be used partly internally, the<br />

rest being exported on the local net. Slag<br />

can be sold as a construction material<br />

while the metal can be sold to foundries for<br />

the production of simple foundry products,<br />

for example counter-weights on trucks.<br />

The plant will generate no, or very little,<br />

residue (for example ash) which has to be<br />

put in landfill.<br />

The PyroArc waste to energy<br />

process utilising gasification,<br />

plasma and vitrification<br />

technology<br />

Challenges<br />

Owing to increased public awareness for the<br />

environment and new regulations, there is a<br />

rising market for gasification processes.<br />

Many attempts have been made to achieve the<br />

great benefits of waste gasification. Most of the<br />

available, commercial gasification processes for<br />

waste today are combusting the produced gas<br />

directly after the gasification to prevent tar causing<br />

operational problems in the system downstream.<br />

The results are processes that are more or less<br />

equal to traditional incineration processes.<br />

Heading needed here<br />

The two stage PyroArc process is decomposing all<br />

the tar components formed in the gasifier by an<br />

integrated plasma generator into a decomposition<br />

reactor immediately after the gasifier. With this,<br />

all the advantages of using a gasification process<br />

are being achieved. It is producing a clean fuel gas,<br />

recovering the sensible heat, decomposing all<br />

toxic and harmful components, recovering energy<br />

and material efficiently and no, or very limited,<br />

amounts of waste is being produced that has to<br />

be put in landfill.<br />

32<br />

The PyroArc Process<br />

The process comprises a feed system, a melting<br />

shaft gasifier, a plasma generator system, a<br />

decomposition reactor, a gas quencher, an<br />

energy-recovery system and a dust collection and<br />

gas cleaning system.<br />

Solid waste materials are charged into the shaft<br />

gasifier through a lock hopper system. The<br />

organic components are converted into a partly<br />

oxidised syngas, while the remaining inorganic<br />

species melt. The syngas consists mainly of<br />

carbon monoxide, hydrogen, carbon dioxide,<br />

water and nitrogen but is also associated with<br />

a rather high content of tar-forming components<br />

(complex HC) and chlorinated hydrocarbons.<br />

Depending on the moisture of the feed, the<br />

temperature of the syngas will be around<br />

400 – 700 °C when it leaves the gasifier. In the<br />

consecutive plasma generator system and<br />

decomposition reactor, the gas decomposes<br />

completely due to the high temperature<br />

(3000 – 5000 °C) of the plasma-jet and its<br />

strong dynamic impact on the syngas which<br />

provides a homogeneous temperature of more<br />

than 1 100°C to all fraction of the syngas. Liquid<br />

waste will be fed directly into the plasma<br />

generator system.


The most important feature of the PyroArc<br />

process is that all the waste material that leaves<br />

the process has been exposed to sufficiently high<br />

temperatures for the decomposition of toxic<br />

elements. The products are a fuel gas, a leach<br />

resistant slag, molten metal and small amounts<br />

of secondary dust that may be subjected to the<br />

recovery of zinc.<br />

About 65% of the energy content of the waste is<br />

available as heat of combustion in the fuel gas,<br />

and almost 30% as sensible heat.<br />

The uniqueness of the process is the plasma<br />

generator system and the way it is used to<br />

decompose the syngas into a harmless fuel gas<br />

without any contents of tar. The main features<br />

of the plasma generator system are:<br />

1. a complete decomposition of the highly toxic<br />

halogenated organic compounds,<br />

2. the higher heating value of the produced fuel<br />

gas, and<br />

3. the decomposition of any tar components.<br />

The flow sheet of the PyroArc process.<br />

Project structure<br />

EnviroArc technologies (Norway) is the<br />

coordinator of the project. The partners will be<br />

ScanArc (Sweden), SINTEF (Norway), Trønder<br />

Energi (Norway), Sita (Sweden) and CF Nielsen<br />

(Denmark).<br />

The execution of the project will be carried out<br />

in three groups of tasks. The different groups are:<br />

1. R&D focusing on a special topic within the pretreatment,<br />

thermal unit, gas cleaning and<br />

energy production system<br />

2. design, construction, commissioning and start<br />

up of the PyroArc plant<br />

3. commercial operation of the plant.<br />

The Plasma generator.<br />

33<br />

INFORMATION<br />

References: NNE5-702-2001<br />

Programme:<br />

FP5 - <strong>Energy</strong>, Environment and<br />

Sustainable Development<br />

Title:<br />

<strong>Energy</strong> from Waste by Gasification and<br />

Plasma Cracking of Syngas with Multiple<br />

Recovery and Inert Rendering of Residues<br />

– ECO-WASTE<br />

Duration: 48 months<br />

Contact point:<br />

Steinar Lynum<br />

EnviroArc Technologies<br />

Steinar.Lynum@EnviroArc.com<br />

Partners:<br />

EnviroArc Technologies (NO)<br />

ScanArc (S)<br />

SINTEF (NO)<br />

Trønder Energi (NO)<br />

C.F. Nielsen (DK)<br />

SITA (S)<br />

EC Scientific Officer:<br />

Kyriakos Maniatis<br />

Tel: +32-2-2990293<br />

Fax: +32-2-2966261<br />

kyriakos.maniatis@cec.eu.int<br />

Status: Ongoing


HIGH ENERGY<br />

RECOVERY<br />

Objectives<br />

One of the main objectives is to achieve<br />

waste incineration with steam parameters<br />

higher than shown thus far to reach a<br />

considerably better efficiency in electricity<br />

generation than is common in existing<br />

waste-incineration processes. In Europe,<br />

gross rates of 25% are accomplished at<br />

best in stand-alone waste incineration.<br />

To go beyond 34% gross rate will mean<br />

an improvement of 36% in electrical energy<br />

from waste recovery. This implies no less<br />

than a new set standard in the waste-toenergy<br />

field. That is also true for the net<br />

rate reached which will be well above 30%.<br />

There are three main objectives for the HR-<br />

AVI project:<br />

• net electric efficiency > 30%<br />

• availability > 90%<br />

• overall operational cost reduction –<br />

10% compared to the existing<br />

Amsterdam incineration lines<br />

A so-called RAMSE (Reliability,<br />

Availability, Maintainability, Safety,<br />

Environment) analyses based on<br />

waste-to-energy experience statistics<br />

collected over the last 85 years will<br />

further improve the design and<br />

performance over the years.<br />

Towards maximising<br />

energy from waste<br />

recovery<br />

Challenges<br />

The city of Amsterdam will extend its existing<br />

waste incineration plant with two new lines, the<br />

HR-AVI, high-energy recovery waste incineration.<br />

One of the main objectives of the new plant<br />

design is to raise the steam parameters to reach<br />

considerably higher efficiency in electricity<br />

generation than is common in existing wasteincineration<br />

processes.<br />

A number of interdependent measures are being<br />

taken in order to deal with raised steam<br />

parameters and to avoid corrosion of boiler<br />

tubes. The boiler is designed for high steam<br />

parameters and is based on innovative elements<br />

to allow this highly conditioned steam to be<br />

generated. Three innovative installation parts<br />

will be at the heart of the demonstrated design:<br />

1. The superheater temperature will rise from<br />

400° to 440°C.<br />

Higher steam parameters cause unavoidable<br />

massive corrosion on the superheaters, if<br />

conventional materials and conventional boiler<br />

designs are used. In order to overcome this<br />

limitation:<br />

- New alloys with a high corrosion resistance<br />

will be applied; and<br />

- The incineration process, the boiler design<br />

and the flue gas flow will be thoroughly<br />

optimised to minimise corrosion attack.<br />

2. A reheater will be used after the first turbine<br />

stage. High steam parameters permit a further<br />

increase of process efficiency by using steam<br />

reheating which has not been applied in any<br />

other waste-to-energy plants to date.<br />

34<br />

3. A larger economiser will reduce the actual<br />

boiler outlet temperature to 180°C and thereby<br />

minimise flue gas losses. Besides that, a<br />

second and third economiser in the flue gas<br />

treatment facility will provide extra energy<br />

recovery.<br />

A main limitation to process efficiency is the<br />

flue gas temperature at the boiler outlet.<br />

This temperature is normally in the range of<br />

200 to 240°C, and the remaining energy<br />

contents of the flue gases are not used. The<br />

high efficiency boiler will utilise the energy of<br />

the flue gases down to a temperature of<br />

180°C. <strong>Energy</strong> recovery with the second and<br />

third economiser is possible due to the special<br />

patented heat exchanger with an economically<br />

acceptable lifetime.<br />

A number of other measures will accompany<br />

these main features. They represent advanced<br />

techniques and will further contribute to the<br />

improvement of heat transfer in the boiler or<br />

otherwise improve the performance. The<br />

balanced combination of all the measures must<br />

guarantee undisturbed functioning at the level<br />

being pursued.<br />

Project structure<br />

The project is structured in four stages:<br />

1. Design;<br />

2. Tendering, construction and installation;<br />

3. Commissioning; and<br />

4. Monitoring, evaluation and dissemination.


At the moment the second stage of the project<br />

is ongoing. The tendering and contracting<br />

procedure for the main parts of the installation<br />

is in preparation.<br />

Afval Energie Bedrijf, part of the administration<br />

of the city of Amsterdam, which is also the<br />

principal contractor for the FP5 project, will<br />

coordinate the project. Furthermore, there are<br />

two assistant contractors mainly responsible for<br />

the global design of the high-energy concept<br />

and for the evaluation and dissemination<br />

programme.<br />

Expected impact and exploitation<br />

The present project can act as a pilot for a new<br />

generation of waste-to-energy plants in Europe<br />

and far beyond. It will bring the efficiency of<br />

electricity generation in waste incineration<br />

processes to a new level and will form the basis<br />

for further development. The effects on the CO2reduction<br />

potential will be substantial.<br />

On the <strong>European</strong> scale – with 220 million tonnes<br />

per year of household waste and household-like<br />

municipal waste – the potential with over 34%<br />

gross efficiency waste-fired power plants is a<br />

base load electricity production of approximately<br />

25,000 Mwe which is roughly twice the installed<br />

capacity in the Netherlands.<br />

Progress to date<br />

By concluding the Basic Design Report the<br />

outlines of the new incineration lines have been<br />

defined. The two lines will have the following<br />

qualifications:<br />

Nominal waste flow<br />

(two lines) 67.2 t/h<br />

Availability (design) > 90 %<br />

Yearly waste flow 530,000 t<br />

Electric output 63.55 MWel<br />

Gross efficiency 34.0 %<br />

Net efficiency 31.3 %<br />

The highest standards are being pursued as<br />

regards the burden on the environment. The<br />

guaranteed emission level will be clearly below<br />

Dutch flue gas emissions limits. In the worst<br />

case, NOx will be on the same level as the Dutch<br />

limit – 70 mg/m3. 35<br />

Turbine Expansion laws.<br />

INFORMATION<br />

References: NNE5-189-2000<br />

Programme:<br />

FP5 - <strong>Energy</strong>, Environment and<br />

Sustainable Development<br />

Title:<br />

Demonstration of Three Innovative Steam<br />

Boiler Parts for a Considerably Higher<br />

Electricity Recovery Rate in Waste<br />

Incineration – HIGH ENERGY RECOVERY<br />

Duration: 72 months<br />

Contact point:<br />

Wilhelm Sierhuis<br />

Gemeentelijke Dienst Afvalverwerking<br />

Tel: +31-20-5876201<br />

Fax: +31-20-5876200<br />

Wil_Sierhuis@afvalenergiebedrijf.nl<br />

Partners:<br />

Gemeentelijke Dienst Afvalverwerking (NL)<br />

Wandschneider und Gutjahr<br />

Ingenieurgesellschaft (D)<br />

WijdevenSutmuller & Partners (NL)<br />

EC Scientific Officer:<br />

José Riesgo Villanueva<br />

Tel: +32-2-2957939<br />

Fax: +32-2-2966261<br />

jose.riesgo@cec.eu.int<br />

Status: Ongoing


MBF<br />

Objectives<br />

The Mixed bio-fuel 38 MWe power plant<br />

project started on 1 January 2000 with<br />

FLS Miljø (DK) as the project coordinator,<br />

and <strong>Energy</strong> Power Resources Ltd. (UK)<br />

as a partner.<br />

The main objective of this project is to<br />

design, build, own and operate a mixed<br />

bio-fuel 38 MWe power plant in the UK.<br />

The plant’s major sub-systems comprise<br />

the biomass handling, firing system,<br />

supercritical boiler, flue-gas cleaning<br />

system, and turbine island.<br />

The firing system, consisting of feeding<br />

equipment, firing grate and furnace,<br />

had to be upgraded to accommodate<br />

biomass consisting primarily of miscanthus<br />

(with wood chips or straw as a substitute),<br />

poultry litter, and sludge.<br />

The eligible work packages for this<br />

project are:<br />

WP 1 Miscanthus Establishment and<br />

Logistics<br />

WP 2 Upgraded <strong>Bio</strong>mass Firing System.<br />

Mixed biofuel 38 MWe<br />

power plant<br />

Project structure<br />

FLS Miljø is the project coordinator and is<br />

responsible for all technical aspects and<br />

execution of this project. EPR is responsible for<br />

work package 1.<br />

The purchaser of the power generating plant<br />

will be <strong>Energy</strong> Power Resources Corby Limited<br />

(Corby, UK). The supplier of the plant will be<br />

FLSm and the plant will be constructed under a<br />

turnkey contract and operated and maintained<br />

under the same contract.<br />

Challenges<br />

The objective of the eligible part of the project<br />

is to demonstrate two innovative aspects of<br />

the plant. The first is the short rotation crop<br />

handling since miscanthus will be used as a<br />

primary biofuel on a commercial scale for the<br />

first time in UK. Miscanthus is a fast- growing,<br />

stiff-strawed biomass with good combustion<br />

characteristics. The second innovative part is<br />

the upgraded biomass firing system to burn the<br />

combination of miscanthus, poultry litter, sludge,<br />

and natural gas.<br />

36<br />

Expected benefits<br />

The major benefit of this project to the EU will be<br />

a yearly electrical output of some 256,500 MWh<br />

of CO2-neutral green energy while burning<br />

miscanthus for the first time in UK, and at high<br />

electrical efficiency of 35%. If this plant burnt<br />

coal it would generate 338,000 tonnes of CO2<br />

per year.<br />

Progress to date<br />

Miscanthus establishment and logistics<br />

9 ha of miscanthus has been established. It was<br />

planted at the beginning of May 2000 at a rate<br />

of approximately 3 rhizomes/m2. Plant growth<br />

has been monitored and conditions assessed<br />

approximately once a month. All plants look<br />

healthy and vigorous with no evidence of disease.<br />

A series of events and open days were<br />

undertaken to encourage farmers and growers<br />

to participate in a 500 ha demonstration trail.<br />

These events were successful and a number of<br />

potential host farmers have been identified.<br />

Several potential miscanthus growers have<br />

successfully applied for DEFRA-<strong>Energy</strong> Crops<br />

Scheme establishment grants. Additional growers<br />

have been identified and plan was to establish<br />

500 ha by June 2003.<br />

During 2000, Anglian Straw Ltd. successfully<br />

demonstrated the harvesting of miscanthus<br />

from trail plots using mower conditioner by<br />

producing high-density Hesston bales.


Isometric view of Corby Mixed <strong>Bio</strong>-Fuel plant.<br />

Design and engineering of the Corby plant<br />

The design and engineering of the Corby plant<br />

was divided into the following main sections:<br />

Fuel supply, reception and storage; boiler; fluegas<br />

treatment system; steam turbine plant and<br />

cooling system; water supply treatment and<br />

storage, ash handling and storage, generator, and<br />

control and instrumentation.<br />

The design basis was for nominal plant with a<br />

capacity of 38 MWe (net) based on mixed biofuels<br />

and 10% of natural gas. Mixed biofuel of nominal<br />

and maximum composition based on input<br />

power was:<br />

• Straw (miscanthus) nominal 58%, max. 90%<br />

• Poultry litter nominal 10%, max. 10%<br />

• Natural gas nominal 10%, max. 20%<br />

• Wood chips max. 15% (emergency operation,<br />

no poultry litter)<br />

The design, including all process calculations,<br />

detailed engineering, and layouts of the Corby<br />

plant was completed by FLSm by the summer<br />

of 2001.<br />

Process flow diagram for nominal load normal operation. Boiler layout for Corby Mixed <strong>Bio</strong>-Fuel plant.<br />

Progress to date<br />

Miscanthus development has been delayed<br />

due to severe wet weather in the UK, in particular<br />

in September 2000, and foot and mouth disease<br />

which made it difficult to persuade farmers<br />

to establish new crops. In the initial project<br />

planning it was expected to use commercial<br />

waste partially (as packaging) with gate fee, but<br />

that was not possible.<br />

Using straw as major fuel had a major negative<br />

impact on the project economics.<br />

The partners had a Non Fossil Fuel Obligation<br />

(NFFO) contract for 14 MW and were expecting<br />

to aggregate other NFFO contracts for MBF<br />

38 MWe plant. However, since each contract<br />

requires separate power output, the aggregation<br />

was not economically attractive. Furthermore,<br />

it was found out that the grid can only accept<br />

25 MWe so the economy of scale was disrupted,<br />

making plant economics unviable.<br />

Even though the Corby plant will not be built, the<br />

know-how obtained in the design and engineering<br />

of this plant can in future serve as a basis for<br />

the commercial offer and project execution for<br />

MBF plant of any size.<br />

37<br />

INFORMATION<br />

References: NNE5-394-1999<br />

Programme:<br />

FP5 - <strong>Energy</strong>, Environment and<br />

Sustainable Development<br />

Title:<br />

Mixed <strong>Bio</strong>-Fuel 38MWe Power Plant<br />

Project – MBF<br />

Duration: 54 months<br />

Contact point:<br />

Vladimir Boscac<br />

FLS Miljø a/s<br />

Tel: +45-36181001<br />

Fax: +45-36174599<br />

vlb@flsmiljo.com<br />

Partners:<br />

FLS Miljø (DK)<br />

<strong>Energy</strong> Power Resources (UK)<br />

EC Scientific Officer:<br />

José Riesgo Villanueva<br />

Tel: +32-2-2957939<br />

Fax: +32-2-2966261<br />

jose.riesgo@cec.eu.int<br />

Status: Ongoing


MON-CHP<br />

Objectives<br />

The objective is to build a 28 MW<br />

optimised biomass fired CHP plant in<br />

Monaghan, Ireland, and demonstrate a<br />

bubbling fluidised bed boiler with high<br />

plant availability of 92% and innovative<br />

integrated condensing economiser<br />

technology. The energy will be produced<br />

from spent mushroom compost (a world<br />

first). An overall energy efficiency<br />

(including auxiliary load) of 44.5%, heat to<br />

power ratio of 1 and an electrical efficiency<br />

of 26% will be achieved, reducing<br />

investment and operating costs by 18%.<br />

132 kt of CO2 emissions (O.5kg/kWh)<br />

will be avoided. A serious environmental<br />

problem, which has become a major barrier<br />

to the expansion of agricultural and<br />

horticultural businesses in the region,<br />

will be solved and the position of <strong>European</strong><br />

SMEs in the world market for biomass<br />

will be strengthened.<br />

A Solution to agricultural waste<br />

problems in Ireland – Development of an<br />

innovative biomass combined and heat<br />

plant in County Monaghan<br />

Challenges<br />

The mushroom and poultry industries in Ireland<br />

are mainly concentrated in the border counties<br />

of Monaghan, Cavan, Armagh and Tyrone. Waste<br />

spent mushroom compost (SMC) and poultry<br />

litter (PL) materials are disposed of locally<br />

through various methods. Land spreading is<br />

currently the main disposal route for wastes<br />

arising from these industries, but there is<br />

insufficient associated acreage to safely absorb<br />

these materials. As a result, groundwater and<br />

surface water in the county is becoming<br />

contaminated with excess nutrients, particularly<br />

phosphorous. Current and future legislation,<br />

including the EU Directive on Drinking Water<br />

Quality and the 1998 Phosphorous Regulations,<br />

will place limitations on current, unsustainable,<br />

agri-waste disposal practices within the region.<br />

Current waste management practices for SMC<br />

and PL are having a negative impact on the<br />

environment. Further expansion and current<br />

sustainability of the industries are in question due<br />

to restrictions imposed by the local authorities<br />

on land spreading and the move to reduce the<br />

amount of organic waste sent to landfill. The<br />

increase in land spreading of spent waste with<br />

associated high phosphorous concentrations<br />

has resulted in water quality deterioration in the<br />

area. Unless an alternative use for this material<br />

is found it will negatively impact on the sustained<br />

development of these industries. If these<br />

industries, which have tight profit margins, are<br />

to continue to develop in an environmentally,<br />

sustainable and economic manner then an<br />

alternative disposal method must be found to<br />

deal with the current waste problems. Interest<br />

was therefore stimulated into the research and<br />

development of cleaner, more environmentally<br />

friendly, disposal options for these materials<br />

and the promotion of a sustainable indigenous<br />

energy supply that will reduce reliance on<br />

imported fuels.<br />

The main aims of the project are, therefore, to<br />

provide solutions to the agri-environmental<br />

problems in County Monaghan, Ireland, whilst<br />

38<br />

simultaneously generating renewable energy.<br />

If Ireland is to honour its agreement to limit its<br />

growth in emission of greenhouse gases to 13%<br />

by 2010, then we must increase our use of<br />

energy from renewable sources immediately.<br />

An investigation into various renewable energy<br />

resources in Ireland found biomass to be a<br />

largely unexploited resource with huge potential.<br />

The project will make the first use of condensing<br />

economiser technology in a biomass CHP plant.<br />

CHP is considered an important element of the<br />

EU CO2 reduction policies and the use of biomass<br />

in CHP is an important factor in the increased<br />

usage of this environmentally friendly option.<br />

The facility will be unique in its ability to exploit<br />

a previously unutilised energy source; spent<br />

mushroom compost. Under normal operating<br />

conditions, the plant will generate an average<br />

22.5MW of electricity using biomass-based fuels.<br />

20 MW of this will be exported to the national grid.<br />

The proposed biomass CHP power plant will<br />

generate electricity using a spreader stoker<br />

boiler or similar technology, like the Bubbling<br />

Fluidised Bed and a conventional steam turbine<br />

generator. The steam turbine generator will be<br />

designed for a gross generating capacity<br />

(including export power and on-site use) of<br />

22.5MW. The thermal capacity of the biomass<br />

power plant at peak electrical capacity will be<br />

approximately 80MW. The biomass power plant<br />

will operate 24 hours per day, 8 200 hours per<br />

year and is expected to have an annual on-line<br />

availability of 92%.<br />

Project structure/<br />

Partnership approach<br />

A special purpose company, RENEWtech Limited,<br />

was set up to develop the project and the project<br />

developer is a wholly owned Irish company.<br />

South Western Co-operative Services Limited, in<br />

conjunction with four other partners from three<br />

EU Countries, received partial funding from the<br />

<strong>European</strong> Commission Research Department<br />

to build and operate the plant. Numerous


meetings and discussions have taken place<br />

between the parties. Public consultation<br />

meetings have been held with the local<br />

community, public bodies, Environmental<br />

Protection Agency and the planning authorities.<br />

Expected impact and exploitation<br />

The utilisation of renewable energy in Ireland is<br />

very low with just over 3% of our energy coming<br />

from renewables – predominantly in the area of<br />

wind-power. There are currently no industrial<br />

CHP biomass developments in operation in<br />

Ireland but there is clearly a need to use<br />

renewable sources of energy if we are to sustain<br />

current rates of economic development.<br />

The project involves the replacement of electricity<br />

from a traditional power plant fired with fossil<br />

fuels with electricity produced from a biomass<br />

fired CHP Plant. The plant will use a boiler that<br />

will be fired with SMC and PL, and will be<br />

equipped with a complete system for a third<br />

biomass fuel, such as wood chips. The boiler will<br />

be capable of maintaining 100% load on two out<br />

of the three fuels. Produced steam will be used<br />

in a steam turbine generator set for the<br />

production of electricity – the efficiency is<br />

increased by recovering energy from the hot and<br />

humidified drying air from the fuel dryers by<br />

means of a condensing economiser unit. This<br />

energy is used for the pre-heating of combustion<br />

air and boiler feed water. Combustion of biomass<br />

is CO2 neutral, and the plant will reduce the<br />

CO2 production by 132 Kt. per annum. CHP is<br />

considered an important element of the EU CO2<br />

reduction policies and the use of biomass in CHP<br />

is an important factor in increasing the usage of<br />

this environmentally friendly option.<br />

The diversion of poultry litter and spent<br />

mushroom compost away from landfill and land<br />

spreading and its use in the production of green<br />

electricity will result in a reduced dependence on<br />

fossil fuels and an avoidance of 188kt C02 per<br />

annum to the atmosphere. This is in line with the<br />

Irish Government policy for promoting alternative<br />

energy and meeting our Kyoto Agreements.<br />

The development of this plant represents the first<br />

power plant in the world to burn a combination<br />

of poultry litter and spent mushroom compost.<br />

The development introduces a new, renewable<br />

energy, fuel source that was previously regarded<br />

as waste and also ‘state of the art’ technologies<br />

to convert this waste into an economical and<br />

environmentally friendly energy source.<br />

The generation of renewable energy is being<br />

actively promoted in the EU and while there is no<br />

commercial plant currently in operation utilising<br />

SMC as a raw material, there are a number of<br />

similar developments in operation globally that<br />

use other biomass-based fuels, including PL.<br />

The project will contribute 134GWh per annum<br />

to the EU target of 18% total gross electricity<br />

generation of the EC produced by CHP by 2010.<br />

The production of low cost energy with positive<br />

environmental benefits is the core of the<br />

Monaghan <strong>Bio</strong>mass Project. It will also contribute<br />

43 ktoe to the EU target of 135 Mtoe from<br />

biomass by 2010 and will contribute 14MWth to<br />

the EU target of 10GWth of biomass installations<br />

by 2003. In addition, demonstration of this<br />

project will strengthen the position of <strong>European</strong><br />

SME’s in the world market for biomass energy<br />

products and services and open the development<br />

of biomass CHP technology in Ireland.<br />

Progress to date<br />

Figure 1: Benefits of <strong>Bio</strong>mass <strong>Energy</strong>.<br />

The total timeframe for the project has been<br />

determined at 40 months and includes all<br />

aspects of the development. From identification<br />

and quantification of potential fuel resources;<br />

assessing potential site suitability from economic,<br />

social and environmental perspectives; applying<br />

for planning permission and obtaining an<br />

Integrated Pollution Control (IPC) licence from the<br />

Irish Environmental Protection Agency (EPA);<br />

plant construction, commissioning and operation.<br />

A planning application, including a detailed<br />

39<br />

Environmental Impact Assessment, has been<br />

submitted for the development of the project.<br />

Upon receipt of planning permission, detailed<br />

work on the project engineering will continue and<br />

it is anticipated that this will take place towards<br />

the end of 2003. The construction period for<br />

the project is 18 months and it is therefore<br />

anticipated that an operational demonstration<br />

plant will be available in 2005.<br />

INFORMATION<br />

References: NNE5-20229-1999<br />

Programme:<br />

FP5 - <strong>Energy</strong>, Environment and<br />

Sustainable Development<br />

Title:<br />

Optimised <strong>Bio</strong>mass CHP Plant for<br />

Monaghan Integrating Condensing<br />

Economiser Technology – MON-CHP<br />

Duration: 58 months<br />

Contact point:<br />

Tim Cowhig<br />

South Western Services Co-operative<br />

Society Ltd<br />

Tel: +353-2-341271<br />

Fax: +353-2-341304<br />

Tim.Cowhig@sws.ie<br />

Partners:<br />

SWS (IRL)<br />

Aalborg Energie Technik (DK)<br />

Emvertec (UK)<br />

Integrated <strong>Energy</strong> Systems (UK)<br />

McCarron Poultry (IRL)<br />

EC Scientific Officer:<br />

Kyriakos Maniatis<br />

Tel: +32-2-2990293<br />

Fax: +32-2-2966261<br />

kyriakos.maniatis@cec.eu.int<br />

Status: Ongoing<br />

Figure 2: Site Location Map in<br />

Relation to Surrounding Environs.


READY<br />

Objectives<br />

The objective of the original development<br />

was to design a process fulfilling the<br />

required quota whilst being economically<br />

and ecologically acceptable. While these<br />

goals could be fulfilled, further<br />

improvements (mainly on the energy yield)<br />

shall make the process ecologically and<br />

economically better. The objective of the<br />

research programme, with the acronym<br />

READY (RESHMENT Advanced <strong>Energy</strong><br />

Yield), is to improve the energy yield by a<br />

number of adaptations to the process and<br />

the equipment applied during it.<br />

While the overall energy yield (heat) will<br />

not be changed dramatically, the use of<br />

electrical energy shall be greatly reduced<br />

and the production of electrical energy<br />

shall be improved.<br />

The process will be sustainable in itself<br />

meaning that only reusable or recyclable<br />

products shall be aimed at. Recycling of the<br />

Zn/Pd fraction is still costly because of the<br />

large halogens content. Therefore, an<br />

objective is to find a means to lower the cost<br />

of such recycling by pre-processing it before<br />

sending it to the secondary Zn-industry.<br />

In order to fulfil the EU directive, not only<br />

must technologies be available but the<br />

market must also allow the building and<br />

operating of such plants. Another objective<br />

is, therefore, to study the feasibility of<br />

implementing such plants in the EU,<br />

considering the socioeconomic<br />

environment.<br />

RESHMENT – A novel<br />

approach for revalorisation<br />

of shredder residues<br />

Introduction<br />

The valorisation of shredder residue (SR),<br />

particularly from the automotive sector, has<br />

become an objective in the EU with the directive<br />

2000/53/EC. This directive asks for a weight<br />

quota for reuse, recycling and recovery of endof-life<br />

vehicles, which are usually shredded in<br />

order to recover and recycle metals. The<br />

remainder, a broad mixture of plastic, tissues,<br />

paper, wood and inorganic materials including<br />

metals, must be processed as well in order to<br />

fulfil the quota. Also this residue contains toxic<br />

materials, particularly heavy metals.<br />

The RESHMENT process was developed in order<br />

to fulfil the required quota. At the same time it<br />

is able to inertise toxic residues from MSW<br />

incinerators using a small part of the energy of<br />

the SR at very high temperature, avoiding the use<br />

of other (fossil) energy sources for such<br />

inertisation. The process still possesses a great<br />

potential for further improvement, particularly in<br />

its energy yield. The first commercial plant with<br />

55’000tpy is being planned in Switzerland and<br />

further development will improve its already<br />

interesting economics.<br />

40<br />

Problems addressed<br />

The large consumption of electrical energy in this<br />

process is due to two reasons: the milling unit<br />

used to prepare the waste for the smelting<br />

cyclone is a big consumer, and the other major<br />

user is the oxygen production used for the<br />

metallurgical process applied. Electrical power<br />

production is limited by the steam parameters<br />

of the heat recovery system because of the<br />

corrosive nature of some of the waste products<br />

contained in the SR. The problems to be<br />

addressed, therefore, are the following:<br />

• Is it possible to increase the size of the<br />

particles fed to the smelting cyclone without<br />

compromising its efficiency, leading to a lower<br />

requirement from the mill?<br />

• Is it possible to improve the mill so that it<br />

consumes less energy to produce the required<br />

particle size?<br />

• Can oxygen be partly replaced by air without<br />

compromising the metallurgical process?<br />

• What measures can be taken to improve the<br />

steam parameters in the waste heat boiler?<br />

In order to approach these problems, the basic<br />

flame behaviour, reaction kinetics and flow<br />

pattern of the smelting cyclone shall be explored<br />

applying CFD technology. Practical tests will<br />

prove the model built and allow adaptations to<br />

fit it environmentally. The model shall be used<br />

to explore the possibility using larger particles<br />

and air. Practical tests will again prove the<br />

modelling.<br />

Zn/Pd fraction pre-processing shall be studied<br />

on a lab-scale level, while the feasibility study will<br />

explore the possibilities to place a plant into a<br />

suitable location where the environmental impact,<br />

as well as economic considerations and logistics,<br />

will play a major role.


RESHMENT - Process.<br />

Project structure<br />

The project is structured in four major fields:<br />

a) socioeconomic impact/feasibility,<br />

b) modelling and model testing of the smelting<br />

operation,<br />

c) improvement of the novel mill,<br />

d) development of cheap pre-processing for<br />

the Zn/Pb fraction.<br />

While a) is done by engineers/economists<br />

and lawyers, b), c) and d) are performed by<br />

scientist/engineers, which leads to an<br />

interdisciplinary team covering a wide range<br />

of subjects.<br />

Expected impact and exploitation<br />

The impact of the improved technology is the<br />

combined solution of two large waste problems<br />

in Europe with a higher energy yield and a lower<br />

cost compared with today’s technologies. The SR<br />

and MSW fly ash will be completely reused and<br />

recycled, while there will be no additional waste<br />

thus fulfilling Europe’s goal of sustainable waste<br />

management. Since emissions from the plant will<br />

be extremely low and energy yield will be high,<br />

such plants will improve the environmental balance<br />

of the region lowering the emissions of CO2.<br />

Progress to date<br />

The programme has just started making the first<br />

improvements to the mill, already showing a better<br />

outcome on energy consumption. Further results<br />

shall be known within the next six months.<br />

41<br />

INFORMATION<br />

References: NNE5-2001-743<br />

Programme:<br />

FP5 - <strong>Energy</strong>, Environment and<br />

Sustainable Development<br />

Title:<br />

Reshment with Advanced <strong>Energy</strong> Yield –<br />

READY<br />

Duration: 30 months<br />

Contact point:<br />

Trifilo Actelios<br />

Actelios SpA<br />

Trifilo.Actelios@Falck.it<br />

Partners:<br />

Actelios (I)<br />

Schafer Elektrotechnik (D)<br />

Sondermaschinen (D)<br />

Cinar (UK)<br />

CTU – Conzepte Technik Umwelt (CH)<br />

EC Scientific Officer:<br />

Kyriakos Maniatis<br />

Tel: +32-2-2990293<br />

Fax: +32-2-2966261<br />

kyriakos.maniatis@cec.eu.int<br />

Status: Ongoing


ASMICAF<br />

Objectives<br />

The target of this co-operative (CRAFT)<br />

EU project is to develop a prototype<br />

process for binding harmful substances<br />

with the production and use of a secondary<br />

fuel pellet from organic wastes by adding<br />

inexpensive inorganic compounds such as<br />

lime, alumina and an acidic mineral<br />

catalyst. The process will provide a<br />

solution for cleaner energy production,<br />

utilising hard-to-treat organic waste like<br />

light-shredder fraction from car recycling,<br />

industrial waste, sewage sludge or<br />

municipal solid waste (MSW).<br />

Among the important properties of the<br />

designed secondary fuel pellet will be that<br />

it is odourless, sterile, storable,<br />

transportable, unleachable, inexpensive,<br />

compact, has a high calorific value (even<br />

on changing refuse fractions) and emits<br />

almost no halogenides, sulphur, heavy<br />

metals and tars when combusted or<br />

pyrolysed. With these qualities it will be<br />

possible to produce clean energy from<br />

organic wastes in smaller, decentralised<br />

plants in a highly economical way.<br />

Clean energy from refuse<br />

derived fuel<br />

Challenges<br />

Despite increased efforts in the EU member<br />

states to reduce the amount of wastes (or trials<br />

to recycle it), the question for an economical and<br />

ecological solution for hard-to-treat wastes, like<br />

light-shredder fractions from car recycling,<br />

industrial wastes, sewage sludge or even<br />

municipal solid wastes, is still there. The problem<br />

gets more pressing with newer, ecologicallywelcomed<br />

regulations that forbid the questionable<br />

landfill of untreated wastes in the EU member<br />

states over the next years (Council directive<br />

1999/31/EC on the landfill of waste).<br />

The production of clean energy from nonrecyclable<br />

organic wastes by thermal treatment<br />

is a solution to this problem, substituting fossil<br />

fuels. Classic thermal treatment plants are huge,<br />

centralised industrial systems with the objective<br />

to mineralise. Enormous efforts are taken into<br />

account to hold to the very tight limits for<br />

emissions that are regulated in the EU member<br />

states (Council directive 2000/76/EC on the<br />

incineration and co-incineration of waste).<br />

The waste-to-energy conversion efficiency is low<br />

because the plants are designed to incinerate<br />

wastes with low calorific values and most of<br />

the effort goes in the expensive flue gas<br />

treatment which provides an ‘end of the pipe’<br />

solution. The high amounts of chlorine in some<br />

wastes are of special importance as these are<br />

the cause of corrosion of the plant material<br />

and a source for increased emissions of dioxins.<br />

42<br />

This project provides an ecological and<br />

economical solution by producing an inexpensive<br />

secondary fuel pellet from hard to treat organic<br />

wastes and inorganic additives like lime, alumina<br />

and an acidic mineral catalyst, which bind harmful<br />

substances during the production and use of the<br />

fuel. The result is a reduction in effort for the flue<br />

gas treatment. The designed secondary fuel<br />

pellets will be odourless, sterile, storable,<br />

transportable, unleachable, inexpensive, compact<br />

and have a high calorific value even on changing<br />

refuse fractions.<br />

Using combined heat and power generators<br />

(CHP), energy can be yielded after combustion<br />

or pyrolysis of the pellets. Due to the binding<br />

capabilities of the inorganic additives that is<br />

achieved by a specialised pelletising method,<br />

the amount of halogenides, sulphur, tars and<br />

heavy metals that are emitted when combusted<br />

or pyrolysed, are minimised. The resulting<br />

residues are unleachable and can be used as<br />

construction material.<br />

The problem of changing refuse qualities will<br />

be solved by using intelligent process control<br />

technology which will permit the production of<br />

a high quality secondary fuel with constant<br />

binding capabilities and a high calorific value.


Project structure<br />

The project is organised as an EU CRAFT project<br />

under the acronym ASMICAF (development of an<br />

innovative acidic shape-selective mineral catalyst<br />

added pelletised fuel from organic wastes) with<br />

two RTD performers and five SME contractors<br />

from four EU member states.<br />

Figure 1 represents the structure of the<br />

consortium. The consortium’s SME members<br />

provide solutions for pyrolysis, waste management<br />

and process control technology. The RTD<br />

performers are providers of intelligent control<br />

technologies, chemical analytics and environmental<br />

engineering.<br />

The research during the project is focussed on<br />

the development of an intelligent process control<br />

technology, the pelletising process and the<br />

analysis of combustion and high temperature<br />

pyrolysis behaviour of the pellets on different<br />

compositions.<br />

Expected impact and exploitation<br />

After the successful implementation of the<br />

ASMICAF prototype process, a pilot plant is<br />

planned to start the exploitation of the results.<br />

The expected environmental impact will be that<br />

an economical way to produce clean energy<br />

from hard-to-treat organic wastes will be available,<br />

which conserves fossil fuels and treats the<br />

wastes prior to use as a construction material.<br />

The plant will be economically feasible, even on<br />

a small scale, which will reduce the transport of<br />

the wastes to the plant for utilisation and ease<br />

the location of a heat sink for the thermal energy<br />

of the used cogeneration system.<br />

A recent study from Frost and Sullivan estimates<br />

a demand of 166 large scale thermal treatment<br />

plants which would be commissioned between<br />

2003 and 2009 across the <strong>European</strong> countries.<br />

They expect a diversification in the waste<br />

treatment industry with great market potentials<br />

for newer technologies, realised by small and<br />

medium sized enterprises (SME) in a market<br />

that is currently dominated by large companies.<br />

This emerging market is envisaged and a<br />

successful exploitation will give new opportunities<br />

for the <strong>European</strong> SME contractors of the project<br />

and can give new employment possibilities.<br />

Results<br />

First publishable results are expected at the<br />

end of 2003 and will be available from the<br />

project’s website.<br />

Figure 1: Structure of ASMICAF.<br />

43<br />

INFORMATION<br />

References: ENK6-CT2002-30024<br />

Title: Development of an Innovative<br />

Acidic Shape-Selective Mineral Catalyst<br />

added Pelletised Fuel from Organic<br />

Wastes – ASMICAF<br />

Duration: 24 months<br />

Contact point:<br />

Christoph Friedrich<br />

University Witten-Herdecke<br />

Tel: +49-2302-914-7788<br />

Fax: +49-2302-914-777<br />

friedrich@ibis-uwh.de<br />

Partners:<br />

TECCON Innovation (D)<br />

INASMET (E)<br />

Relux Recycling & Umwelttechnik (D)<br />

TRADEBE (E)<br />

Private Universität Witten-Herdecke (D)<br />

BSMA (F)<br />

PYROMEX (UK)<br />

Website:<br />

http://www.ibis-uwh.de/Projekte/asmicaf<br />

EC Scientific Officer:<br />

Garbiñe Guiu Etxeberria<br />

Tel: +32-2-2990538<br />

Fax: +32-2-2993694<br />

garbine.guiu@cec.eu.int<br />

Status: Ongoing


BIOCAT<br />

Objectives<br />

The scope of this project is to develop an<br />

efficient technology for the conversion of<br />

biomass to clean and renewable liquid<br />

bio-oil. This is in order to facilitate its<br />

introduction to the <strong>European</strong> energy<br />

market as a renewable fuel for diesel<br />

engines or as a source of high value<br />

chemicals. The technology will be based<br />

on catalytic biomass pyrolysis using new<br />

innovative porous catalysts and novel<br />

reactors.<br />

Production of bio-oil via<br />

catalytic biomass pyrolysis<br />

Challenges<br />

<strong>Bio</strong>mass flash pyrolysis (BFP) is a very promising<br />

thermochemical process for the production of<br />

liquid products (up to 80%wt on biomass).<br />

However, large-scale applications are still under<br />

careful consideration because of the high<br />

upgrading costs required for BFP liquids. In this<br />

project the possibility for the production of stable<br />

liquid bio-fuels from biomass flash pyrolysis in<br />

a single stage catalytic process is being<br />

investigated. This is achieved through mild<br />

cracking reactions taking place in the presence<br />

of appropriate catalysts within the pyrolysis<br />

process and prior bio-oil condensation, without<br />

the use of external hydrogen.<br />

Project structure<br />

The initial phase of the project includes<br />

fundamental studies for the development and<br />

bench scale evaluation of the appropriate new<br />

catalysts. In a second phase the most promising<br />

catalysts are scaled up and evaluated in pilot<br />

scale in three reactor technologies. Finally the<br />

bio-oil is tested in diesel engines while phenols<br />

separated from bio-oil are tested as wood<br />

adhesive. The experiments performed provide the<br />

basis for kinetic and reactor modelling studies<br />

along with technoeconomical studies of the<br />

integrated technology.<br />

44<br />

Expected impact and exploitation<br />

Upon the successful development of a catalytic<br />

biomass pyrolysis process, the interest and<br />

application of pyrolysis oils will be increased. This<br />

will have a positive impact on the environment<br />

since the use of this renewable bio-fuel will help<br />

Europe to meet the target of the Kyoto Protocol,<br />

that is to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions<br />

by 8 % up to 2010 (300 tn CO2 reduction/tn of<br />

biomass). Moreover, the project will enforce the<br />

biomass role in the <strong>European</strong> energy balance. By<br />

developing a promising technology, the cost and<br />

risks of fossil fuel imports will be eliminated and<br />

the project will help to contribute to the EU goal<br />

of increasing the share of renewable energy<br />

sources to 12% in the <strong>European</strong> energy market<br />

by the year 2010. The project will also have a<br />

positive impact on the development of a new<br />

market for the non-fuel applications of bio-oil<br />

(substitution of petrochemicals with biochemicals)<br />

with a much higher added-value. Taking into<br />

account all these applications of bio-oil, the<br />

contribution to the rural economy will be<br />

important and new employment opportunities will<br />

be created in Europe. Regarding the exploitation<br />

of the project results, it concerns the<br />

development of new processes (BTG, CPERI), new<br />

catalysts (GRACE, SINTEF) and bio-adhesives<br />

(ARI). A further scaling up of the catalytic biomass<br />

pyrolysis process is foreseen and this could be<br />

the subject of a future EU demonstration project.


Results of catalytic processes.<br />

Progress to date<br />

The project has completed its first year and the<br />

main work was mainly devoted to the synthesis<br />

and evaluation of new, innovative, catalytic<br />

materials (based on mesoporous MCM-41 and<br />

zeolitic ZSM-5) for biomass catalytic pyrolysis<br />

using three different biomass feeds. Both types<br />

of catalysts were evaluated in a bench scale<br />

reactor. The results (see figures above) showed<br />

that the type of catalysts can completely alter the<br />

composition of the bio-oil received from biomass<br />

pyrolysis. From this evaluation the best ZSM-5<br />

and MCM-41 catalysts regarding the bio-liquid<br />

quality were identified and proposed for scale up<br />

studies in the three pilot plants.<br />

The pilot plant testing of biomass catalytic<br />

pyrolysis is in progress and up-to-date preliminary<br />

tests were carried out in a fluid bed and in a<br />

circulating fluid bed reactor. Modelling studies,<br />

taking into account decomposition kinetics and<br />

the relevant transport phenomena, were also<br />

performed based on literature data and data<br />

provided from the partners. Regarding the<br />

extraction of useful chemicals from bio-oil, an<br />

effective separation procedure was developed<br />

based on the washing of bio-oil with<br />

dichloromethane (DCM) and small amounts of<br />

acetone. A liquid-liquid extraction scheme was<br />

applied in order to separate and analyse the oil<br />

components into different groups on the basis of<br />

<strong>Bio</strong>-oil production via biomass catalytic pyrolysis.<br />

their polarity: neutrals, phenols, acids and bases.<br />

Finally the specifications of bio-oil, which are<br />

required to run it in diesel engines, were<br />

established and it was found that the fuel acidity<br />

and the high temperature stability are the most<br />

important properties. Moreover, the use of biooil<br />

as a substitute for petroleum phenol, for the<br />

production of Phenol-Formaldehyde (PF) synthetic<br />

resins (which are commonly applied in wood<br />

panel manufacture), was tested using a noncatalytic<br />

bio-oil. It was found that even this liquid<br />

could be used at substitution levels up to 30%.<br />

Catalytically produced bio-oil is going to be tested<br />

in diesel engines and in PF production in the next<br />

phase of the project.<br />

➞ ➞<br />

45<br />

INFORMATION<br />

References: ENK6-CT-2001-00510<br />

Programme:<br />

FP5 - <strong>Energy</strong>, Environment and<br />

Sustainable Development<br />

Title:<br />

Catalyst Development for Catalytic<br />

<strong>Bio</strong>mass Flash Pyrolysis Producing<br />

Promissing Liquid <strong>Bio</strong>-Fuels – BIOCAT<br />

Duration: 36 months<br />

Contact point:<br />

Angelo Lappas<br />

Centre for Research & Technology Hellas<br />

Tel: +30-2310-498100<br />

Fax: +30-2310-498180<br />

angel@aliakmon.cperi.certh.gr<br />

Partners:<br />

Centre for Research & Technology<br />

Hellas (GR)<br />

Grace (D)<br />

DECHEMA (D)<br />

Foundation for Technical & Industrial<br />

Research at the Norwegian Institute of<br />

Technology (NO)<br />

Royal Institute of Technology (S)<br />

Adhesives Research Institute (GR)<br />

BTG <strong>Bio</strong>mass Technology Group (NL)<br />

EC Scientific Officer:<br />

Erich Nägele<br />

Tel: +32-2-2965061<br />

Fax: +32-2-2993694<br />

erich.naegele@cec.eu.int<br />

Status: Ongoing


COMBIO<br />

Objectives<br />

The general aim of the project is to verify a<br />

new liquid biofuel chain for heat production<br />

and entry into the heating fuel market.<br />

Liquid biofuel will be produced from forestry<br />

residue by fast pyrolysis. The objectives<br />

are to solve technical problems related<br />

to the issue, and to address the principal<br />

economic uncertainties. These include<br />

generation of process performance data<br />

of pyrolysis oil production, defining<br />

preliminary fuel specifications, generating<br />

oil combustion data to develop a fuel with<br />

less emissions, improving fuel quality,<br />

and finally improving the economic<br />

competitiveness of the whole bioenergy<br />

chain.<br />

A new competitive liquid<br />

biofuel for heating<br />

Challenges<br />

The development work faces many challenges.<br />

Improving the economical competitiveness of<br />

the bioenergy chain and its components is one<br />

of the key factors involved in penetrating into the<br />

heating fuel market. The main competitors in the<br />

market are chips, pellets and light fuel oil.<br />

Fulfilling the specifications and needs required<br />

by users demands a clear vision of the future<br />

needs of the market.<br />

There are certain things to be done concerning<br />

the fuel itself. The first condition is that the fuel<br />

quality needs to be high. To date there has been<br />

no long-term experience with pyrolysis oil at the<br />

pilot and industrial scale due to a lack of<br />

sufficient quantities of suitable quality fuel.<br />

There are also questions to be solved concerning<br />

the fuel’s stability, acidity, and health/safety<br />

issues. It is crucial that the emissions are<br />

reduced to the minumum.<br />

Project structure<br />

A stage-wise approach for R&D work is being<br />

adopted. In general terms, the project includes<br />

pyrolysis oil production (large quantities), longterm<br />

utilisation tests, determination of fuel<br />

specifications, oil quality improvement, and<br />

verification of the whole concept from biomass<br />

to pyrolysis oil use.<br />

Stage 1<br />

First, the issues common to potential applications<br />

(replacing heavy and light fuel oil in boilers) are<br />

addressed and the entire utilisation chain is<br />

verified with the technically least demanding<br />

46<br />

alternative. The common issues include fuel<br />

harvesting, conversion, storage, transportation<br />

and use. The first stage is to verify a continuous<br />

pilot-scale production of pyrolysis oil, followed<br />

by industrial scale use in a boiler. Individual<br />

topics in the chain cannot be optimised<br />

separately but, due to interaction between<br />

stages, the chain has to be considered as a<br />

whole.<br />

Stage 2<br />

For replacement of heavy fuel oil in large boilers<br />

and light fuel oil in intermediate and small<br />

boilers, specifications for pyrolysis oil will be<br />

defined. Feedback from utilisation tests will be<br />

used. Utilisation tests include long-term<br />

combustion tests of biofuel from laboratory<br />

scale to industrial scale. The aim is to generate<br />

fundamental pyrolysis oil combustion data to<br />

help develop higher quality fuels with less<br />

emissions, easy ignition and high stability.<br />

Stage 3<br />

While the pyrolysis oil production and use is<br />

being implemented and developed, work on oil<br />

quality improvement can be started in a PDU<br />

(Process Development Unit) and at laboratory<br />

scale. Pyrolysis oil quality is improved to increase<br />

potential user applications from medium to small<br />

boilers, CHP and eventually to power production.<br />

Use of emulsions and hot vapour filtration are<br />

seen as a means of reducing cost and lowering<br />

emissions in utilisation. Data and feedback<br />

received from combustion tests will be used in<br />

this work.


VTT’s Process Development Unit (PDU).<br />

Stage 4<br />

The complete pyrolysis oil utilisation chain will<br />

be assessed on a technical and economic basis.<br />

Two country specific case studies (Finland and<br />

Italy) will be prepared, illustrating two applications<br />

for pyrolysis oil. Detailed cost and performace<br />

analysis will be carried out, including estimates<br />

of emissions. Cases have been selected to<br />

represent different applications in order to<br />

expand pyrolysis oil utilisation. The objective of<br />

this task is to provide concrete information<br />

about the exploitation possibilities and market<br />

application of the proposed technologies.<br />

Experimental results from other work done in the<br />

project will provide a basis for analysis along with<br />

other published data available.<br />

To implement the work planned, there are seven<br />

partners from three <strong>European</strong> countries: VTT<br />

Processes (Finland), Fortum Oil and Gas Oy<br />

(Finland), Fortum Värme (Sweden), Istituto Motori<br />

(Italy), CSGI (Italy), ETA (Italy) and Vapo Oy<br />

(Finland). Basically, the companies involved in the<br />

project have plans to use and produce pyrolysis<br />

oil, while the R&D organisations are striving to<br />

improve the process and fuel quality.<br />

Expected impact and exploitation<br />

The pyrolysis process is able to produce high<br />

yields of liquid product which can be shipped,<br />

stored and utilised more economically than solid<br />

fuels on the small to medium-sized scale. Another<br />

significant advantage is that pyrolysis oil provides<br />

an opportunity to bring renewable energy into<br />

cities. It is simple and easy to use, and emissions<br />

are low (CO2-neutral). Also, the technical and<br />

economical attractiveness of transportation<br />

promotes any future use. Pyrolysis oil is a highefficiency<br />

renewable liquid energy which can<br />

even be transported over long distances.<br />

If the development work is successful, the<br />

application may become industrially significant<br />

in Europe in the next few years. The first possible<br />

market area for pyrolysis oil is estimated to be<br />

the northern parts of Europe which includes<br />

Finland, Sweden and the Baltic region. Expansion<br />

to central Europe and beyond is also in sight.<br />

Progress to date<br />

Forestera - driving forces.<br />

The project started at the beginning of 2003. The<br />

first six months have included feedstock delivery<br />

and pyrolysis oil production. This has been<br />

followed by medium boiler tests. Preliminary<br />

emulsification experiments with typical quality<br />

pine saw dust pyrolysis oil (pyrolysis oil emulsion<br />

behaviour characterisation) have been started in<br />

which two oils are handled. In addition, work on<br />

fuel specifications and case studies are ongoing.<br />

The project website will go on-line during the<br />

first year.<br />

47<br />

INFORMATION<br />

References: ENK6-CT-2002-00690<br />

Programme:<br />

FP5 - <strong>Energy</strong>, Environment and<br />

Sustainable Development<br />

Title:<br />

A new Competitive Liquid <strong>Bio</strong>fuel for<br />

Heating – COMBIO<br />

Duration: 36 months<br />

Contact point:<br />

Yrjo Solantausta<br />

VTT Processes<br />

Tel: +358-9-4565517<br />

Fax: +358-9-460493<br />

yrjo.solantausta@vtt.fi<br />

Partners:<br />

VTT Processes (FIN)<br />

CHR-National Research Council of Italy (I)<br />

Eta - Energia, Trasporti, Agricoltura (I)<br />

Fortum Oil and Gas (FIN)<br />

Consorzio Interuniversitario per lo<br />

Sviluppo dei Sistemi a Grande Interfase (I)<br />

Birka Vaerme (S)<br />

Vapo (FIN)<br />

EC Scientific Officer:<br />

Garbiñe Guiu Etxeberria<br />

Tel: +32-2-2990538<br />

Fax: +32-2-2993694<br />

garbine.guiu@cec.eu.int<br />

Status: Ongoing


Ribe <strong>Bio</strong>gas plant in DK (Krüger©).<br />

EFFECTIVE<br />

Objectives<br />

It is well known that Molten Carbonate<br />

Fuel Cells (MCFC) have high efficiencies.<br />

For example the efficiency of MTU’s HOT<br />

MODULE is approx. 47% (AC) and close to<br />

90%, if the thermal energy can be used,<br />

even when the module is fuelled with<br />

<strong>Bio</strong>gas. MCFC’s are currently (among all<br />

types of FC’s) best suited for <strong>Bio</strong>gas and<br />

enable electricity generation in avoidance<br />

of valueless heat, usually occurring when<br />

conventional CHP’s (Combined Heat and<br />

Power Units) with an efficiency of approx.<br />

36% (AC) are used. Since biogas is a<br />

mixture of methane and carbon dioxide it is<br />

surprising that the MCFC solely among all<br />

types of fuel cells gains an advantage of<br />

the presence of carbon dioxide. Carbon<br />

dioxide takes part in the electrochemical<br />

cell reaction and has a determining role in<br />

the formation of the electrochemical<br />

potential.<br />

A precondition for the use of <strong>Bio</strong>gas in<br />

MCFC’s is the elimination of accompanying<br />

traces of detrimental gases. Therefore the<br />

RTD-work is twofold: two gas upgrading<br />

units have been developed, and the<br />

endurance of MCFC’s for <strong>Bio</strong>gas use must<br />

be confirmed. Major reasons why<br />

renewable energy projects fail, is the onesided<br />

focus on technical aspects. That is<br />

why non-technical barriers shall be taken<br />

into account.<br />

<strong>Bio</strong>gas – MCFC systems as<br />

a challenge for sustainable<br />

energy supply<br />

Challenges<br />

Anaerobic digestion (AD) involves the breakdown<br />

of organic waste by bacteria in an oxygen-free<br />

environment. The biogas produced as a result is,<br />

as a renewable energy CO2 neutral. By converting<br />

the chemical energy into electrical energy in a<br />

high temperature fuel cell, it is possible to<br />

increase the electricity output in comparison to<br />

conventional CHP).<br />

This does not only produce less CO2 emissions<br />

per produced kWh (in comparison with classical<br />

CHPs) but it also has been proven that using<br />

biogas as fuel is followed by a drastic decrease<br />

of regional emissions of methane.<br />

Furthermore, MCFC’s have the lowest NOx, SO2 and VOC emission-levels compared to other<br />

conventional systems. Another feature of the<br />

high temperature fuel cell is that a part of the<br />

thermal energy, which is created in the<br />

electrochemical process, can be consumed<br />

directly at the location where it is released. This<br />

internal heat removal happens during the<br />

conversion of the methane into the<br />

electrochemical active species, hydrogen, which<br />

is an endothermal process and known as<br />

“Internal Reforming”.<br />

Until now, hardly any experience has been gained<br />

concerning the utilization of biogas in fuel cells.<br />

Innovative aspects are the development of the<br />

gas cleaning units for biogas, to remove<br />

especially H2S, as well as endurance and<br />

performance information on MCFC – gas cleaning<br />

unit. Finally a novel technique, based on adapted<br />

Quality Function Deployment (QFD) for the holistic<br />

technology integration is used. QFD will enable<br />

the identification of optimal locations for the<br />

MCFC-<strong>Bio</strong>gas plant compound in Austria, Spain<br />

and Slovakia.<br />

48<br />

The major innovative step is however the<br />

combination of MCFC’s and <strong>Bio</strong>gas technology.<br />

Therefore answers concerning i) the gas<br />

upgrading (reliability, costs…), ii) the endurance<br />

and performance of the MCFC system with<br />

slightly changing gas quality and composition and<br />

iii) the integration of the technology in the market<br />

have to be analysed and/or improved.<br />

Project structure and approach<br />

The multidisciplinary and multisectorial approach<br />

of the project and the composition of the<br />

consortium promises successful teamwork. The<br />

needed critical mass is achieved through a well<br />

balanced consortium: on the one hand a fuel cell<br />

supplier and fuel cell specialists (MTU FC and<br />

CIEMAT), gas upgraders (PROFACTOR and<br />

SEABORNE), socio-economists (STUDIA), biogas<br />

experts (UNI NITRA) and end users (URBASER &<br />

LINZ AG).<br />

The RTD-work is twofold: Two gas cleaning units<br />

have been developed, one based on a biological<br />

and the other on a chemical principle, that reduce<br />

e.g. H2S in <strong>Bio</strong>gas from 300 ppm (=state of the<br />

art) to under 10 ppm. The expected endurance of<br />

MCFC’s using <strong>Bio</strong>gas as fuel is to be confirmed<br />

with two testbeds, each comprising a 300 W<br />

MCFC-lab size stack (figure 1), manufactured by<br />

MTU, and their respective gas cleaning units.<br />

One of the testbeds (mobile) is coupled with the<br />

chemical gas cleaning unit and is being tested in<br />

three different locations with different gas<br />

qualities. The second testbed (stationary) is<br />

coupled with the biological gas cleaning unit and<br />

is meant to be used for long term tests. Nontechnical<br />

barriers such as economic, logistic,<br />

legal and social aspects are being assessed in<br />

Austria, Spain, Germany and Slovakia for the<br />

technology integration of the systems compound.


Expected impact and exploitation<br />

The large potential for biogas coming from<br />

biogas producing facilities in both agricultural<br />

as well as industrial sectors shows a virgin<br />

area of core business for the involved sectors.<br />

The exploitation of the results is clearly focused<br />

on the promotion of the implementation of<br />

<strong>Bio</strong>gas Plants using MCFC’s. The gas upgrading<br />

systems are to be further developed and<br />

commercialized after the finalization of the<br />

project.<br />

Progress to date<br />

After the first material analysis it can be said in<br />

a preliminary way, that <strong>Bio</strong>gas does not harm the<br />

fuel cell in no way. It moreover increases its<br />

efficiency.<br />

The work performed on the technical side of<br />

the project was the development of both the<br />

chemical as well as the biological gas cleaning<br />

units with their subsequent analytical tests. This<br />

included the setting of common interfaces<br />

between the gas cleaning units, biogas plants<br />

and the MCFC unit.<br />

<strong>Bio</strong>logical gas cleaning unit: Preliminary results<br />

show that the H2S concentration in the outlet<br />

biogas is always under 10 ppm with an inlet of<br />

approximately 400 ppm H2S. The chemical<br />

biogas upgrading system has achieved together<br />

with the first MCFC test cycle also values of<br />

under 10 ppm.<br />

Single cell tests have been performed in order<br />

to find out the impact of NH3 on the cells. The<br />

observations were the following: (1) A slight<br />

break through of ammonia was observed.<br />

(2) The amount of ammonia, which broke through,<br />

depended on the applied load. (3) The ammonia<br />

did not cause any additional corrosion on the cell<br />

components during the operation time of about<br />

2000 h. Additional tests should however be<br />

Figure 1: Assembly of MCFC<br />

stack at MTU premises.<br />

done in order to find explanations for the<br />

ammonia break through.<br />

The construction of the 2 testbeds (figure 2)<br />

proved to be more complicated than expected,<br />

in part due to the high safety standards set by<br />

the German TÜV.<br />

Progress to date<br />

The first test cycle was performed at SEABORNEs<br />

location, in Owschlag, Germany. The burn-out<br />

procedure was started on this stack in April<br />

2002 at the facilities of MTU in Ottobrunn,<br />

Germany. Then the stack was cooled down and<br />

delivered to Seaborne, where it was reactivated<br />

at the end of May. After 2,500 h operation the<br />

tests were terminated.<br />

It is likely that the gas composition was not<br />

stable during the experimental run and the CH4 :<br />

CO2-ratio was shifted towards higher amounts of<br />

the CO2 . Therefore the real electrical efficiency<br />

(DC) should be expected to be in the range<br />

between 35 and 52% (DC). Results on the test<br />

operation in Nitra will soon be available.<br />

Figure 2: MCFC Testbed (left<br />

MCFC unit, right controlling unit)<br />

at the Seaborne premises.<br />

49<br />

INFORMATION<br />

References: ENK5-CT-1999-00007<br />

Programme:<br />

FP5 - <strong>Energy</strong>, Environment and<br />

Sustainable Development<br />

Title:<br />

<strong>Bio</strong>gas – MCFC Systems as a Challenge<br />

for Sustainable <strong>Energy</strong> Supply – EFFECTIVE<br />

Duration: 48 months<br />

Partners:<br />

- Profactor Produktionsforschung (A)<br />

- Centro de Investigaciones Energeticas<br />

Medioambientales y Tecnologicas (E)<br />

- LINZ AG (A)<br />

- MTU Fuel Cells (D)<br />

- Seaborne Environmental Research<br />

Laboratory (D)<br />

- Slovenska Polnohospodarska<br />

Universitá v Nitre (SK)<br />

- Schlierbach Studienzentrum für<br />

Internationale Analysen (A)<br />

- Urbaser (E)<br />

Contact point:<br />

Steven Trogisch<br />

Tel: +43-7252-884242<br />

Fax: +43-7252-884244<br />

Steven.trogisch@profactor.at<br />

EC Scientific Officer:<br />

Antonio Paparella<br />

Tel: +32-2-2957240<br />

Fax: +32-2-2964288<br />

antonio.paparella@cec.eu.int<br />

Status: Ongoing


Figure 1: A view of the building<br />

where the pilot plant is installed.<br />

PYROHEAT<br />

Objectives<br />

The overall objective of the project is to<br />

demonstrate the technical and economic<br />

feasibility of generating heat from a<br />

pyrolytic liquid (PL) derived from biomass.<br />

The advantage of using a liquid fuel instead<br />

of solid fuels such as bark, sawdust etc. is<br />

well recognised. The specific objectives of<br />

the project are:<br />

• Improve PL quality, increase PL yield and<br />

improve overall operation in a pilot scale<br />

plant producing PL, supporting these<br />

developments with work carried out in<br />

PDU scale<br />

• Produce several tonnes of PL to be used<br />

in combustion tests<br />

• Modify mineral oil burner and boiler for<br />

the use of PL<br />

• Execute a utilisation campaign of PL in<br />

modified boilers<br />

• Assess the potential of the concept at<br />

the base of the project.<br />

A renewable liquid fuel<br />

produced from biomass<br />

suitable for heat generation<br />

Problem addressed<br />

Liquids produced by pyrolysis from biomass are<br />

estimated to be the lowest cost liquid bio-fuel.<br />

A high efficiency (65%) process has been<br />

projected for industrial scale production. However,<br />

the larger units that have been operating in<br />

Europe have not yet been able to reach the<br />

expected efficiency. This is due to the fact that<br />

during scale up of these systems, solutions<br />

have been used that have not been employed on<br />

the laboratory scale work. This project is aimed<br />

at an improved operation of the pyrolysis pilot<br />

plant, owned and operated by ENEL, with an<br />

increase of the efficiency. The PL currently<br />

available for industrial scale utilisation tests all<br />

have unfavourable fuel properties, which hamper<br />

their use. Fuel properties which need most<br />

further improvements are:<br />

• Homogeneity, stability, reactivity<br />

• Viscosity<br />

• Solid content, particle size of solids.<br />

A number of improvements have been suggested,<br />

e.g. hot vapour filtration (HVF), solvent addition<br />

and chemical upgrading in order to improve the<br />

value of PL as fuel. However HVF is not currently<br />

available for large scale application, the addition<br />

of solvents increases cost and chemical<br />

upgrading has been shown to be expensive, if<br />

feasible at all. Removal of solids from PL remains<br />

as one of the critical problems. If solids can be<br />

removed, several other properties affecting fuel<br />

quality will also be improved. Forestera example,<br />

it has been shown that removal of solids<br />

improves stability<br />

50<br />

Differences have been detected in combustion<br />

behaviour of pyrolysis liquid from different<br />

biomasses in both small laboratory scale work<br />

and industrial furnaces. Much of the different<br />

combustion behaviour of PL compared to mineral<br />

oils has been explained through ordinary liquid<br />

fuel properties, e.g. viscosity (injection spray<br />

formation), water content (ignition) or solids<br />

content of PL (unburned particulates). However,<br />

other phenomena are also included as pyrolysis<br />

oils from similar biomasses produced in different<br />

processes (PL with same physical characteristics)<br />

may behave in a different way in combustion.<br />

Although several biomasses have been proposed<br />

as feeds, and tested in laboratory scale pyrolysis<br />

units, there is very little information concerning<br />

the suitability of these liquids for use. Only<br />

pyrolysis oils from bark-free wood have been<br />

combusted in boilers and engines. However,<br />

bark-free wood fuels are probably too expensive<br />

for industrial energy applications.<br />

Pyrolysis oil use<br />

Handling, storage, and health and safety issues<br />

have been developed to assist in future<br />

demonstrations. A manual for sampling (both<br />

laboratory and demonstration level) and fuel oil<br />

analysis of PL has been published by VTT<br />

Of the PL applications considered, technically<br />

closest to feasibility is to use PL in existing<br />

boilers designed for heavy fuel oil (HFO).<br />

Use of PL in medium size boilers designed for<br />

light fuel oil (LFO) appears promising because of<br />

the relatively high cost of LFO. However, this<br />

application is technically more demanding than<br />

replacing HFO.


Project structure<br />

The project is implemented by the following<br />

organisations:<br />

• ENEL Produzione (Italy)<br />

• VTT (Finland)<br />

• Fortum (Finland)<br />

• ARUSIA (Italy)<br />

• CCT (Italy)<br />

ENEL Produzione is operating a pilot facility<br />

(Figure 1) for producing PL at a rated capacity of<br />

about 500 kg/h. This facility adopts the Ensyn’s<br />

RTP technology. The same technology is<br />

adopted by a process development unit (PDU)<br />

operated by VTT (Figure 2).<br />

While ENEL Produzione will overhaul the pilot plant<br />

and improve its operability, VTT will conceptualise<br />

and will test at PDU scale methods for quality<br />

improvements to be integrated in the plant.<br />

Partner ARUSIA, a regional agency for agricultural<br />

development, will supply the feed to the plant and<br />

will assess the economic issues of the<br />

demonstration. The partners CCT and Fortum<br />

(Figure 3) will utilise the pyrolysis oil in small and<br />

large-scale thermal boilers to carry on extensive<br />

combustion trials.<br />

Expected impact and exploitation<br />

Demonstration of the entire utilisation chain<br />

“biomass to heat” through pyrolysis on an<br />

industrial scale may have a strong impact on the<br />

penetration of biomass in the energy market.<br />

Indeed one of the major drawbacks of the<br />

biomass is its relatively low energy density,<br />

which make its transportation over long distances<br />

unfeasible for economic reasons. This is<br />

particularly true for those biomasses like sawdust<br />

and bark that are often available at large<br />

Figure 2: A view of the process<br />

development unit.<br />

distances from sites where there is an energy<br />

demand: pyrolysis makes the energy associated<br />

to those biomasses transportable.<br />

In this perspective, an energy company is<br />

experimenting with pyrolysis and combustion of<br />

PL with the aim of supplying pyrolysis liquid to<br />

customers as an alternative fuel to the fossils.<br />

Progress to date<br />

The major achievements at this stage of the<br />

project can be summarised as follows:<br />

• The pilot plant operated by ENEL on the site of<br />

Bastardo, destined for the production of large<br />

amounts of oil for combustion tests, has been<br />

restored and upgraded. A second cyclone has<br />

been installed for better separation of the<br />

entrained solids from the pyrolysis vapours.<br />

Several tonnes of PL have been produced.<br />

• Methods for solid removal from pyrolysis oil<br />

have been identified and will be adopted for<br />

improving the quality of the oil produced by the<br />

pilot plant.<br />

• The condenser modifications aiming at reducing<br />

water content of oil, reducing light compounds<br />

causing bad odour and instability, and<br />

improving stability have been identified and<br />

positively tested at PDU scale.<br />

• Constant quality oil with almost constant<br />

content of solids and water has been produced<br />

at PDU scale.<br />

• Boiler and burner parameters for combustion<br />

tests in boilers have been identified. The<br />

design of the new equipment installation has<br />

been completed. Preliminary combustion tests<br />

with PL produced at PDU scale have been<br />

carried out.<br />

51<br />

Figure 3: Test rig with 500 kW furnace for pyrolisis liquid.<br />

INFORMATION<br />

References: ERK5-CT-1999-00011<br />

Programme:<br />

FP5 - <strong>Energy</strong>, Environment and<br />

Sustainable Development<br />

Title:<br />

Pyrolysis Oil for Heat Generation:<br />

Verification of a Second Generation<br />

Pyrolysis Process – PYROHEAT<br />

Duration: 42 months<br />

Contact point:<br />

Guiseppe Neri<br />

ENEL Produzione SpA<br />

Tel: +39-068-5094604<br />

Fax: +39-068-5094672<br />

nerig@pte.enel.it<br />

Partners:<br />

ENEL Produzione (I)<br />

VTT (FIN)<br />

ASURIA (I)<br />

CCT (I)<br />

Fortum Oil and Gas (FIN)<br />

UGM SPA (I)<br />

EC Scientific Officer:<br />

Erich Nägele<br />

Tel: +32-2-2965061<br />

Fax: +32-2-2993694<br />

erich.naegele@cec.eu.int<br />

Status: Ongoing


STRAWGAS<br />

Objectives<br />

In 1998, Energi E2 and Foster Wheeler<br />

Energia Oy agreed to start a joint project<br />

to develop an atmospheric circulating fluid<br />

bed gasification technology for straw. The<br />

project was initiated by the results from a<br />

preceding development and test for straw<br />

gasification by VTT, which was partly<br />

sponsored by the partners. The gas was<br />

intended as a supplementary fuel in a<br />

modern coal-fired power plant, which also<br />

supplies district heating (CHP). The project<br />

consisted of the development and testing<br />

of a straw feeding system, of gas cleaning<br />

equipment and of procedures to ensure<br />

reuse of the residues. The project was in<br />

preparation for a demonstration gasifier<br />

with a thermal input of 100 MWth. The use<br />

of straw would be approximately 150 000<br />

tonnes per year. The energy efficiency from<br />

straw to electricity would be almost 40%.<br />

The project could lead to demonstration of<br />

an efficient and clean method of using<br />

straw for power production on a large<br />

scale. The method is clean, since strawgas<br />

is burnt in a boiler with modern fluegas<br />

cleaning equipment.<br />

Straw gasification –<br />

Demonstration of<br />

technology and economics<br />

Challenges<br />

Straw gasification technology, including gas<br />

cooling and cleaning, was further developed<br />

in this project by Energi E2 and Foster Wheeler<br />

Energia Oy during 1999-2001. The high alkalinity<br />

and chlorine content of straw requires removal<br />

of these harmful components from the gas<br />

before it is burned in the integrated boiler.<br />

Three pilot-scale trials were executed on<br />

straw gasification in a 3 MWth CFB gasifier.<br />

Furthermore, filter ash treatment was tested<br />

and developed at pilot scale.<br />

In addition to the pilot-scale testing, process<br />

validation and design study covered gasification<br />

of 100% straw and a fuel mix of straw and wood.<br />

In the design study a full-scale straw gasification<br />

plant of 100 MWth and its integration with an<br />

existing large CHP plant was investigated. The<br />

practical solutions of all unit operations were<br />

developed. The budget for a complete plant was<br />

calculated and consequently the overall project<br />

economy was assessed.<br />

Project structure<br />

Partners<br />

• Energi E2 is a major energy producer in<br />

Denmark. ENERGI E2 owns and operates seven<br />

central power stations and ten local CHP plants<br />

in eastern Denmark and has a share in seven<br />

hydropower plants in Sweden. The total<br />

production capacity amounts to 4100 MW<br />

electricity and 2.900 MJ/s heat. Besides<br />

producing energy, ENERGI E2 is trading<br />

electricity on the international power exchanges<br />

and sells energy to large outfits.<br />

Energi E2 is the market leader in the field of<br />

straw-based power production.<br />

52<br />

• Foster Wheeler Energia Oy (FWEOY) is a Finnishbased<br />

operating company of the Foster Wheeler<br />

Corporation. Foster Wheeler Energia Oy’s<br />

products are power plants, steam generators,<br />

gasifiers and auxiliary equipment for the utility<br />

and industrial markets. The company is famous<br />

for its energy production systems, based on<br />

circulation fluidised bed technology (CFB).<br />

Services also include engineering,<br />

manufacturing, erection services, power plant<br />

repairs and modernisation.<br />

Foster Wheeler Energia Oy is the leading<br />

fluidised bed technology supplier in the world,<br />

with long experience in biomass combustion<br />

and gasification.<br />

Project<br />

As a first phase, a test programme comprising<br />

four separate test series for straw gasification<br />

in a 3 MWth atmospheric CFB gasifier with gas<br />

cleaning, was carried out by Foster Wheeler<br />

Energia Oy and ENERGI E2. The project also<br />

included development of the straw feeders,<br />

based on the ideas of, and carried out by<br />

TK-<strong>Energy</strong> from Denmark. The test series<br />

consisted of three gasification trials on straw and<br />

one on the burning of filter ash in a CFB combustor.<br />

Secondly, in parallel with the testing programme,<br />

a design study was conducted with a view to<br />

creating a decision basis for erecting a 100 MWth<br />

demonstration plant.<br />

The plant designed in the study is a complete<br />

plant covering:<br />

• straw storage, conveying and preparation<br />

facilities;<br />

• feeding system for straw;<br />

• feeding system for wood chips;<br />

• CFB gasifier;<br />

• silos and feeding systems for make-up<br />

materials;<br />

• inert gas system;


• syngas cooler;<br />

• baghouses for syngas cleaning;<br />

• ash handling systems;<br />

• ash incineration system;<br />

• syngas burners in existing PC boiler;<br />

• instrumentation and control; and<br />

• powering.<br />

Expected impact and exploitation<br />

The results of the process validation and design<br />

study could be the technical and economical<br />

basis for a decision to build a demonstration<br />

plant and, furthermore, to commercialise<br />

gasification and co-combustion technology based<br />

on the utilisation of straw as a fuel in the gasifier.<br />

Since straw is a major biomass resource in<br />

large parts of Europe, this project can help to<br />

increase the share of renewable energy in the<br />

energy system, and to improve economy and<br />

employment in the agricultural sector.<br />

Results<br />

Pilot-scale tests<br />

Four test series were conducted:<br />

• Running in of test pilot plant with straw pellets;<br />

• Tests with loosely cut straw and a specially<br />

designed cutter;<br />

• Tests with loosely cut straw; long-term testing<br />

with gas cleaning, etc.;<br />

• Burning of filter ashes in a low-temperature CFB.<br />

During the three gasification trials, more than 220<br />

tonnes of pelletised and loose straw were<br />

gasified during over 400 operational hours.<br />

Detailed test reports have been prepared for all<br />

test periods. The following conclusions can be<br />

drawn from the pilot test programme:<br />

• Loose straw gasification is technically feasible;<br />

• In spite of high alkaline fuel, smooth, stable<br />

operation could be achieved;<br />

Foster Wheeler CFB gasifier.<br />

• Wood and straw may be gasified together and<br />

trouble-free operation can be reached;<br />

• Carbon conversion was in the range of 95-<br />

97%;<br />

• Gas cooler could be kept clean both by soot<br />

blowing and by spring hammering;<br />

• 3 M’s filter operated well without blinding by<br />

tars, and it also removed also alkalis and<br />

chlorides quantitatively at 350-370°C from<br />

the synthesis gas;<br />

• PAH were formed in the gasification conditions<br />

but dioxins and furans were not; and<br />

• The optimal gasification conditions were<br />

validated in the project.<br />

The actual gasification process with gas cleaning<br />

had already proved technically feasible during<br />

testing.<br />

Commercial-scale design study<br />

In the study, straw price was fixed at €5.6/GJ or<br />

€83.1/tonne and the price of wood chip price was<br />

€4.3/GJ or €40.2/tonne. The price of saved<br />

coal was fixed at €1.3/GJ. The market price<br />

of electricity was €21.4/MWh and that of heat<br />

€ 1.7/GJ. The expected CO2 and SO2 taxes<br />

and biomass incentives were included in the<br />

evaluation. After these, the income from sales of<br />

electricity would be €53.6/MWh for the first ten<br />

years, and €34.8/MWh thereafter. The predicted<br />

income from the sale of heat would be €8.2/GJ.<br />

The total investment was calculated at M€42.3<br />

and the annual straw consumption would be about<br />

150 000 tonnes. After incineration, the ashes<br />

could be recycled back to the fields as -a fertiliser<br />

so as to recover the nutrients and minerals.<br />

The design study results indicated that the<br />

economy of a 100MWth gasifier integrated with<br />

an existing large CHP plant is sensitive to fuel<br />

Diagram showing the main process of the 100 MWth straw gasifier.<br />

53<br />

and energy prices and, at present, biomass fuel<br />

which is slightly cheaper than straw should be<br />

available for profitable operation in Denmark.<br />

To summarise, it could be concluded that straw<br />

gasification is technically feasible. However, with<br />

the fuel and energy price levels in year 2001,<br />

investment in a 100 MWth straw-fired CFB gasifier<br />

would not have been profitable in Denmark.<br />

INFORMATION<br />

References: ERK5-CT-1999-00004<br />

Programme:<br />

FP5 - <strong>Energy</strong>, Environment and<br />

Sustainable Development<br />

Title:<br />

Straw Gasification for Co-Combustion<br />

in Large CHP Plants – STRAWGAS<br />

Duration: 12 months<br />

Contact point:<br />

Juha Palonen<br />

Tel: +358-10-3937439<br />

Fax: +358-10-3937681<br />

juha.palonen@fwfin.fwc.com<br />

Partners:<br />

EK Energi Power Ltd (DK)<br />

Foster Wheeler Energie (FIN)<br />

EC Scientific Officer:<br />

Pierre Dechamps<br />

Tel: +32-2-2956623<br />

Fax: +32-2-2964288<br />

pierre.dechamps@cec.eu.int<br />

Status: Completed


ABRE TYPHOON<br />

Objectives<br />

ARBRE is an 8 MWe <strong>Bio</strong>mass-fuelled<br />

Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle<br />

(BIGCC) plant built by Arbre <strong>Energy</strong> Limited<br />

at Eggborough, UK. The primary objective<br />

of Project ARBRE is to demonstrate that<br />

BIGCC technology has reached industrial<br />

reliability and can therefore be scaled-up<br />

and replicated internationally.<br />

The main objectives of the ARBRE<br />

TYPHOON contract were:<br />

• to complete the construction of<br />

the ARBRE plant through the integration<br />

of the gas turbine and combined cycle<br />

and gasifier,<br />

• the commissioning and first operation<br />

of the plant,<br />

• to demonstrate and monitor<br />

the performance of the plant.<br />

Completion of plant<br />

construction and<br />

commissioning of project<br />

ARBRE – a wood-fuelled<br />

combined-cycle plant<br />

Challenges<br />

The main challenge of the project is to<br />

demonstrate the efficient generation of electricity<br />

from biomass at a relatively large scale. IGCC<br />

technology (Figure 1) is employed since it is<br />

recognised as the most efficient process for<br />

power generation.<br />

Project ARBRE will contribute to the aim of<br />

increasing the energy conversion efficiency above<br />

35% for small-scale gas turbines. The second<br />

generation plant based on BIGCC technology<br />

is expected to further improve the efficiency to<br />

45%. Reduction in CO2 emissions of 58 million<br />

tonnes per annum will be demonstrated by<br />

the operation of the ARBRE plant using a CO2<br />

neutral and low sulphur- and chlorine-containing<br />

energy crop.<br />

54<br />

Project structure<br />

Since the technical and financial scale and<br />

challenges faced by Project ARBRE cannot be<br />

satisfactorily resolved by any single company<br />

or country, a <strong>European</strong> partnership comprising<br />

Kelda Group Plc (under the non-regulated<br />

subsidiary First Renewables Ltd.) (UK), TPS<br />

Termiska Processer AB (S) and Alstom Power UK<br />

Limited (UK) was formed.<br />

Kelda is the coordinator of the EC contract<br />

and is responsible for the overall project<br />

management, plant engineering and fuel supply<br />

technologies and logistics. TPS is the gasifier<br />

technologist and Alstom is the gas turbine<br />

technologist.


Figure 1: Typical BIGCC process scheme.<br />

Expected impact and exploitation<br />

The ARBRE demonstration project will advance<br />

the ‘state of the art’ by demonstrating on a<br />

significant scale BIGCC power generation in<br />

a <strong>European</strong> context. The technologies and<br />

non-technical approaches developed and<br />

demonstrated will be exploitable across Europe<br />

and overseas.<br />

Progress to date<br />

Construction of the ARBRE plant has been<br />

completed (Figure 2) and commissioning was<br />

on-going when Arbre <strong>Energy</strong> Limited was placed<br />

in liquidation in July 2002. Much effort has<br />

been made since that time to reconstruct the<br />

project to allow the commissioning to be<br />

completed and the plant be put into commercial<br />

operation, but as of June 2003 it is not known<br />

whether such efforts will be successful.<br />

Figure 2: Arbre plant in June 2001.<br />

55<br />

INFORMATION<br />

References: NNE5-20065-1999<br />

Programme:<br />

FP5 - <strong>Energy</strong>, Environment and<br />

Sustainable Development<br />

Title:<br />

Completion of the Arbre Plant with the<br />

Typhoon Gas Turbine – ABRE TYPHOON<br />

Duration: 24 months<br />

Contact point:<br />

Michael Morris<br />

Termiska Processer AB<br />

Tel: +46-15-5221300<br />

Fax: +46-15-5263052<br />

Michael.Morris@tps.se<br />

Partners:<br />

Termiska Processer (S)<br />

KELDA (UK)<br />

Alstom Power (UK)<br />

EC Scientific Officer:<br />

Kyriakos Maniatis<br />

Tel: +32-2-2990293<br />

Fax: +32-2-2966261<br />

Kyriakos.Maniatis@cec.eu.int<br />

Status: Completed


BIOTOX<br />

Objectives<br />

The aim is to comprehensively assess<br />

the toxicity and eco-toxicity of a<br />

representative bio-oil after the preliminary<br />

screening of a wide range of bio-oils from<br />

different processes and temperatures in<br />

order to:<br />

- identify the best operating conditions,<br />

avoiding or minimising the formation of<br />

toxic products from the composition of<br />

the bio-oils,<br />

- produce a comprehensive and definitive<br />

MSDS with the proper preventative and<br />

remedial procedures to adopt during<br />

the production, transport and use of<br />

bio-oils,<br />

- produce fast pyrolysis bio-oils with a low<br />

impact on human health and the<br />

environment by avoiding bio-oils<br />

production presenting potential toxic<br />

characteristics.<br />

Pyrolysis oil toxicity<br />

assessment for safe<br />

handling and transport<br />

Challenges<br />

Pyrolysis is one of the three main thermochemical<br />

routes to convert biomass into useful<br />

primary energy products. Fast pyrolysis has<br />

benefited from an active research programme<br />

since the 1980’s in order to obtain bio-oils,<br />

which can be used in engines for the generation<br />

of electricity or after refining in transport. Today,<br />

several demonstration plants are operating in<br />

Europe and North America where significant<br />

quantities of bio-oils are produced for research<br />

and development purposes and several<br />

commercial plants are at an advanced stage of<br />

planning. Thus for a commercial development, the<br />

question of safety procedures for human health<br />

and environment preservation is raised.<br />

In the project, the relationship between process<br />

parameters on the one hand and chemical<br />

composition and toxicity for human health and<br />

environment on the other will be investigated, so<br />

as to recommend the operating conditions to<br />

produce bio-oils with the lowest impacts. Then the<br />

optimised compositions of bio-oils will be<br />

submitted to the mandatory tests required by the<br />

EU legal authority, the objective being the definition<br />

of secure handling and storage procedures, in<br />

order to control the risks related to the product<br />

for the population and the environment.<br />

56<br />

The effects of different ways of exposure<br />

(inhalation, ingestion or skin contact) will be<br />

quantified, as well as the effects of long term<br />

exposures. The impacts on the environment will<br />

also be evaluated by biodegradability, chemical<br />

oxygen demand (COD), biochemical oxygen<br />

demand (BOD) and the effects on bio-organisms.<br />

A MSDS safety procedure and guidelines for<br />

bio-oils use and transport will be published in<br />

order to allow oil producers to legally market and<br />

transport on the <strong>European</strong> market.<br />

Methodology and approach<br />

The project will proceed in four steps as follows:<br />

<strong>Bio</strong>-oils production and procurement<br />

Oil composition strongly depends on feedstock,<br />

pyrolysis technology and process conditions.<br />

Therefore, bio-oils will be produced from different<br />

reactors (fluid bed, rotating cone, circulating<br />

fluid bed, ablative pyrolysis, vacuum pyrolysis),<br />

and under different conditions and temperatures<br />

(450 to 600°C) in order to relate those<br />

parameters to oil composition, toxicological<br />

characteristics andbiodegradability.


<strong>Bio</strong> oil is an easy-to-use liquid.<br />

<strong>Bio</strong>-oils analysis and screening tests<br />

It will concern the chemical and physical analyses<br />

of the oils, the determination of concentration<br />

ranges in each chemical family and the<br />

characterisation of the oils versus operating<br />

conditions. These analyses will be completed<br />

with toxicological screening tests for a first<br />

evaluation of bio-oils toxicity and biodegradability.<br />

Complete toxicological and eco-toxicological<br />

test<br />

A complete set of analyses will be carried out on<br />

a selected oil, representative of the market and<br />

based on the previous results, to test its<br />

comportment in terms of toxicology, eco-toxicology<br />

and biodegradability.<br />

Recommendations for safety procedures<br />

and dissemination of the results<br />

This will include the redaction of MSDS safety<br />

procedure and guidelines for the use of bio-oils<br />

and transport preparation as well as the<br />

elaboration of recommendations on the best<br />

operating conditions to be used to obtain friendly<br />

products. The dissemination will be done through<br />

the pyrolysis <strong>European</strong> network “PyNe”.<br />

Project structure<br />

The structure of the consortium is defined to<br />

ensure dissemination and utilisation of the<br />

results, as producers and users are involved<br />

in the project through the pyrolysis <strong>European</strong><br />

network “PyNe”. During the different meetings<br />

of the steering committee they will be asked<br />

to give feedback on their own experience, give<br />

their opinions on the tests performed and<br />

participate in the definition of the safety<br />

procedures to be applied. This will enhance<br />

awareness among the producers and end-users,<br />

and the procedures defined will be directly<br />

applicable on industrial sites.<br />

Expected results<br />

Chemical analysis of bio-oil.<br />

An appropriate assessment of the risk involved,<br />

and the definition of the best practice for the<br />

production of the most benign bio-oil in terms of<br />

health and the environment, will contribute to<br />

reduce the production costs and make pyrolysis<br />

bio-oil more competitive. In addition, the<br />

knowledge of the parameters potentially<br />

responsible for toxicity will limit production<br />

losses. The MSDS safety procedure will allow a<br />

free exchange of the bio-oil throughout Europe<br />

and the world. The results will be widely published<br />

on the existing PyNe’s website, as well as in<br />

the newsletter.<br />

57<br />

INFORMATION<br />

References: NNE5-744-2001<br />

Programme:<br />

FP5 - <strong>Energy</strong>, Environment and<br />

Sustainable Development<br />

Title:<br />

Pyrolysis Oil Toxicity Assessment for Safe<br />

Handling and Transport – BIOTOX<br />

Duration: 30 months<br />

Contact point:<br />

Philippe Girard<br />

Cirad Forêt<br />

philippe.girard@cirad.fr<br />

Tel: +33-467614475<br />

Partners:<br />

Cirad (F)<br />

Aston University (UK)<br />

BFH Laboratory (UK)<br />

CIT (F)<br />

Care (UK)<br />

EC Scientific Officer:<br />

Kyriakos Maniatis<br />

Tel: +32-2-2990293<br />

Fax: +32-2-2966261<br />

kyriakos.maniatis@cec.eu.int<br />

Status: Ongoing


DEMO-<br />

PYROLYSIS<br />

Objectives<br />

The main objectives and challenges are:<br />

• to establish warranty conditions for a<br />

commercial pyrolysis plant and for<br />

pyrolysis oils,<br />

• to provide a sound technical and<br />

economical basis for future oil production<br />

facilities,<br />

• to combust the oil in existing combustion<br />

chambers and establish standards and<br />

warranty conditions during long tests.<br />

The partnership consists of five partners<br />

from four countries, including a technology<br />

supplier, an engineering company, a<br />

construction / exploitation company, and<br />

two future end-users. It is envisaged that<br />

fast pyrolysis systems will be competitive<br />

with alternative bio-energy technologies<br />

because of the relatively low investment<br />

costs, and also because the plant will be<br />

located on the premises of a biomass<br />

treatment company. The infrastructure is<br />

present, and operators are available.<br />

Demonstration of<br />

a fast pyrolysis plant –<br />

the rotating cone:<br />

from biomass to bio-oil<br />

Problems addressed<br />

Research on a 5 t/d (1 MWth) flash pyrolysis<br />

system (with heat carrier flow, heat generation<br />

system, oil collection etc.) has been completed<br />

in previous EC-projects. A larger reference project<br />

is being established to overcome the present<br />

shortcomings of pyrolysis processes: to convince<br />

potential end-users and to determine the plant’s<br />

operating performance, the oil production price<br />

and process availability. Insight in these<br />

parameters is a pre-condition to establish the<br />

warranty conditions, not only for the present<br />

installation but also for future (and competing)<br />

pyrolysis processes.<br />

It is expected that the present demonstration<br />

plant will have the following characteristics:<br />

• low specific capital investment costs,<br />

• reliable operation,<br />

• low operational costs, low maintenance, and<br />

high availability;<br />

• production of a consistent quality bio-oil,<br />

• end-use demonstration by combustion in a<br />

boiler.<br />

The main advantage of flash pyrolysis, compared<br />

to gasification or combustion, is that the liquid<br />

fuel has a much higher energy density and is<br />

much easier to handle and cheaper to store<br />

than a solid fuel (such as wood or charcoal).<br />

Uncertainties of pyrolysis processes are those<br />

with respect to process availability, reliability<br />

and gaseous and particulate emissions (in the<br />

production facility, and in the end-use of the<br />

oil). These are due to the fact that the proposed<br />

large-scale system will be the first of a kind and<br />

the aim of the present project is to tackle such<br />

problems.<br />

58<br />

In certain countries in Europe, the expected<br />

price is now already competitive with industrial<br />

light fuel oil due to, for example, green pricing.<br />

The oil produced in this project is also of interest<br />

to substitute the coal in coal-fired power plants.<br />

Pyrolysis oils can be easily applied to replace coal<br />

in coal-fired power plants. It is a realistic estimate<br />

that, upon successful demonstration of the<br />

present project, 20 to 30 pyrolysis plants of<br />

50 t/d based on this technology can be sold all<br />

over Europe within the next ten years.<br />

Progress to date<br />

The detailed design of the anticipated pyrolysis<br />

plant is now finalised (see figure1). The proposed<br />

plant consists of a fuel intake system, a flash<br />

pyrolysis system (including the reactor, a char<br />

combustion section and the heat carrier supply<br />

system), the oil collection and storage system,<br />

the gas cleaning section incorporating an<br />

electrostatic precipitator system, and a gas<br />

cleaning device. Figure 2 shows a process flow<br />

diagram of the demonstration plant with a<br />

capacity of 2 t/hr (corresponding to 10 MWth).<br />

The main parts are a biomass storage system,<br />

the rotating cone pyrolysis reactor, a char<br />

combustion section, the bio-oil collection system,<br />

several heat exchangers, blowers, various<br />

pyrolysis pumps and a flue gas filter. The<br />

demonstration plant will be installed at a waste<br />

treatment facility where the infrastructure for<br />

feed supply is already present. The bio-oil will be<br />

delivered to a heat production facility where it will<br />

be used to replace fossil fuels. If required, the<br />

hot gases can be used to dry the feedstock<br />

material.


3-D drawing of the envisaged pyrolysis plant. A schematic flow diagram of the fast pyrolysis system.<br />

The hardware costs for the pyrolysis plant are<br />

estimated on a basis of commercial quotations.<br />

In 2002 a large area of land was acquired on<br />

which to locate the pyrolysis unit. In the same<br />

year, (draft) delivery contracts with electricity<br />

companies and industrial partners were<br />

established. Since the beginning of 2003, a<br />

dryer has become available which is to be<br />

integrated with the pyrolysis plant.<br />

Commercial exploitation<br />

After the construction of the plant and one year<br />

of demonstration, a consortium will exploit it on<br />

a commercial basis. The demo-phase will yield<br />

oil from wood and from industrial / agricultural<br />

residues. The oil will be used in combustion<br />

research, used at the location for substituting<br />

natural gas used in the dryer and sold on a<br />

commercial basis. Small amounts of bio-oil will<br />

be made available for research at universities and<br />

institutes, and in ongoing and new <strong>European</strong><br />

projects. Negotiations with other representatives<br />

of large electricity production plants, district heat<br />

boiler facilities and chemical plants are ongoing.<br />

Following the demonstration phase, the installation<br />

will be operated on a commercial basis.<br />

59<br />

INFORMATION<br />

References: NNE5-233-2000<br />

Programme:<br />

FP5 - <strong>Energy</strong>, Environment and<br />

Sustainable Development<br />

Title:<br />

Demonstration of a Flash Pyrolysis Plant –<br />

DEMO-PYROLYSIS<br />

Duration: 36 months<br />

Contact point:<br />

Robbie Venderbosch<br />

BTG <strong>Bio</strong>mass Technology Group<br />

Tel: +31-53-4892897<br />

Fax: +31-53-4325399<br />

venderbosch@btgworld.com<br />

Partners:<br />

BTG <strong>Bio</strong>mass Technology Group (NL)<br />

Ansaldo Ricerche (I)<br />

ASM Brescia (I)<br />

Kara <strong>Energy</strong> Systems (NL)<br />

AS Ener EA (EE)<br />

EC Scientific Officer:<br />

José Riesgo Villanueva<br />

Tel: +32-2-2957939<br />

Fax: +32-2-2966261<br />

jose.riesgo@cec.eu.int<br />

Status: Ongoing


EU-BRIDGE<br />

Objectives<br />

The strategic aim of the project is to<br />

address the climate issue by developing<br />

technology for the high-efficiency<br />

generation of electricity from biomass.<br />

The two main objectives of the EU-BR-IDGE<br />

(EU-Brazil Industrial Demonstration of<br />

Gasification to Electricity) project are:<br />

• to demonstrate advanced biomass-fuelled<br />

integrated gasification – gas turbine<br />

(BIG-GT) combined-cycle technology<br />

(Figure 1) in the largest installation<br />

of its kind in the world, through<br />

the construction and operation of<br />

a 32 MWe power plant in Mucuri, Bahia,<br />

Brazil, based on eucalyptus wood from<br />

dedicated sustainable plantations; and<br />

• to prepare for commercial tests in this<br />

power plant using sugar cane trash<br />

and bagasse, by conducting a supporting<br />

research programme on these<br />

agricultural residues.<br />

Demonstration of <strong>European</strong><br />

biomass IGCC technology<br />

in Brazil<br />

Challenges<br />

The main challenge of this project is to prove the<br />

technical and commercial potential of BIG-GT<br />

technology when applied to woody biomass and<br />

agricultural residues such as sugar cane trash<br />

and bagasse.<br />

The major advantage of BIG-GT technology is<br />

its high conversion efficiency to electricity of<br />

more than 40%.<br />

Estimates made by USAID indicate that the use<br />

of BIG-GT technology will permit 50,000 MW<br />

power to be generated from cane residues worldwide.<br />

The use of advanced conversion technology<br />

in the sugar cane industry also has the advantage<br />

that emissions harmful to the atmosphere<br />

can be significantly reduced as a result of a<br />

change in traditional harvesting of cane which<br />

normally consists of setting huge areas of cane<br />

fields ablaze during the harvesting season.<br />

By harvesting the cane trash for energy<br />

production, the production of local air pollutants<br />

can be avoided, as can those hydrocarbons<br />

contributing to climatic impact, during the fires<br />

following the harvest.<br />

60<br />

Project structure<br />

The project consortium comprises TPS Termiska<br />

Processer AB (S), Sistemas de Energia<br />

Renovável, SER (Brazil), Centro de Tecnologia<br />

Copersucar, CTC (Brazil), and Thomas Koch<br />

Energi AS, TKE (DK).<br />

As part of achieving the first objective of the<br />

project, TPS is to be responsible for the basic<br />

engineering of the demonstration power plant<br />

and will also assist SER in the procurement,<br />

erection, start-up and initial monitoring of the<br />

plant’s operation.<br />

As part of achieving the second objective of the<br />

project, TPS will perform pilot-plant tests on<br />

sugar cane trash and bagasse. CTC will be<br />

responsible for all activities to be carried out in<br />

Brazil including the studies of agricultural issues,<br />

harvesting machinery, and fuel quality aspects.<br />

TKE is to conduct tests in a prototype strawfeeding<br />

system specifically developed for the<br />

feeding of straw-like fuels to a gasifier.<br />

Expected impact and exploitation<br />

Agricultural residues from sugar manufacturing<br />

from cane comprise a biofuel of immense<br />

potential in developing countries. Estimates<br />

made by USAID indicate that about 50,000 MWe<br />

could be generated by BIG-GT technology from<br />

cane residues available worldwide, amounting to<br />

2,800 TWh/year that could be generated in the<br />

80 developing countries where sugar cane is<br />

grown, representing 170% of the current<br />

generating capacity in these countries.


Progress to date<br />

Project progress, as of July 2003, was as follows:<br />

- Despite a number of delays in the design and<br />

construction of the demonstration plant, many<br />

hurdles have been overcome. SER has not yet<br />

been able to finalise the structure of the project<br />

organisation and the financing necessary to<br />

start construction of the plant. However, it has<br />

recently been confirmed that the GEF grant<br />

allocated for the plant is still available and the<br />

World Bank has also reconfirmed their interest<br />

in the technology. The World Bank has also<br />

expressed a wish to expand the scope of the<br />

demonstration plant to include changing the<br />

main feedstock from eucalyptus wood to sugar<br />

cane trash and bagasse. The implications of<br />

this change are now being considered.<br />

- The research work conducted (including the<br />

development and evaluation of sugar cane<br />

trash recovery systems, gasification tests<br />

at up to 2 MWth scale, and prototype feeder<br />

tests) as part of achieving the second objective<br />

of the project has been completed. The<br />

individual task objectives have been met<br />

in all the work areas.<br />

Figure 1: Process scheme of a typical BIG-GT plant.<br />

61<br />

INFORMATION<br />

References: NNE5-489-1999<br />

Programme:<br />

FP5 - <strong>Energy</strong>, Environment and<br />

Sustainable Development<br />

Title:<br />

EU-Brazilian Industrial Demonstration of<br />

Gasification to Electricity – EU-BRIDGE<br />

Duration: 60 months<br />

Contact point:<br />

Michael Morris<br />

Termiska Processer AB<br />

Tel: +46-15-5221300<br />

Fax: +46-15-5263052<br />

Michael.Morris@tps.se<br />

Partners:<br />

TPS (S)<br />

Centro de Tecnologia Copersucar (BR)<br />

Thomas Koch Energias (DK)<br />

Consórcio SER – Sistemas de Energia<br />

Renovel (BR)<br />

EC Scientific Officer:<br />

Kyriakos Maniatis<br />

Tel: +32-2-2990293<br />

Fax: +32-2-2966261<br />

kyriakos.maniatis@cec.eu.int<br />

Status: Ongoing


THERMONET<br />

Objectives<br />

ThermoNet is constituted from two<br />

complementary networks – PyNe<br />

(the <strong>Bio</strong>mass Pyrolysis Network) and<br />

GasNet (the <strong>Bio</strong>mass Gasification Network).<br />

Each network provides a platform for<br />

discussion and information exchange on<br />

scientific and technological developments<br />

on biomass pyrolysis and biomass<br />

gasification, and also on related<br />

technologies for the production of liquid<br />

fuels, electricity and chemicals.<br />

The networks also aid the development<br />

of the technologies. The EC <strong>Energy</strong><br />

Programme sponsors them both; PyNe<br />

is also sponsored by IEA <strong>Bio</strong>energy and<br />

GasNet by Novem.<br />

PyNe and Gasnet<br />

thermal biomass conversion<br />

networks<br />

Challenges<br />

The Networks meet regularly and review a range<br />

of technical and non-technical topics that are<br />

pertinent to each network and, in particular,<br />

address issues where there is an overlap and a<br />

common interest. The meetings include focused<br />

seminars and workshops with invited experts<br />

where appropriate and the topics covered by<br />

the ThermoNet Cluster are shown in the diagram<br />

below. New developments and ongoing activities<br />

are also covered in the PyNe and GasNet<br />

newsletters that are both published biannually.<br />

Project structure<br />

The concept for the project started in 1995 with<br />

a network on fast pyrolysis of biomass for liquid<br />

fuels and it has expanded into ThermoNet, which<br />

is a cluster of two networks on thermal<br />

processing of biomass for fuels and electricity.<br />

One of the networks addresses biomass<br />

pyrolysis, known as PyNe, and the other,<br />

addressing biomass gasification, is known as<br />

GasNet. Each network has its own work<br />

programme but they share a common focus on<br />

the commercialisation and market implementation<br />

issues of their respective technologies.<br />

The thermal processing of biomass has the<br />

potential to offer a major contribution to meeting<br />

the increasing demands of the bio-energy and<br />

renewable energy sectors and to meet the targets<br />

set by the EC and member countries for CO2<br />

mitigation. The networks provide a forum for all<br />

involved and interested in gasification and<br />

pyrolysis of biomass and waste to discuss,<br />

review and address technical and non-technical<br />

62<br />

issues that inhibit rapid and widespread<br />

implementation of these technologies.<br />

The ThermoNet project was initiated in June<br />

2001 and runs for 36 months, ending in May<br />

2004. The total project cost was €1.2 million<br />

with a contribution from the EC of €0.8 million<br />

and additional contributions from IEA <strong>Bio</strong>energy<br />

and Novem.<br />

The benefits<br />

The networks encourage the discussion and<br />

resolution of technical issues and the global<br />

promotion of pyrolysis and gasification with a<br />

commitment to the wide dissemination of information.<br />

For example, outputs include:<br />

• two hard-backed reference publications on<br />

the pyrolysis of biomass,<br />

• one hard-backed edited version on the<br />

conference proceedings on pyrolysis and<br />

gasification of biomass and waste,<br />

• the publication of a biannual newsletter for<br />

each network<br />

• organising conferences, workshops and<br />

seminars.<br />

The networks provide a forum to explore and help<br />

advance the technologies. They aid more rapid<br />

and effective market penetration through<br />

dissemination and active resolution of technical<br />

problems. They actively promote the technologies<br />

to both industry and policy- and decision-makers.<br />

They act as a unified body in proposing research<br />

topics and take the initiative in new projects; for<br />

example in examining the competitiveness of<br />

pyrolysis liquids in the marketplace and promoting<br />

a study on the toxicity of bio-oil in order<br />

to establish a standard for approval and<br />

authorisation for use in the EU.


Progress to date<br />

Both networks regularly organise seminars and<br />

workshops, arrange visits to commercial plants<br />

and research and development facilities,<br />

commission special reports, publish biannual<br />

newsletters and a website and actively promote<br />

biomass conversion technologies and applications<br />

for the resultant bio-fuels. Technical<br />

advances in the topics are achieved through<br />

specially focussed workshops and through<br />

commissioned work from specialists in the area.<br />

Both pyrolysis and gasification of biomass have<br />

benefited considerably from the interactions<br />

promoted in the networks and from the high<br />

profile publicity resulting from the publications.<br />

63<br />

Thermonet Structure.<br />

INFORMATION<br />

References: NNE5-168-2000<br />

Programme:<br />

FP5 - <strong>Energy</strong>, Environment and<br />

Sustainable Development<br />

Title:<br />

Network Cluster on Thermal <strong>Bio</strong>mass<br />

Conversion Implementation – THERMONET<br />

Duration: 36 months<br />

Contact points:<br />

Cluster Coordinator:<br />

Tony Bridgwater, Aston University (UK)<br />

a.v.bridgwater@aston.ac.uk<br />

PyNe Network Coordinator:<br />

Tony Bridgwater, Aston University (UK)<br />

a.v.bridgwater@aston.ac.uk<br />

GasNet Network Coordinator:<br />

Harrie Knoef, BTG, (NL)<br />

knoef@btg.ct.utwente.nl<br />

Partners:<br />

Aston University (UK)<br />

BTG <strong>Bio</strong>mass Technology Group (NL)<br />

EC Scientific Officer:<br />

Kyriakos Maniatis<br />

Tel: +32-2-2992093<br />

Fax: +32-2966261<br />

kyriakos.maniatis@cec.eu.int<br />

Status: Ongoing


Figure 1: The Värnamo<br />

Demonstration Plant.<br />

V AERNAMO<br />

W ASTE<br />

Objectives<br />

The objective of this demonstration project<br />

is to re-commission the Värnamo<br />

Gasification Plant and demonstrate its<br />

operational capability with 100% RDF<br />

and up to at least 25% used tyres (TDF).<br />

These waste recovered fuels are attractive<br />

due to their low cost and are produced<br />

throughout the EU and other developed<br />

economies. The technology involved<br />

(pressurised gasification) is innovative<br />

and this is the only IGCC plant operated<br />

by biomass fuels worldwide. The proposed<br />

technology is targeting the medium range<br />

of power applications (10-20MWe) for<br />

which there is no reliable waste<br />

gasification technology available in<br />

the market. The plant will generate<br />

6MWe and 9MWth for district heating.<br />

The implementation of this project<br />

not only provides an accelerated<br />

penetration of IGCC technology but will<br />

also address energy production from<br />

low-cost waste fuels found in abundance<br />

all over the EU.<br />

Re-operation of the Värnamo<br />

gasification plant<br />

(RDF - TDF use)<br />

Challenges<br />

The main targets of the project are:<br />

• to evaluate the performance, environmental<br />

data, fuel flexibility, system designs, and the<br />

operation and performance of individual<br />

components of the IGCC plant for 100% RDF<br />

and 25% TDF<br />

• to implement the appropriate modifications<br />

to plant systems and components, so as to<br />

conform to the functional and environmental<br />

requirements made, with satisfactory<br />

availability and operating economy for this<br />

and future plants<br />

• to evaluate the operating and maintenance<br />

costs of the plant, so that future plants can be<br />

economically built<br />

• on the basis of the results of the test programme,<br />

to analyse the technical and economic<br />

opportunities available for the technology.<br />

Project structure<br />

The overall objective of the project is to “perform<br />

a long operational test of untested, waste fuels<br />

in the Värnamo IGCC plant and derive reliable<br />

assessment of technical, environmental and<br />

economic performance of an entire fuel-toelectricity<br />

waste thermal conversion technology”.<br />

In order to meet this objective a consortium, led<br />

by a private company (Helector S.A.) and also<br />

incorporating a research institute (CRES/partner)<br />

and a utility company (Sydkraft AB), has been<br />

assembled. It has worked out the details of<br />

properly re-operating and modifying the Värnamo<br />

plant so as to carry out extended tests on RDF<br />

and TDF fuels.<br />

64<br />

In order to carry out the project, seven work<br />

packages (WPs) have been scheduled:<br />

WP1: Project coordination<br />

WP2: Adjustments for the reduction of plant<br />

operating costs<br />

WP3: Product gas conditioning prior to electricity<br />

generation<br />

WP4: Test campaign for Refuse Derived Fuel<br />

(RDF)<br />

WP5: Test programme for Tyre Derived Fuel (TDF)<br />

WP6: Plant emissions monitoring and environmental<br />

performance<br />

WP7: Technoeconomics, market studies and<br />

dissemination activities<br />

Expected impact<br />

Cleaner energy systems, including renewable<br />

energies:<br />

• large scale generation of electricity from<br />

biomass and waste<br />

• more efficient biomass conversion systems<br />

• integration of renewable energy sources into<br />

energy systems.<br />

Economic and efficient energy for a competitive<br />

Europe:<br />

• improving the efficiency of new and renewable<br />

energy sources.<br />

In addition to the above, this proposal will<br />

contribute significantly to the following thematic<br />

priorities:<br />

• more energy efficient gas turbines, and,<br />

• optimisation of CHP systems.


Finally, the project will contribute to the overall<br />

aims and objectives of the Commission’s White<br />

Paper on Renewables, the Campaign for Take-Off<br />

and to the new directive for RES-based electricity<br />

generation.<br />

Progress to date<br />

The Värnamo Demonstration Plant was built<br />

during the period between 1991 and 1993, and<br />

was subsequently used in a comprehensive<br />

development and demonstration programme<br />

in which the technology, environmental impact,<br />

fuel flexibility and economics were evaluated. The<br />

Värnamo plant, see Figure 1, is now the world’s<br />

only existing complete and proven IGCC plant on<br />

biomass and waste fuels. Pressurised thermal<br />

gasification of solid fuelsand the subsequent<br />

combustion of the gas thus produced in a gas<br />

turbine, followed by a steam turbine cycle, is a<br />

technology that offers high electrical efficiencies.<br />

Using today’s gas turbine technology, net<br />

efficiencies in the order of 40 - 50% are perfectly<br />

feasible. Operation of the Värnamo plant has<br />

demonstrated that the technology performs very<br />

well. The fuel flexibility is wide and the emissions<br />

are low comparedto the present conventional<br />

biofuel-fired electricity generation systems.<br />

Figure 2: Simplified process diagram for the Värnamo IGCC Plant.<br />

65<br />

INFORMATION<br />

References: NNE5-723-2001<br />

Programme:<br />

FP5 - <strong>Energy</strong>, Environment and<br />

Sustainable Development<br />

Title:<br />

Re-operation of the Vaernamo Gasification<br />

Plant and Demonstration for RDF<br />

and Used Tyres (TDF) Gasification –<br />

VAERNAMO WASTE<br />

Duration: 42 months<br />

Contact point:<br />

Ioannis Boukis<br />

Tel: +30 210 9976760<br />

Fax: +30 210 9976799<br />

IBookis@tomi.gr<br />

Partners:<br />

HELECTOR (GR)<br />

SYDKRAFT (S)<br />

CRES (GR)<br />

EC Scientific Officer:<br />

Kyriakos Maniatis<br />

Tel: +32-2-2990293<br />

Fax: +32-2-2966261<br />

kyriakos.maniatis@cec.eu.int<br />

Status: Ongoing


BIO-HPR<br />

Objectives<br />

Decentralised conversion of biomass and<br />

wastes requires cheap and efficient<br />

conversion systems with a power range<br />

below 1 MW thermal input. Common<br />

concepts with integrated gasification of<br />

biomass and internal combustion engines<br />

are still not commercially available due to<br />

the so-called tar problem.<br />

The “<strong>Bio</strong>mass Heatpipe Reformer” concept<br />

comprises a quite simple solution for this<br />

problem: Hot gas cleaning avoids<br />

condensation of tars and allows the use of<br />

these tars in micro turbines and in high<br />

temperature fuel cells. However suitable<br />

small-scale engines like gas turbines and<br />

fuel cells require hydrogen rich fuel gases<br />

with comparably high heating values. The<br />

conversion of solid biomass and organic<br />

wastes in decentralised plants especially<br />

demands a small-scale gasification system<br />

which is able to produce high calorific<br />

product gases with a simple,<br />

easy-to-handle gasification set-up<br />

and thus so-called allothermal or<br />

indirect gasification.<br />

Indirect gasification solves<br />

tar problem<br />

Challenges<br />

The <strong>Bio</strong>mass Heatpipe Reformer design focuses<br />

on small-scale combined heat and power systems<br />

(CHP-systems) with hot gas cleaning and micro<br />

turbines. Hydrocarbons and tars condense at<br />

temperatures below 200 – 250°C forming tar<br />

layers in the piping or in the engine. Conventional<br />

internal combustion engines require fuel gas<br />

inlet temperatures below 100°C, whereby the<br />

condensation of tars cannot be avoided.<br />

Appropriate gas cleaning technologies are too<br />

expensive for small-scale systems and cause<br />

additional environmental problems. Possible<br />

solutions are systems with hot gas cleaning<br />

and micro turbines. Hot gas cleaning avoids<br />

quenching of the product gas, associated<br />

efficiency losses and the condensation of tars.<br />

However micro turbines require heating values<br />

above 10000 kJ/kg. The required heating values<br />

are only achievable by means of allothermal<br />

gasification in fluidized bed gasifiers. A new<br />

concept – indirectly heating of a gasifier by<br />

means of high temperature heat pipes –<br />

promises to improve the performance of indirect<br />

heated gasifiers significantly.<br />

The expected heating value of the product gas<br />

allows its combustion in standardized micro<br />

turbines without significant modification of the<br />

combustion chamber.<br />

The hot gas cleaning will not only avoid the<br />

condensation of tars it will also allow the reduction<br />

of the gasifier dimensions. The tar content<br />

depends not only on the reaction conditions like<br />

excess steam ratio, temperature and pressure it<br />

depends also on the retention time of the product<br />

gas in the reactor. Accepting higher tar<br />

concentrations will therefore allow the reduction<br />

of the height of the reactor and will reduce the<br />

necessity for costly catalysts.<br />

66<br />

Project structure<br />

The project is aimed at the development and<br />

demonstration of two prototypes for a smallscale<br />

allothermal gasifier. The first prototype<br />

will test the main components of the gasifier<br />

separately. The second prototype comprises an<br />

integrated design, which meets the requirements<br />

of a commercial application.<br />

The consortium consists of six partners from<br />

Germany, Austria and Greece. The RTD partners<br />

are the Technische Universität München<br />

(Coordination), University of Stuttgart and<br />

National University of Athens. Industrial partners<br />

are the companies DMT, Germany (engineering)<br />

Luft- und Feuerungstechnik (former Polytechnik,<br />

manufacturer), Austria and Saarenergie, Germany<br />

(end user). An NAS extension of the project<br />

includes three additional partners from Hungary<br />

(University of Budapest), Romania (ICCPTE) and<br />

Cyprus (Hyperion). The project extension will<br />

focus on the gas cleaning and micro turbine<br />

subsystems in order to demonstrate the whole<br />

system.<br />

Expected impact<br />

Due to political boundary conditions there is<br />

actually a large demand for biomass conversion<br />

systems especially in Central Europe and<br />

Scandinavian countries. Within a few years more<br />

than one thousand heating plants with a power<br />

range between 100 kW and a few MW thermal<br />

input will be established in Bavaria and Austria<br />

alone. The German market for heating plants with<br />

wood chips amounts actually to approximately<br />

50-60 M€ per year. The investment costs for the<br />

<strong>Bio</strong>mass Heatpipe Reformer will not considerably<br />

exceed the costs for heating plants. Heating grid,<br />

housing and the ancillaries like fuel feeding<br />

system, control system, boiler and flue gas


treatment dominate the cost structure of both the<br />

heating plant and the Heatpipe Reformer plant.<br />

Additional power revenues will increase the income<br />

of the commissioner significantly and will therefore<br />

contribute to the competitiveness of small-scale<br />

<strong>Bio</strong>mass Heatpipe Reformer plants.<br />

The policies of the <strong>European</strong> Commission will<br />

further enhance the demand for an increasing<br />

application of renewable energies and thus the<br />

demand for small-scale biomass conversion plants.<br />

The implementation of heat pipes into small-scale<br />

allothermal gasification systems will solve the<br />

key problem of this gasification technology and will<br />

therefore lead to cost effective systems.<br />

Progress to date<br />

The first part of the project concentrated mainly<br />

on preliminary detail experiments and the design<br />

of a first Heatpipe Reformer prototype and its<br />

main components.<br />

Detail experiments (fluidized bed heat transfer,<br />

composition of the product gas, measuring of<br />

the hydrogen diffusion rate in different types of<br />

heatpipes, feeding system) and successful<br />

gasification experiments with a preliminary smallscale<br />

gasification set-up (10-50 kW) are already<br />

finished successfully. These experiments<br />

confirmed that it is possible to establish<br />

allothermal gasification with temperatures above<br />

800°C by means of heat pipes and thus provided<br />

a first ‘proof-of-concept’.<br />

The commissioning of the first prototype has also<br />

been finished. The design of this allows the testing<br />

and investigation of the main components of the<br />

<strong>Bio</strong>HPR separately in order to optimize the final<br />

layout. The heating value of the syngas gas<br />

reached above 10000 kJ/kg and thus meets the<br />

requirements of commercially available micro-<br />

Cycle layout of a<br />

<strong>Bio</strong>HPR/microturbine<br />

CHP-plant.<br />

turbine systems. The ongoing tests will investigate<br />

the performance with varying gasification<br />

conditions such as. pressure and temperature and<br />

will focus on a successful 72 hour demonstration<br />

of the concept. The basic and detailed design for<br />

a second prototype (integrated design which<br />

comes close to a commercial solution) is going on<br />

and will be finished in 2003.<br />

Present cost estimates show that the <strong>Bio</strong>HPR<br />

concept promises an economical solution for<br />

many applications. Volume production – especially<br />

volume production of the heat-pipes – assures<br />

further cost reductions which will probably allow<br />

the generation of power not only with agricultural<br />

residues but even with costly energy crops like<br />

miscanthus or willow salix. The prototypes will be<br />

tested with wood pellets, straw pellets and pellets<br />

produced from cotton stalk residues.<br />

Concept of the<br />

<strong>Bio</strong>mass Heatpipe<br />

Reformer.<br />

67<br />

INFORMATION<br />

References: ENK5-CT-2000-00311<br />

Programme:<br />

FP5 - <strong>Energy</strong>, Environment, Sustainable<br />

Development<br />

Title:<br />

Decentralised CHP with the <strong>Bio</strong>mass<br />

Heatpipe Reformer – BIO-HPR<br />

Duration: 39 months<br />

Contact point:<br />

Jürgen Karl<br />

TU München<br />

Tel: +49-89-289-16269<br />

Fax: +49-89-289-16271<br />

karl@ltk.mw.tum.de<br />

Partners:<br />

TU München (D)<br />

Universität Stuttgart(D)<br />

National Technical University<br />

of Athens (GR)<br />

Deutsche Montan Technologie (D)<br />

Luft und Feuerungstechnik (A)<br />

SAAR Energie (D)<br />

Budapest University of Technology<br />

and Economics (HU)<br />

Oskar Von Miller - Conception,<br />

Research and Design Institute for Thermal<br />

Power Equipment (RO)<br />

Hyperion Systems Engineering (CY)<br />

EC Scientific Officer:<br />

Garbiñe Guiu Etxeberria<br />

Tel: +32-2-2990538<br />

Fax: +32-2-2993694<br />

garbine.guiu@cec.eu.int<br />

Status: Ongoing


CLEAN<br />

ENERGY<br />

Objectives<br />

There is a very strong interest worldwide in<br />

the development of technologies that allow<br />

the coupling of biomass gasification and<br />

fuel cell systems to have high-energy<br />

efficiency, ultra-clean environmental<br />

performance and near-zero greenhouse gas<br />

emissions. In this field numerous RTD<br />

programs are in progress in U.S.A. and<br />

other countries; this project is addressed<br />

at strengthening the co-operation among<br />

member States of EU, to maintain<br />

competitiveness in the global market.<br />

The technical programme is aimed at<br />

demonstrating the industrial feasibility of<br />

the integration of biomass steamgasification<br />

with a Molten Carbonate Fuel<br />

Cell (MCFC) for clean and renewable power<br />

generation. Achieving the above objectives<br />

involves the assembly and operation of an<br />

integrated pilot plant that includes: a<br />

500 kWth gasifier, a hot gas clean-up<br />

system and a 125 kWe MCFC, as well as<br />

an ancillary work programme focused on<br />

key areas of direct relevance to the<br />

optimisation of the plant performance.<br />

Progress in coupling<br />

biomass gasification and<br />

MCFC stack<br />

Challenges<br />

To improve the efficiency of <strong>Bio</strong>mass Gasification<br />

and Fuel Cell coupling.<br />

To prove the technical feasibility of this integration<br />

by operating a pilot plant which includes:<br />

• a 500 kWth fast internally circulating fluidised<br />

bed (FICFB) gasifier for catalytic biomass<br />

steam-gasification, with ancillary units;<br />

•a gas clean-up system for sulphur and chlorine<br />

compounds removal by adsorption on a basic<br />

powder, and ceramic candle fine particle<br />

filtration;<br />

• a 125 kWe MCFC.<br />

To carry out accompanying research activities<br />

in selected key areas which includes:<br />

• cold modelling studies of the fluid-dynamic<br />

behaviour of the gasifier in the presence of<br />

power load changes at the fuel cell<br />

• development of a comprehensive model for<br />

the gasifier, which combines overall reaction<br />

kinetics and heat transfer processes with<br />

fluidisation dynamics.<br />

• detailed simulation of the whole system and<br />

its components to develop optimal operation<br />

and control strategies.<br />

• catalyst upgrading, characterisation and testing<br />

over a wide range of operating conditions.<br />

To estimate investment and operating costs.<br />

Project structure<br />

The Consortium is composed of universities,<br />

industries and a national research agency. The<br />

University of L’Aquila (Italy), project co-ordinator,<br />

is involved in tasks related to the engineering of<br />

the integrated pilot plant and lab tests of catalytic<br />

steam gasification. The Technical University of<br />

Vienna (Austria) studies the system simulation<br />

68<br />

and performs gasification tests in its 100 kW th<br />

facility. The University College of London (United<br />

Kingdom) is involved in CFD comprehensive<br />

modelling of the fluidised bed gasifier and cold<br />

model tests. The University of Strasbourg (France)<br />

optimises the preparation of a purposely<br />

developed Ni/olivine catalyst and provides it for<br />

tests at process conditions.<br />

The companies are Ansaldo Ricerche S.r.l (Italy)<br />

and Pall - Schumacher GmbH (Germany) involved<br />

in the Hot Gas Clean-Up System (dechlorination<br />

reactor, cyclone and ceramic candle filter) and<br />

Ansaldo Fuel Cell S.p.A. (Italy) which provides the<br />

MCFC stack and designs the fuel cell BoP. The<br />

Italian National Research Agency ENEA assembles<br />

and operates the integrated pilot plant.<br />

Expected impact and exploitation<br />

<strong>Bio</strong>mass-to-electricity systems based on<br />

gasification have a number of potential<br />

advantages. Projected process efficiencies are<br />

much higher than direct combustion systems.<br />

Process efficiencies are comparable to high<br />

efficiency coal-based systems, but can be achieved<br />

at a smaller scale of operation.<br />

Thus, not only does biomass close the carbon<br />

cycle, but gasification based systems, due to<br />

their high efficiency, reduce CO2 emissions per<br />

megawatt of power generated over conventional<br />

biomass power plants.<br />

Fuel cells hold great promise for both stationary<br />

and mobile electric power applications. The energy<br />

efficiency of these systems has been projected<br />

to approach 55% or even higher if cogeneration<br />

opportunities can be utilised. MCFC is a leading<br />

candidate for integration into advanced power


Gasification product gas composition during extended operation.<br />

cycles with gasification, because it operates at a<br />

temperature close to that of biomass gasification<br />

and up-to-date hot gas clean-up technologies. In<br />

addition MCFC is able to convert CO via an internal<br />

water gas shift reaction.<br />

In conclusion, integrated biomass gasificationfuel<br />

cell power systems offer an attractive<br />

combination of high energy efficiency, ultra-low<br />

environmental emissions, and near zero net<br />

greenhouse gas emissions, particularly for<br />

distributed power applications, given that with<br />

these systems high efficiency is possible even in<br />

low capacity units.<br />

Progress to date<br />

The activities developed regarding the existing<br />

gasifier have been:<br />

Pilot plant modifications and experimental runs<br />

which check and verify the values of the operating<br />

parameters and the fuel gas properties and<br />

composition, the site layout (to allow pilot plant<br />

extension), and the commissioning and<br />

construction of the steelwork structure needed to<br />

assemble the hot gas clean-up section.<br />

Regarding the new section of the pilot plant, the<br />

detailed design of the different components of the<br />

hot gas clean up system has been completed. The<br />

construction and assembling activities are in<br />

progress, and in the next phase the absorption<br />

reactor, the cyclone and the filter will be mounted<br />

and operated.<br />

The design of the MCFC system has been<br />

completed and almost all the components of the<br />

fuel cell stack have been bought and the fuel cell<br />

stack construction is expected in the next phase.<br />

The work programme accompanying the pilot plant<br />

Integrated gasification<br />

– fuel cell pilot plant<br />

located in Trisaia<br />

(Italy).<br />

design, construction and operation includes the<br />

following activities to be carried out: the facility<br />

available for cold modelling experimental studies<br />

of the fluid-dynamic behaviour of the gasifier in the<br />

presence of power load changes at the fuel cell<br />

has been refurbished and adapted to simulate<br />

different operating conditions of the gasifier;<br />

development of a comprehensive model for the<br />

gasification section of the FICFB reactor, combining<br />

overall reaction kinetics and heat transfer<br />

processes with fluidisation dynamics; the kinetic<br />

model to be implemented in the computer code<br />

has been chosen, and this (a commercially<br />

available CFD code) has been adapted to impose<br />

boundary conditions compatible with the<br />

geometrical structure of the gasification chamber;<br />

detailed simulations of the whole system and its<br />

components; improvement and optimisation of the<br />

preparation procedure of the Ni/Olivine catalyst,<br />

to achieve the optimum quantity of Nickel<br />

deposited and linked to the olivine structure;<br />

study of the reforming of tars, methane and the<br />

catalyst deactivation by coke deposition;<br />

preparation of a large quantity of Ni/Olivine catalyst<br />

(260 kg); catalytic gasification tests in bench and<br />

pilot scale facilities, which produced satisfactory<br />

results regarding the fuel gas quality (high hydrogen<br />

and low tar content), the Ni/Olivine activity as a<br />

function of running time, the low level of coke<br />

deposition on the particle surface and the<br />

resistance of catalyst particle to mechanical<br />

stresses.<br />

69<br />

INFORMATION<br />

References: ENK5-CT-2000-00314<br />

Programme:<br />

FP5 - <strong>Energy</strong>, Environment and<br />

Sustainable Development<br />

Title:<br />

<strong>Bio</strong>mass-Gasification and Fuel-Cell Coupling<br />

via High-Temperature Gas Clean-up for<br />

Decentralised Electricity Generation with<br />

Improved Efficiency – CLEAN ENERGY<br />

Duration: 36 months<br />

Contact point:<br />

Antonio Germanà<br />

Universita degli Studi di L’Aquila (I)<br />

Tel: +39-0862-414214<br />

Fax: +39-0862-434203<br />

germana@ing.univaq.it<br />

Partners:<br />

Universita degli Studi di L’Aquila (I)<br />

TU Wien (A)<br />

University College London (UK)<br />

Université Louis Pasteur (F)<br />

Ansaldo Ricerche (I)<br />

Schumacher Umwelt- und Trenntechnik (D)<br />

ENEA (I)<br />

Ansaldo Fuel Cells SpA (I)<br />

EC Scientific Officer:<br />

Garbiñe Guiu Etxeberria<br />

Tel: +32-2-2990538<br />

Fax: +32-2-2993694<br />

garbine.guiu@cec.eu.int<br />

Status: Ongoing


AER-GAS<br />

Objectives<br />

Development of a new, efficient and low<br />

cost single step process (Absorption<br />

Enhanced Reforming, AER) for clean<br />

biomass conversion into a hydrogen rich<br />

gas (H2 conc. > 80 vol. %) with low tar<br />

content.<br />

Development and selection of efficient<br />

catalytic CO2 absorbent bed materials with<br />

improved mechanical and chemical<br />

stability for the AER process.<br />

Design of an AER biomass plant with<br />

investment costs less than 800 €/kW and<br />

energetic efficiency for H2 production<br />

higher than 75%.<br />

New approach for biomass<br />

gasification to hydrogen<br />

Challenges<br />

The main characteristic of the proposed process<br />

for efficient and low cost conversion of biomass<br />

is the CO2 removal in the reaction zone of the<br />

gasifier. Due to the shifting of the reaction<br />

equilibrium the hydrogen concentration increases<br />

significantly. Therefore, the single step generation<br />

of a product gas with high hydrogen content for<br />

fuel cell applications is achievable. As the CO2<br />

absorption is a highly exothermic reaction, the<br />

realised heat is integrated directly into the<br />

endothermic gasification/reforming process.<br />

The spent absorbent has to be regenerated in a<br />

subsequent process step (Figure 1).<br />

The main advantages of the AER process are<br />

summarised as follows: a) product gas with<br />

a hydrogen content higher than 80 vol. %,<br />

b) complete CO2 removal from the product gas,<br />

c) in situ heat supply for the endothermic<br />

biomass conversion process (thermally selfsustaining<br />

conversion process), d) easy CO<br />

cleaning for fuel cell applications of the product<br />

gas, and e) simple conversion technology.<br />

For the realisation of the proposed technology,<br />

a fluidised bed reactor will be employed<br />

containing a CO2 absorbent, e. g. dolomite. The<br />

development of a catalytic absorbent material<br />

with high tar cracking efficiency is also a key<br />

aspect of the AER process. Therefore, the<br />

ongoing project work is focused on the<br />

investigation of different natural and synthetic<br />

absorbent materials with regard to their CO2<br />

absorption capacity, chemical and mechanical<br />

stability under real process conditions with<br />

repeated absorption – regeneration steps. The<br />

process parameters defined in a fixed bed and<br />

70<br />

in a fluidised bed reactor will be applied to a<br />

circulating fluidised bed system (Fast Internally<br />

Circulating Fluidised Bed, FICFB reactor), that<br />

allows a continuous production of hydrogen<br />

parallel to absorbent regeneration.<br />

Project structure<br />

The project is co-ordinated by the Centre for<br />

Solar <strong>Energy</strong> and Hydrogen Research, Stuttgart,<br />

Germany (ZSW). There are four work packages<br />

(WP) which address the technical and economic<br />

objectives.<br />

WP 1 concentrates on the development and<br />

improvement of a catalytic absorbent material<br />

which is a core component of the AER process.<br />

Natural materials (dolomite marble litter, raw<br />

dolomite, olivine) and synthetic materials<br />

(chemically modified absorbents, e.g. by addition<br />

of silica, alumina or zirconia) are investigated as<br />

CO2 absorbents mainly by thermal gravimetric<br />

analysis (Figure 2).<br />

The catalytic activity of the investigated bed<br />

materials is characterised by dependence on<br />

their physical (morphology and surface area)<br />

and chemical (bulk and surface) properties. The<br />

performance of the bed material is determined<br />

applying a fixed bed AER reactor. Pre-selected<br />

materials are provided to the partners of the WP<br />

2 and WP 3.<br />

In WP 2, the AER process is investigated in<br />

fluidised bed (FB) reactors. The main goals are<br />

the determination of the mechanical stability of<br />

the bed materials as well as the definition of<br />

optimal operation conditions for fluidised bed<br />

operation (temperature, residence time, etc.)<br />

to provide a product gas with a high hydrogen and<br />

a low tar content.


Figure 1: <strong>Energy</strong> flows of the AER process.<br />

The activities in WP 3 are concentrated on the<br />

realisation of the AER process in a pilot scale<br />

FICBF reactor with continuous operation of the<br />

reforming and regeneration steps. The<br />

regeneration of the spent absorbent will be<br />

carried out using the heat released in the<br />

combustion of char residues. Both process<br />

steps, the reforming and the absorbent<br />

regeneration are connected in terms of material<br />

flow and heat transfer.<br />

WP 4 deals with the techno-economic assessment<br />

of the gas and electricity production costs based<br />

on the experimental AER gasification results of<br />

WP 1, 2 and 3. A design of a 1 MW and a 50 MW<br />

unit including the required additional units for<br />

industrial applications and for CHP (Combined<br />

Heat and Power) generation from the AER-gas will<br />

be carried out. Furthermore, the market potential<br />

of this new technology will be estimated.<br />

Exploitation<br />

The AER process is an innovative gasification<br />

technology which enables an efficient<br />

conversion of biomass into a hydrogen rich<br />

gas. As the product gas is expected to be a<br />

clean gas with low tar and COx content, various<br />

applications can be considered (e.g. PEM fuel<br />

cells, fuel synthesis, CHP). The AER process is<br />

applicable to a wide range of biomass<br />

feedstock.<br />

Progress to date<br />

A synthetic/improved CO2 absorbent material<br />

with high cycle stability for fluidised bed (FB)<br />

applications was developed. An improved catalyst<br />

for tar (phenol) reforming/ cracking with excellent<br />

performance has been produced. A test facility<br />

to characterise bed materials under FB conditions<br />

was built and different types of dolomites have<br />

been characterised in terms of mechanical and<br />

chemical stability. In a first experiment with<br />

biomass gasification in an AER FB reactor<br />

hydrogen concentration higher than 60% has<br />

been achieved. The integration of the new<br />

process in the pulp production was identified as<br />

a promising application of the process.<br />

Figure 2: Cycling behaviour of natural dolomite in thermal<br />

gravimetric analysis.<br />

71<br />

INFORMATION<br />

References: ENK5-CT-2001-00545<br />

Programme:<br />

FP5 - <strong>Energy</strong>, Environment and<br />

Sustainable Development<br />

Title:<br />

A New Approach for the Production of<br />

a Hydrogen-Rich Gas from <strong>Bio</strong>mass:<br />

An Absorption Enhanced Reforming<br />

Process – AER-GAS<br />

Duration: 36 months<br />

Contact point:<br />

Michael Specht<br />

Zentrum für Solarenergie und<br />

Wasserstoffforschung (ZSW)<br />

Tel: +49-711-7870-218<br />

Fax: +49-711-7870-200<br />

michael.specht@zsw-bw.de<br />

Partners:<br />

Zentrum für Solarenergie und<br />

Wasserstoffforschung (D)<br />

Foundation of Research and<br />

Technology – Hellas (GR)<br />

Proplan (CY)<br />

University of Cyprus (CY)<br />

TU Wien (A)<br />

Universität Stuttgart (D)<br />

Paul Scherrer Institut (CH)<br />

IVE Weimer (D)<br />

EC Scientific Officer:<br />

Garbiñe Guiu Etxeberria<br />

Tel: +32-2-2990538<br />

Fax: +32-2-2993694<br />

garbine.guiu@cec.eu.int<br />

Status: Ongoing


WINEGAS<br />

Objectives<br />

Supercritical water gasification (SCWG) of<br />

slurries of bioresidues generates hydrogen<br />

rich fuel gas for powering engines,<br />

electricity production and heating. Specific<br />

project objectives are:<br />

•development and testing of a bioslurry<br />

feed preparation process for pressed wine<br />

grape residues (trester) and greenhouse<br />

biowaste (kasafval).<br />

• development and testing of a high<br />

pressure bioslurry pumping step of 350<br />

bar.<br />

• development and measurement of the<br />

bioslurry conversion process by<br />

supercritical water gasification at 300<br />

bar and 600 °C using a 10-30 l/hr bench<br />

scale unit (20 kWth ) to produce a<br />

hydrogen rich clean fuel gas.<br />

•identification of applications of the fuel<br />

gas for steam and electricity production.<br />

•techno-economic analysis of the process<br />

using Life-Cycle-Analysis techniques.<br />

• validation of the bench scale experiments<br />

in a large scale 100 l/hr pilot unit with<br />

trester slurry.<br />

• design of a 1 MW demonstration unit for<br />

the conversion of trester to hydrogen rich<br />

fuel gas.<br />

The main goal of the project is the<br />

reorientation of rest-biomass collectors and<br />

processors to produce a valuable green<br />

biomass slurry for hydrogen production<br />

using supercritical gasification.<br />

Hydrogen-rich fuel gas from<br />

supercritical water gasification<br />

of wine grape residues<br />

and greenhouse rest biomass<br />

Challenges<br />

The EU-15 wine production is 157 million hl<br />

resulting in a rest product of 4.7 million wet<br />

tons per year of trester with a moisture content<br />

of 70%. Utilisation as compost and fertiliser is<br />

limited due to the high moisture content,<br />

accumulation of pesticides and additives such<br />

as copper, boron and arsenic and labor intensive<br />

mulling practices. Combustion is difficult at the<br />

high moisture content and emissions of VOC’s<br />

(ethanols) that exceed the TA Luft criteria.<br />

Landfilling is limited due to land shortages.<br />

The first <strong>European</strong> working bench scale<br />

continuous flow SCWG unit was designed,<br />

constructed and operated by several of the<br />

partners. The present project continues this<br />

effort with a similar but more advanced 10 l/hr<br />

unit verified in a new 100 l/hr pilot unit.<br />

The EU aims at doubling the current share of<br />

renewable energies in the total energy demand<br />

of its member states from 6% to 12% by the year<br />

2010. The largest contribution is to come from<br />

biomass based energy to be tripled by the year<br />

2010 by adding 120 billion m3 natural gas<br />

equivalent capacity. The EU has an annual<br />

production potential of rest-biomass of 90 Mtoe.<br />

The quantity of CO2 emission saved this way is<br />

225 million tons per year or 6% of the total<br />

energy based CO2 emissions. Thus rest biomass<br />

use can replace fossil fuels and reduce external<br />

dependencies.<br />

Project structure<br />

The project coordinator is Bauer Kompost, a<br />

large trester processor and composter in Bad<br />

Rappenau. The first SME contractor is Wiesloch<br />

Winzerkeller in Wiesloch, producing large<br />

72<br />

quantities of wine and trester and interested in<br />

using the hydrogen rich fuel in steam production,<br />

electricity production and heating. The second<br />

SME is Feluwa Pumpen in Muerlenbach, a<br />

specialty producer of patented high pressure<br />

pumps for the chemical industry. The third SME<br />

is Callaghan Engineering in Dublin, who convert<br />

the bench and pilot scale result into the design<br />

for a 1 MW demonstration plant. The fourth SME<br />

is Sparqle International, an engineering firm in<br />

Hengelo, developing supercritical processes. The<br />

fifth SME is Composteringsbedrijf Zuidholland<br />

that collects and composts the rest-biomass<br />

from greenhouses in the ‘Westland’.<br />

The RTD performers are FzK Forschungszentrum<br />

Karlsruhe in Karlsruhe, the owner of the newly<br />

installed 100 l/hr supercritical gasification pilot<br />

unit (Verena unit). The second RTD performer is<br />

BTG <strong>Bio</strong>mass Technology Group in Enschede (a<br />

daughter of TNO, Delft), who designed and<br />

constructed the 10 l/hr bench scale unit. The<br />

third RTD partner is Promikron in Delft, who<br />

investigated the biomass slurry production. BTG,<br />

Sparqle and Promikron developed the SCWG<br />

pilot unit. FzK is financing the pilot unit with<br />

Länder funds.<br />

Expected impact<br />

The operation of the SCWG process can be<br />

adjusted for different applications:<br />

• fuel gas for the production of steam and heat<br />

for captive use (boiler concept). The high<br />

pressure steam can be expanded in staged<br />

turbines to produce electricity. The steam is<br />

further used for winery container sterilisation<br />

and distillations.


• combustion of fuel gas in a turbine with<br />

combined cycle for power and steam production.<br />

• utilisation of the fuel gas for power production<br />

in a fuel cell, after removal of traces of H2S and CO.<br />

• production of pure hydrogen at high pressures<br />

for the market, after removal of CH4 , CO and<br />

CO2. It was estimated that hydrogen fuel gas<br />

can be produced at €7/GJ. This is strongly<br />

influenced by negative biomass gate value<br />

(as received at the entrance of the facility),<br />

compactness of the installation and short<br />

reaction times.<br />

The EU estimates for biomass waste are 300<br />

million tons (dry weight basis) of which only 27%<br />

is now recycled commercially. The fuel gas<br />

equivalent using SCWG is 150 billion m3 of natural<br />

gas produced and can prevent 6% of the total<br />

energy related CO2 emission of the EU. Other<br />

sectors that can use the SCWG technology are<br />

waste treatment, sewage sludge handlers,<br />

bioindustries, vegetable processors etc. The<br />

<strong>European</strong> rest biomass potential of 150,000 MW<br />

can lead to the construction of 150,000 small<br />

SCWG units of 1 MW each (similar to a large<br />

windmill) or 300 larger units of each 500 MW. The<br />

design, manufacturing and construction costs<br />

can amount to 150 billion Euros at 100%<br />

penetration or likely 15 billion at 10% penetration.<br />

Progress to date<br />

The SCWG is carried out in both batch and<br />

continuous flow units. The organic laden water is<br />

pumped at 30 MPa through a heat exchanger<br />

into a 15 m long coiled tubular reactor. The coil<br />

inlet is at 500°C. This coil is located in a gas<br />

heated furnace where the slurry is heated to the<br />

reaction temperature of 600°C. During the coil<br />

passage the organics in the slurry are converted<br />

into hydrogen-rich fuel gas. By heat exchange<br />

with cold feed, the reactor product is cooled to<br />

ambient temperature, high pressure steam<br />

condenses and separates from the fuel gas in the<br />

2 stage separator. The produced CO2 can be<br />

separated from the fuel gas by additional water<br />

scrubbing to generate a clean renewable CO2<br />

stream for commercial use. The condensate from<br />

the trester contains all the salts and metals from<br />

the original trester and most of these will crystallize<br />

and precipitate to be reused as fertiliser.<br />

Near the critical temperature of 374°C water acts<br />

as hydrolysis agent for fatty esters, ethers, amines<br />

etc. At 600°C and above a critical density of 0.33<br />

g/cm3 water becomes a strong oxidant resulting<br />

in the complete breakdown of the substrate<br />

structure by transfer of the oxygen from the water<br />

to the carbon atoms of the substrate. Results show<br />

a thermal yield of higher than 70% even at water<br />

contents as high as 90% and up to 54 vol% H2 .<br />

Trester gasification showed 44 vol% H2 , 25 vol%<br />

CH4 , 2% vol CO, 22 vol% CO2 and 8 vol% C2+ .<br />

Hardly any char formation was noted.<br />

Trester compost slurries were fluid up to DOM<br />

content of 20%, cucumber slurries even at DOM<br />

content of 35%. Fresh trester slurry ceased its<br />

fluidity at up to 8% DOM. The bioslurries showed<br />

Bingham fluid behavior and were suitable for high<br />

pressure pumping.<br />

73<br />

INFORMATION<br />

References: ENK5-CT-2001-30010<br />

Programme:<br />

FP5 - <strong>Energy</strong>, Environment and<br />

Sustainable Development<br />

Title:<br />

Hydrogen Rich Fuel Gas from Supercritical<br />

Water Gasification of Wine Grape Residues<br />

and Greenhouse Rest <strong>Bio</strong>mass – WINEGAS<br />

Duration: 24 months<br />

Contact point:<br />

Foppe de Walle<br />

Tel: +31-15-2600999<br />

Fax: +31-15-2510194<br />

dewalsev@wxs.nl<br />

Partners:<br />

Bauer Kompost (D)<br />

Wiesloch Winzerkeller (D)<br />

Feluwa Pumpen (D)<br />

Callaghan Engineering (IRL)<br />

Sparqle International (NL)<br />

Composteringsbedrijf Zuid-Holland (NL)<br />

Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe (D)<br />

BTG <strong>Bio</strong>mass Technology Group (NL)<br />

Promikron (NL)<br />

EC Scientific Officer:<br />

Garbiñe Guiu Etxeberria<br />

Tel: +32-2-2990538<br />

Fax: +32-2-2993694<br />

garbine.guiu@cec.eu.int<br />

Status: Ongoing


BIO-<br />

ELECTRICITY<br />

Objectives<br />

The desire for a sustainable society has led<br />

to research and development activities on<br />

the utilisation of renewable energy<br />

sources. <strong>Bio</strong>mass is considered to be such<br />

a resource. Within the relatively short lifecycle,<br />

no net addition of CO2 to the<br />

atmosphere takes place during the growth<br />

of plants and trees solar energy is stored<br />

as chemical energy (via photosynthesis)<br />

fixing CO2, which can be released via direct<br />

or indirect combustion. The objectives of<br />

this project are to develop and<br />

demonstrate the efficient production of<br />

hydrogen and electricity, using pyrolysis oil<br />

produced from biomass with the integration<br />

in stationary electric power and heat<br />

production plants in remote, out-of gridsituations<br />

(500 kWe) using Molten<br />

Carbonate Fuel Cells (MCFC). The<br />

development of the integrated fuel<br />

processor (consisting of a reforming<br />

catalyst, a reforming reactor, a syngas<br />

cleaning unit and a fuel cell) is the core<br />

issue of the project.<br />

Electricity from biomass:<br />

clean and efficient<br />

production for use in MCFC<br />

Challenges<br />

Although the conversion of biomass into pyrolysis<br />

oil has been developed to a mature stage, the<br />

pyrolysis oil has to be free of particulates before<br />

it can be used as feedstock for syngas production.<br />

Research will therefore focus on the in situ<br />

cleaning of the hot pyrolysis vapours using a<br />

filter, cyclone, or rotating separator and studies<br />

of periodical flow reversal to de-block the filter<br />

elements and de-dust the fluid bed off-gases.<br />

Particular emphasis will be placed on the coupling<br />

of catalytic materials with reactor configurations<br />

so as to achieve optimal operation of the<br />

reformer system for reforming pyrolysis oil to H2 for MCFC electricity production. The water-gas<br />

shift and the post combustion reactions have<br />

been extensively investigated. In contrast, the<br />

process of reformation of the pyrolysis oil with<br />

steam (hydrogen donor) has not been studied to<br />

any appreciable extent and for this reason it<br />

will be the main technical focus of the project.<br />

Of prime importance is the development of<br />

efficient low-cost catalytic materials for the<br />

reforming reactions that will exhibit sufficiently<br />

high activity and, more important, acceptable<br />

stability with time-on-stream. Therefore, only<br />

specific technological problems originating from<br />

the particular fuel used will be addressed.<br />

Other problems to be solved include the energy<br />

analysis and economic evaluation, and lab-scale<br />

testing in single fuel cell elements.<br />

74<br />

Project structure<br />

Participants in this project are: Ansaldo Ricerche<br />

Srl, Johnson Matthey Fuel Cells, ENEA (the Italian<br />

National Agency for New Technology, <strong>Energy</strong> and<br />

Environment), Centre National de la Recherche<br />

Scientific (CNRS) Delegation Rhone-Alpes, the<br />

University of Patras (UPAT), the University of<br />

Twente (UT), and Queens University of Belfast<br />

(QUB). The role of ENEA is to specify the target<br />

productions, unit operation parameters, and<br />

process input parameters. Work done at the UT<br />

will consist of production and optimisation of<br />

pyrolysis oil. A sub-contractor (BTG) will produce<br />

pyrolysis oil (100 kg batches optimised). The UT<br />

as coordinator of the project is also involved in the<br />

management and exploitation of the results. The<br />

role of CNRS is the development of catalysts for<br />

reforming of pyrolysis oil for clean hydrogen<br />

production and post combustion of MCFC exhaust<br />

gas, including activity, selectivity and stability<br />

tests, and regeneration methods. The main task<br />

of the University of Patras is the development and<br />

testing on laboratory scale of advanced types of<br />

reformers and components. Ansaldo Ricerche Srl<br />

(a prime developer of fuel cells) will be responsible<br />

for the system integration, testing and economic<br />

evaluation of the process for stationary fuel cell<br />

applications. QUB will closely collaborate with<br />

UPAT and CNRS. Johnson Matthey Fuel Cells will<br />

work together with UPAT and Ansaldo and will<br />

supply commercial catalyst samples to the<br />

partners UPAT, QUB, CNRS, and Ansaldo.


Wood- <strong>Bio</strong>mass- <strong>Bio</strong>-oil- Electricity chain.<br />

Expected impact and exploitation<br />

Expected benefits of the bio-electricity process are<br />

a high efficiency, no emission of greenhouse<br />

gases, low overall emission of harmful pollutants,<br />

and zero emission at the electricity production site.<br />

Upon completion of the project, sufficient<br />

knowledge will be available to design and build an<br />

integrated fuel processing system, which converts<br />

biomass into hydrogen-rich feed gas for molten<br />

carbonate fuel cells. Such a fuel processor will be<br />

tested on a scale of 5 kWe, while the gas quality<br />

will be demonstrated by application in laboratory<br />

fuel cells.<br />

Results of academic and applied research carried<br />

out by the universities and research institutes, will<br />

be used by industrial partners to develop and<br />

commercialize the bio-oil electricity system.<br />

Commercial implementation of bio-oil production<br />

technology is expected within the next decade. The<br />

complementary industrial partners in the project,<br />

including a MCFC developer and a catalyst<br />

manufacturer, provide together an excellent<br />

prospect for the implementation of the proposed<br />

technology for clean production of heat and<br />

electricity from bio-oil at remote, out-of-grid<br />

locations.<br />

Progress to date<br />

The project started with a kick-off meeting of the<br />

partners on January 2003.<br />

75<br />

Methodology of current project.<br />

INFORMATION<br />

References: ENK5-CT-2002-00634<br />

Programme:<br />

FP5 - <strong>Energy</strong>, Environment and<br />

Sustainable Development<br />

Project Title:<br />

Efficient and Clean Production of<br />

Electricity from <strong>Bio</strong>mass via Pyrolysis oil<br />

and Hydrogen, utilizing Fuel Cells –<br />

BIO-ELECTRICITY<br />

Duration: 36 months<br />

Contact point:<br />

Wolter Prins<br />

University of Twente<br />

Tel: +31-53-489-2891<br />

Fax: +31-53-489-4738<br />

w.prins@utwente.nl<br />

Partners:<br />

University of Twente (NL)<br />

Ansaldo Ricerche (I)<br />

Johnson Matthey (UK)<br />

ENEA (I)<br />

CNRS Delegation Rhone-Alpes (F)<br />

University of Patras (GR)<br />

Queen’s University Belfast (UK)<br />

EC Scientific Officer:<br />

Erich Nägele<br />

Tel: +32-2-2965061<br />

Fax: +32-2-2993694<br />

erich.naegele@cec.eu.int<br />

Status: Ongoing


SUPER-<br />

HYDROGEN<br />

Objectives<br />

In the long-term hydrogen is expected to<br />

become an important fuel. In combination<br />

with fuel cells it offers the opportunity of<br />

an intrinsically clean energy supply.<br />

Sustainable hydrogen can be produced<br />

from biomass and waste by application of<br />

the so-called SuperCritical Water (SCW)<br />

gasification process.<br />

The main objective of this project is to<br />

develop the innovative SCW- gasification<br />

process for cost-effective (< 12 €/GJH2 )<br />

conversion of wet biomass and waste into<br />

clean, renewable, compressed hydrogen<br />

(CH2 ) with an energy efficiency to pure<br />

hydrogen exceeding 60%. Integrated parts<br />

of the SCW process development are:<br />

• the development of a preparation method<br />

to convert wet feedstocks of different<br />

origin into a high-solids content (up to<br />

30 wt%), pumpable slurry<br />

• the development of a multi-functional,<br />

catalytic, membrane reactor to convert<br />

CO and CH4 (>70% conversion) to<br />

hydrogen, and simultaneously separate<br />

the hydrogen (purity > 98 vol%) from<br />

the gas.<br />

Renewable hydrogen from<br />

biomass – <strong>Bio</strong>mass and<br />

waste conversion in<br />

supercritical water<br />

Challenges<br />

In all EU-countries large amounts of wet biomass<br />

and waste streams (e.g. sewage sludge and<br />

vegetables-garden-fruit residues), are produced,<br />

and due to (new) environmental regulations, it<br />

becomes more and more difficult to dispose of<br />

these streams. Landfilling is expensive or even<br />

forbidden. Technologies able to convert these<br />

streams are scarce, expensive or only provide a<br />

partial solution.<br />

A relatively new approach to produce renewable<br />

hydrogen from wet biomass and waste is the<br />

application of the so-called SuperCritical Water<br />

(SCW) gasification process. Supercritical water<br />

conditions are achieved at T>374 °C and P > 22<br />

MPa. The main advantages of this technology are:<br />

• suitable to convert very wet biomass<br />

(> 80wt% moisture) and waste streams<br />

• the produced gas is very clean, and free of tars<br />

and other contaminants<br />

• the raw gas is very rich in hydrogen (50 - 60 vol%)<br />

• the gas becomes available at high pressure,<br />

avoiding expensive compression (e.g. for<br />

storage)<br />

Scientific and technical challenges within the<br />

SuperHydrogen project are mainly related to<br />

feedstock preparation, SCW-process development<br />

and product upgrading.<br />

Feedstock preparation and pressurizing<br />

The SCW process is operated at 300 bar, and the<br />

feedstock needs to be pressurized. Pumping<br />

liquids is simple and pumps for liquid feedstocks<br />

are readily available. Pumping feedstocks<br />

containing solids is much more complex and very<br />

expensive. The objective is to develop a feedstock<br />

preparation method to convert feedstocks of<br />

different nature into a pumpable slurry.<br />

76<br />

SCW process development<br />

The use of supercritical water to produce<br />

hydrogen from biomass has been demonstrated,<br />

but a number of process-related problems need<br />

to be solved such as:<br />

• Design of the heat exchanger; heat integration<br />

is essential for the overall thermal efficiency<br />

of the process.<br />

• Fate of minerals; minerals are present in most<br />

feedstocks; however, the fate of minerals in<br />

the process is unclear.<br />

• High-pressure gas-liquid separator; the high<br />

pressure G/L separator is used to separate the<br />

product gas and the water. However, under the<br />

prevailing conditions (P = 300 bar) part of<br />

the gaseous product will remain in the water<br />

phase (e.g. CO2, NH3 , H2S, but also some H2 and CH4 ). The aim is to maximize the H2- production, but contaminants like NH3 and H2S should remain in the water phase. Absence of<br />

these contaminants avoids the need for<br />

downstream gas processing.<br />

Product upgrading<br />

The hydrogen content is limited by gas phase<br />

equilibrium reactions. In situ removal of H2 will<br />

shift the equilibrium towards H2 . The challenge<br />

is to develop a high-pressure, catalytic membrane<br />

reactor to maximise the hydrogen yield. A properly<br />

selected catalyst will be deposited inside the<br />

membrane to enhance the reforming of CH4 ,<br />

and the water-gas-shift reaction.


Figure 1: Basic process flow diagram of the supercritical water<br />

gasification process.<br />

Project structure<br />

The project covers the whole SCW process-chain<br />

from wet bio-waste feedstocks to compressed<br />

hydrogen. It starts with a selection of suitable<br />

feedstocks in Europe, and ends with a demonstration<br />

of the complete chain from wet biomass<br />

to renewable hydrogen.<br />

In the first phase of the project the individual unit<br />

operations (feed preparation, scw-process, and<br />

product upgrading) will be further developed.<br />

However, to avoid sub-optimization of the unitoperations,<br />

an overall process model will be<br />

developed. This model will be used for the basic<br />

engineering of the process, and provide a rather<br />

accurate cost estimate of the whole process. In<br />

the last year of the project the unit operations<br />

will be combined, and operated simultaneously<br />

(see Figure 1).<br />

Consortium<br />

The project is a joint activity of 3 academic and<br />

4 industrial organisations from 3 EU countries.<br />

Each main task is carried out by combination of<br />

a University/research institute and an industrial<br />

company, to ensure that in each individual task<br />

a good balance will be reached between<br />

fundamental knowledge and industrial practice.<br />

The industrial parties will take the lead in the<br />

exploitation of the technology.<br />

Expected impact and exploitation<br />

The project aims at the development of a novel<br />

process for the production of clean, compressed<br />

hydrogen from renewable resources (biomass<br />

and waste). Using renewable energy sources<br />

will as such contribute to an increase security and<br />

diversity of energy supply. The proposed<br />

technology can offer an end-solution for the<br />

conversion of wet feedstocks. For many industries<br />

the wet waste streams become increasingly<br />

difficult to dispose of in an environmentally<br />

sound way. Currently, high costs are associated<br />

with this, and the costs are increasing rapidly.<br />

The technology offers the possibility to produce<br />

clean hydrogen and concentrated CO2 from<br />

biomass and waste. The CO2 stream is also<br />

available at elevated pressure (> 150 bar), and<br />

offers good opportunities for sequestration.<br />

However, hydrogen –and probably in particular<br />

renewable hydrogen- is seen as an energy carrier<br />

for the long-term. The gas produced by the SCW<br />

process mainly contains H2 and CH4 , and after<br />

minor conditioning it might be very suitable as<br />

Substitute Natural Gas (SNG) The first applications<br />

of the SCW process are expected for the latter<br />

application. In transition phase, the applications<br />

will shift from SNG to H2 (see Figure 2).<br />

Progress to date<br />

Figure 2: Medium and longterm potential of the supercritical water<br />

gasification process.<br />

The project started in late 2001 with the<br />

development of the individual unit operations. The<br />

work on the feed preparation showed that with<br />

simple, conventional pretreatment techniques<br />

it seems possible to make a slurry with a solids<br />

content of about 20 wt%. A number of tests<br />

have been carried out in the SCW pilot plant<br />

yielding a gas rich in H2 and CH4 , but also large<br />

quantities of CO were observed. However, by<br />

changing the process conditions it is possible<br />

to remove nearly all CO avoiding the need for<br />

downstream CO conversion. The work on the<br />

upgrading reactor started with the preparation<br />

of different membrane samples, which will be<br />

tested with artificial gas. The focus now shifts<br />

to the simultaneous reforming of CH4 and H2 removal as CO conversion seems now less<br />

important.<br />

77<br />

INFORMATION<br />

References: ENK6-CT-2001-00555<br />

Programme:<br />

FP5 - <strong>Energy</strong>, Environment and<br />

Sustainable Development (EESD)<br />

Title:<br />

<strong>Bio</strong>mass and Waste Conversion in<br />

Supercritical Water for the Production of<br />

Renewable Hydrogen – SUPERHYDROGEN<br />

Duration: 60 months<br />

Contact point:<br />

Bert van de Beld<br />

BTG <strong>Bio</strong>mass Technology Group<br />

Tel: +31-53-486-2288<br />

Fax: +31-53-489-3116<br />

Vandebeld@btgworld.com<br />

http://www.btgworld.com<br />

Partners:<br />

BTG <strong>Bio</strong>mass Technology Group (NL)<br />

University of Twente (NL)<br />

Warwick University (UK)<br />

Dytech Corporation (UK)<br />

TNO-MEP (NL)<br />

Uhde High Pressure Technology (D)<br />

SPARQLE International (NL)<br />

EC Scientific Officer:<br />

Garbiñe Guiu Etxeberria<br />

Tel: +32-2-2990538<br />

Fax: +32-2-2964288<br />

garbine.guiu@cec.eu.int<br />

Status: Ongoing


AMONCO<br />

Objectives<br />

The use of biogas in fuel cells (FC) is the<br />

primary goal of the AMONCO project.<br />

The precondition for the use of biogas<br />

in FCs is the avoidance, or elimination in<br />

respect of a reduction in detrimental trace<br />

gases which are potentially harmful for<br />

fuel cells. Thus, AMONCO has the following<br />

core objectives:<br />

• Comprehensive biogas analyses in quality<br />

and quantity on a detailed level –<br />

identifying harmful trace gases for fuel<br />

cells;<br />

• Avoidance of detrimental trace gases<br />

in biogas through optimal composition<br />

of the feedstock;<br />

• Advanced control of the anaerobic<br />

digestion process to hinder the formation<br />

of trace gases while keeping a high<br />

CH4 yield;<br />

• Suitable and cost-effective biogas<br />

cleaning for its utilisation in fuel cells;<br />

• Investigation and assessment of the<br />

effects of biogas in fuel cells through<br />

single cell tests; and<br />

• Development of techno- and<br />

socio-economic ‘market driven’<br />

implementation strategies.<br />

<strong>Bio</strong>gas in fuel cells<br />

for clean energy generation<br />

Problems addressed<br />

Trace gases, such as H2S, halogenated<br />

hydrocarbons, siloxanes and others, are<br />

frequently present in biogas. These gases lower<br />

the efficiency and durability of fuel cells<br />

significantly. That means the utilisation of biogas<br />

in fuel cells instead of in usual gas engines for<br />

CHP generation causes a dramatic increase in<br />

the required purity of the biogas fuel. In addition,<br />

in order to construct an adjusted cost-effective<br />

biogas cleaning system, knowledge of the<br />

occurrence and formation of those trace gases<br />

is essential. There is no tool currently available<br />

for assessing whether a new substrate can be<br />

safely used in a biogas plant. To cover those userdriven<br />

demands towards an advanced anaerobic<br />

digestion process, it is important to control the<br />

biogas composition under different loading<br />

conditions. The successful management of these<br />

critical loading conditions is highly relevant to the<br />

economy of industrial applications.<br />

Project structure<br />

The major work needed to fulfill these objectives<br />

includes the development of a knowledge-based<br />

decision support tool with the capability to<br />

predict trace gases depending on the fermented<br />

substrates, and a cost-effective cleaning process<br />

able to remove the significant trace gases which<br />

are detrimental to fuel cell systems. On the one<br />

hand, the decision-support tool assists the<br />

operators of biogas plants in selecting the<br />

composition of input substrates causing the<br />

lowest possible concentration of trace gases. On<br />

the other hand, the decision-support tool provides<br />

the ability of the in situ control of the anaerobic<br />

digestion (AD) process towards achieving the<br />

lowest concentration of trace gases while keeping<br />

a maximum yield of CH4.<br />

78<br />

Expected impact and exploitation<br />

The AMONCO project aims to overcome<br />

weaknesses of existing biogas FC/CHP<br />

technologies. Relevant <strong>European</strong> markets will be<br />

targeted by specific exploitation activities<br />

including the formation of a business interest<br />

group which will implement the project results.<br />

Further economic efficiency is of crucial<br />

importance for innovative technical developments<br />

in order to gain market access. Therefore, a<br />

continuous economic evaluation of AMONCO’s<br />

technical R&D results is necessary to guide the<br />

technical developments towards marketability.<br />

According to the work plan, the economic<br />

evaluation will start in the second part of the<br />

project. The work will be based on the partners’<br />

vast experience in economic project evaluation<br />

and project finance. In this respect, partner EBV<br />

will adapt and enhance its profound calculation<br />

tool towards the application for the economic<br />

evaluation of AMONCO’s technological achievements.<br />

The potential of this result is a future<br />

general application concerning the economic<br />

evaluation of upcoming biogas/fuel cell projects.<br />

Developed design criteria for biogas fuel cells,<br />

based on the findings of the technical and<br />

non-technical results of the different AMONCO<br />

work packages (all partners will contribute to<br />

this result), along with the conclusions derived<br />

from specific biogas fuel cell designs are<br />

expected to be just two of the major results.


Progress to date<br />

A lot of data must be produced before work<br />

can start on modelling and controlling the<br />

anaerobic process. Therefore, laboratory reactors<br />

with the appropriate sensors and analyses are<br />

being operated by partner IAM and Profactor.<br />

The main goal of these experiments is the<br />

generation of data which can be used to train the<br />

neural network.<br />

A structure of the neural net has been developed<br />

for the neural network as a start to the training<br />

process. This structure is only a first draft and<br />

has to be further developed during the training<br />

process. During a discussion process with those<br />

partners operating industrial biogas plants, the<br />

importance of cheap and reliable measurement<br />

methods was stressed. It was considered<br />

important that, on the one hand a minimum<br />

necessary instrumentation for each partners<br />

biogas-plant was agreed and, on the other, two<br />

versions of the control software would seem to<br />

be necessary – s simpler version for those<br />

continuously operated small biogas plants with<br />

less instrumentation, and a sophisticated version<br />

for plants with full process control. Subsequently,<br />

partner IAM developed a client-server software<br />

solution for the control program. The prediction<br />

program for biogas fermentation with neuronal<br />

networks has been included in a Client/Server-<br />

Software solution. The original prediction program<br />

Figure 1: Laboratory reactors operated by<br />

partner Profactor.<br />

is located on a server on the World Wide Web,<br />

and is waiting for data from the client. Using<br />

the client version it is possible for the user to<br />

select Excel data files, send all necessary<br />

data for prediction to the server, and get<br />

prediction results back to the ‘front panel’ of the<br />

client program.<br />

In addition, two fuel cell stations have been<br />

designed and constructed by partner CSIC and<br />

the first experiments have been carried out.<br />

Partner Profactor has done the analytical<br />

method development for a comprehensive<br />

biogas analyses. And almost all partners were<br />

involved in an intensive study concerning<br />

available sensors and the testing of reliable<br />

methods to measure the main parameters in<br />

large biogas plants.<br />

Figure 2: Example of a client front panel for the control program<br />

developed by IAM.<br />

79<br />

INFORMATION<br />

References: ENK6-CT-2001-00518<br />

Programme:<br />

FP5 - <strong>Energy</strong>, Environment and<br />

Sustainable Development<br />

Title:<br />

Advanced Prediction, Monitoring<br />

and Controlling of Anaerobic Digestion<br />

Processes Behaviour Towards <strong>Bio</strong>gas<br />

Usage in Fuel Cells – AMONCO<br />

Duration: 36 months<br />

Contact point:<br />

Marianne Haberbauer<br />

Profactor Produktionsforschungs GmbH<br />

Tel: +43-7252-884205<br />

Fax: +43-7252-884244<br />

marianne.haberbauer@profactor.at<br />

Partners:<br />

Profactor (A)<br />

CSIC (E)<br />

Energieverwertungsagentur (A)<br />

University of Natural Resources and<br />

Applied Life Sciences –Vienna (A)<br />

Matadero Frigorifico del Nalon (E)<br />

GASCON (DK)<br />

Slovenska Pol’nohospodarska<br />

Universita V Nitre (SI)<br />

EBV Management (D)<br />

SARIA <strong>Bio</strong>-Industries (D)<br />

Farmatic <strong>Bio</strong>tech <strong>Energy</strong> (D)<br />

<strong>Bio</strong>gas Barth (D)<br />

Seaborne (D)<br />

EC Scientific Officer:<br />

Jeroen Schuppers<br />

Tel: +32-2-2957006<br />

Fax: +32-2-2993694<br />

jeroen.schuppers@cec.eu.int<br />

Status: Ongoing


EROB<br />

Objectives<br />

The main objective of this project is to<br />

develop a new economical cooling process<br />

to remove harmful trace components and<br />

water from biogas before it is used in gas<br />

engines. On the basis of a preliminary<br />

investigation, it is intended to manufacture<br />

a pilot plant and to connect it on site of a<br />

landfill to a gas engine in operation. An<br />

extensive programme of experimental work<br />

and research is scheduled to find out the<br />

efficiency and the limits of this cooling<br />

process in the removal of harmful<br />

substances such as halogens and organic<br />

silicon compounds.<br />

Development of an improved<br />

energy recovery of biogas<br />

by cooling and removal of<br />

harmful substances<br />

Problems addressed<br />

Renewable energy is by far the largest, most<br />

sustainable, and most ecological energy potential<br />

at mankind’s disposal. Part of this natural energy<br />

supply is the use of biomass potentials and, in<br />

particular, the use of landfill and digester gas.<br />

But when this kind of biogas is utilised for<br />

internal combustion engines, the problems<br />

caused by trace components such as<br />

halogenated hydrocarbons and organic silicon<br />

compounds have interfered with and even<br />

discouraged biogas utilisation. Halogens produce<br />

acids that corrode the metallic surfaces of<br />

engines, while silicon compounds produce<br />

deposits of silica that coat spark plugs, abrade<br />

the surfaces and disrupt valve operation.<br />

Deposits of crystalline silicon dioxides are shown<br />

in Figure 1 on top of a piston.<br />

Project structure and partnership<br />

The theoretical results of separation efficiency<br />

of trace components obtained by the feasibility<br />

check of the exploratory phase have to be<br />

followed up and cross-checked by tests and<br />

analytical investigations under real conditions on<br />

site of a landfill by using different models and<br />

types of plant components. On the basis of<br />

these results, technical and process parameters<br />

have to be defined, determined and optimised<br />

to enable the development and engineering of the<br />

prototype of a standardised gas cooling plant in<br />

module construction. The next steps will be the<br />

manufacture, the installation, the integration<br />

and the start up of the pilot plant connected to<br />

a gas engine of a landfill gas power plant. The<br />

following test runs, using the pilot plant under<br />

different working conditions, will be constantly<br />

controlled by technical and scientific staff.<br />

80<br />

A flow diagram illustrating the sequence of<br />

different steps of the cooling process is shown<br />

in Figure 2.<br />

At the end of the project the results will be<br />

evaluated in respect to an optimised and reliable<br />

technology for the separation of harmful trace<br />

components from biogas, leading to the process<br />

definition and the standardisation of a plant<br />

programme, ready to be offered to the market<br />

of biogas power plants.<br />

The consortium is structured in such a way that<br />

each of the proposers’ participants is extremely<br />

interested in both the results and in the success<br />

of the project. On the one hand, there are two<br />

manufacturers and suppliers of biogas power<br />

stations, constantly confronted with problems and<br />

damage caused by harmful trace components<br />

and very interested in the objectives and the<br />

results of the project. On the other, there is the<br />

supplier of the refrigeration plants as well as the<br />

manufacturer and supplier of all other plant<br />

components, in particular the purpose-built<br />

finned tube heat exchangers in stainless steel.<br />

The interest of both suppliers in the project is to<br />

be involved in future deliveries and to enlarge the<br />

actual programme of activities via a promising<br />

product.<br />

Expected impact and exploitation<br />

The exploitation of biogas is not being carried out<br />

in the same way all over Europe. The reasons for<br />

this are being created, in the main, by different<br />

legislation, plus lack of know-how and/or financial<br />

benefits. In this respect, the quality of the gas<br />

is a decisive factor as regards the operating<br />

costs. There is a considerable need for action in<br />

Europe to use the potential which already exists.


Figure 1: Deposites of crystalline SIO2. Figure 2: Flow Diagram flooling Process.<br />

This applies in particular to the Eastern <strong>European</strong><br />

countries where the standards of landfill sites and<br />

sewage plants and the use of biogas in general<br />

are substantially below <strong>European</strong> Union (EU)<br />

standards. The various problem assessments<br />

and synergetic effects of all the EU-oriented<br />

partners in the consortium will result in a<br />

potential of accumulated experience and will<br />

improve the chances of realising and exploiting<br />

the results. In this way, orientation of the project<br />

exclusively according to aspects of the national<br />

markets will be prevented, and <strong>European</strong> market<br />

opportunities are ensured.<br />

The expected results will be disseminated by<br />

various publications and during specific<br />

conferences and workshops at the <strong>European</strong><br />

level. Printed matter and leaflets giving<br />

information about the process, the results<br />

achieved and the plant programme will be<br />

prepared and distributed to potential clients as<br />

well as to organisations and associations<br />

concerned with waste disposal, landfills and<br />

sewage plants. Potential clients with engine<br />

problems in France, Spain, Belgium and Germany<br />

have already been informed about the project and<br />

are anxious to hear about the results. If an<br />

economical way of removing harmful traces can<br />

be found there is no doubt that this will be<br />

introduced successfully on to into the market.<br />

It is the aim of all EU governments to double the<br />

share of renewable energy in EU energy<br />

consumption until 2010 up to 12%. This can only<br />

be achieved using processes and systems that<br />

work under economical conditions. In addition,<br />

a Kyoto objective implies a reduction of 8% in<br />

greenhouse gas emission for the EU between<br />

2008 and 2012. Methane is one of the main<br />

components of biogas and its contribution to the<br />

greenhouse effect is approximately 21 times<br />

more harmful than carbon dioxide. Therefore, the<br />

utilisation and exploitation of biogas is an<br />

effective way to reach the Kyoto target. Since the<br />

intended research in the project will fulfil and<br />

improve energy recovery for landfill and sewage<br />

gas, it will contribute to EU policies.<br />

Progress to date<br />

The specific results to date are as follows:<br />

- Determination of the basic technical<br />

requirements and cost-performance ratio of<br />

different ways of process design and selection<br />

of analytical methods to be applied;<br />

- Theoretical determination of removal<br />

efficiencies of harmful substances from biogas<br />

by cooling;<br />

- Functional tests and optimisation of model<br />

components on site at different temperatures<br />

as regards the analytical and calculated results;<br />

- Promising results of the process have been<br />

analysed at a landfill gas temperature of<br />

-11°C. Reductions of 40% and 80% respectively<br />

have been achieved for the main siloxane<br />

compounds, octamethyltetracyclosiloxane (D4)<br />

and decamethylpentasiloxane (D5);<br />

- Engineering of the pilot plant taking into<br />

consideration all the results and information<br />

obtained from the preceding tasks and adjusted<br />

to the needs of the selected site; and<br />

- Pilot plant manufacture, functional tests at<br />

the manufacturing company, followed by test<br />

runs on site.<br />

81<br />

INFORMATION<br />

References: ENK5-CT-2000-30004<br />

Programme:<br />

FP5 - <strong>Energy</strong>, Environment and<br />

Sustainable Development<br />

Title:<br />

Development of an Improved <strong>Energy</strong><br />

Recovery of <strong>Bio</strong>gas by Cooling and<br />

Removal of Harmful Substances – EROB<br />

Duration: 22 months<br />

Contact point:<br />

Bernd Willenbrink<br />

Pro2 Anlagentechnik GmbH<br />

Tel: +49-2154-488-236<br />

Fax: +49-2154-488-115<br />

b.willenbrink@pro-2.de<br />

Partners:<br />

Pro2 Anlagentechnik (D)<br />

Gascogen NV (B)<br />

Frühauf Kälte- und Klimaanlagen (D)<br />

Roestvrijstaal Apparatenfabriek (NL)<br />

RTD-Performers:<br />

FhG-UMSICHT (D)<br />

PHYTEC (D)<br />

EC Scientific Officer:<br />

Jeroen Schuppers<br />

Tel: +32-2-2957006<br />

Fax: +32-2-2993694<br />

jeroen.schuppers@cec.eu.int<br />

Status: Completed


3A-BIOGAS<br />

Objectives<br />

The project aims to develop the 3A process<br />

to prototype size and the series production<br />

of a modular batch system for dry<br />

fermentation with percolation (DM 30-70%)<br />

in the smaller capacity range.<br />

The batch system provides three process<br />

phases (aerobic; anaerobic; aerobic = 3A)<br />

in one reactor. Adequate pore volumes of<br />

the organic input substrate and the proper<br />

use of closed-circuit process water avoids<br />

wastewater and enables 3A-biogas to work<br />

without material conveyance during the<br />

whole process.<br />

The main advantage of the 3A-biogas<br />

process is the production of biogas during<br />

the second phase. Sanitation takes place<br />

within the first step, while maturation of<br />

the end product is reached at the third<br />

step. Top-quality compost for soil<br />

improvement and fertilisation is the<br />

valuable end product.<br />

An optimised low-cost control system<br />

guarantees process stability.<br />

Three-step fermentation<br />

of solid state biowaste for<br />

biogas production<br />

and sanitation<br />

Challenges<br />

<strong>Energy</strong> has to be added to the process (moving<br />

the material) for treating organic substrates in<br />

normal aerobic composting plants. On the other<br />

hand, it is not possible to use the accruing<br />

energy in any way. High volumes of water are<br />

necessary for treatment in conventional<br />

anaerobic liquid biogas plants, and subsequently<br />

this remains as wastewater. As a consequence,<br />

in relation to the quantities of feed material,<br />

high plant and process energy costs are incurred<br />

for material conveyance and maintaining<br />

temperatures.<br />

The 3A-biogas process aims to combine the<br />

positive aspects (producing biogas and topquality<br />

compost directly from solid state input<br />

material) of these two possible treatments and<br />

to avoid the disadvantages.<br />

Project structure<br />

The project consortium consists of six small<br />

and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and three<br />

research and technology developers (RTD).<br />

This combination allows for the market-orientated<br />

research and development of the 3A-process. In<br />

a first step, the participating SME partners set<br />

up end-user requirements for the possible<br />

implementation of the technology at the end of<br />

the project. Conclusions have been drawn for the<br />

development of the process. The optimised<br />

process will be developed using the experience<br />

of the partners and a detailed work distribution.<br />

For this purpose, intensive investigation on<br />

substrate composition, sanitation requirements,<br />

82<br />

and cause-effects of the key parameters will<br />

be carried out in close co-operation with SMEs<br />

and RTDs. Furthermore, a simulation tool will<br />

be developed.<br />

Approaching the detailed planning and an<br />

operating control system, two prototype units will<br />

be manufactured. During the project’s second<br />

year, the 3A-biogas prototypes will be tested at<br />

two project partner sites in Austria and Spain.<br />

In addition, a socio-economic assessment,<br />

dissemination, and preparation for exploitation<br />

are integrated parts of the project.<br />

Expected impact and exploitation<br />

3A-biogas mainly addresses the communal and<br />

agricultural waste-treatment industry where both<br />

biodegradable wastes and organic residues are<br />

available for the production of biogas. Often,<br />

conventional liquid biogas plants are already<br />

set up with an existing utilisation for the biogas<br />

produced. The additional installation of a<br />

3A-biogas system as a second treatment line<br />

for dry input substrates will lead to several<br />

synergies for end-users, and optimal completion.<br />

The potential for biogas plants in the agriculture<br />

and food sector, for example in Germany, was<br />

estimated by Weiland to be 30,000 – 40,000<br />

plants in total with an annual increase of<br />

150-200. In the year 2000, just 1,000 plants had<br />

been installed, although their number is<br />

increasing significantly. The estimated potential<br />

of energy produced is 753 PJ on the basis of<br />

biogas for all EU Member States. Only a small<br />

amount of this potential is currently being used.


Figure 1: Overview of biological wastes treatment processes and<br />

classification of 3A-biogas.<br />

A considerable fraction of today’s unused<br />

potential will match the advantages of 3A-biogas.<br />

Spain, as well as the Eastern <strong>European</strong> countries,<br />

can be regarded as promising future markets for<br />

biogas plants because of the structure of their<br />

agriculture and food industries and the country’s<br />

need to redevelop the environmental situation.<br />

3A-biogas plants will be able to work as financially<br />

viable in small- to medium-scale applications<br />

up to 3,000 m3/a.<br />

Potential customers include the agro- and food<br />

sectors, the MSW industry, and the biowaste<br />

treatment sector.<br />

Progress to date<br />

The requirements of potential operators of<br />

3A-biogas plants have to be investigated and<br />

the system has to be designed according to<br />

the results obtained. To find the information<br />

required, a questionnaire was created, and<br />

the end-users were asked to fill in their<br />

requirements on the system. The system design<br />

for the prototype units will be developed according<br />

to the information gathered. At the moment,<br />

a control system which observes the whole<br />

3A process is being developed and checked by<br />

a simulation program.<br />

Figure 2: Methane production and temperature development for<br />

3A-biogas process.<br />

To gather general information about the location<br />

of the two planned prototype units, the operator<br />

of biogas and composting plants were asked to<br />

give details concerning their input materials and<br />

processing facilities currently in use. Taking this<br />

data into consideration, a preliminary selection<br />

was made of the substrates which should be<br />

used in the testing phase. Different mixtures of<br />

these selected materials and structure material<br />

are currently being tested in laboratory-scale<br />

tests in Germany. An example of the temperature<br />

curve achieved and the biogas yield is given in<br />

Figure 2. Based on the results of the laboratory<br />

tests, such as on the methane yield or the pH<br />

behaviour, the final decision will be made on the<br />

material for the testing phase.<br />

Furthermore, intensive investigations concerning<br />

the sanitation standards and requirements in the<br />

different Member States and in the EU were<br />

realised. The results of this investigation are the<br />

minimum sanitation requirements of the final<br />

product. First analyses specified the critical<br />

control points of the process.<br />

83<br />

INFORMATION<br />

References: ENK6-CT-2002-30026<br />

Programme:<br />

FP5 - <strong>Energy</strong>, Environment and<br />

Sustainable Development<br />

Title:<br />

Three Step Fermentation of Solid State<br />

<strong>Bio</strong>waste for <strong>Bio</strong>gas Production and<br />

Sanitation – 3A-BIOGAS<br />

Duration: 24 months<br />

Contact point:<br />

Horst Müller<br />

Müller Abfallprojekte GmbH<br />

Tel: +43-7732-20910<br />

Fax: +43-773-209144<br />

office@tb-mueller.at<br />

Partners:<br />

Müller Abfallprojekte (A)<br />

M. Sirch (D)<br />

<strong>Bio</strong>masa del Guadalquivir (E)<br />

Beta Nutror (E)<br />

Hebio Eduard Hiptmair (A)<br />

Inecosa Ingeniería, Estudios y<br />

Construcciones (E)<br />

Profactor (A)<br />

S.I.G. (D)<br />

Universidad de Léon, Instituto<br />

de Recursos Naturales (E)<br />

Website: http://www.3A-biogas.com<br />

EC Scientic Officer:<br />

Jeroen Schuppers<br />

Tel: +32-2-2957006<br />

Fax: +32-2-2993694<br />

jeroen.schuppers@cec.eu.int<br />

Status: Ongoing<br />

Figure 3: <strong>Bio</strong>waste.


DIPROWASTE<br />

Objectives<br />

The industrial objective of this project is<br />

to develop a combination of pre-treatments<br />

for municipal, agricultural and other<br />

organic wastes to maximise the waste<br />

throughput for subsequent anaerobic<br />

digestion, and therefore the production of<br />

methane fuel gas. The economic objective<br />

is to determine cost benefits accruing from<br />

pre-treatments combined with anaerobic<br />

digestion. Factors in the assessment<br />

include the requirement for separation of<br />

components in the feed waste stream,<br />

the cost of the pre-processing stage and<br />

pre-treatment steps, the size and<br />

throughput of digesters, the quality of gas<br />

produced, subsequent gas conditioning,<br />

the quality and treatment of residual liquid<br />

and solid waste. The social objectives are<br />

to re-direct solid waste from landfill,<br />

generate electricity from the waste with<br />

improved operation and efficiency,<br />

minimise the subsequent impact on the<br />

environment by generating benign solid<br />

material and minimal liquid effluent, and<br />

allow for local treatment sites in order to<br />

reduce road transport.<br />

Enhanced production of<br />

methane from anaerobic<br />

digestion with pre-processed<br />

solid waste for renewable<br />

energy<br />

Challenges<br />

To tackle the worldwide problem of depletion<br />

of natural, non-renewable fuel sources, the<br />

production of biogas from the digestion of organic<br />

waste is being developed as a renewable energy<br />

source. The principle objective of the Diprowaste<br />

project is to investigate maximising the volume,<br />

proportion and rate of methane production from<br />

anaerobic digestion of organic waste, containing<br />

varying amounts of straw, by using various<br />

pre-treatments of the material.<br />

Project structure<br />

Diprowaste is a two-year research and<br />

development programme funded under the<br />

CRAFT programme of the <strong>European</strong> Commission.<br />

The consortium consists of four SME partners<br />

and two research partners from England<br />

and Germany. Two of the four SMEs have<br />

considerable experience with the installation<br />

and operation of large digesters. Ingenieurbüro<br />

Dobelmann & Kroke GmbH is a general<br />

engineering company which can provide design<br />

work and planning for the infra-structure of large<br />

scale anaerobic digesters, as would be required<br />

for the treatment of municipal waste on a large<br />

scale. Abirer has a special interest in agricultural<br />

waste. <strong>Bio</strong>plex has special interests in farm and<br />

municipal waste. Evans Logistics is a waste<br />

disposal company, new to anaerobic digestion,<br />

and is seeking environmentally friendly methods<br />

for treatment and disposal. The RTD provider,<br />

TTZ, has considerable research experience with<br />

solid waste and bio-degradation and CTech has<br />

84<br />

specialised expertise in different pre-treatment<br />

methods like ultrasonics, thermal treatment and<br />

chemical treatments.<br />

A series of pre-treatment methods will be studied<br />

in the laboratory and their physical and chemical<br />

effect analysed. These pre-treatments will include<br />

thermal methods using ohmic heating and steam<br />

hydrolysis, ultra-sonic and chemical methods, as<br />

well as initial sorting and grinding. Following the<br />

initial study, a systematic programme of work will<br />

be devised to study the anaerobic digestion of<br />

standardised feeds with selected pre-treatments.<br />

Instrumented anaerobic digesters will be set up<br />

and operated in accordance with the experimental<br />

programme initially devised. The effectiveness<br />

of differing pre-treatments will be determined<br />

and correlated to direct physical and chemical<br />

changes that occurred during pre-treatment.<br />

The quality of the final product from the digester<br />

will be assessed and implications on downstream<br />

processing requirements will be determined.<br />

Sufficient tests will be completed to provide<br />

design information to plan industrial scale<br />

pre-treatment systems as well as modifications<br />

to up-stream and down-stream processing.<br />

The anaerobic digestion studies will be extended<br />

to include feeds with a proportion of re-cycled<br />

sludge requiring further digestion. The project will<br />

include engineering design studies and system<br />

evaluation of large-scale plant and an economic<br />

assessment.


Picture 1: Large-scale Digestor Setting.<br />

Expected impact and exploitation<br />

The objective is to demonstrate that certain<br />

pre-treatments can enhance the production of<br />

biogas and are economically viable. If successful,<br />

it is anticipated the utilisation of pre-treatment<br />

technology will gain rapid acceptance for certain<br />

industrial and agricultural wastes. Other suppliers<br />

of anaerobic digestors are certain to offer<br />

pre-treatment technology if the potential<br />

successes of this project are widely advertised.<br />

On completion of the project there will be two<br />

main deliverables that deserve special attention<br />

for exploitation:<br />

(i) Final design criteria for the processing methods<br />

and the integration into the entire anaerobic<br />

treatment process;<br />

(ii) Any specific results from the laboratory<br />

investigations that show promise for future work.<br />

To enable the SME proposers to assimilate and<br />

exploit the results of the project, sufficient<br />

training will be given by the RTDs to potential<br />

designers and operators of new plant.<br />

The equipment manufacturers will be able to<br />

exploit the results by producing and selling the<br />

developed equipment to other end users.<br />

The end users of the developed equipment will<br />

be able to exploit the technology by receiving<br />

royalties or licence fees on the equipment that<br />

is developed. In addition, by installing the<br />

equipment, they will be able to improve their<br />

competitiveness through providing a more<br />

efficient process, which is also environmentally<br />

advantageous.<br />

After the end of the research phase, many waste<br />

treatment companies are expected to benefit<br />

from the results of the project by adopting the<br />

new treatment process. Also local communities<br />

will be able to initiate schemes which can utilise<br />

the technology and provide low impact on the<br />

environment.<br />

Progress to date<br />

The demonstration plants, to study the effects<br />

of the pre-treatment, have been set up and the<br />

first tests have been carried out.<br />

The pre-treatments, which have been selected,<br />

are Ultrasound and high temperature treatment<br />

from 140 °C to 170 °C using ohmic heating for<br />

up to one hour, prior to anaerobic digestion.<br />

Previous studies have shown that the heat<br />

treatment of sewage sludge prior to digestion<br />

has resulted in enhanced gas production.<br />

85<br />

Picture 2: Small-scale continuous<br />

flow ohmic heater.<br />

INFORMATION<br />

References: CRAFT-71485-1999<br />

Programme:<br />

FP5 - <strong>Energy</strong>, Environment and<br />

Sustainable Development<br />

Title:<br />

Enhanced Production of Methane from<br />

Anaerobic Digestion with Pre-processed<br />

Solid Waste – DIPROWASTE<br />

Duration: 24 months<br />

Contact point:<br />

Jan Kai Dobelmann<br />

ABIRER-Systems<br />

dobelmann@abirer.de<br />

Partners:<br />

Ingenieurbüro Dobelmann + Kroke (D)<br />

ABIRER-Systems (D)<br />

Sundorne Products (UK)<br />

<strong>Bio</strong>plex (UK)<br />

C-Tech Innovation (UK)<br />

Verein zur Förderung des<br />

Technologietransfers an der Hochschule<br />

Bremerhaven (D)<br />

EC Scientific Officer:<br />

Kyriakos Maniatis<br />

Tel: +32-2-2990293<br />

Fax: +32-2-2966261<br />

kyriakos.maniatis@cec.eu.int<br />

Status: Ongoing


ENERGATTERT<br />

Objectives<br />

Among the renewable energy supplies, the<br />

agricultural biomethanisation is one which<br />

needs to be more exploited, and which<br />

could generate a significant source of<br />

income for the agricultural sector, a sector<br />

which is going through hard times.<br />

Perfectly integrated in this context, the<br />

project ‘ENERGATTERT’ shall, as its main<br />

objective, demonstrate that the<br />

agricultural biomethanisation can be a<br />

renewable energy supply and a<br />

diversification for this profession. It is a<br />

combined project of research and<br />

demonstration which wants to show that<br />

it can be possible to produce energy for a<br />

cost of less than 0.05 €/kWh.<br />

Agricultural biogas<br />

as green energy supply<br />

Context/history of the project<br />

To understand this project, it is important to<br />

place it geographically and read how it came<br />

about. The project was born from an interest<br />

shown by some farmers in the Attert council<br />

for biomethanisation. Attert is a Belgian council,<br />

which has the status of a natural park, which is<br />

situated near the border with Luxembourg and<br />

not far from Germany. Having seen the<br />

development of the biomethanisation in these<br />

two countries, the farmers showed an interest<br />

in a technique that could diversify their own<br />

agricultural activity. At the end of the nineties<br />

in Belgium, like in other <strong>European</strong> countries,<br />

the production of ‘green electricity’ was almost<br />

non-existent.<br />

During 2000-2001, a local association for rural<br />

development decided to initiate a <strong>European</strong><br />

project to research and demonstrate how to<br />

bring together different technical improvements<br />

and envisage making a small-sized system<br />

(100 to 150kWel) viable.<br />

The different countries of the <strong>European</strong> Union<br />

were working on developing the production of<br />

renewable energies, and in Belgium it was<br />

decided to put a policy of ‘green certificates’ to<br />

develop ‘green electricity’ in place.<br />

86<br />

Challenges<br />

The first challenge was to assemble, around a<br />

common project, partners with different<br />

objectives but within the context of achieving a<br />

renewable energy policy. The second challenge<br />

was, from the study of an agricultural installation<br />

already in operation, to try and find an optimal<br />

system of biomethanisation that could be<br />

transposed to other <strong>European</strong> rural regions.<br />

Description of the project<br />

The project is made up of two main parts -<br />

research and demonstration.<br />

A biomethanisation system has been built on a<br />

bovine farm of 350 ABUs (Adult Bovine Unit)<br />

and has been devised so that it is supplied only<br />

by the farm’s biomass (i.e. effluents, energy<br />

plants etc.). The system is constituted with two<br />

digesters of 750 µm3 of capacity able to run in<br />

series or in parallel. The system is equipped<br />

with two co-generation groups (biogas/fuel) of<br />

80 kW that produce electricity and heat.<br />

During the Research, different improvements had<br />

to be found and tested which increased the energy<br />

output of an installation. The successes were:<br />

• the development of a high yield engine,<br />

• the development of a heat exchanger between<br />

the incoming matter inside the digester and the<br />

outgoing effluents to reduce the needs of<br />

calorific energy of the system.


During the Demonstration part of the project, the<br />

different components of the biomethanisation<br />

process will be studied in order to optimise the<br />

running, outputs and profitability. The studied<br />

elements of the research are to find a better mix<br />

of matter to introduce in the system, and the<br />

possibilities of valorisation of the calorific energy.<br />

Moreover, the follow-up will allow the collection<br />

of data to help understand the technical problems<br />

and to analyse the profitability of the system. An<br />

important aspect of this part of the project<br />

concerns the awareness of the biomethanisation<br />

technique and finding a renewable energy supply.<br />

For that, different tools will be developed for<br />

various users: from schoolchildren to the general<br />

public and professionals.<br />

Impact<br />

The project will bring biomethanisation to the<br />

attention of both professionals and politicians,<br />

having found a renewable energy supply and a<br />

durable agricultural diversification. Moreover,<br />

the technical improvement and enhanced<br />

knowledge of the biomethanisation process<br />

could be used in other biomethanisation projects.<br />

The project allows for a comparison in the viability<br />

of the biomethanisation systems inside the two<br />

main policies that exist in the EU: ‘warrant<br />

prices’ and ‘green certificates’.<br />

Progress to date<br />

The biomethanisation system has been built<br />

and has been running since the beginning of<br />

2003. The first tests are in progress and their<br />

results are expected at the end of this year.<br />

Different technological developments have been<br />

realised but must still be improved and tested.<br />

87<br />

INFORMATION<br />

References: NNE5-227-2001<br />

Programme:<br />

FP5 - <strong>Energy</strong>, Environment and<br />

Sustainable Development<br />

Title:<br />

Optimisation of the <strong>Energy</strong> Valorisation<br />

<strong>Bio</strong>mass Matter According to the<br />

Philosophy of a Natural Park –<br />

ENERGATTERT<br />

Duration: 36 months<br />

Contact point:<br />

Emmanuel Hannick<br />

Tel: +32-6-3227855<br />

Fax: +32-6-3221698<br />

manuhannick@hotmail.com<br />

Partners:<br />

Au pays de l’Attert (B)<br />

Fondation Universitaire Luxembourgoise (B)<br />

Agrarzentrum für Versuche & Ausbildung<br />

in Ostbelgien (B)<br />

H.J. Schnell (D)<br />

Kessler (B)<br />

Landwirtschaft, Energie an Emwelt (L)<br />

Zentrum für Zukunftsenergiesysteme (D)<br />

Electrabel (B)<br />

EC Scientific Officer:<br />

José Riesgo Villanueva<br />

Tel: +32-2-2957939<br />

Fax: +32-2-2966261<br />

jose.riesgo@cec.eu.int<br />

Status: Ongoing


SFH<br />

Objectives<br />

The objective is to design, optimise and<br />

demonstrate the combustion of sewage<br />

sludge using a 1.6MWth fluidised bed<br />

boiler. The boiler will be installed and<br />

operated at a waste water treatment works<br />

in Niepolomice, Poland. The project will<br />

demonstrate a technology not<br />

commercially available at present in this<br />

size. The calorific content of the sludge,<br />

together with excess biogas from the<br />

anaerobic digestion of the sludge in the<br />

normal treatment process, will provide<br />

energy for local heating, increasing the<br />

economic viability of the installation and<br />

reducing the consumption of fossil fuels.<br />

It will provide a cost effective and<br />

environmentally acceptable system for<br />

the disposal of sewage sludge produced<br />

at waste water treatment plants serving<br />

medium to large towns (10,000 to<br />

60,000 inhabitants).<br />

Heat from sewage sludge<br />

Challenges<br />

Fluidised bed combustion is a well-established<br />

technology. Many larger-scale systems are in<br />

operation burning a variety of fuel or wastes,<br />

including sewage sludge, cleanly and efficiently.<br />

Smaller systems are used to burn coal and<br />

various wastes but as yet none have been used<br />

for sewage sludge combustion.<br />

However, experience with relatively small<br />

(1-5MW) fluidised bed combustors (FBC) and<br />

reactors has shown that such combustors might<br />

be adapted for use with sewage sludge. It has<br />

already been shown that small bubbling FBCs<br />

can be used for the thermal utilisation of solid,<br />

liquid and gaseous wastes. To stabilise the<br />

combustion process when using sewage<br />

sludge, the sludge can be combined with other<br />

wastes with a high content of combustible<br />

material, for example wood waste, segregated<br />

municipal waste or other organic materials,<br />

including biogas. In this project the use of wood<br />

chips is envisaged but in laboratory and pilot<br />

scale tests other wastes will be used to aid the<br />

combustion of wet sewage sludge, avoiding the<br />

need for excessive treatment of the sludge prior<br />

to utilisation.<br />

The system being developed combines the<br />

simplicity of lightweight construction with low<br />

production costs and low power requirements.<br />

The technical solutions are based on the modular<br />

system, so that the various parts of the<br />

installation can then be easily modified and<br />

assembled in different ways to suit the<br />

requirements of individual clients.<br />

88<br />

The FBC in the project will be used at the sewage<br />

treatment plant at Niepolomice (a town with<br />

about 50 000 inhabitants). The plant produces<br />

some 2 000 m3/h of raw sewage but this will rise<br />

to 4 500 m3/h in the near future. The FBC will<br />

comprise of a combustor and heat exchangers,<br />

together with a wet scrubbing system for the flue<br />

gas. Part of the heat produced will be used to<br />

heat buildings at the water treatment works.<br />

Waste water from the treatment will be used in<br />

the scrubber. Apart from electrical power, only<br />

wastes will be used in the operation of the<br />

installation. Since the installation will be light in<br />

weight, no expensive site preparation will be<br />

needed. The small size of the installation will<br />

make it possible to fit everything inside a<br />

standard transport container, facilitating transport<br />

and assembly.<br />

Project structure<br />

The project is being undertaken by a consortium<br />

of five organisations from three countries, with<br />

each organisation providing specialist knowledge,<br />

skills and/or facilities. The industrial and<br />

commercial partners are all SME’s and roles and<br />

responsibilities are clearly set out in a detailed<br />

work programme and schedule. Meetings are<br />

held at six monthly intervals, or as required by<br />

circumstances, to assess technical and financial<br />

progress.


Expected impact and exploitation<br />

Urban waste water, or sewage, is generally a<br />

mixture of domestic waste water from sinks,<br />

baths, washing machines and toilets, waste<br />

water from industry and rainwater run-off from<br />

roads and other surfaces. Without treatment<br />

the waste water would damage the water<br />

environment and create public health problems.<br />

Treatment of the sewage and the disposal or reuse<br />

of the resultant sludge helps to protect the<br />

water environment and the use of water for<br />

drinking, recreation and industry as required by<br />

the EC Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive<br />

and other directives. The <strong>European</strong> Agency<br />

predicts that the amount of sewage sludge will<br />

increase by 50% in the 15 Member States by<br />

2005. The prohibition of the disposal of untreated<br />

waste to landfill will exacerbate the problem of<br />

disposal and incineration is expected to increase<br />

by 300%.<br />

The availability of a boiler of the sizes being<br />

developed in this project, able to combust<br />

sewage sludge, will help Waste Water Treatment<br />

Plants serving medium to large towns to meet<br />

the more stringent demands for water treatment,<br />

and at the same time provide useful heat.<br />

Progress to date<br />

Laboratory tests on the combustion of the sludge<br />

and the proposed supporting waste fuels have<br />

shown that full mineralisation of the sludge is<br />

achieved. The ash produced cannot be utilised,<br />

since it will contain the heavy metals present in<br />

the original sewage, but its disposal at suitable<br />

sites will be possible. The tests have been<br />

repeated at a pilot scale, with a 150 kW<br />

combustor, utilising up to 50 kg/hr of sludge and<br />

bed temperatures of 900ºC. Combustibles in<br />

the ash were less than 1%.<br />

The modelling of the FBC with a recovery of the<br />

heat from the flue gases to determine the<br />

wetness of the sewage sludge as a function of<br />

the air temperature after the heat exchanger is<br />

progressing. This will help to determine the<br />

amount of wood at a selected wetness required<br />

to combust the wet sludge.<br />

Tests have been carried out to determine other<br />

wastes that could be employed as supporting<br />

fuels instead of the wood waste available on the<br />

market. These wastes include shredded waste<br />

paper and cardboard, polymer wastes (PET, PE, PP),<br />

and dried animal wastes withdrawn from use as<br />

animal feed because of the threat of BSE. These<br />

wastes will be tested on the full-scale boiler.<br />

The boiler, distributor, ash cooler, air pre-heater,<br />

ash trap and feeders have been designed for the<br />

1 MW installation that will be installed at the<br />

waste water treatment works at Niepolomice.<br />

As part of the project the equipment will be<br />

demonstrated at Niepolomice for one year and a<br />

full dissemination programme will be undertaken.<br />

89<br />

INFORMATION<br />

References: NNE5-468-2001<br />

Programme:<br />

FP5 - <strong>Energy</strong>, Environment and<br />

Sustainable Development<br />

Title:<br />

Sludge for Heat – SFH<br />

Duration: 3 years<br />

Contact point:<br />

Arthur Hollis<br />

ETP Ltd (UK)<br />

ArthurHollis@compuserve.com<br />

Partners:<br />

ETP (UK)<br />

ABM SOLID (PL)<br />

Krakow University of Technology (PL)<br />

Urzad Miasta (I)<br />

Gminy Niepolimice (PL)<br />

Ekoservis Slovensko (SK)<br />

EC Scientific Officer:<br />

José Riesgo Villanueva<br />

Tel: +32-2-2957939<br />

Fax: +32-2-2966261<br />

jose.riesgo@cec.eu.int<br />

Status: Ongoing


AMMONIA<br />

REMOVAL<br />

Objectives<br />

Most renewable fuels contain nitrogen,<br />

which will convert to ammonia during<br />

gasification. This ammonia will form NOx<br />

emission during gas combustion in<br />

gasification power plants, where hot gas<br />

cleanup is used. Removing ammonia from<br />

the hot gasification gas would facilitate<br />

the development of a simple and efficient<br />

method for NOx removal in gasification<br />

plants. Hence, the objective of this<br />

research was to develop two main<br />

technologies for ammonia removal in<br />

gasification plants. First, the<br />

“conventional” approach was the nickel<br />

catalyst based technology for ammonia<br />

removal. This was studied so that the<br />

feasibility of nickel monolith catalyst in<br />

real gasification conditions could be<br />

estimated. Secondly, a “new and<br />

innovative” goal was to develop and study<br />

selective catalytic oxidation (SCO)<br />

processes in order to understand the<br />

underlying mechanism of the reactions<br />

of ammonia and oxidisers on a catalyst<br />

surface. This made it possible to optimise<br />

the process and to promote testing of<br />

the SCO technology in pilot scale.<br />

Innovative and competitive<br />

technology for NOx<br />

abatement<br />

Challenges<br />

During gasification of solid fuels, the fuel nitrogen<br />

is released into the hot gasification gas primarily<br />

as ammonia (NH3), hydrogen cyanide (HCN),<br />

organic compounds (tar-N) or as molecular<br />

nitrogen. The predominant compound in<br />

gasification is usually ammonia. Consequently,<br />

when this gas is combusted, large amounts of<br />

NOx can be formed from the reactive fuel bound<br />

nitrogen compounds.<br />

In gasification applications, NOx emission can be<br />

reduced or almost totally eliminated by reducing<br />

the amount of the fixed nitrogen compounds in the<br />

gas. Even partial reduction of the amount of fixed<br />

nitrogen compounds in the fuel gas will relieve the<br />

demands for the burner and lower the resulting<br />

emission. If the fixed nitrogen (and tar) compounds<br />

could be decomposed at high temperature in the<br />

fuel gas, the formation of liquid waste streams<br />

could also be avoided. Together with efficient<br />

burners, this technology could eliminate the<br />

need for the costly post-combustion flue gas<br />

cleaning technologies such as SCR.<br />

Project structure<br />

The project was focused on developing two main<br />

technologies for ammonia removal: 1) Nickel<br />

catalysts to decompose NH3 in gasification gas<br />

at high temperature, 2) Selective Catalytic<br />

Oxidation process (SCO). The work was divided<br />

into the following main topics:<br />

• Improving the properties of the SCO catalysts<br />

• Testing the SCO process with real gases<br />

90<br />

• Studying the reaction mechanisms behind<br />

the SCO<br />

• Testing nickel monolith catalysts with real gases<br />

• Evaluating the economic feasibility of the both<br />

processes in relevant applications<br />

• Studying NOx formation in gasification cocombustion<br />

applications.<br />

The project was performed by three laboratories<br />

(VTT, Leeds University, Åbo Akademi) and two<br />

companies (Foster Wheeler Energia Oy and<br />

Energi E2) which were focused on the SCO. The<br />

work on nickel catalysts was performed by the<br />

Universidad Complutense de Madrid.<br />

Expected impact and exploitation<br />

Typical applications, in which the new ammonia<br />

removal technology could be used, are simplified<br />

biomass IGCC plants and various other plants,<br />

where hot gasification gas is burned. Recently,<br />

considerable interest has been expressed<br />

towards co-combustion plants among many<br />

power companies. The aim of these plants is to<br />

use some local, renewable fuel, gasify it and feed<br />

the gas to the larger boiler in order to replace part<br />

of the main fuel (usually coal or oil). Even in these<br />

applications the NOx level in flue gases may<br />

increase due to NH3 in gasification gas. It is clear<br />

that the applicability of the NH3 removal<br />

technologies of this project is not limited to<br />

biomass applications. They can also be used in<br />

connection with other gasification plants,<br />

regardless of the fuel.


Results<br />

Selective catalytic oxidation process.<br />

1. Better SCO catalysts were found than were<br />

originally expected. Metal/alumina catalysts<br />

with varying properties were prepared and their<br />

applicability for the SCO process was<br />

characterised. The most promising catalyst<br />

identified was Cu/alumina. In addition, a ZrO2<br />

catalyst was found to be suitable for<br />

simultaneous tar and ammonia decomposition,<br />

giving relatively high conversions for both<br />

impurities. The SCO process was also tested in<br />

real gasification gas atmospheres. The results<br />

indicated that the ZrO2 catalyst activity with<br />

real gases was comparable to lab scale results.<br />

2. A feasible operating window for nickel catalysts<br />

was identified. These catalysts were tested in<br />

product gas lines of small-scale gasifiers.<br />

A reactor model for nickel monolith was<br />

developed so that the effects of various<br />

operational conditions and the behaviour of<br />

the monolith could be studied. The most<br />

important operational parameters that<br />

affected achievable ammonia and tar<br />

conversions were studied. These include air<br />

partitioning within a gasifier/catalytic reformer<br />

system, H2O/C ratio and catalyst inlet<br />

temperature. The monolith catalyst was more<br />

challenging to operate than was foreseen.<br />

However, a narrow operating window was<br />

successfully found, where over 90% ammonia<br />

conversions could be achieved.<br />

3. Comparisons of the SCO and nickel-monolith<br />

systems to filtering only and wet cleaning<br />

methods were made for a case where an<br />

atmospheric-pressure CFB gasifier was<br />

connected to an existing coal/peat-fired boiler.<br />

The evaluation indicated that from an<br />

economical point of view all the studied<br />

catalytic gas cleaning concepts were very<br />

close to each other. Thus, the selection can be<br />

fully based on technical feasibility and on the<br />

required level of gas cleaning. All catalytic<br />

gas cleaning concepts are naturally more<br />

expensive than the reference case based on<br />

filtration only.<br />

4. Directly applicable results were obtained from<br />

the CFD studies considering the Lahti Kymijärvi<br />

Power Plant18. These modelling studies gave<br />

valuable information about the means that<br />

could be applied to minimise NOx-emissions<br />

from the plant. It also improved understanding<br />

of where, why, and how NOx is formed in the<br />

boiler. This information can be used in the<br />

design of new plants and modifications of<br />

similar boilers elsewhere.<br />

The price of energy delivered to the boiler (as product gas and steam).<br />

91<br />

INFORMATION<br />

References: ERK5-CT-1999-00020<br />

Programme:<br />

FP5 - <strong>Energy</strong>, Environment and<br />

Sustainable Development<br />

Title:<br />

Development of Selective Catalytic<br />

Oxidation “SCO” Technology and Other<br />

High Temperature NH3 Removal Processes<br />

for Gasification Power Plant – AMMONIA<br />

REMOVAL<br />

Duration: 36 months<br />

Contact point:<br />

Pekka Simell<br />

VTT Processes<br />

Tel: +358-9-4565461<br />

Fax: +358-9-460493<br />

pekka.simell@vtt.fi<br />

Partners:<br />

VTT (FIN)<br />

Universidad Complutense de Madrid (E)<br />

Sydkraft (S)<br />

Foster Wheeler Energia (FIN)<br />

Energi E2 (DK)<br />

Aabo Akademi University (FIN)<br />

University of Leeds (UK)<br />

EC Scientific Officer:<br />

Garbiñe Guiu Etxeberria<br />

Tel: +32-2-2990538<br />

Fax: +32-2-2993694<br />

garbine.guiu@cec.eu.int<br />

Status: Completed


SCWO/G Front.<br />

DE-TAR<br />

Objectives<br />

The overall objective is to evaluate the<br />

full-scale application of supercritical wet<br />

oxidation and gasification (SCWO/G).<br />

The process under study refers to the<br />

aqueous oxidation/reduction of organic<br />

contaminants at pressures and<br />

temperatures above critical data for water.<br />

The objectives are:<br />

• to characterise the chemical composition<br />

of waste water from updraft gasification,<br />

• to apply and optimise SCWO/G of such<br />

waste water at laboratory and pilot scale,<br />

• to formulate kinetic and transport<br />

models for the SCWO/G process<br />

including simulation validation,<br />

• to provide a chemical characterisation<br />

of the effluent water from the SCWO/G<br />

process,<br />

• to extend these results to other gasifier<br />

configurations and other cleaning<br />

technologies based on literature<br />

information,<br />

• to provide a full scale evaluation of the<br />

SCWO/G process for both the technical<br />

(energetic and environmental) and the<br />

economic aspects.<br />

DETAR –<strong>Bio</strong>mass gasification<br />

tar-water cleanup<br />

Challenges<br />

<strong>Bio</strong>mass gasification product gas is often wet<br />

scrubbed to remove tar and particles before<br />

use in gas engines. Even for dry gas cleaning,<br />

it is necessary to perform cooling where<br />

contaminated water is produced. These effluents<br />

will result in environmental problems if they are<br />

not cleaned before being discharged into the<br />

urban network.<br />

The DETAR project addresses the development<br />

and optimisation of a supercritical process for the<br />

cleaning of such effluents.<br />

In the project waste water, from an updraft<br />

gasification process, is used in cleaning<br />

experiments which are carried out at laboratory<br />

scale (2 kg/h unit) and pilot scale (60 kg/h<br />

Process Development Unit).<br />

Also, the kinetic and transport models in<br />

the process are formulated, the cleaned water<br />

is characterised and a full-scale application<br />

is described economically/energetically/<br />

environmentally. Finally the application of the<br />

technology, in connection with other gasification<br />

configurations and other gas-cleaning technologies,<br />

are evaluated based on literature information.<br />

92<br />

Project structure<br />

The DETAR project is carried out at three scale<br />

levels:<br />

1. The Laboratory Scale Unit (LSU), a 2 kg/h<br />

system already in existence and financed by<br />

the Danish participants and in part by the<br />

Danish <strong>Energy</strong> Agency, will be used to<br />

establish basic parameters for various<br />

conditions (waste water retention time,<br />

temperature/pressure level and influence<br />

from added carbon catalyst).<br />

2. The Process Development Unit (PDU), to be<br />

designed and built for a capacity of 60 kg/h<br />

(financed in part by the Danish <strong>Energy</strong> Agency),<br />

will be used for the correlation with<br />

mathematical model/tools to be developed for<br />

optimisation and as a basis for up-scaling to<br />

full-scale application.<br />

3. A full-scale industrial implementation layout<br />

analysis using 1000 kg/h of waste water will<br />

be used to study the capital/operational cost<br />

and energetic/environmental impact of<br />

technology.<br />

Using experimental data from the LSU/PDU,<br />

chemical analysis, kinetic/mathematical modelling<br />

and process simulation, it is intended to verify<br />

the industrial application of the SCWO/G process<br />

for waste water from updraft biomass gasification<br />

and (through literature studies) to extend the<br />

results to other gasification concepts and<br />

cleaning technologies.<br />

Based on preliminary results obtained from the<br />

LSU, it has been verified that the SCWG of<br />

gasifier waste water will produce additional, high<br />

quality product gas for use in gas engines.<br />

Therefore it is the intention to verify that overall<br />

power efficiency can be improved and at the<br />

same time the environmental problems from<br />

effluents, inherent in most state-of-the-art<br />

approaches to biomass gasifier based Combined<br />

Heat and Power (CHP) may be solved.


Expected impact and exploitation<br />

A detailed chemical characterisation of tar-water<br />

from updraft biomass gasification (and compared<br />

to data available on other processes) will be<br />

carried out. The SCWO/G process will be<br />

optimised for biomass gasifier waste water from<br />

product gas clean-up. Kinetic mechanisms<br />

and mathematical tools will be made available<br />

for process scale-up. Process full-scale<br />

characteristics will be evaluated and described.<br />

The use of the developed technology will<br />

considerably improve the market penetration of<br />

biomass gasification based CHP and therefore<br />

reduce energy production related CO2 emission.<br />

When biomass utilisation is increased in this way<br />

it will be possible to create local employment for<br />

the handling of the biomass fuel and also for the<br />

actual operation of the plant.<br />

Progress to date<br />

DETAR was initiated 1 January 2003 and so far<br />

several experiments using the LSU have been<br />

carried out. The design of the PDU is well under<br />

way using information from the LSU experiments.<br />

In connection with the PDU design, preliminary<br />

dimensioning software has been devised parallel<br />

to the development of the full mathematical<br />

model. Further raw tar-water and cleaned water<br />

has been initially characterised and gas analysed,<br />

based on the LSU experiments. During the<br />

remaining part of 2003, the PDU will be built, the<br />

software improved and experiments using<br />

catalysts (e.g. carbon) will be carried out.<br />

93<br />

SCWO/G Rear.<br />

INFORMATION<br />

References: ENK5-CT-2002-00675<br />

Programme:<br />

FP5 - <strong>Energy</strong>, Environment and<br />

Sustainable Development<br />

Title:<br />

Degradation of Tarwater from <strong>Bio</strong>mass<br />

Gasification – DE-TAR<br />

Duration: 36 months<br />

Contact point:<br />

Bjorn TEISLEV<br />

Babcock and Wilcox Volund<br />

Tel: +45-75568874<br />

Fax: +45-75568873<br />

bjt@volund.dk<br />

Partners:<br />

Babcock and Wilcox Volund (DK)<br />

Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II (I)<br />

Kommunekemi (DK)<br />

H.G. OLRIK - Technology and<br />

Development (DK)<br />

Federal Research Centre for Forestry<br />

and Forest Products (D)<br />

EC Scientific Officer:<br />

Komninos Diamantaras<br />

Tel: +32-2-2955851<br />

Fax: +32-2-2993694<br />

komninos.diamantaras@cec.eu.int<br />

Status: Ongoing


DRY GAS<br />

CLEANING<br />

Objectives<br />

The objective was to develop, integrate<br />

and prove a complete biomass gasification<br />

combined heat and power small-scale<br />

prototype plant. The innovative idea of the<br />

project is a newly developed dry gas<br />

cleaning and heat recovery system. The dry<br />

gas cleaning concept, i.e. no wastewater,<br />

intends to solve and eliminate the tar<br />

problems associated with the operation of<br />

biomass gasifiers. The dry gas system is a<br />

three pass heat exchanger where tars are<br />

first condensed in a cold part then<br />

thermally cracked prior to being redirect<br />

back to the gasifier. Advanced heat<br />

recovery design improves the global heat<br />

efficiency of the CHP plant. The ultimate<br />

objective is, therefore, to create a new<br />

generation of energy efficient and<br />

environmentally friendly gasification<br />

systems.<br />

<strong>Bio</strong>mass gasification with<br />

dry gas cleaning<br />

Background<br />

Utilisation of biomass and waste is generally<br />

expensive and not very efficient on small and<br />

medium scale plants. For gasification systems<br />

the main problem is the gas cleaning where<br />

severe environmental impact, costly maintenance<br />

problems and low energy utilisation are the main<br />

constraints. To overcome this situation, the<br />

project combines three minor gasification<br />

companies to one powerful <strong>European</strong> consortium<br />

with a broad range of scientific and commercial<br />

contacts to develop, integrate and prove a<br />

complete biomass gasification combined heat<br />

and power prototype plant of about 250 kWth.<br />

Technology and innovative<br />

challenges<br />

The most essential part of the process is the gas<br />

cleaning. The gas cleaning includes a high<br />

temperature dust separation at the gasifier outlet<br />

followed by a special regenerating counter-current<br />

tar condensing heat-exchanger, which is operated<br />

alternately in two phases. Change of phase<br />

concerns change of flow direction as well as<br />

flow side. Two separate streams of air cool the hot<br />

gas. Regeneration has the effect of decomposing<br />

the tar deposits at high temperatures and returning<br />

the cracked tar products into the gasifier by<br />

means of preheated gasification air. The cooling<br />

air for feedstock drying is uncontaminated with<br />

cracked tar products. The produced gas is cooled<br />

to 10-20°C above the dew point, so no wastewater<br />

is generated.<br />

94<br />

Project structure<br />

The partners have been satisfied with the project<br />

which, both in scientific and social terms, has<br />

been very successful. The project has benefited<br />

significantly from the <strong>European</strong> collaboration.<br />

The project was co-ordinated by Cirad (France)<br />

and involved one SME and a technical centre,<br />

both from Denmark.<br />

Technical and environmental<br />

performances<br />

The following technical objectives have been<br />

achieved:<br />

• Design and construction of a hot producer gas<br />

(700-800°C) particulate cleaning system (filter/<br />

cyclone, adhesion to tar, engine pre-filter),<br />

which operates continuously and achieves<br />

separation efficiency acceptable for engine<br />

applications, preferably without further<br />

particulate removal.<br />

• Design and construction of a new generation<br />

small scale tar condensing, regenerative gasgas<br />

heat exchanger, which is able to provide a<br />

clean gas free from tars creating problems in<br />

an engine. The efficiency of the condensation<br />

increases with the tar concentration. Depending<br />

on the operating conditions the tar concentrations<br />

measured varied from 37.4 to 237.6 mg/Nm3. The heat exchanger cycle has been in operation<br />

more than 500 hours on one continuous run.


• Rebuilding a carburettor and exhaust on an<br />

existing gas engine, which has achieved<br />

emissions of CO below 500 ppm, hydrocarbons<br />

below 100 ppm and NO, below 500 ppm.<br />

The biofuel (20% moisture) power efficiency<br />

obtained is higher than 22%.<br />

All performance data are well superior to the<br />

existing ones.<br />

Market applications<br />

Utilisation of biomass and waste is a sustainable<br />

and environmentally friendly way of energy<br />

production, which may contribute to the reduction<br />

of the greenhouse effect, utilise local resources<br />

and improve local employment. Small CHP plants<br />

will certainly constitute the most promising<br />

route, as they represent the major market<br />

perspective in terms of replication. Gasification<br />

is a way to increase the utilisation of renewable<br />

energy sources. In addition, development of<br />

components and integration of processes are<br />

potential export opportunities.<br />

It is the objective, that the entire process should<br />

be economically attractive, i.e. the investment<br />

costs (sales price, exclusive of installation costs)<br />

of the plant should not exceed €1,500 /kWe.<br />

95<br />

INFORMATION<br />

References: ERK5-CT-1999-00003<br />

Programme:<br />

FP5 - <strong>Energy</strong>, Environment and<br />

Sustainable Development<br />

Title:<br />

<strong>Bio</strong>mass Gasification for CHP with<br />

Dry Gas Cleaning and Regenerative Heat<br />

Recovery – DRY GAS CLEANING<br />

Duration: 22 months<br />

Contact point:<br />

Philippe Girard<br />

Cirad Forêt<br />

Tel: +33-467614475<br />

philippe.girard@cirad.fr<br />

Partners:<br />

Cirad (F)<br />

DK-Teknik (DK)<br />

Thomas Koch Energi (DK)<br />

EC Scientific Officer:<br />

Garbiñe Guiu Etxeberria<br />

Tel: +32-2-2990538<br />

Fax: +32-2-2993694<br />

garbine.guiu@cec.eu.int<br />

Status: Completed


Gasification test fuels at VTT:<br />

waste-derived fuel and woody fuel.<br />

GASASH<br />

Objectives<br />

The overall objective of the project is to<br />

develop sustainable and economic systems<br />

for ash management of biomass/waste<br />

gasification and the gas cleaning process.<br />

The primary objective is to reduce ash<br />

volume and improve ash quality.<br />

The improvement of ash quality enhances<br />

the potential for the utilisation/recycling<br />

of ashes as a raw material for other<br />

processes. One of the key factors limiting<br />

further utilisation of gasification fly ash<br />

is the carbon content. Unreacted carbon<br />

has a negative impact not only on quality<br />

but also on the carbon conversion of the<br />

gasification process. An essential part<br />

of the ash quality improvement and ash<br />

volume reduction is the improvement<br />

of carbon conversion. An increase in<br />

carbon conversion results in higher<br />

conversion efficiency and this has a<br />

direct positive influence on power<br />

production capability.<br />

Ash management of<br />

biomass/waste gasification<br />

Challenges<br />

The work in this project is concentrated on three<br />

topics:<br />

• the development and optimisation of the<br />

gasification and gas cleaning process chain to<br />

reduce ash volumes and improve ash quality,<br />

• the development of new components (to<br />

improve ash quality, reduce ash volume and<br />

carry out an improvement of the overall carbon<br />

conversion),<br />

• the development of the utilisation of ashes.<br />

Finally, the practicality of the developed<br />

improvements will be evaluated for both technical<br />

and economical feasibility.<br />

Project structure<br />

The first task will concentrate on further<br />

development and improvement of the BFB and CFB<br />

gasification process. A wide selection of local<br />

biomass/waste-derived fuels will be used in the<br />

development work (e.g. several qualities of woody<br />

fuels, agricultural biomass residues, a mixture of<br />

biomass/coal). Special attention will be given to<br />

reducing ash volume (especially the amount of<br />

problematic filter ash), improving ash quality by<br />

optimising gasification conditions and achieving<br />

maximum efficiency with the use of bed additives.<br />

The second task will focus on the development<br />

of new components for gasification and the gas<br />

cleaning process. The different methods that will<br />

be studied and developed are:<br />

1. thermal treatment (separate combustion) of<br />

gasification ashes,<br />

2. the fly ash oxidation process integrated to the<br />

gasifier,<br />

96<br />

3. selective fractionating of fly ash by staged<br />

cooling and particulate separation.<br />

All three developments will reduce the carbon<br />

content of the ash, reduce ash volume and<br />

improve ash quality.<br />

The third task will focus on the screening of<br />

present combustion fly ash utilisation methods<br />

and the development of gasification fly ash<br />

specific utilisation options. Recycling is also<br />

considered when applicable and ashes from<br />

other tasks will be used in the utilisation<br />

development work. Finally, the technical and<br />

economical feasibility of the developed<br />

improvements will be evaluated in order to define<br />

the optimal ash management procedure.<br />

Partnership<br />

VTT Processes coordinates the project which<br />

consists of seven partners. VTT Processes,<br />

Foster Wheeler Energia Oy (FWEOY), <strong>Energy</strong><br />

Research Centre of the Netherlands (ECN),<br />

Asociación de Investigación y Cooperación<br />

Industrial de Andalucía (AICIA), Pohjolan Voima<br />

Oy (PVO) and EMC Environment Engineering<br />

Limited are the principal contractors and Essent<br />

Energie Productie b.v. (EEP) is the assistant<br />

contractor. The project group has extensive<br />

experience and knowledge related to R&D and<br />

large-scale gasification, commercial-scale power<br />

production and gasifier manufacturing. This<br />

project enables the effective utilisation of this<br />

experience to achieve significant improvements<br />

in the overall feasibility of large-scale biomass<br />

and waste-derived fuel gasification.


Expected results and exploitation<br />

plans<br />

Results of the project will give guidelines for<br />

optimised fluidised bed gasification process and<br />

operation of the gasifier in order to achieve<br />

optimised ash management of the plant.<br />

Results will be used in the development and<br />

construction of new biomass- and waste- derived<br />

fuel gasification plants and operation of existing<br />

biomass plants. Project partners represent<br />

research and development organisations, boiler<br />

and gasifier manufactures and power producers<br />

who all can exploit results directly in their work.<br />

Results will also be published in <strong>European</strong> or<br />

international conferences and scientific magazines.<br />

Progress to date<br />

The project was started in November 2002. The<br />

first activities have focused on optimisation of<br />

the gasification and gas cleaning process in<br />

order to improve carbon conversion, to reduce<br />

ash volumes and to improve the quality of ashes.<br />

This work has not yet been completed but<br />

intermediate results based on gasification of<br />

woody biomass have been successful.<br />

The development of new process components (fly<br />

ash oxidation, selective fractionating) has also<br />

been started. The first activities have been<br />

designing required components and starting of<br />

modification of test rigs.<br />

BFB-Pilot test facility (1MWth) of VTT<br />

Processes, Espoo, Finland. The facility<br />

is used for the development of clean gas<br />

production technologies for waste fuel.<br />

Power Station Kymijärvi, Town of Lahti, Finland. CFB <strong>Bio</strong>mass Gasifier<br />

40-70 MWth Foster Wheeler Energia Oy. (Source: Kivelä M., Lahti Energia, 2002).<br />

97<br />

INFORMATION<br />

References: ENK5-CT-2001-00635<br />

Programme:<br />

FP5 - <strong>Energy</strong>, Environment and<br />

Sustainable Development<br />

Title:<br />

Improvement of the Economics of<br />

<strong>Bio</strong>mass/waste Gasification by Higher<br />

Carbon Conversion and Advanced Ash<br />

Management – GASASH<br />

Duration: 36 months<br />

Contact point:<br />

Matti Nieminen<br />

VTT Processes<br />

Tel: +358-9-4566587<br />

Fax: +358-9-46493<br />

matti.nieminen@vtt.fi<br />

Partners:<br />

VTT (FIN)<br />

Asociacion para la Investigacion y<br />

Cooperacion Industrial de Andalucía (E)<br />

Foster Wheeler Energia (FIN)<br />

Essent Energie Productie (NL)<br />

Pohjolan Voima (FIN)<br />

Emc Environment Engineering (UK)<br />

<strong>Energy</strong> Research Centre of<br />

The Netherlands (NL)<br />

EC Scientific Officer:<br />

Garbiñe Guiu Etxeberria<br />

Tel: +32-2-2990538<br />

Fax: +32-2-2993694<br />

garbine.guiu@cec.eu.int<br />

Status: Ongoing


NOVACAT<br />

Objectives<br />

This project is focused on the key question<br />

of the development of efficient power and<br />

heat production processes based on<br />

gasification. The main objective was tar<br />

decomposition from gasification gas with<br />

two novel catalytic processes in order to<br />

produce clean gas for direct engine or<br />

turbine applications. The aim was to<br />

develop compact, simple and robust<br />

equipment to obtain complete conversion<br />

of tars so as to avoid problems in the<br />

downstream equipment, reduce<br />

environmental impact and to have an<br />

acceptable investment cost.<br />

Green power by lower cost<br />

and lower emissions<br />

Challenges<br />

The successful implementation of biomass and<br />

waste gasification for power production depends<br />

on the availability of low-cost, simple, reliable and<br />

high-performance gas cleaning systems. The<br />

present solutions for gas cleaning do not fulfil<br />

these conditions.<br />

Project structure<br />

The work in this project concentrated on the<br />

development of two novel catalytic tar<br />

decomposition processes: 1) a catalytic filter and<br />

2) a gas reformer based on nickel monolith<br />

catalyst. The tasks of the project were:<br />

• Catalytic filter development and testing with<br />

simulated and real gases,<br />

• Optimisation of the catalytic gas cleaning<br />

process in connection to a fluidised-bed gasifier,<br />

• Long term testing of nickel monoliths in a slip<br />

stream of an industrial biomass gasifier,<br />

• Pilot-scale tests to optimise the complete gas<br />

cleaning train for modern turbo-charged IC<br />

engines,<br />

• Techno-economic studies for both catalytic<br />

gas cleaning systems developed in the project.<br />

This project was executed by a group of three<br />

experienced laboratories (VTT, VUB and UCM),<br />

one manufacturer of fixed-bed gasifiers and gas<br />

cleaning equipment (Condens Oy), and two Italian<br />

SME’s (Maridiana and Sereco <strong>Bio</strong>test)<br />

representing an agricultural/agro-industrial<br />

southern <strong>European</strong> region. Here there is a great<br />

potential and need for the developed gasification<br />

technologies.<br />

98<br />

Expected impact and exploitation<br />

The objectives of this project match the EC<br />

Renewable <strong>Energy</strong> Technologies (RET) policy with<br />

an important contribution of biomass. This requires<br />

biomass gasification systems to be reliable and<br />

simple, and hence contain compact, low cost but<br />

high performance gas cleaning, which fulfils all<br />

environmental requirements. The two proposed<br />

gas cleaning technologies can make biomass<br />

energy systems more attractive, leading to<br />

widespread use of such systems with benefits in<br />

terms of employment and emissions. Given the<br />

required development effort still needed, support<br />

by the EC of a multinational team was justified.<br />

The results of this project are of utmost<br />

importance considering the commercialisation of<br />

power production by gasification procesesses.<br />

As a direct follow up from this project, Condens<br />

Oy has been able to commercialise the NOVEL<br />

CHP process. This makes the NOVEL process a<br />

real success story of Commission-funded applied<br />

research, due to the fact that the process<br />

development has taken place essentially in two<br />

successive EU-funded projects.


NOVEL CHP process.<br />

Results<br />

The development of the catalytic filter included<br />

testing and optimisation of catalyst formulations<br />

with simulated and real gases. Novel modified<br />

nickel-activated alumina filter substrates were<br />

developed, prepared and screened. Improvement<br />

in the resistance to deactivation by sulphur<br />

compounds in biomass gasification was one of the<br />

main objectives and achievements of the work.<br />

Valuable information about catalyst improvement<br />

techniques was obtained. The catalytic filter was<br />

also tested with real gases and promising results<br />

were achieved. Preparation procedures for largescale<br />

candle filters were also developed.<br />

The long-term testing of the nickel monolith was<br />

performed with a slipstream apparatus that was<br />

connected to a CFB gasifier. The total test length<br />

was 2 267 h. The main conclusions of the long-term<br />

test were: 1) the nickel monolith catalyst activity<br />

remained at a high level during the test, 2) it is<br />

probable that the catalyst will remain active for<br />

longer periods of time, 3) tar conversion after the<br />

test was 92% and ammonia conversion 70 % at the<br />

900 °C operation temperature, 4) fouling or clogging<br />

of the monolith by carbon did not occur.<br />

The technical feasibility of the monolith-based<br />

concept was demonstrated by performing a pilotscale<br />

test run with a process consisting of a<br />

NOVEL fixed bed gasifier, a catalytic reformer<br />

followed by a filter and gas scrubber/cooler.<br />

The gas produced had very low tar (< 100<br />

mg/Nm3), ammonia (< 50 ppm) and particle<br />

(< 5 mg/ Nm3) contents and it can be considered<br />

Catalytic filter. The slipstream catalyst testing unit.<br />

suitable for use in modern turbo charged engines.<br />

Optimised operation conditions were found for<br />

the nickel monolith and the effects of the main<br />

process variables were studied. These included<br />

temperature, gas residence time, partitioning of<br />

the air feeding, gas H2O/C* ratio and gas<br />

superficial velocity. This work also included<br />

screening of limiting operation conditions as<br />

well as studies on the effects of process starting<br />

and shutting down procedures.<br />

The technical and economical evaluation of<br />

the NOVEL CHP process gave very positive<br />

results considering the promotion of the plant.<br />

The rather interesting aspects are the reduced<br />

size of the plant, the continuous operational<br />

system and the capability of gasifying various<br />

types of biomass, without endangering the<br />

performance of the gas engine. With these<br />

characteristics the diffusion of the technology<br />

might be successful, especiallyin the present<br />

<strong>European</strong> market conditions.<br />

99<br />

INFORMATION<br />

References: ENK5-CT-2000-00305<br />

Programme:<br />

FP5 - <strong>Energy</strong>, Environment and<br />

Sustainable Development<br />

Title:<br />

Tar Decomposition by Novel Catalytic Hot<br />

Gas Cleaning Methods – NOVACAT<br />

Duration: 27 months<br />

Contact point:<br />

Pekka Simell<br />

VTT Processes<br />

Tel: +358-9-4565461<br />

Fax: +358-9-460493<br />

pekka.simell@vtt.fi<br />

Partners:<br />

VTT (FIN)<br />

Universidad Complutense de Madrid (E)<br />

Vrije Universiteit Brussel (B)<br />

Sereco <strong>Bio</strong>test (I)<br />

Maridiana (I)<br />

Condens (FIN)<br />

EC Scientific Officer:<br />

Garbiñe Guiu Etxeberria<br />

Tel: +32-2-2990538<br />

Fax: +32-2-2993694<br />

garbine.guiu@cec.eu.int<br />

Status: Ongoing


T ARGET<br />

Objectives<br />

It is a declared goal of the <strong>European</strong> Union<br />

to increase the share of biomass for power<br />

production. Gasification of biomass and<br />

combustion in a gas engine or turbine is<br />

the most efficient way of power production.<br />

However for gas turbines, stars in the LCV<br />

gas are a big problem and can result in<br />

fouling, increased emissions and failures<br />

during operation. In order to avoid those<br />

problems, intensive gas cleaning has, up<br />

until now, been recommended because<br />

limits and effects in gas turbine<br />

combustion are not known. This makes<br />

biomass gasification less cost competitive<br />

than combustion systems. The focus of<br />

this project is on the effect of tars on<br />

fouling and emissions of turbines and<br />

micro-turbines and especially on<br />

interactions between gasifier, gas cleaning<br />

and (micro) turbine. Only by an integrated<br />

approach will it be possible to provide<br />

customised and more cost competitive<br />

biomass based IGCC systems.<br />

TARGeT: Approaches in<br />

overcoming<br />

tar related problems<br />

Problems addressed<br />

<strong>Bio</strong>mass, if properly grown and managed, is a<br />

renewable resource and an attractive feedstock<br />

for gasification processes, which produce a gas<br />

rich in carbon monoxide and hydrogen.<br />

Unfortunately, a small fraction of the biomass is<br />

converted to tar. Tar will impose serious<br />

limitations on the use of the produced low<br />

calorific fuel (LCV) gas due to the fouling of<br />

downstream process equipment and emission of<br />

carbon monoxide. For future advanced biomassbased<br />

power systems these processes must<br />

be further developed, in particular in biomass<br />

fired integrated small-scale gasifiers and gas<br />

turbine systems<br />

Future biomass-based power-generation<br />

technologies have to provide a higher efficiency<br />

at lower costs by combining well-established<br />

gasification processes, sophisticated low calorific<br />

value gas cleaning and reliable combustion with<br />

minimal emissions. For this reason fuel upgrading,<br />

combustion and cycle improvement and lower<br />

emission are required. The innovation aimed at<br />

in this project is to research the different gas<br />

cleaning steps and determine how much gas<br />

cleaning is required to deliver to the gas turbine<br />

section a fuel gas which will not foul and which<br />

can be combusted with low emissions.<br />

100<br />

Project structure<br />

The work is based on seven work packages that<br />

are linked by coordination. See diagram 1.<br />

In the second work-package research is performed<br />

to improve tar measurements and measurement<br />

techniques that are used within the project. For this<br />

a novel on-line total tar analysing method is used<br />

in combination with identification of tar components<br />

with a solid phase absorption technique.<br />

The fourth work package contains experiments<br />

with advanced set-ups of state-of-the-art fixed bed<br />

gasifiers, gas cleaning and tar removal by low<br />

temperature techniques such as filters, scrubbers<br />

and catalytic crackers.<br />

In parallel the fifth work package researches<br />

pressurised gasification in combination with<br />

high temperature gas cleaning by ceramic filters.<br />

The third work package concentrates on<br />

experimental tar fouling testing and modelling of<br />

a fuel gas compressor designed for the operation<br />

on biomass derived low calorific value fuel gas.<br />

In parallel with the fifth work package, a<br />

combustor design is made based on<br />

measurements performed with a gas turbine<br />

combustor operated on real LCV gas and two<br />

combustors operated on simulated LCV gas.<br />

This new combustor will be applied in the micro<br />

gas turbine experiments.<br />

In the sixth work package the fuel gas compressor<br />

and micro turbine on simulated LCV gas are<br />

experimentally tested. All work will be carried<br />

out in close relation to industry, who will use their<br />

expertise to assure the technical and economical<br />

implementation of project results in future plant<br />

designs, aspects of which will be the central<br />

theme of the final seventh work package.


TARGeT<br />

Process Scheme.<br />

New combustor.<br />

Impact and exploitation<br />

In the two years of the TARGeT project, two tar<br />

measurement techniques were enhanced and<br />

compared during on-site tests. These techniques<br />

were the on-line GC-FID-FID technique and the offline<br />

S.P.A technique. In combination, these<br />

techniques show that good tar analyses of<br />

biomass derived fuel gas is possible and accurate.<br />

The methods were used to measure tars inside<br />

the integrated systems of a 1 MW Pressurised<br />

Fluidised Bed Gasifier (PFBG) with ceramic filter<br />

system and gas turbine combustor and the<br />

integrated system of a 1 MW Downdraft Fixed Bed<br />

gasifier with sawdust filters, scrubber and fuel<br />

gas compressor. (See diagram.) Tests show that<br />

tars can slip through the gas cleaning system.<br />

This fuel gas compressor will be used to supply<br />

the required amount of pressurised fuel gas to<br />

a small-scale turbine with LCV gas combustor.<br />

Compression tests with LCV gas were performed<br />

and changes to the gas cleaning and compressor<br />

were made to decrease tar condensation inside<br />

the compressor. These tests show promising<br />

results for further integration of the gas turbine.<br />

The high temperature gas cleaning with filters of<br />

b-cordierite operated at 800°C showed high dust<br />

removal efficiencies, no tar clogging and small<br />

influences in tar cracking. These types of gas<br />

cleaning are considered as very useful in<br />

<strong>Bio</strong>mass Fired Integrated Small-scale Gasifiers<br />

and Gas Turbine Systems.<br />

A new combustor was designed and constructed<br />

with a thermal input of 500 kW at 3.3 bara to<br />

fit the small-scale turbine. Combustion chamber<br />

modelling for the first burner and modelling<br />

for the second burner are performed together<br />

with modelling of emissions from tar containing<br />

LCV gas.<br />

The active involvement of all the participants has<br />

brought both academic and industrial knowledge<br />

into the project. The skills to solve the scientific and<br />

technical problems related to thermal conversion<br />

of biomass/renewable solid fuels, gas cleaning and<br />

gas analyses have proven that clear progress in<br />

power production from biomass is possible. In<br />

the last year of the project more work will be<br />

performed on a complete integrated system.<br />

Project structure.<br />

101<br />

INFORMATION<br />

References: ENK5-CT-2000-00313<br />

Programme:<br />

FP5 - <strong>Energy</strong>, Environment and<br />

Sustainable Development<br />

Title:<br />

The Influence of Tar Composition and<br />

Concentration on Fouling, Emission and<br />

Efficiency of Micro and Small Scale Gas<br />

Turbines by Combustion of <strong>Bio</strong>mass<br />

Derived Low Calorific Valued Gas – TARGET<br />

Duration: 36 months<br />

Contact point:<br />

Helmuth Spliethoff<br />

TU Delft<br />

Tel: +31-1527-86071<br />

Fax: +31-1527-82460<br />

h.spliethoff@wbmt.tudelft.nl<br />

Partners:<br />

TU Delft (NL)<br />

Universität Stuttgart (D)<br />

Alstom Power Technology (CH)<br />

Royal Institute of Technology (S)<br />

Host (NL)<br />

Alstom Power (UK)<br />

EC Scientific Officer:<br />

Pierre Dechamps<br />

Tel: +32-2-2956623<br />

Fax: +32-2-2964288<br />

pierre.dechamps@cec.eu.int<br />

Status: Ongoing


BIO-AEROSOLS<br />

Objectives<br />

The project focused on the solution of<br />

problems related to aerosols and fly ashes<br />

formed during fixed-bed biomass<br />

combustion, namely particulate emissions<br />

and deposit formation. The main aims of<br />

the project were to investigate the<br />

characteristics and the behaviour of<br />

aerosols by considering different biomass<br />

fuels (wood chips, bark, and waste wood),<br />

as well as to identify mechanisms<br />

governing deposit formation in furnaces<br />

and boilers. Based on this knowledge,<br />

technologies able to reduce these<br />

problems should be developed. Efficient<br />

aerosol precipitators should be enhanced<br />

by setting up an aerosol database for filter<br />

manufacturers, accompanied by technoeconomic<br />

recommendations, and by<br />

optimising the rotational particle separator<br />

which is an innovative dust precipitator for<br />

small-scale applications. Additives to<br />

influence aerosol formation and growth<br />

should be investigated. Finally, the project<br />

also aimed to evaluate health risks caused<br />

by aerosol emissions from biomass<br />

combustion.<br />

Aerosols and fly ashes<br />

in biomass combustion –<br />

new data, modelling<br />

approaches and results<br />

Problems addressed<br />

In general, particulates formed during the<br />

combustion of solid biomass can be divided<br />

into two fractions, the aerosols (particles formed<br />

from condensable vapours by gas to particle<br />

conversion) and coarse fly ashes (ash particles<br />

entrained from the fuel bed with the flue gas).<br />

Before BIO-AEROSOLS was initiated, very little<br />

information about the formation mechanisms<br />

and characteristics of these two fly ash fractions<br />

during fixed-bed combustion of woody biofuels<br />

was available. Therefore, the objectives of the<br />

project were defined as above.<br />

To reach the project objectives, extensive test<br />

runs were performed at biomass combustion<br />

units, as well as mathematical modelling of the<br />

processes involved in aerosol, fly ash and deposit<br />

formation and behaviour. In total, five test runs<br />

were carried out at a pilot-scale combustion unit<br />

(440 kWth) and a large-scale CHP plant (40 MWth),<br />

comprising fuel, aerosol, fly ash, ash and deposit<br />

sampling with subsequent wet chemical and<br />

SEM/EDX-analyses of the samples being taken.<br />

From these tests, a huge amount of high-quality<br />

measurement and analyses data was collected<br />

concerning relevant characteristics of aerosols<br />

and fly ashes formed during fixed-bed combustion<br />

of woody biofuels. In Figure 1 and Figure 2<br />

examples of particle size distribution, shape<br />

and chemical composition of aerosols and fly<br />

ashes formed during the combustion of woody<br />

biofuels are presented. These new data (shapes,<br />

concentrations, particle size distributions and<br />

chemical compositions of aerosols and fly ashes)<br />

have been summarised in an aerosol and fly ash<br />

102<br />

database. Furthermore, a huge amount of new<br />

data concerning the characterisation of furnace<br />

and boiler tube deposits, such as build-up rates,<br />

structures and chemical compositions, resulted<br />

from the project and have also been summarised<br />

in a database.<br />

Results<br />

The results of the test runs clearly indicated<br />

that the chemical composition of the fuel is the<br />

main parameter influencing aerosol formation,<br />

while plant operation parameters (excess air<br />

ratio, furnace temperature, etc.) do not have a<br />

significant influence.<br />

Based on the data and experiences gained from<br />

the test runs, existing models able to predict<br />

aerosol and deposit formation as well as deposit<br />

melting behaviour have been improved, and new<br />

models for the prediction of the behaviour of<br />

aerosols and fly ashes in fixed-bed biomass<br />

combustion units developed. Three different<br />

aerosol formation processes for different types<br />

of woody biomass (chemically untreated wood,<br />

bark, and waste wood), depending mainly on<br />

the chemical composition of the fuels used,<br />

were identified during these investigations.<br />

Consequently, the knowledge about these<br />

processes was increased substantially and, in<br />

future, the furnace and boiler designs as well as<br />

process control strategies of the industrial<br />

partners taking part in this project, will be<br />

adjusted according to the project results in order<br />

to reduce deposit formation as well as particulate<br />

emissions.


Another important result from the project is<br />

the development of an aerosol and fly ash<br />

database mentioned above, which comprises<br />

all measurement data from the test runs<br />

performed. Based on these data, recommendations<br />

were drawn up for filter manufacturers<br />

concerning the application of different dust<br />

separation technologies (cyclones, ESP, baghouse<br />

filters) in biomass combustion units with respect<br />

to the plant capacity and the biomass fuel used.<br />

In order to reduce deposit build-up in furnaces<br />

and boilers, an additive was developed for<br />

injection into the hot furnace. Tests with this<br />

additive during waste wood combustion have<br />

shown that during long- term operation,<br />

Figure 2: SEM-image and results of EDX-analyses of aerosols formed<br />

during bark combustion.<br />

Explanations: data in atom%; data normalised to 100%, not<br />

considering O2.<br />

a reduction of deposit build-up and deposit<br />

hardness was achieved. Short-term tests,<br />

including deposit, aerosol and fly ash sampling<br />

and subsequent analyses of the samples,<br />

showed comparable results. However, it was<br />

not possible to identify the exact mechanism on<br />

which the effect of the additive was based;<br />

therefore, additional research will be needed<br />

on this topic.<br />

Finally, investigations were carried out concerning<br />

the health risks caused by particulate emissions<br />

from biomass combustion units. As a result,<br />

data from in-vivo and in-vitro tests with particulate<br />

emissions from biomass combustion are<br />

now available.<br />

Figure 1: Particle size distribution of fly ash emissions from biomass<br />

combustion units – Explanations: dp … particle diameter; ae.d. …<br />

aerodynamic diameter; results from test runs at a pilot-scale<br />

combustion unit (nominal boiler capacity 440 kWth); all data related<br />

to dry flue gas and 13 vol.% O2.<br />

103<br />

INFORMATION<br />

References: ERK6-CT-1999-00003<br />

Programme:<br />

FP5 - <strong>Energy</strong>, Environment and<br />

Sustainable Development<br />

Title:<br />

Aerosols in Fixed-bed <strong>Bio</strong>mass Combustion<br />

– Formation, Growth, Chemical<br />

Composition, Deposition, Precipitation<br />

and Separation from Flue Gas –<br />

BIO-AEROSOLS<br />

Duration: 36 months<br />

Contact point:<br />

Ingwald Obernberger<br />

TU Graz<br />

Tel: +43-3164-481300<br />

Fax: +43-3164-4813004<br />

obernberger@glvt.tu-graz.ac.at<br />

Partners:<br />

TU Graz (A)<br />

TU Denmark (DK)<br />

Aabo Akademi University (FIN)<br />

Standardkessel Lentjes-Fasel (D)<br />

Mawera Holzfeuerungsanlagen (D)<br />

Emissions-Reduzierungs-Konzepte (D)<br />

TU Eindhoven (NL)<br />

EC Scientific Officer:<br />

Garbiñe Guiu Etxeberria<br />

Tel: +32-2-2990538<br />

Fax: +32-2-2993694<br />

garbine.guiu@cec.eu.int<br />

Status: Completed


BIOFLAM<br />

Objectives<br />

The BIOFLAM project intends to provide<br />

solutions to the problem of environmental<br />

impact of residential combustion of liquid<br />

fuels by reducing emissions, introducing<br />

the use of liquid, renewable biofuels, and<br />

improving efficiency.<br />

The aim is to develop, prototype and<br />

demonstrate a new liquid fuel fired<br />

condensing boiler by developing new<br />

ceramic premixed liquid fuel burners based<br />

on the innovative cool flame vaporisation<br />

process, the novel porous medium burner<br />

concept and the use of high-temperature<br />

ceramics, condensing boiler technology<br />

with condense water neutralisation and<br />

innovative burner controls with a power<br />

modulation of 10:1.<br />

Liquid bio-fuels in<br />

a new heating technology.<br />

BIOFLAM-technology for<br />

domestic appliances<br />

Challenges<br />

It becomes obvious that improved technologies<br />

for heating purposes with fuel oil are of major<br />

importance in order to reduce the overall<br />

emissions generated by household heating. Fuel<br />

oil plays a key role in <strong>European</strong> household<br />

heating (EU 25%) and is not going to be replaced<br />

drastically in the near future by alternative<br />

technologies - except possibly partially by natural<br />

gas. Hence, there is a high potential for<br />

significant, positive, environmental impacts<br />

through novel, high efficiency and low emission<br />

combustion technologies for liquid fuels, like<br />

fuel oil.<br />

Project structure<br />

The project is organised in nine work packages<br />

(WP). In WP1 the biofuels and blends of those<br />

with conventional fuels are going to be produced<br />

and characterised (in accordance with standards<br />

by CEN / TC19 / WG25). WP2 deals with the<br />

development of a vaporiser able to operate with<br />

all possible biofuel blends and producing a<br />

gaseous fuel/air mixture. In WP3 the burner is<br />

developed, which can operate with the hot<br />

premixed vaporiser products and shows a stable<br />

operation for a high power dynamic range. The<br />

burner is based on the innovative principle of<br />

stabilised combustion in porous media. In WP4<br />

the high temperature ceramic components for the<br />

burner are developed. The burner and boiler<br />

electronics, sensors and controls are worked out<br />

in WP5 utilising advanced methods like the<br />

flame signature, in order to control and optimise<br />

the fuel/air mixture at varying biofuel qualities.<br />

All components are integrated and combined<br />

with the condensing heat exchanger in the boiler<br />

construction in WP6. As soon as the boiler<br />

development is finished, the demonstration part<br />

is going to be prepared starting with long term<br />

104<br />

laboratory tests within WP7. The fabrication of<br />

about 21 boilers has to be performed prior to the<br />

installation and monitoring in test households<br />

within WP8. WP9 deals with the coordination of<br />

all the activities.<br />

Expected impact and exploitation<br />

• CO2 emissions will be reduced by the partial<br />

use of renewable fuels (blends from 5 to 20 %)<br />

of the FAME type (esterified vegetable and<br />

used frying oils).<br />

• The heating system will operate with a<br />

condensing boiler using the heat of the water<br />

condensation improving the overall efficiency<br />

by approximately 10% and thus reducing CO2<br />

emissions.<br />

• NOx emissions will be reduced by a factor of<br />

2 in comparison to conventional oil boilers by<br />

using a high temperature ceramic in the porous<br />

burner technology.<br />

• The overall CO2 emission of liquid fuel fired<br />

boilers will be reduced by 20% through<br />

improved efficiency and high power modulation<br />

1:10.<br />

• The BIOFLAM boiler will guarantee a basic heat<br />

power of about 3 kW – required from the new<br />

building programmes for low power buildings.<br />

• The high power modulation allows an easy<br />

integration with further renewable energy<br />

sources like solar energy systems.<br />

• The long-term operational behaviour in<br />

laboratory and selected households is a<br />

milestone to work the dissemination and<br />

exploitation directly by the project partners. The<br />

partner EHI will promote the market<br />

introduction.<br />

• To introduce the innovative boiler technology<br />

at a competitive price of €2500.


Results<br />

At the biennial meeting in Schwechat, Austria<br />

organised by the coordinator OMV Aktiengesellschaft,<br />

the first <strong>Bio</strong>flam prototype No.1<br />

(BU1) was presented to the public. Professional<br />

journalists and members of public agencies took<br />

part at the presentation. Three articles were<br />

published in journals about the <strong>Bio</strong>flam prototype<br />

and parts of the project were presented at<br />

several conferences and fairs.<br />

As a first step the <strong>Bio</strong>flam prototype No.1 (BU1)<br />

has been realised and it is able to burn with a<br />

liquid heating fuel. The high quality of the<br />

operational parameters and the flue gas<br />

emissions of the BU1 were convincing and<br />

demonstrated the successful realisation of the<br />

innovative <strong>Bio</strong>flam concept in its entirety. The<br />

operation with blends of heating fuel with<br />

vegetable oil methyl esters, recycled cooking<br />

oils and mixtures (5% to 20% per volume in<br />

heating fuel) will be tested in the next months.<br />

Thus CO2 emissions will be reduced by the<br />

partial use of the renewable fuels.<br />

BU1 as a condensing boiler includes a<br />

neutralization box for the condensed water. The<br />

operation at condensing mode improves the<br />

overall efficiency by approximately 10% and thus<br />

reduces CO2 emissions.<br />

Using the new vaporisation and combustion<br />

technology, flue gas emission of NOx was reduced<br />

by a factor of two in comparison to conventional<br />

oil boilers. These positive results could be<br />

demonstrated in real time operation by the first<br />

<strong>Bio</strong>flam Prototype BU1 at the OMV test rig.<br />

The biofuels and blends of those with<br />

conventional heating fuels were produced and<br />

characterised. The second version of the<br />

vaporiser was presented at the biennial meeting<br />

as a part in the first prototype, BU1, and was able<br />

The burning ceramic at ca.<br />

1200-1400°C. The photo<br />

was taken with a Thermo<br />

camera.<br />

A schematic view of the bioflam<br />

prototype BU2. On top in blue is<br />

the Vaporizer, in brown the<br />

ceramic burner and in yellowthe<br />

boiler with jet inserts.<br />

to generate the fuel/air mixture for the following<br />

combustion in the burner. Further optimisation<br />

work will lead to a third version of the vaporiser.<br />

The new prototype, BU2, will be ready for testing<br />

in July 2003.The second version of the burner is<br />

running stable and with the expected low NOx<br />

emissions seen in the prototype No.1. The<br />

integration of the burner in the unit is finished but<br />

minor, technical optimisations of transferring<br />

power to the vaporizer are still to be carried out.<br />

The ceramic components showed an extremely<br />

high thermal shock resistance and innovative<br />

technologies were utilised in the ceramics<br />

production.<br />

The fabrication of about 22 units (BU2) has to<br />

be performed in accordance with the certification<br />

process. The monitoring and evaluation of 15 test<br />

households in Lower Austria, Tyrol and Vorarlberg<br />

has been finished. The installation of the boilers<br />

and the electrical and hydraulic connections will<br />

be carried out from July to September 2003.<br />

From the view of all project partners, the common<br />

objective to produce a new heating unit –<br />

BIOFLAM – looks very promising. All the results<br />

received so far prove that the project is on the<br />

right course. The test results coming from the<br />

prototype BU1 and BU2 show that the project<br />

could come to be realised industrially. A<br />

patent/licence procedure could also be started<br />

concerning the practical application.<br />

All project partners gave the clear commitment<br />

on going on with the project, with the further<br />

optimisation of technical details, certification<br />

of the unit and to start the field test at the<br />

demonstration part of the project. Also entering<br />

into conversation with prospective customers<br />

can be planned.<br />

105<br />

INFORMATION<br />

References: ENK6-CT-2000-00317<br />

Programme:<br />

FP5 - <strong>Energy</strong>, Environment and<br />

Sustainable Development<br />

Title:<br />

Application of Liquid <strong>Bio</strong>fuels in New<br />

Heating Technologies for Domestic<br />

Appliances Based on Cool Flame<br />

Vaporization and Porous Medium<br />

Combustion – BIOFLAM<br />

Duration: 48 months<br />

Contact point:<br />

Thomas Brehmer<br />

OMV<br />

Tel: +43-1-40440-40872<br />

Fax: +43-1-40440-40874<br />

thomas.brehmer@omv.com<br />

Partners:<br />

OMV (A)<br />

RWTH Aachen (D)<br />

Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (D)<br />

Hovalwerk AG (LI)<br />

IST (P)<br />

National Technical University of Athens (GR)<br />

PTC – Ceramic Production (CH)<br />

CSEM – Microelectronic (CH)<br />

<strong>European</strong> Heating Industry Association<br />

EC Scientific Officer:<br />

Erich Nägele<br />

Tel: +32-2-2965061<br />

Fax: +32-2-2993694<br />

erich.naegele@cec.eu.int<br />

Status: Ongoing


High-temperature-filtration reactor<br />

(ComFil).<br />

BIOWARE<br />

Objectives<br />

The overall objective of this project is to<br />

develop a cost-effective, combined dry<br />

gas cleaning and particle removal system<br />

based on ceramic catalytic active filter<br />

candles to minimise the main pollutants<br />

from biomass and bio-waste combustion,<br />

namely SO2, HCl, NOx and fly ash.<br />

This research is related to an industrial<br />

process application.<br />

A laboratory tests phase relating to a study<br />

of the filtration conditions and the<br />

development a catalytic active ceramic<br />

filter for simultaneous SCR (Selective<br />

Catalytic Reduction) and dust removal are<br />

being carried out. The viability of the<br />

system for combined dry removal of<br />

particle and gaseous pollutants will be<br />

demonstrated by filtering a lipstream of<br />

the total flow rate of the flue gases from<br />

an existing 3.5 MWth (~5000 Nm3/h) Bubbling Fluidised Bed (BFB) combustion<br />

plant, utilising leather wastes and<br />

coal/olive oil residue mixtures.<br />

Emission control from<br />

biomass combustion using a<br />

combined dry gas cleaning<br />

and particle removal based<br />

on catalytic active ceramic<br />

filter candles<br />

Challenges<br />

Several problems are addressed in this project:<br />

• Stable filtration performance at the operating<br />

temperature required for optimal SO2 and NOx<br />

removal is vital for the process of combined dry<br />

removal of particles and gaseous pollutants.<br />

The critical parameter ranges for filtration<br />

must be defined for the fuel’s characteristic raw<br />

gas concentrations of fly ash and SO2/HCl<br />

(equivalent to sorbent concentrations).<br />

• The development of a rigid SiC based ceramic<br />

filter coated with a catalyst for DeNOx reactions<br />

(SCR), dust removal and assessment of the<br />

scale up issues of this system.<br />

• The co-firing of biomass materials with coal will<br />

generally lead to a reduction in the total fly ash.<br />

However, the mixed ash may contain significant<br />

levels of very fine aerosol material, which may<br />

present problems to conventional particulate<br />

emission abatement equipment.<br />

• The effect of the chromium content of the<br />

ash from leather wastes on the filtration<br />

process and SCR process will be studied, as<br />

well the chromium recovery rate.<br />

• The process will result in a production of mixed<br />

ashes and sorbent. The utilisation and disposal<br />

of the waste material will require careful<br />

consideration.<br />

106<br />

Expected impact and exploitation<br />

Results of the project include the design and<br />

development of a new dry gas cleaning system<br />

in a single step. This system is to be optimised<br />

for the combustion process, resulting in a<br />

prototype capable of operation for a significant<br />

length of time.<br />

Once a catalytic filter will be ready for an industrial<br />

application, this flue gas system seems very<br />

promising as a cleaning system for small<br />

biomass combustion plants. Common flue gas<br />

cleaning systems of today are too expensive<br />

and complex for small and medium size<br />

combustion facilities, especially for biomass<br />

combustion. Therefore, the application of a<br />

catalytic filter may contribute for better local<br />

environmental conditions.<br />

Decentralised small biomass plants are a good<br />

opportunity for independent energy production.<br />

In cases where the fuel is a biomass waste<br />

coming from other regional activities, the benefit<br />

is doubled: energy is recovered from the biowaste<br />

and the waste disposal cost is reduced.<br />

It must be noted that the project results will<br />

help to open a new market segment in the field<br />

of energy production from biomass combustion.<br />

The potential power from leather combustion in<br />

Spain and other parts of Europe is estimated to<br />

be 150 MWth and 750 MWth respectively. For<br />

southern Spain and southern Italy only, the<br />

potential thermal power stored in biomass waste<br />

from olive oil production can be estimated in the<br />

order of 1 GWth and 0.5 GWth respectively.


BFB-Plant.<br />

Furthermore from tanned leather, the resource<br />

“chromium III” can be recovered, an element that<br />

is not available in the EU and must be imported,<br />

mainly from South Africa (66%) and Zimbabwe<br />

(29%). A first rough estimate gives a Cr recovery<br />

rate of 38 kt/a for <strong>European</strong> leather industry.<br />

Results<br />

The aim of the filtration study is to define<br />

boundary conditions for high-temperature-filtration<br />

of fly ash and sorbent mixtures using a<br />

dilatometer and a filtration unit (ComFil). The fuels<br />

used in the combustion tests were leather wastes<br />

and coal/olive oil residue mixtures (60wt% coal<br />

and 40wt% olive oil wastes). Flue gas emissions,<br />

particulate matter and ash have been<br />

characterised on the pilot BFB at CIEMAT. A<br />

widely used sorbent for the reduction of<br />

hazardous air pollutant (HAP) emissions is<br />

sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) and this is to be<br />

used in the test work. Filtration tests of pure<br />

NaHCO3, pure leather ash and mixtures of 75 wt%<br />

and 60 wt% NaHCO3 were performed at 400°C<br />

and a back pulse pressure for regeneration of<br />

8 bar. At these conditions the pure leather ash<br />

exhibits stable filtration behaviour; on the<br />

contrary, the mixture of leather ash with 60 wt%<br />

NaHCO3 at lower pressure of 5 bar showed<br />

unstable filtration. Filtration tests with a mix of<br />

fly ashes from olive/coal combustion and<br />

NaHCO3 (30 wt% NaHCO3) showed to be stable<br />

at an operating temperature of 400°C and a<br />

tank pressure of 8 bar. According to the<br />

preliminary emission values, stable filtration for<br />

the fuel leather waste (NaHCO3 content in the<br />

range of 60 to 96 wt% expected) is a problem for<br />

operating at temperatures above 300°C. In the<br />

case of olive/coal combustion (expected NaHCO3<br />

content in the range of 15 to 30 wt%) filtration<br />

is not a limiting factor. The operating temperature<br />

can be optimised with respect to sorption and<br />

SCR reaction efficiencies but should be above<br />

the minimum temperature of 240°C (ammonium<br />

salt generation).<br />

The research work is still going on by optimising<br />

the developed catalytic system that already<br />

achieves a NO conversion of more than 90 % at<br />

filtration velocity of 1cm/s.<br />

Concurrently, a prototype of the experimental<br />

facility for use in Soria on the 3.5 MWth BFB has<br />

been planned, and the facility is presently under<br />

construction. The filtration system consists<br />

mainly of the filterhouse and the filter<br />

regeneration system. Heating and insulation<br />

systems have been designed for thermal<br />

conditioning of both the filterhouse and the bypass<br />

line (max. 450ºC). Finally, a PLC control<br />

system has also been designed in connection<br />

with the filtration facility.<br />

The process evaluation has started and the first<br />

module of four for the overall techno-economic<br />

model has been completed. Once the<br />

specifications for the biomass size to the Soria<br />

plant have been established, the costs of<br />

preparation, drying and the feeding of the<br />

biomass or coal/olive oil wastes can be<br />

determined. Module III is currently in preparation<br />

on gas cleaning to allow for a range of options<br />

to be costed and compared.<br />

Finally, the activities included in the experimental<br />

test in a BFB demonstration plant have been<br />

started.<br />

107<br />

Lab-scale reactor (Kin MoRe) for measuring kinetic data<br />

on a monolithic catalytic ceramic filter segment.<br />

INFORMATION<br />

References: ENK5-CT-2001-00523<br />

Programme:<br />

FP5 - <strong>Energy</strong>, Environment and<br />

Sustainable Development<br />

Title:<br />

Clean <strong>Energy</strong> Recovery from <strong>Bio</strong>mass<br />

Waste & Residues – BIOWARE<br />

Duration: 36 months<br />

Contact point:<br />

Lourdes Armesto Lopez<br />

CIEMAT<br />

Tel: +34-91-3466408<br />

Fax: +34-91-3466079<br />

lourdes.armesto@ciemat.es<br />

Partners:<br />

CIEMAT (E)<br />

Solvay (B)<br />

Schumacher Umwelt- und Trenntechnik (D)<br />

Conversion and Resource Evaluation (UK)<br />

Instituto Espanol del Calzado y Conexas (E)<br />

Universität Karlsruhe (D)<br />

EC Scientific Officer:<br />

Garbiñe Guiu Etxeberria<br />

Tel: +32-2-2990538<br />

Fax: +32-2-2993694<br />

garbine.guiu@cec.eu.int<br />

Status: Ongoing


INTCON<br />

Objectives<br />

The objective is to develop and<br />

demonstrate an optimising general control<br />

system to be used in biofuel fired boilers<br />

for the production and co-production of<br />

industrial power and steam or district<br />

heating. The focus in this project will be on<br />

a system suitable for a grate-fired boiler,<br />

but necessary alterations of the control<br />

strategies for other boiler types will also be<br />

evaluated and defined. The system will be<br />

easy to adapt to existing control systems.<br />

It will minimise the emissions and<br />

operational problems such as<br />

slagging/fouling, and optimise the burn out<br />

of ashes and the heat output. A control<br />

system like this will be a useful instrument<br />

to improve both the economy of using<br />

biofuel for power and heat production and<br />

by reducing the environmental impact. It<br />

will, therefore, support the political target<br />

of increasing the proportion of renewable<br />

fuels in the energy system.<br />

INTCON – A process control<br />

system for biomass<br />

fired plants<br />

Problems addressed<br />

<strong>Bio</strong>fuels, both from forest/farmland and from<br />

recycling, are in general very inhomogeneous with<br />

large, timely variations in moisture content, size<br />

distribution, ash content and ash properties.<br />

Changes in fuel properties have to be met in a<br />

correct way in order to maintain a good<br />

economical process.<br />

There is a general trend to increase the emission<br />

constrains from combustion plants. Those firing<br />

recycled biofuels, like demolitions, would have<br />

to comply with the waste combustion directive.<br />

All these demands call for the development of<br />

a qualified system for controlling the operation<br />

of a plant. The system is very complex and<br />

includes a multileveled structure including<br />

combustion and emission control, minimising<br />

mainte-nance and handling overall power and<br />

heat demands.<br />

Project structure<br />

A general control system suitable for all types of<br />

boilers is complex and extensive. As a first step,<br />

the objective of the present project is to develop<br />

a control system for a grate-fired boiler where the<br />

use of inhomogeneous fuel is common, where<br />

the aerodynamic problems are the greatest and<br />

where the methods for control is the least<br />

developed. Alterations for pulverised fuel (PF) and<br />

fluidised bed (FB) boilers will be evaluated and<br />

the final results will include defined control<br />

strategies for these types.<br />

To accomplish the development of a novel control<br />

system, a consortium has been formed by TPS,<br />

CINAR, CIRCE and Technatom. TPS coordinates<br />

the whole project and has an extensive<br />

experience in biofuel and waste combustion in<br />

108<br />

most applications. CINAR is widely experienced<br />

in the field of numerical simulation and, with<br />

applications both in the field of CFD and Neural<br />

Network (NN), will support the other partners.<br />

CIRCE will have a special focus on slagging and<br />

fouling but has also an in-depth knowledge of<br />

combustion with PF and in FB. Technatom has a<br />

vast experience in the processes and their control.<br />

To make INTCON flexible it has a modular<br />

structure where certain modules are highly<br />

specialised for a particular application, whereas<br />

others are of a general nature. The overall<br />

structure for the chosen application is presented<br />

in the figure below.<br />

The Management Module (MM), where a linguistic<br />

fuzzy tool is combined with a knowledge base<br />

containing information on the boiler system, will<br />

advise on the specific control modules for an<br />

optimised and cost effective operation. The<br />

learning capability will make the module available<br />

for future adaptation to new situations.<br />

A Real-Time Data Base (RTDB) is used for the<br />

storage of data, both from the process and from<br />

that calculated in the control system. There are<br />

several routines for data treatment in the RTDB,<br />

and the RTDB and MM modules are general to<br />

all INTCON systems.<br />

There is an Overall Boiler Control Module (OBCM),<br />

essentially a shell for control modules for the<br />

different tasks that have to be performed in<br />

the boiler. In this project two general control<br />

modules have been developed; a combustion<br />

controller (CCM) and a slagging and fouling<br />

controller (SFM). There is also a predictive<br />

emissions monitoring module (PEMM).


INTCON - Mainscreen.<br />

For this application the CCM is divided into<br />

two sub-modules, one controlling the grate<br />

combustion (CCM:G) and the other the freeboard<br />

combustion (CCM:F). This approach simplifies the<br />

application of INTCON to other boilers as the<br />

primary zone will change but several of the<br />

control routines for the freeboard will be the<br />

same. The combustion controllers will use the<br />

PEMM to find optimal conditions for a reduction<br />

of emissions.<br />

The SFM will use selected inputs for predicting and<br />

minimising formation of ash deposits in the boiler.<br />

To make the INTCON advisory system easily<br />

acceptable for the operators, special attention<br />

has been given to the development of an<br />

attractive human-machine interface (HMI). The<br />

system operator can either have full control of<br />

the plant or just specific functions.<br />

Expected impact and exploitation<br />

The main aim of this system is to stabilise the<br />

combustion and the behaviour of the boiler in<br />

order to maintain, or even increase, boiler and<br />

power plant output and efficiency, reduce<br />

emissions and achieve higher availability for<br />

boilers operated on renewable fuels.<br />

The INTCON-system will need further development<br />

to be a general system for controlling all kinds<br />

of boilers, and will need even more to control the<br />

whole operation of a power/district-heating plant.<br />

But as it has a modular structure, several of the<br />

modules will be ready for commercialisation at<br />

the end of this project.<br />

INTCON - Structure. IR - Temperature Distribution.<br />

Progress to date<br />

The basic layout of most of the modules is ready.<br />

By using identification methods process models<br />

are developed for both of the combustion<br />

controllers. IR-detectors (see picture below) are<br />

used to monitor the bed temperature on the grate.<br />

The testing and implementation on the target<br />

boiler of some of the modules have been initiated<br />

during the spring of 2003 and the complete<br />

INTCON system will be assembled and testing will<br />

commence next heating season.<br />

109<br />

INFORMATION<br />

References: ENK6-CT-2001-00542<br />

Programme:<br />

FP5 - <strong>Energy</strong>, Environment and<br />

Sustainable Development<br />

Title:<br />

Intelligent Process Control System for<br />

<strong>Bio</strong>mass Fuelled industrial Power Plants –<br />

INTCON<br />

Duration: 36 months<br />

Contact point:<br />

Niklas Berge<br />

TPS Termiska Processer<br />

Tel: +46-15-5221385<br />

Fax: +46-15-5263052<br />

niklas.berge@tps.se<br />

Partners:<br />

TPS (S)<br />

CIRCE (E)<br />

TECNATOM (E)<br />

CINAR (UK)<br />

EC Scientific Officer:<br />

Stefano Puppin<br />

Tel: +32-2-2962191<br />

Fax: +32-2-2964288<br />

stefano.puppin@cec.eu.int<br />

Status: Ongoing


MGO-GAS<br />

Objectives<br />

Incineration is a useful method for<br />

eliminating combustible waste products in<br />

order to reduce municipal/household<br />

waste volume. This project is expected to<br />

improve the efficiency of flue gas<br />

treatment in waste-to-energy plants by<br />

using a new efficient and competitive<br />

Mg-based product. It is also expected to<br />

provide a process for improving product<br />

reactivity for the abatement of pollutants<br />

and to develop and adapt a process to<br />

promote the significant benefits of its use<br />

when compared to the sorbing agents<br />

(lime, sodium bicarbonate) in current use.<br />

Magnesium oxide has widespread use in<br />

Europe and its promotion will open new<br />

markets for it with important<br />

consequences for both the competitiveness<br />

of the <strong>European</strong> magnesia industry and<br />

also for the cost effectiveness of gaseous<br />

treatments.<br />

Adapted magnesium oxide<br />

(MgO) product for efficient<br />

flue gas treatment for<br />

waste-to-energy plants<br />

Project structure<br />

This project links partners from three EU<br />

countries. They were selected so as to combine<br />

producers of the Mg-based product, laboratory<br />

and industrial-scale research facilities, and<br />

potential users of the results. This project was<br />

carried out according to the following research<br />

phases:<br />

• Thermo-chemical characterisation of existing<br />

magnesium oxide;<br />

• Identification of the parameters to be taken into<br />

account magnesium oxide use in flue gas<br />

treatment;<br />

• Development of an adapted magnesium oxide;<br />

• Selection of the most efficient products at<br />

pilot scale and validation of the new product<br />

at industrial scale.<br />

Expected social and economic<br />

impact<br />

The exploitation of the results obtained from<br />

this project, using the new adapted product,<br />

will allow for:<br />

• reinforcing the competition between sorbing<br />

agent suppliers: The current products used for<br />

flue gas treatment are distributed by<br />

companies worldwide, a situation which leads<br />

to a quasi-monopolistic market. This new<br />

competitive product will improve this situation,<br />

especially if a plant can use lime, sodium<br />

bicarbonate and oxide magnesium to treat<br />

acidic gases without having to make major<br />

modifications to its equipment.<br />

110<br />

• reducing the production of residues: The<br />

difference between the molar mass of the<br />

different sorbing agent is favourable as regards<br />

magnesium oxide.<br />

• finding an alternative treatment for residues<br />

and CO2 emissions: The current treatment<br />

for ‘air pollution control residues’ is<br />

stabilisation/solidification. This technology<br />

comprises mixing residues with different<br />

additives (silicates, lime, hydraulic binders,<br />

etc.) to keep the pollutants in the matrix. Each<br />

residue needs a specific formulation and some<br />

require expansive additives and/or produce<br />

more waste. The pH of the Mg-based product<br />

– of around 10 – coincides with the pH value<br />

at which heavy metals present the lowest<br />

solubility and remain stabilised as insoluble<br />

hydroxides within the ‘cake’.<br />

Furthermore, unlike the NaHCO3 sorbent, the<br />

utilisation of MgO-based product will reduce the<br />

CO2 emissions locally in the abatement<br />

processes.<br />

Results<br />

The results obtained from laboratory-scale tests<br />

gave thermo-chemical information on the principal<br />

possible reactions between Mg-based product<br />

and the acidic gaseous components of flue gas.<br />

The Mg-based product obtained from the current<br />

production method (without modification) showed<br />

a comparable efficiency when compared to the<br />

conventionally used sorbing agent, when the<br />

same quantities were used.


From this study it was observed that the most<br />

important characteristics of this application are<br />

the high specific surface area (S.S.A) and the<br />

appropriate grain size distribution of the sorbing<br />

agents.<br />

In order to increase the reactivity of the<br />

Mg-based product, the physico-chemical<br />

properties of this product have been improved<br />

and samples were produced with a specific<br />

surface area higher than 60 m2/g for MgO<br />

and more than 40 m2/g for Mg(OH)2. This<br />

adaptation constitutes an innovation for products<br />

derived from natural magnesite, concerning<br />

magnesia samples, while commercial Mg(OH)2<br />

samples – even synthetic products from sea<br />

water – have a much lower specific surface<br />

area. The abatement results obtained at<br />

laboratory scale for the reactivity and sorption of<br />

pollutant using the modified Mg-based product<br />

were very promising.<br />

Moreover, an MgO sample with a S.S.A of<br />

227m2/g was developed and produced and gave<br />

very good abatement results. However, the tests<br />

did not proceed because this sample cannot<br />

be produced within the existing industrial<br />

facilities.<br />

In order to validate the results obtained from the<br />

laboratory scale, efficiency tests were conducted<br />

on the flue gas treatment using different samples<br />

of Mg-based product (different from the current<br />

production and the modified ones) in a pilotscale<br />

rotary kiln. A mixture of synthetic wastes<br />

was formulated and prepared so as to compose<br />

a gas emission mixture containing SOx, Cl, dioxin<br />

and heavy metals. The results obtained, as<br />

regards the efficiency of flue gas treatment<br />

using the downstream dry abatement, confirmed<br />

those achieved at laboratory scale. However,<br />

the best results for acidic pollutant abatement<br />

were obtained using the semi-wet treatment and<br />

the modified sample Mg(OH)2 thin slurries, as can<br />

be seen in figure 1. The characteristics of<br />

Mg(OH)2 retained comprised a sample with<br />

40m2/g of S.S.A, fine grain size lacking in very<br />

fine fractions. This magnesium hydroxide was<br />

produced from reactive caustic magnesia under<br />

well-controlled hydration conditions.<br />

A technico-economic assessment of Mg-based<br />

product utilisation and its comparison with<br />

currently used sorbents has been carried out<br />

regarding the results obtained from this project.<br />

The main advantages of using Mg-based rather<br />

than Ca-based sorbents, which are seen as the<br />

main competitive reagents, are:<br />

• Lower quantities used to neutralise the same<br />

amount of pollutants (28% less compared to<br />

CaO) and therefore lower quantities of flue<br />

gas treatment residues are produced;<br />

• Mg-based sorbents provide for safer handling;<br />

they are less corrosive in the installation and<br />

more environmentally friendly in comparison<br />

with Ca-based sorbents;<br />

• The pH of Mg-based product – of around<br />

10 – coincides with the pH value at which<br />

heavy metals present the lowest solubility and<br />

they remain as insoluble hydroxides, permitting<br />

an easier stabilisation of the solid coming<br />

from flue gas treatment.<br />

Figure 1: Effect of the sorbing agents mass flow rate injected on HCl<br />

abatement, during downstream semi-wet flue gas treatment.<br />

111<br />

INFORMATION<br />

References: ERK5-CT-1999-00015<br />

Programme:<br />

FP5 - <strong>Energy</strong>, Environment and<br />

Sustainable Development<br />

Title:<br />

Elaborated MGO Products for Efficient<br />

Flue Gas Treatment with Minimisation of<br />

Solid Residues for Waste to <strong>Energy</strong> Plants<br />

– MGO-GAS<br />

Duration: 33 months<br />

Contact point:<br />

Ammar Bensakhria<br />

Université de Technologie<br />

de Compiègne (UTC)<br />

Tel: +33-3-44234605<br />

Fax: +33-3-44231980<br />

ammar.bensakhria@utc.fr<br />

Partners:<br />

UTC (F)<br />

Lund University (S)<br />

Grecian Magnesite (GR)<br />

CReeD (F)<br />

EC Scientific Officer:<br />

Helmut Pfrüner<br />

Tel: +32-2-2965487<br />

Fax: +32-2-2966882<br />

helmut.pfruener@cec.eu.int<br />

Status: Completed


OPTICOMB<br />

Objectives<br />

The main objective is to increase the<br />

flexibility of biomass combustion plants<br />

with respect of fuel input, and substantially<br />

reduce the emissions with this technology.<br />

To achieve this, results from static studies<br />

(Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD),<br />

NOx mechanisms, grate design) have to<br />

be implemented with dynamic information<br />

of the plant (control concepts). The project<br />

can be divided into the following<br />

sub-objectives:<br />

• Development and demonstration of<br />

advanced control concepts for biomass<br />

combustion grate systems.<br />

• The development of guidelines, including<br />

demonstration, to minimise the important<br />

emissions of NOx and CO.<br />

• Improvement of the efficiency (technical<br />

and economical) of biomass combustion<br />

plants.<br />

• Design rules for biomass combustion<br />

systems and process control systems.<br />

• The design and testing of a new grate.<br />

Optimisation and design<br />

of biomass combustion<br />

systems<br />

Challenges<br />

The major problems regarding biomass<br />

combustion remain the NOx and CO<br />

emissions, especially when the fuel becomes<br />

more diverse (high peaks during transients).<br />

The continuously changing fuel composition,<br />

the non-linearity of the process, and the multivariability<br />

of the procedure makes it difficult to<br />

decrease the emissions further. Therefore,<br />

classic control strategies are no longer<br />

effective. In order to improve the actual<br />

process control system, advanced control<br />

technologies are needed based on process<br />

models. To achieve this goal, static models<br />

have to be integrated with dynamic models.<br />

At present, no satisfactory tools are available to<br />

describe the NOx formation in the fuel layer and<br />

the gas phase. Therefore, an extensive study on<br />

fuel layer and gas phase NOx formation<br />

mechanisms will be performed. The mechanisms<br />

developed will be integrated in a CFD combustion<br />

model and a static fuel layer model in order to<br />

minimise the CO and NOx emissions.<br />

A new grate will be designed based upon<br />

experimental work and plant data. A dynamic<br />

furnace model is being developed for biomass<br />

combustion. Special measurement techniques<br />

will be used to gather actual plant data (two<br />

plants, diverse fuels) to validate the models.<br />

The stochastic characteristics of the fuel will<br />

be revealed and used together with the dynamic<br />

model to investigate the disturbance rejection<br />

capacity of the plant.<br />

112<br />

All information will be used to develop new<br />

control concepts and to design new combustion<br />

systems from a dynamic point of view as well.<br />

These will be tested in an installation.<br />

The environmental survey will be carried out of<br />

the influence of the proposed technology, a<br />

market analysis, information dissemination and<br />

exploitation strategies.<br />

Project structure<br />

The project comprises six work packages with the<br />

following sub-tasks:<br />

• The participants in the consortium are summarised<br />

in the info-box;<br />

• The flow diagram below explains the function<br />

of each partner in the consortium.<br />

Expected impact and exploitation<br />

• A reduction of CO and NOx by 20-50%; and<br />

• A potential reduction of CO2 of 32 million<br />

tonnes per year.


Expected results<br />

As the project started January 2003, no results<br />

are available yet. However, the following results<br />

are expected:<br />

• Innovative control concepts for biomass<br />

combustion;<br />

• Furnace concept for a new multi-fuel biomass<br />

combustion plant;<br />

• Higher flexible biomass combustion systems<br />

with respect to fuel diversity;<br />

• Increased energy efficiency and availability;<br />

• A new multi-fuel grate system;<br />

• A 3D-CFD combustion model for biomass fuels;<br />

• Dissemination of the results;<br />

• Cost/benefit analysis; and<br />

• Final report on the dissemination and exploitation<br />

of OPTICOMB.<br />

WP0: Project management<br />

WP1: Data acquisition<br />

1.1 FT-IR Measurements<br />

1.2 CV sensor and system identification<br />

1.3 Estimation black box models<br />

WP2: Development of NOx -modules<br />

2.1 <strong>Bio</strong>mass fuel chracterisation<br />

2.2 Characteristaion of N-release in pot<br />

furnace<br />

2.3 CFD combustion models for biomass<br />

fuels<br />

2.4 Reduced NOx mechanism for biomass<br />

combustion<br />

2.5 Implementation in CFD<br />

WP3: Dynamic modelling and stochastics<br />

3.1 Development of static fuel layer model<br />

3.2 Development of dynamic furnace<br />

model<br />

3.3 Stochastics<br />

3.4 Reduced dynamic models<br />

WP4: Design<br />

4.1 Implementation of fuel layer model in<br />

CFD models<br />

4.2 Implementation of NOx modules in<br />

CFD<br />

4.3 Verification of the overall CFD model<br />

4.4 Case studies with CFD models<br />

4.5 Experimental work on grate<br />

4.6 Design of biomass furnaces<br />

WP5: Control concepts, implementation and<br />

testing<br />

5.1 Dev of control concepts<br />

5.2 Implementation and testing control<br />

concepts<br />

5.3 Implementation and testing of new<br />

grate design<br />

WP6: Env. survey, exploitation and dissemination<br />

6.1 Setup of an internet page<br />

6.2 Workshops<br />

6.3 Market analysis & Feasibility studies<br />

6.4 Environmental Survey<br />

6.5 Information Dissemination<br />

6.6 Exploitation Strategies<br />

Numbers and colours refer to the main responsible partner for<br />

the different task and/or workpackage.<br />

113<br />

INFORMATION<br />

References: ENK5-CT-2002-00693<br />

Programme:<br />

FP5 - <strong>Energy</strong>, Environment and<br />

Sustainable Development<br />

Title:<br />

Optimisation and Design of <strong>Bio</strong>mass<br />

Combustion Systems – OPTICOMB<br />

Duration: 42 months<br />

Contact point:<br />

Lambertus Van Kessel<br />

TNO-Institute of Environmental Sciences,<br />

<strong>Energy</strong> and Process Innovation<br />

Tel: +31-5-55493759<br />

Fax: +31-55-54932877<br />

l.b.m.vankessel@mep.tno.nl<br />

Partners:<br />

TNO (NL)<br />

IST (P)<br />

Eindhoven University of Technology (NL)<br />

Vyncke (B)<br />

<strong>Bio</strong>energiecentrale Schijndel (NL)<br />

Swedish National Testing<br />

& Research Institute (S)<br />

TU Graz (A)<br />

EC Scientific Officer:<br />

Stefano Puppin<br />

Tel: +32-2-2962191<br />

Fax: +32-2-2964288<br />

stefano.puppin@cec.eu.int<br />

Status: Ongoing


EIWU<br />

Objectives<br />

The main objective of the project EIWU<br />

(Efficient Industrial Waste-to-energy<br />

Utilisation through fuel preparation and<br />

advanced BFB combustion) is the<br />

construction of a waste-fuelled, energyefficient,<br />

fluidised bed, hot water boiler<br />

in the community of Kil, Sweden.<br />

The boiler will have a net heat output of<br />

8 MW and will be fuelled by industrial<br />

waste comprised of 75% demolition wood,<br />

20% paper/cardboard and 5% plastics.<br />

The project objectives also include<br />

the construction of a dedicated fuel<br />

preparation plant to produce consistent<br />

and seasonably storable fuel pellets/cubes<br />

or briquettes from industrial waste for<br />

the boiler.<br />

Combustion of industrial<br />

waste in a small heating<br />

plant<br />

Challenges<br />

The main challenge of the project is to build a<br />

relatively cheap, but modern and efficient, smallscale<br />

waste-fuelled hot water boiler based on<br />

fluidised bed technology, which meets the<br />

requirements of EC Directive 2000/76/EC on the<br />

incineration of waste.<br />

To keep the operational costs to a minimum, the<br />

boiler will be designed for automatic, unmanned<br />

operation and web supervision.<br />

114<br />

Project structure<br />

The project consortium comprises TPS Termiska<br />

Processer AB (S), Kils Energi AB (S), Ansaldo<br />

Ricerche Srl (I), Cinar Ltd (UK) and the University<br />

of Ulster (UK).<br />

TPS is the project co-ordinator as well as the<br />

principal designer of the boiler. Kils investigated<br />

the most suitable fuel handling, preparation,<br />

storage and feeding systems and is also the<br />

owner of the boiler and fuel preparation plants.<br />

Cinar, Ansaldo and Ulster provided various<br />

services to the project, including CFD modelling<br />

of the combustion within the furnace and<br />

establishing the basis of a future control system<br />

for the boiler, study of the adsorption of acid gas<br />

and heavy metals, and market analysis<br />

respectively.<br />

Expected impact and exploitation<br />

The potential market for small-scale (about<br />

3 to 30 MWth fuel capacity) waste combustion<br />

plants in Europe and further afield is thought<br />

to be considerable. An important task within<br />

the project is the investigation of the market<br />

potential within Europe, in particular with regard<br />

to firing industrial waste.


Figure 1: Hot water accumulator and boiler house in Kil.<br />

Progress to date<br />

The progress of the project, as of July 2003, was<br />

as follows:<br />

• the construction of both the boiler and fuel<br />

preparation plants have been completed,<br />

and the plants are presently undergoing<br />

commissioning,<br />

• investigatory and development work on the<br />

internals of the fluidised bed and furnace<br />

(in particular, with regard to sintering, fouling,<br />

feeding and ash removal considerations), and<br />

suitable methods of adsorption of acid gas,<br />

heavy metals and alkali have been completed,<br />

many of the results having been incorporated<br />

in the Kil boiler,<br />

• a neural fuzzy logic system for the on-line<br />

control, suitable for the Kil boiler, has been<br />

developed and is presently undergoing<br />

verification tests.<br />

Work still to be carried out includes performance<br />

tests of both the fuel preparation and boiler<br />

plants, reporting on the results of the market<br />

analysis of the potential of the technology within<br />

Europe and evaluation of the technical and<br />

economic aspects of the boiler system.<br />

Figure 2: Fuel storage building in Kil.<br />

115<br />

INFORMATION<br />

References: NNE5-335-1999<br />

Programme:<br />

FP5 - <strong>Energy</strong>, Environment and<br />

Sustainable Development<br />

Title:<br />

Efficient Industrial Waste-To-<strong>Energy</strong><br />

Utilisation through Fuel Preparation<br />

and Advanced BFB Combustion – EIWU<br />

Duration: 36 months<br />

Contact point:<br />

Michael Morris<br />

Termiska Processer AB<br />

Tel: +46-15-5221300<br />

Fax: +46-15-5263052<br />

michael.morris@tps.se<br />

Partners:<br />

TPS (S)<br />

University of Ulster (UK)<br />

Ansaldo Ricerche (I)<br />

Cinar (UK)<br />

Kils Energi (S)<br />

Ragn-Sells (S)<br />

EC Scientific Officer:<br />

José Riesgo Villanueva<br />

Tel: +32-2-2957939<br />

Fax: +32-2-2966261<br />

jose.riesgo@cec.eu.int<br />

Status: Ongoing


NEMORETS<br />

Objectives<br />

The main objective of this R&D activity<br />

consists of the development of a simulation<br />

tool for the design and analysis of<br />

combustion systems to achieve really<br />

reduced computational efforts and a<br />

greatly reduced time cycle and costs of<br />

combustion system development. Recent,<br />

more stringent emission regulations call for<br />

the development of improved combustion<br />

systems. Due to the high costs of the<br />

experiments, numerical simulations of<br />

combustion systems by CFD’s represent<br />

the main investigation activities to select<br />

design quantities and architectures to be<br />

tested. Present CFD for turbulent reacting<br />

flows are time consuming. The expected<br />

big decrease in CFD efforts will allow<br />

simulation of a large number of designs<br />

related to new ideas that show<br />

improvements in fuel consumption and<br />

emission levels. Sub-objectives will be the<br />

development of Neural Models (NM) for<br />

turbulence and chemical kinetics and their<br />

integration into CFD tools.<br />

Neural models for turbulent<br />

combustion simulation<br />

Problems addressed<br />

In the industrial community there is the need to<br />

investigate and test non-traditional designs<br />

related to new ideas for the analysis of reacting<br />

turbulent flows in combustion chambers in a<br />

wide range of functional and operational<br />

parameters. Particularly in the field of combustion<br />

chambers and incinerators, the stringent<br />

environmental standards call for a continuous<br />

decrease in pollutant emissions. Moreover the<br />

state-of-the-art in GT combustion chambers is<br />

evolving in the direction of higher temperatures,<br />

which influence the emission levels and cause<br />

thermal stresses inside the solid structures of<br />

combustion systems. The experimental approach<br />

is very expensive and time consuming and often<br />

beyond the capabilities of many companies<br />

(especially SME’s).<br />

Detailed and sophisticated analysis CFD tools are<br />

requested more and more to provide information<br />

about both steady state and unsteady flow in<br />

combustion chambers. Several carbonaceous<br />

emissions (for example: carbon monoxide and<br />

methane; a large number of hydrocarbons;<br />

aromatic and partially oxidised compounds; soot<br />

particles) can be found in the troposphere with<br />

dangerous effects on the climate. The accurate<br />

prediction of the above requires comprehensive<br />

numerical models of the combustion phenomena.<br />

The proposed methodology intends to take<br />

advantage of existing refined models for turbulent<br />

diffusion and detailed chemical kinetics and<br />

replace them with NM to reduce the computational<br />

effort and, possibly, the numerical stiffness.<br />

116<br />

Project structure<br />

The consortium is made up of both universities<br />

and companies: Università degli Studi “Roma Tre”,<br />

Department of Mechanical and Industrial<br />

Engineering (Roma, I, Project Coordinator);<br />

Université Libre de Bruxelles Institut de<br />

Recherches Interdisciplinaires et de<br />

Développements en Intelligence Artificielle<br />

(Bruxelles, B); Technische Universität Dresden,<br />

Institut für Thermodynamik und Technische<br />

Gebäudeausrüstung (Dresden, D); CINAR Ltd<br />

(London, UK); ALSTOM Power UK Ltd. Core<br />

Engineering (Lincoln, UK).<br />

The R&D work will provide, firstly, an insight into<br />

existing CFD solvers to make choices to define<br />

the reference CFD. Turbulent diffusion models<br />

and chemical kinetics models will be analysed<br />

with a view to introducing them into CFD solvers<br />

through combustion models that suitably address<br />

turbulence/chemistry interactions. Data from<br />

measurement will be analysed to define input and<br />

output variable domains and database on<br />

turbulence and chemical kinetics will be built up.<br />

The integrated information from models and<br />

measurements will allow NM to be developed for<br />

turbulent combustion simulation. An NM training<br />

tool will be developed to include physical<br />

constraints which will be as general as possible<br />

and constitute a possible stencil for other<br />

applications. Prior to the final application, the<br />

integrated CFD/NM will be tested against simple<br />

flow configurations and test cases to reveal<br />

eventual deficiencies and evaluate the expected<br />

gain in terms of both CPU time and robustness.<br />

The overall integrated CFD/Neural Model tool will<br />

also be evaluated against complex flows to verify<br />

the applicability to industrial flows and check the<br />

expected advantages of the Neural Models.


Expected impact and exploitation<br />

In terms of dissemination and exploitation, it is<br />

necessary to specify that the results of the<br />

R&D project will be to prove that the NM of<br />

turbulent combustion applied to the simulation<br />

of combustion systems is relevant and successful<br />

to a wide range of applications. Therefore once<br />

the general concept of the integration of CFD<br />

and NM has been assessed, the general tools<br />

will be disseminated in the EU while the specific<br />

application tools will remain the property of<br />

the partners.<br />

The universities participating in the consortium<br />

guarantee the scientific and technological<br />

dissemination of research results. The dissemination<br />

policy will be mainly based on the<br />

production of scientific papers and participation<br />

to workshops, the invitation of potential clients<br />

on the system platform and the production of a<br />

detailed and interactive website.<br />

Moreover, the industrial partners have the<br />

capability to directly exploit the results, as well<br />

as to improve the developed system for industrial<br />

purposes.<br />

Progress to date<br />

The project is in progress. The start date was<br />

1 March 2002 and the end date is 28 February<br />

2005.<br />

In the first year several CFD solvers have been<br />

investigated taking the various modelling<br />

approaches of turbulent reacting flows into<br />

account. In figure 1, the calculated velocity<br />

distribution inside a combustion chamber<br />

assumed as a test case is shown as an example.<br />

Figure 1: Velocity distribution inside combustion<br />

chamber.<br />

Combustion models have been deeply analysed.<br />

To establish block diagrams and algorithms a<br />

functional approach is adopted. The input and<br />

output variable domains have been defined in<br />

relation to the various models.<br />

A first chemical kinetics database referred to a<br />

methane-air 2D combustor has been produced<br />

adopting an adiabatic Perfectly Stirred Reactor<br />

(PSR) model. On the basis of this database<br />

unconstrained and constrained regression tools<br />

have been tested. Constraints have been<br />

introduced by the specie error function as quality<br />

constraints, treated by means of a quadratic<br />

programming technique. Clustering and Multi<br />

Layer Perceptron (MLP) have shown the best<br />

approximation results. Then a special MLP training<br />

technique has been adopted. Such a technique<br />

is based on constraints related to the atoms<br />

conservation and positiveness of the specie<br />

concentrations by means of a penalty function.<br />

PSR CHEMKIN II software and a Detailed<br />

Chemical Kinetics Neural Model (DCKNM) based<br />

on a MLP have been integrated into a CFD solver.<br />

The two developed tools have been utilised to<br />

carry out calculations on the methane-air 2D<br />

combustor. Comparisons between the two<br />

calculations have been carried out. Results<br />

showed that flow field quantities were estimated<br />

with not relevant differences. In figure 2, results<br />

for O2 concentration and temperature distribution<br />

are reported. The CPU time to achieve<br />

convergence of the CFD with integrated PSR<br />

CHEMKIN II software has been 500 times greater<br />

than that used by CFD integrating DCKNM.<br />

117<br />

Figure 2: O2 iso-concentration curves and Temperature<br />

fields [K].<br />

INFORMATION<br />

References: NNE5-316-2001<br />

Programme:<br />

FP5 - <strong>Energy</strong>, Environment and<br />

Sustainable Development<br />

Title:<br />

Neural Modelling for Reactive Turbulent<br />

Flow Simulation – NEMORETS<br />

Duration: 36 months<br />

Contact point:<br />

Giovanni Cerri<br />

Università Roma Tre<br />

Tel: +39-065-593819<br />

Fax: +39-065-593732<br />

cerri@uniroma3.it<br />

Partners:<br />

Università Roma Tre (I)<br />

Alstom Power UK (UK)<br />

Cinar (UK)<br />

TU Dresden (D)<br />

Université Libre de Bruxelles (B)<br />

EC Scientific Officer:<br />

José Riesgo Villanueva<br />

Tel: +32-2-2957939<br />

Fax: +32-2-2966261<br />

jose.riesgo@cec.eu.int<br />

Status: Ongoing


TDT-3R<br />

MULTI FUEL<br />

Objectives<br />

The 3R objective is the development of a<br />

cost effective, preventive pre-treatment of<br />

low-grade solid fuels (combined biomass,<br />

lignite, coal, derived fuels) by the<br />

application of low temperature<br />

carbonisation in a downsized reductive<br />

environment, for the removal of hazardous<br />

air pollutants (such as sulphur, chlorine<br />

and mercury) prior to burning, and by using<br />

the clean fuel to improve the combustion<br />

efficiency in power plants with up to<br />

300 MW power capacity. The main<br />

advantages are:<br />

• Prevention versus ‘end of pipe’ solution<br />

• Separated material stream treatment<br />

versus ‘all in one flow’<br />

• Improved overall safety and recycle -<br />

reduce - re-use of all material streams<br />

• Flexible feed choice application from<br />

regionally available feed supply.<br />

Converting trash (low grade fuels) into<br />

cash (clean electric energy)<br />

• Improved overall cost efficiency for<br />

sustainable green energy production<br />

• Meet the ‘open energy market’ demands<br />

by link – ‘bolt-on’ for retrofit of<br />

conventional solid fuel power plants or<br />

link to new constructions.<br />

‘3R’ solid fuel preventive<br />

pretreatment cleaning<br />

clean multi fuels for cost<br />

efficient clean energy<br />

Challenges<br />

There is a strong demand for continuous<br />

improvement of the environmental performance<br />

of energy production systems towards safer,<br />

faster, better and less costly solutions, supported<br />

with the ‘3R’ Recycle - Reduce - Re-use concept<br />

implementation. The open energy market<br />

demands less costly and commercially affordable<br />

electric energy production without government<br />

subsidy and financial support, and with long<br />

term predictable price development structures.<br />

The regional utilisation of available biomass and<br />

organic feed is often not cost effective as standalone<br />

installations. Therefore, new combinations<br />

need to be developed where regionally available<br />

low cost, low grade feed streams derive fuels and<br />

biomass with low caloric value but with high<br />

transport cost per specific volume are combined<br />

with high caloric value feed streams such as coal<br />

and lignite. However, such combinations must be<br />

subject to significant improvements in the overall<br />

environmental performances of solid fuel power<br />

generation, including improvements on<br />

greenhouse gas emissions as per the Kyoto<br />

Protocol.<br />

In order to develop the <strong>European</strong> Union to be the<br />

most progressive and competitive economical<br />

area in the world by 2010, with low cost (or at<br />

least reasonable cost) electric energy availability<br />

with the exclusion of energy shortage<br />

possibilities, it is necessary to satisfy the ever<br />

increasing energy demand. Oil/gas based energy<br />

production should be preferably substituted, to<br />

the greatest possible extent, with renewable<br />

biomass energy sources.<br />

118<br />

There is a need to take long term and<br />

comprehensive considerations for clean energy<br />

production where the total life cycle of all material<br />

streams, including residual management, need<br />

to be considered.<br />

Project structure<br />

The 3R Multi Fuel consortium comprises a wellbalanced<br />

mixture of scientists, engineers,<br />

industrialists and SME’s, both from a discipline<br />

and geographical point of view.<br />

The ‘3R’ process<br />

The 3R process converts widely available lowgrade<br />

fuels to high-grade fuels by value-added low<br />

temperature carbonisation. The key component<br />

of the 3R method and apparatus is an indirectly<br />

heated, horizontally arranged closed cycle<br />

operating rotary kiln, where material is safely<br />

separated in the absence of air and decomposed<br />

into gas-vapour and solid phase. The hazardous<br />

air pollutants, such as sulphur, chlorine and<br />

mercury are removed in the gas-vapour phase<br />

and separately treated – recycled in a downsized<br />

environment, while Clean Multi Fuel – Clean<br />

Coal is utilised in the plant’s boiler.<br />

Expected impact and exploitation<br />

The innovative 3R removes existing technical<br />

barriers for extended and combined utilisation of<br />

low grade fuels, renewable biomass and derived<br />

fuels, opens new, advanced, technical and cost<br />

reduction opportunities for safer, better and<br />

less costly clean energy production. It utilises<br />

existing agricultural and coal industrial structures<br />

by add-on and retrofits, safeguards existing jobs<br />

and creates new workplaces.


Clean Coal Pre--feasibility Study Laboratory Test<br />

Plant.<br />

The ‘state of the art’ 3R aims to remove<br />

hazardous air pollutants by a preventive<br />

pre-treatment process of low temperature<br />

carbonisation in a cost effective way, with<br />

significant savings and offering the following<br />

advantages towards the ultimate goal of near-zero<br />

emissions of overall output streams. It will<br />

remove environmental impacts, improve process<br />

efficiency and provide a flexible choice by multi<br />

feed, total cost reduction, extensive use of<br />

renewable energy sources and less corrosion in<br />

the boilers.<br />

The expansion of the EU in 2004, and the<br />

applied/recommended new strict emission<br />

environmental norms/goals set to meet the<br />

Kyoto Protocol, demand for an improvement on<br />

process safety, cost reduction and a public<br />

acceptance for solid fuel utilisation to produce<br />

clean energy. These are real challenges requiring<br />

new technological solutions.<br />

The solid fuel power production is a key industrial<br />

element of energy production in several of the<br />

EU candidate countries and all the EU countries<br />

have a demand for extended low cost energy<br />

production. The 3R is expected to become a<br />

critical asset for the EU candidate countries,<br />

particularly for countries with large coal reserves<br />

and renewable biomass potential.<br />

While the energy market is under deregulation,<br />

where the real price of the energy production<br />

is the only factor that counts, there is a<br />

strong demand to take into consideration<br />

comprehensive life cycles and environmental<br />

aspects for all the processed material streams<br />

and resources. Low cost energy production for<br />

short-term gains at the ‘cost’ of the environment<br />

or human health should definitely be avoided.<br />

3R - Project Structure.<br />

The 3R improves the employment prospects in<br />

the coal mining, coal utilisation and agricultural<br />

industries through extensive utilisation of<br />

biomass, while improving the quality of life,<br />

health and safety.<br />

Progress to date<br />

Since project start up on 1 August 2002, the<br />

following progress has been made:<br />

- Fuel characterisation, fuel availability overview<br />

- 3R process modelling from pilot 100 kg/h to<br />

70 t/h throughput capacity<br />

- Comprehensive engineering, detailed design<br />

of 100 kg/h capacity pilot plant<br />

- Evaluation of cost efficient scale-up design up<br />

to 560k t/y capacity<br />

- Construction permission from authorities for 3R<br />

pilot plant installation in West Hungary (city of<br />

Polgardi, EU Environmental Centre)<br />

- Cost efficiency, cash flow feasibility precalculations<br />

for industrial scenarios.<br />

119<br />

The 3R - Process.<br />

INFORMATION<br />

References: NNE5-363-2001<br />

Programme:<br />

FP5 - <strong>Energy</strong>, Environment and<br />

Sustainable Development<br />

Title:<br />

Multi Fuel Operated Integrated Clean<br />

<strong>Energy</strong> Process: Thermal Desorption<br />

Recycle-Reduce-Reuse Technology<br />

– TDT-3R MULTI FUEL<br />

Duration: 36 months<br />

Contact point:<br />

Edward Someus<br />

Terra Humana Ltd.<br />

Tel: +36-202017557<br />

Fax: +36-14240224<br />

edward@terrenum.net<br />

http://www.terrenum.net/cleancoal<br />

Partners:<br />

Terra Humana Clean Technology<br />

Engineering (HU)<br />

Centre for Research and Technology<br />

Hellas (GR)<br />

Netherlands <strong>Energy</strong> Research<br />

Foundation (NL)<br />

Universität Rostock (D)<br />

Cereol Vegetable Oil (HU)<br />

Latvian State Institute of Wood<br />

Chemistry (LV)<br />

United <strong>European</strong> Environment Controls (UK)<br />

Aristoteles University of Thessaloniki (GR)<br />

EC Scientific Officer:<br />

José Riesgo Villanueva<br />

Tel: +32-2-2957939<br />

Fax: +32-2-2966261<br />

jose.riesgo@cec.eu.int<br />

Status: Ongoing


ABRICOS<br />

Objectives<br />

The ABRICOS project aims to investigate<br />

the soundness of the biomass reburning<br />

technique for retrofitting industrial<br />

pulverised coal fired plants. Three major<br />

issues related to this technique are<br />

addressed:<br />

The first issue is: ‘What is the specificity<br />

of biomass as a reburn fuel and how is it<br />

possible to optimise the reburning<br />

conditions in the boiler?’ To answer this<br />

question, the ABRICOS project includes<br />

advanced characterisation of biomass<br />

fuels, the development of enhanced<br />

chemistry models and semi-industrial scale<br />

tests in a 5 MWth combustion facility.<br />

The second issue is: ‘What is the impact<br />

of the biomass reburning on the fly ash<br />

characteristics and subsequently on<br />

the efficiency of the electrostatic<br />

precipitators?’ Again the answer relies<br />

on pilot and semi-industrial scale<br />

measurements and the development<br />

of physical models.<br />

The last issue the ABRICOS project deals<br />

with is: ‘Which economical and technical<br />

elements need to be assessed and<br />

optimise the retrofitting of an industrial<br />

boiler with this technique?’<br />

<strong>Bio</strong>mass reburning in<br />

pulverised coal fired plants<br />

Challenges<br />

The NOx targets to be met by power plants in the<br />

coming years, set both by <strong>European</strong> and national<br />

directives, are still to be specified. These will<br />

require plants to continue operating at relatively<br />

high load factors to achieve NOx reduction,<br />

aiming to meet emissions of around 200 mg/<br />

Nm3. A technically feasible option for this<br />

reduction, and with a high potential for the<br />

retrofitting of existing industrial boilers, is offered<br />

by fuel staging or reburning. The relatively high<br />

volatile content of biomass makes this type of<br />

fuel a perfect candidate for this technique. The<br />

use of biomass as a reburn fuel allows for a<br />

secondary improvement at the same time by<br />

contributing to the mean CO2 reduction policy of<br />

the <strong>European</strong> Community. However several<br />

scientific and technologic aspects should be<br />

worked out before this potentially very interesting<br />

technique can spread in the industrial world.<br />

Project structure<br />

The ABRICOS project is based on a consortium,<br />

gathering important industrial end-users of the<br />

biomass reburning technique (EDF, ENEL),<br />

environmental technology providers (FLS Miljo,<br />

IRS) and highly skilled research resources<br />

(Danish Technical University, University of<br />

Stuttgart, University of Zaragoza, CNRS,<br />

MATEC).The scientific approach used in the<br />

project consisted of three steps. Firstly, the<br />

physical and chemical mechanisms were<br />

investigated in laboratory scale pilots and<br />

described with numerical models. Secondly,<br />

tests were carried out in semi-industrial scale<br />

facilities to assess the technique and validate<br />

the models developed. Finally the results were<br />

implemented in a simplified model and<br />

extrapolated for a full scale industrial plant.<br />

120<br />

Expected impact and exploitation<br />

The expected impacts of the ABRICOS project are<br />

scientific, technical and economic. Several<br />

articles based on the results obtained during the<br />

project have already been accepted in scientific<br />

reviews and a better knowledge of the biomass<br />

reburning technique is thought to have been<br />

gained. The exploitation and diffusion of the<br />

results will directly concern the members of the<br />

consortium. The end-users intend to work<br />

together with the technology suppliers to find the<br />

best and quickest way to exploit the results as<br />

soon as possible after the project.<br />

Results<br />

The ABRICOS project is now in its final year<br />

and the major part of the experimental and<br />

model development work has been carried out.<br />

Concerning the use of biomass as a reburn fuel,<br />

three biomass fuels (poplar, straw, eucalyptus)<br />

have been extensively characterised. Their<br />

specificity as a reburn fuel is firstly their high<br />

volatile matter content (typically up to 80% dry<br />

basis, compared with typically 30% for bituminous<br />

coals). The analysis of these volatile matters<br />

measured at 1350°C showed also a greater<br />

relative content in species like C2H2, C2H4 and<br />

C2H6 which are believed to play an important role<br />

in the reburning chemistry. The biomass chars<br />

were all found to be very reactive compared<br />

with coal char. This is important since the ash<br />

quality (i.e. the unburned carbon content of the<br />

fly ash) is one of the issues of the reburning<br />

technique. It also means that the biomass char<br />

combustion is controlled by the oxygen diffusion<br />

to the biomass particles; the size distribution of<br />

the biomass is probably the most important<br />

fuel characteristic regarding the ash quality. The<br />

detailed chemistry of the biomass reburning<br />

process was analysed and an augmented


educed mechanism has been implemented in the<br />

computational fluids dynamic software AIOLOS.<br />

Experimental investigations in a 0.5 MWth<br />

combustion rig showed that biomass reburning<br />

can reduce the NOx concentration by up to<br />

60% of the value at the end of the primary zone<br />

within a split time of half a second. The optimum<br />

NO reduction is obtained with an air ratio in the<br />

reburn zone of between 0.8 and 0.85. This<br />

optimum corresponds to a share of the<br />

secondary fuel typically between 15 and 20%<br />

of the thermal input (depending on the primary<br />

section conditions and biomass composition).<br />

The residence time in the reburn zone is not<br />

as important for the NO reduction as for the<br />

ash quality.<br />

The efficiency of the biomass reburning technique<br />

has been proved in a semi-industrial facility of<br />

5MWth located in Santa Gilla (Italy). NOx<br />

emissions as low as 190 mg/Nm3 at 6% 02 were<br />

obtained. This result corresponds to a NOx<br />

reduction of 55% compared with the reference<br />

case (without reburning and without OFA) and still<br />

a reduction of 25% compared with the case with<br />

OFA only. The measurements carried out during<br />

these tests were also used to validate the<br />

previously developed NOx models.<br />

Concerning the impact of the biomass reburning<br />

on the fly ash characteristics, the measurements<br />

made during the combustion tests showed<br />

the following:<br />

• the resistivity of the fly ash is almost unchanged,<br />

• it results in the formation of the finest particles<br />

and a so-called bi-modal size distribution at<br />

the outlet of the boiler. This modification of<br />

the fly ash size distribution is important since<br />

it will impact negatively on the efficiency of the<br />

electrostatic precipitators,<br />

• the shape and density of the biomass fly ash<br />

may be very different from those of the coal<br />

fly ash. One of the reasons is that biomass<br />

fuels usually present a needle structure, in<br />

contrast with coal particles commonly<br />

considered as spherical. This characteristic will<br />

impact in particular on the transportation and<br />

deposition rate of the particles in the ducts<br />

going from the boiler to the electrostatic<br />

precipitator.<br />

To take into account these modified fly ash<br />

characteristics, a previously existing ESP<br />

numerical model was enhanced. Based on<br />

laboratory tests, a new model describing in<br />

detail the ash layer behaviour and the reentrainment<br />

processes was developed.<br />

Comprehensive measurements of particles and<br />

flue gas characteristics were performed at the<br />

duct inlet and downstream in an ESP pilot of<br />

10 000 Nm3/h in Porto Maghera (Italy). A detailed<br />

mass balance including each plate and hopper<br />

allowed the influence of the electrical parameters<br />

on each zone to be quantified in well-defined<br />

conditions. Finally a complete ESP model was<br />

validated with good agreement.<br />

Concerning the extrapolation of the results of the<br />

project to an industrial plant, the power station<br />

of Porto Maghera, Italy (70 MWe) was chosen.<br />

A full, simplified model of the plant in a retrofitted<br />

configuration is currently under development<br />

and based on this model and economical<br />

analysis, a first assessment of the industrial<br />

relevance of the biomass reburning technique will<br />

be proposed.<br />

121<br />

INFORMATION<br />

References: ENK5-CT-2000-00324<br />

Programme:<br />

FP5 - <strong>Energy</strong>, Environment and<br />

Sustainable Development<br />

Title:<br />

Advanced <strong>Bio</strong>mass Reburning in Coal<br />

Combustion Systems – ABRICOS<br />

Duration: 36 months<br />

Contact point:<br />

Remi Bussac<br />

EDF France<br />

Remi.Bussac@edf.fr<br />

Partners:<br />

EDF (F)<br />

Matec Modelli Matematici (I)<br />

Technical University of Denmark (DK)<br />

Centre National de la Recherche<br />

Scientifique (F)<br />

Universidad de Zaragoza (E)<br />

IRS (I)<br />

Universität Stuttgart (D)<br />

FLS MILJØ (DK)<br />

ENEL Produzione (I)<br />

EC Scientific Officer:<br />

Pierre Dechamps<br />

Tel: +32-2-2956623<br />

Fax: +32-2-2964288<br />

pierre.dechamps@cec.eu.int<br />

Status: Ongoing


BIFIC<br />

Objectives<br />

The primary objective of the project is to<br />

establish the feasibility of using high<br />

calorific residual mass streams, i.e. waste,<br />

biomass and possible combinations, as fuel<br />

in fluidised bed combustion (FBC)<br />

installations with minimal strain on the<br />

environment. Experimental and modelling<br />

studies are incorporated in the approach<br />

as well as commercial scale validation.<br />

There is a clear need to broaden the range<br />

of fuels for energy generation. Present<br />

technology in many regions in Europe<br />

appears insufficient to meet near future<br />

targets for reducing the quantity of fossil<br />

fuels used and meeting new stricter<br />

legislation. Legislation no longer permits<br />

landfill of high calorific waste streams in<br />

many regions in the <strong>European</strong> Union.<br />

Use of biomass waste mixtures as fuel can<br />

be more cost-effective or even profitable<br />

because of the lower price of waste fuel<br />

than that of clean biomass.<br />

<strong>Bio</strong>mass/waste FBC<br />

with inorganic control<br />

Problems addressed<br />

The use of high calorific residue streams for<br />

energy generation is not expected to be without<br />

problems so identifying these is the first step<br />

before determining the specific research aims.<br />

The BIFIC project addresses, in general, the:<br />

• Contribution to the reduction of greenhouse gas<br />

emissions, strain on the environment, and of<br />

wasteland filling;<br />

• Contribution to a wide enforcement of biomass<br />

to energy conversion systems by improving<br />

cost-effectiveness and competitiveness. This<br />

is supposed to be done by co-firing waste<br />

materials;<br />

• Evaluation and optimisation of the process,<br />

operability and environmental performance of<br />

biomass/waste fired FBC plant, addressing the<br />

key issues of selected biomass and waste<br />

fuels;<br />

• Application and validation of results at the<br />

medium and commercial scale;<br />

• Modelling and simulation for the formation of<br />

fouling type deposits and heat transfer, which<br />

is a key issue of biomass/waste FBC;<br />

• Development of guidelines and recommendations<br />

for the reliable operation of commercial<br />

systems based on the selected fuels;<br />

• Identification of ash utilisation options;<br />

• Control of the emission of polluting elements<br />

over FBC installations;<br />

• Development of specific methods of planning<br />

and optimising logistic processes for these FBC<br />

systems; and<br />

• Development and provision of a software tool<br />

for planning and optimising logistic processes<br />

for FBC systems.<br />

122<br />

Project structure<br />

This project is a follow-up to the very successful<br />

‘Minimum Emission project’ in which a strong<br />

partnership was established. The partnership<br />

remains basically the same, with the addition of<br />

a new strong partner from the Netherlands.<br />

Expected impact<br />

The results obtained from the project will be<br />

valuable for a comprehensive understanding of<br />

the waste combustion process as regards<br />

operability, emission and bed ash utilisation.<br />

The commercial-scale waste incinerator operators<br />

can learn important information from the results<br />

on the combustion of biomass/waste and<br />

mixtures. The R&D results from the project will<br />

contribute towards the planning, design and<br />

operation of existing and future biomass/wastebased<br />

FBC plants. The result can also be used<br />

in planning how to supply and cover the demand<br />

of the most inexpensive fuel or fuels for mixture<br />

and how to design and operate the unit in a very<br />

cost-efficient way.<br />

The project delivers valuable reports, guidelines,<br />

recommendations and a software tool on<br />

logistics. Several restraining factors for a<br />

successful, cost-effective and efficient utilisation<br />

of biomass/waste in heat and power production<br />

are addressed. Solutions for such barriers would<br />

effectively clear a path through to a potential<br />

market in the area of small- to large-scale FBC<br />

systems. The co-firing of wastes instead of clean<br />

biomass as stand-alone fuel makes energy<br />

production from biomass considerably more<br />

cost-effective. Small and medium enterprises, as<br />

well as boiler manufacturers, will have the<br />

possibility to use the project deliverables in<br />

order to build and operate biomass/waste FBC<br />

systems offering improved competitiveness.


Progress to date<br />

During the first two years of the project, a number<br />

of experimental screenings of fuels, bed<br />

materials, additives and parameters at small,<br />

medium and commercial scale were carried out.<br />

A programme of work was achieved using 30 kW,<br />

350 kW, 750 kW, 3 MW, 25 MW and 80 MW FBC<br />

reactors, which comprised several tests in which<br />

grass, meat and bone meal (MBM), raw material<br />

feedstock (RMF), oil cuttings, shredded tyres,<br />

demolition wood, clean pellets of waste wood and<br />

sewage sludge were combusted either as a<br />

single fuel or as a combined fuel in varying<br />

proportions.<br />

An extensive analysis has been written on the<br />

fuels, bed materials, additives and their<br />

combinations within this project. It indicates<br />

some of the potential problematic combinations<br />

which can be avoided completely. Further, it<br />

serves as a basis, in combination with analyses<br />

performed on ash, bed materials, deposits and<br />

other samples from partner installations, for<br />

identifying and addressing new problematic<br />

elemental combinations encountered in lab-to-fullscale<br />

installations, to be avoided in the future.<br />

The comprehensive mathematical model for the<br />

simulation of particle laden gas flow through<br />

tube banks and calculations of heat<br />

transfer/losses due to deposit build-up will be<br />

developed. This model takes the distribution of<br />

mineral matter in fuel and the combustion<br />

environment that significantly influences the<br />

transformation of these mineral matters, in<br />

Example of Gas Flow Velocity and Temperature Distribution. Example of Logistics Model.<br />

combination with experimental data for the rates<br />

of volatile minerals species vaporisation and<br />

reactions. It consists of sub-models for the<br />

release of the volatile mineral species from the<br />

host particles, mineral matter transformation,<br />

particle dispersion, particles deposition on the<br />

tube walls and heat transfer tubes.<br />

As regards the optimised logistics for waste<br />

FBC, a detailed market analysis within the project<br />

countries – Sweden, Great Britain, Netherlands<br />

and Germany – for the selected fuels – sewage<br />

sludge, demolition wood, straw, poultry litter,<br />

meat and bone meal and waste tyres – has<br />

been conducted. Data necessary to characterise<br />

the actual state and the structure of these<br />

markets have been collected. Important rules and<br />

requirements have been derived from the<br />

structural analysis and formulated in<br />

mathematical terms. An appropriate function<br />

has been developed to evaluate different<br />

decisions concerning the logistic processes<br />

within the system. As a result, a whole<br />

mathematical model has been developed to<br />

describe the system and its interactions and to<br />

decide upon its optimisation concerning the key<br />

factor energy costs.<br />

123<br />

INFORMATION<br />

References: ENK6-CT-2000-00335<br />

Programme:<br />

FP5 - <strong>Energy</strong>, Environment and<br />

Sustainable Development<br />

Title:<br />

<strong>Bio</strong>mass/Waste FBC with Inorganics<br />

Control – BIFIC<br />

Duration: 36 months<br />

Contact point:<br />

Brigitta Stromberg<br />

TPS Termiska Processer AB<br />

Tel: +46-15-5221385<br />

Fax: +46-15-5263052<br />

Brigitta.Stromberg@tps.se<br />

Partners:<br />

TPS (S)<br />

FhG-IML (D)<br />

Cinar Ltd. (UK)<br />

Wykes Engineering (UK)<br />

<strong>Energy</strong> Research Center<br />

of the Netherlands (NL)<br />

Essent <strong>Energy</strong> Systems Zuid (NL)<br />

EC Scientific Officer:<br />

Garbiñe Guiu Etxeberria<br />

Tel: +32-2-2990538<br />

Fax: +32-2-2993694<br />

garbine.guiu@cec.eu.int<br />

Status: Ongoing


BIOFLAM<br />

Objectives<br />

A promising route to achieve CO2 reduction<br />

is to use short cycle carbon containing<br />

fuels, which can be classified as secondary<br />

fuels. These fuels have the potential to<br />

replace fossil fuels but operational and<br />

environmental problems may dramatically<br />

affect the combustion system. To focus on<br />

the problem of secondary fuel application,<br />

detailed advance knowledge of these fuels’<br />

typical combustion behaviour is required.<br />

The objective of this project is to provide<br />

simple, capable test methods, which give<br />

more insight into the fate of secondary fuel<br />

combustion in power plants.<br />

The achievement of gaining this knowledge<br />

on the preparation and combustion<br />

characteristics of secondary fuels is<br />

pre-competitive and can be used by any<br />

power plant operator or manufacturer<br />

in Europe.<br />

Project structure<br />

The BIOFLAM project compromises of four work<br />

packages, which concentrate on Fuel Preparation<br />

(WP1), Fuel Conversion (WP2), Full-scale<br />

Experiments (WP3) and Evaluation and<br />

Dissemination of Results (WP4). In WP1 the<br />

assessment of the grinding behaviour of blends<br />

of secondary and primary fuel in conventional<br />

coal pulverising systems is the primary task. WP2<br />

concerns the development of the characterisation<br />

methods for secondary fuels. Power generators<br />

and boiler manufacturers co-operate on a<br />

<strong>European</strong> level in WP3 to gather full-scale power<br />

plant experience. The critical assessment of the<br />

results and the possible application in industry<br />

is the major item of WP4. With 16 partners from<br />

eight <strong>European</strong> countries this programme covers<br />

a wide range of fossil fuel applications in utilities<br />

throughout Europe and can be used as an input<br />

to other EU projects on alternative fuels.<br />

124<br />

Expected impact<br />

The aim of the project is to provide reliable<br />

methods to characterise the preparation and<br />

combustion performance of blends of coal and<br />

secondary fuels. This includes a detailed<br />

understanding of the fundamental processes,<br />

which are to be considered when using nonstandard<br />

fuels together with coal. Besides the<br />

direct implications, which can be obtained from<br />

the numerous experimental investigations, the<br />

collected data are used for the further<br />

development of mathematical models, which<br />

can be used to predict the behaviour of an<br />

unknown fuel before application on industrial<br />

scale.<br />

Progress to date<br />

During the second year of the BIOFLAM project,<br />

extensive work on the grinding behaviour of<br />

blends of coal and secondary fuels on full and<br />

laboratory scale were carried out. Although these<br />

results are not yet fully analysed it can be stated<br />

at this point that, in general, standard tests<br />

and standard equipment can be used to<br />

determine the grinding characteristics of blends.<br />

Also the results from full scale grinding<br />

experiments indicate that for many of the<br />

selected bio-fuels standard equipment can be<br />

used without major problems. The other main<br />

task of the second year was the evaluation of<br />

standard coal procedures to determine the<br />

combustion properties of pure bio-fuels and<br />

their blends with coal. Due to the great variety<br />

of selected fuels, and also the number of<br />

different test methods involved, the evaluation<br />

of the results requires very careful consideration.


Basic analysis methods must be taken into<br />

account like proximate and ultimate analysis<br />

together with TGA analysis, and also methods<br />

like plug flow reactor measurements where the<br />

severe environment of a real pf flame is<br />

simulated. Although the experiments for this<br />

part are still on going, a general approach of<br />

characterising blends of coal with biofuels<br />

becomes clearer. Due to the deviating<br />

combustion behaviour of many of the biofuels<br />

compared to coal, an approach has to be chosen<br />

which definitely includes methods which are<br />

tailored to simulate the heating rate and the<br />

time-temperature history a blend is exposed to<br />

in a real pf combustion application. Together<br />

with basic analysis methods it seems to be<br />

possible to get precise information to predict<br />

the combustion behaviour of blends of biofuels<br />

and coals.<br />

Figure 1: Isothermal Plug Flow Reactor. Figure 2: Devolatization measurement of milled Mushroom<br />

substrate.<br />

125<br />

INFORMATION<br />

References: ENK5-CT-1999-00004<br />

Programme:<br />

FP5 - <strong>Energy</strong>, Environment and<br />

Sustainable Development<br />

Title:<br />

Combustion Behaviour of Clean Fuels<br />

in Power Generation – BIOFLAM<br />

Duration: 36 months<br />

Contact point:<br />

IFRF Research Station b.v.<br />

Willem Van de Kamp<br />

Tel: +31-2-51493064<br />

Fax: +31-25-1226318<br />

Willem.vd.Kamp@ifrf.net<br />

Partners:<br />

IFRF (NL)<br />

Technical University of Denmark (DK)<br />

Universita degli Studi di Salerno (I)<br />

Imperial College of Science, Technology<br />

and Medicine (UK)<br />

Instytut Energetyki (PL)<br />

Universität Stuttgart (D)<br />

Universita degli Studi di Pisa (I)<br />

RWE Power AG (D)<br />

Technical University of Clausthal (D)<br />

Mitsui Babcock <strong>Energy</strong> Ltd (UK)<br />

Instituto Superior Tecnico (P)<br />

Public Power Corporation (GR)<br />

<strong>Energy</strong> Research Centre<br />

of The Netherlands (NL)<br />

National Technical University of Athens (GR)<br />

ENEL Produzione SPA (I)<br />

Kema Nederland BV (NL)<br />

EC Scientific Officer:<br />

Pierre Dechamps<br />

Tel: +32-2-2956623<br />

Fax: +32-2-2964288<br />

pierre.dechamps@cec.eu.int<br />

Status: Completed


CATDEACT<br />

Objectives<br />

Co-combustion of solid renewable fuels or<br />

residues and coal in large combustion<br />

power plants offers an efficient way to<br />

reduce CO2 emissions by using existing<br />

infrastructure. Increased deactivation of<br />

the DeNOx catalysts caused by specific<br />

components of the secondary fuels, namely<br />

alkali or phosphorus compounds, can have<br />

a negative influence. The objectives are<br />

to increase the lifetime of installed<br />

SCR-DeNOx catalysts and therefore<br />

decrease follow-up costs caused by<br />

catalyst deactivation arising from<br />

the application of co-combustion of<br />

secondary fuels. Fundamental deactivation<br />

mechanisms, depending on fuel<br />

characteristics as well as combustion<br />

and plant parameters, are identified by<br />

experimental investigations in different<br />

scales. The results are used to identify<br />

possibilities of influencing the mode of<br />

occurrence of deactivating compounds<br />

by fuel or process parameters or by the<br />

use of technically and economically<br />

interesting additives.<br />

Understanding the<br />

deactivation of SCR-DeNOx<br />

catalysts caused by<br />

secondary fuels<br />

Problems addressed<br />

The common predicted lifetime cycle of a new<br />

DeNOx-catalyst is about two to three years.<br />

During this time, the normal loss of activity is<br />

around 10 to 20 %. To reach the emission limit<br />

value for NOx and to minimise the use of NH3 as<br />

a process material, DeNOx-catalysts have to be<br />

exchanged or regenerated after this time period.<br />

The costs for changing a three-layer SCR unit<br />

(appr. 800 m3) range between 8 and 12 Meuro,<br />

whereas regeneration costs are about the half<br />

of the replacement costs.<br />

The use of some solid secondary fuels can<br />

dramatically increase the deactivation effects of<br />

the SCR DeNOx catalysts compared to pure coal<br />

combustion in a way that normal deactivation<br />

rates occur within weeks or months rather than<br />

in years. These costs are a considerable<br />

argument against the use of secondary fuels in<br />

large-scale power plants. Therefore, the lifetime<br />

of catalysts needs to be extended for the cocombustion<br />

of biofuels and biowastes. The basic<br />

deactivation mechanisms need to be known for<br />

feasible suggestions concerning the increased<br />

lifetime of the SCR catalysts. Four major research<br />

areas have been identified:<br />

The deactivation of alkalis, especially of<br />

potassium, is closely related to the combustion<br />

of wood and crop residues. The potassium<br />

compounds and the combustion conditions<br />

during which these are released are investigated.<br />

Phosphorus is a strong catalyst poison. It is<br />

released in considerable quantities into the flue<br />

gases during the co-combustion of sewage<br />

sludge or meat and bonemeal. The release of<br />

phosphorus compounds during combustion, the<br />

concentration in the flue gas, as well as their<br />

effect on the catalyst are all investigated.<br />

Efforts are made to improve catalyst regeneration<br />

methods.<br />

126<br />

Based on basic research activities within the<br />

project, countermeasures are derived including<br />

possible catalyst modifications to increase the<br />

lifetime, improved combustion processes using<br />

additives to capture potential catalyst poisons,<br />

as well as improved regeneration measures to<br />

recover the initial catalyst activity.<br />

Project structure<br />

The project consortium consists of four leading<br />

<strong>European</strong> energy supply companies, namely:<br />

Vattenfall Utveckling AB, Sweden, E.On Engineering,<br />

Germany, EnBW Ingenieure GmbH,<br />

Germany, and Tech-wise A/S, Denmark; a catalyst<br />

manufacturer, Haldor Topsoe A/S, Denmark; a<br />

catalyst regeneration company Envica GmbH,<br />

Germany; and two university institutes, Technical<br />

University of Denmark, Denmark and Universität<br />

Stuttgart , Germany (project co-ordinator) active<br />

in the field of combustion technology and flue<br />

gas treatment.<br />

Tasks<br />

Within the project consortium, experience of<br />

catalyst deactivation by wood and straw for cocombustion,<br />

alongside observations made during<br />

co-combusting sewage sludge and meat and<br />

bonemeal, are available directly from power<br />

plant operators. This information is supplemented<br />

by the knowledge of a catalyst producer.<br />

Additional input is given by full-scale regeneration<br />

methods of three of the partners. Two research<br />

institutes are performing systematic studies<br />

with synthetic and combustion simulating flue<br />

gases in lab- and bench-scale test facilities with<br />

the aim of identifying and partly quantifying the<br />

main mechanisms and parameters that lead to<br />

deactivation and mercury oxidation. The work is<br />

focused on the behaviour of alkali compounds,<br />

phosphorus and mercury. The influence of single


parameters, relevant combustion conditions,<br />

flue gas composition and conversion, as well as<br />

the use of additives on the occurrence of<br />

poisoning elements in the gaseous and particle<br />

bound phase, are investigated. Feasible changes<br />

in catalytic structure or composition are studied.<br />

Existing regeneration methods are optimised. Fullscale<br />

tests at four power plants for wood, straw<br />

and sewage sludge co-combustion equipped<br />

with catalyst samples provide different flue gas<br />

compositions for the tests and will be used to<br />

validate results and prove their full-scale<br />

applicability.<br />

Expected impact and exploitation<br />

The better understanding of the processes will<br />

be used in close co-operation with the<br />

participating industrial partners for a further<br />

optimisation of combustion conditions, catalyst<br />

materials and regeneration procedures. Thereby,<br />

the manufactures and regenerators of catalysts<br />

can achieve a worldwide advantage in selling and<br />

regenerating catalysts. For the power plant<br />

operators and engineering groups, increased<br />

knowledge of deactivation behaviour and<br />

regeneration methods results in a clear reduction<br />

of operational and maintenance costs and<br />

therefore in advantages in the competing energy<br />

market. Furthermore, this enables power-plant<br />

operators to force the application of biomass and<br />

other secondary fuels for the energy production<br />

by co-firing in existing power plants and therefore<br />

to decrease CO2 emissions derived from fossil<br />

fuels. A <strong>European</strong>-wide network for catalyst<br />

evaluation is being created whereby existing<br />

knowledge regarding deactivation is concentrated<br />

to solve what, at the moment, is a <strong>European</strong>-wide<br />

problem but what will become a worldwide one<br />

in the near future.<br />

Figure 1: Catalytic activity of a 3 wt.% V2O5-WO3-TiO2<br />

catalyst as a function of K-loading (source: DTU).<br />

Progress to date<br />

Potassium, both in the form of chloride and<br />

sulfate, is a strong poison for the catalyst. The<br />

first results indicate that catalyst deactivation<br />

could be expected for all fuels containing<br />

potassium, provided it is present as KCl or<br />

K2SO4 in the fly ash, as shown in Figure 1. The<br />

rate constant is a parameter expressing the<br />

catalytic activity.<br />

For a basic understanding of possible reactions<br />

with Na and P equilibrium, calculations are<br />

carried out which indicate the presence of<br />

phosphoric acid at catalyst temperatures.<br />

Possible deactivation mechanisms resulting<br />

from the effect of phosphorus include pore<br />

blocking by solid calcium phosphates, pore<br />

condensation by H3PO4 or phosphorus oxides,<br />

and formation of phosphorus glasses combined<br />

with chemical deactivation. A set of three<br />

different types of deactivated catalysts exposed<br />

to co-combustion of P-rich fuels are examined.<br />

The results of the analyses show an enrichment<br />

of P on the catalyst surface of all samples. In<br />

addition, a close relationship has been<br />

established between alkali and phosphorus<br />

content and relative activity. The results indicate<br />

that P tends to form a surface layer or condensates<br />

in the pores. H3PO4 added to the flue gas<br />

also showed a significant deactivating effect.<br />

To achieve reliable data concerning full-scale<br />

co-combustion of fuel and flue gas composition<br />

related to the operation time and the remaining<br />

activity, full-scale tests (see Figure 2) are being<br />

carried out in different power plants with the cocombustion<br />

of either straw, peat, sewage sludge<br />

or wood. First results from deactivation tests in<br />

a coal/straw-fired plant did not show any<br />

decrease in catalytic activity after 2000 h.<br />

127<br />

Figure 2: Catalyst test rig for full-scale deactivation tests<br />

(Source: Techwise).<br />

INFORMATION<br />

References: ENK5-CT-2001-00559<br />

Programme:<br />

FP5 - <strong>Energy</strong>, Environment and<br />

Sustainable Development<br />

Title:<br />

Influences from <strong>Bio</strong>fuel (Co-) Combustion<br />

on Catalytic Converters in Coal Fired<br />

Power Plants – CATDEACT<br />

Duration: 36 months<br />

Contact point:<br />

Sven Unterberger<br />

Universität Stuttgart<br />

Tel: +49-711-6853572<br />

unterberger@ivd.uni-stuttgart.de<br />

Partners:<br />

Universität Stuttgart (D)<br />

Technical University of Denmark (DK)<br />

Vattenfall Utveckling (S)<br />

Tech-Wise (DK)<br />

Energie Baden-Württemberg Ingenieure (D)<br />

Haldor Topsø (DK)<br />

E.ON Engineering (D)<br />

Envica Kat (D)<br />

Website:<br />

http://www.eu-projects.de/CATDEACT<br />

EC Scientific Officer:<br />

Pierre Dechamps<br />

Tel: +32-2-2956623<br />

Fax: +32-2-2964288<br />

pierre.dechamps@cec.eu.int<br />

Status: Ongoing


CLEANSTEER<br />

Objectives<br />

This project aims atbringing together the<br />

groups who are active in the field of clean<br />

coal utilisation to exchange information,<br />

develop links, and assist the programme<br />

manager where appropriate.<br />

The strategic aspects centre around<br />

the rise in global energy demand,<br />

the importance of the power generation<br />

manufacturing industry to the <strong>European</strong><br />

economy, security of energy supplies and<br />

the development of renewable energy<br />

supplies.<br />

The other key strategic area lies in the<br />

current policy of reducing CO2 emissions<br />

and rapidly developing the uptake of<br />

renewable energy technologies throughout<br />

Europe. One cost-effective route is to<br />

combine the ‘clean’ character of biomass<br />

fuels with the economies of scale of fossil<br />

fuels to improve the costs of the former<br />

and the emissions (and particularly CO2<br />

emissions) of the latter. This approach<br />

would help to achieve <strong>European</strong> emissions<br />

and renewable energies targets.<br />

Development of a thematic<br />

network for the clean use<br />

of coal<br />

Problems addressed<br />

Global energy demand is predicted to grow by 2-<br />

3% per year for the next 25 years. This growth<br />

will occur in the demand for heat, transport<br />

fuels and electricity, and in the electricity sector<br />

– for example, 3 500 GW of new generating<br />

plant will be required to meet the increased<br />

demand. This represents a total global business<br />

worth more than €3 250 billion (an average of<br />

€130 billion per year). Coal-fired plant is expected<br />

to account for about 40% of this increase. This<br />

will require a coal-based power station investment<br />

of over €1 300 billion, almost 70% of which will<br />

be in Asia. At the moment, about 40 power<br />

stations are being built per year. Thirty of these<br />

are coal fired, and 20 of them are in China. As<br />

Europe currently builds over 50% of these power<br />

stations, the market over the next 25 years<br />

represents potential sales of some €650 billion.<br />

To this must be added some €150 billion in<br />

spares, maintenance and repairs.<br />

Thus, if Europe does no more than retain its<br />

present market share, there is a potential coalbased<br />

market of over €800 billion which must<br />

be won in the face of fierce competition,<br />

especially from the USA and Japan. It will only<br />

be won if <strong>European</strong> industry can deliver new,<br />

clean and cost-effective plant into the market.<br />

The other key strategic area lies in the current<br />

policy of reducing CO2 emissions and rapidly<br />

developing the uptake of renewable energy<br />

technologies throughout Europe. One costeffective<br />

route is to combine the ‘clean’ character<br />

of biomass fuels with the economies of scale of<br />

128<br />

fossil fuels to improve the costs of the former<br />

and the emissions (and particularly CO2<br />

emissions) of the latter. This approach would help<br />

to achieve <strong>European</strong> emissions and renewable<br />

energies targets. Indeed, the co-utilisation of<br />

biomass with coal in coal-fired power stations<br />

could be a key to providing the guaranteed<br />

demand for dedicated energy crops that will be<br />

required to ensure the development of the<br />

market.<br />

If the necessary scale of transformation is to be<br />

achieved, R&D strategies must adapt rapidly to<br />

changing circumstances, and the results must<br />

be quickly and effectively transferred to the<br />

market place. Thus, this project will contribute<br />

to employment generation by guiding the direction<br />

of future research, by ensuring that current<br />

research efforts are directed toward improving<br />

efficiencies and costs, and by feeding the export<br />

market for new, advanced, clean, efficient and<br />

cost-effective biomass-coal co-utilisation systems.<br />

The characteristics of the <strong>European</strong> energy<br />

market and the energy construction industry<br />

require that very deliberate emphasis must be<br />

given to technology transfer and dissemination<br />

if new and improved technologies are to have<br />

the appropriate impact. Over the past quarter of<br />

a century, <strong>European</strong> Union (EU) RTD programmes<br />

have developed innovative technologies and<br />

concepts. Building on this foundation, the Power<br />

Clean RTD Thematic Network proposed by this<br />

project will provide a major impetus to transferring<br />

these developments into the market place.


This proposal specifically addresses the question<br />

of improving the performance of EU R&D in the<br />

priority areas of the clean use of coal, the<br />

reduction of CO2 emissions, and in the increased<br />

co-utilisation of biomass and waste materials with<br />

coal and other conventional fuels.<br />

Of particular importance is the way in which<br />

the improved information transfer will increase<br />

the capacity of power-generation equipment<br />

manufacturers to compete in the key export<br />

markets of India and China.<br />

The Community added value therefore lies in<br />

increasing the emissions reductions that would<br />

otherwise be achievable, by improving the<br />

utilisation of resources, by improving the<br />

competitivity of <strong>European</strong> industry in international<br />

markets, and by increasing the uptake of<br />

renewable energy resources – specifically<br />

biomass. The cumulative result will be to make<br />

a significant contribution to the Community<br />

objective of reducing CO2 emissions.<br />

The final draft version of the proposal for a clean<br />

coal PowerClean Thematic Network was prepared,<br />

was submitted in the final call in the Fifth<br />

Framework Programme, and was successfully<br />

funded. PowerClean is now in operation, and<br />

further details can be obtained from<br />

jt.mcmullan@ulster.ac.uk.<br />

129<br />

INFORMATION<br />

References: ENK5-CT-2000-80127<br />

Programme:<br />

FP5 - <strong>Energy</strong>, Environment and<br />

Sustainable Development<br />

Title:<br />

Steering Group for Clean Electricity and<br />

Heat Production with Co-Utilisation of<br />

<strong>Bio</strong>mass and Coal and Reduced Carbon<br />

Dioxide Emissions – CLEANSTEER<br />

Duration: 9 months<br />

Contact point:<br />

John McMullan<br />

University of Ulster<br />

jt.mcmullan@ulster.ac.uk<br />

Partners:<br />

University of Ulster (UK)<br />

CRE Group (UK)<br />

Universität Stuttgart (D)<br />

IST (P)<br />

Universität Essen (D)<br />

Electricité de France (F)<br />

ENEL Produzione (I)<br />

EC Scientific Officer:<br />

Pierre Dechamps<br />

Tel: +32-2-2956623<br />

Fax: +32-2-2964288<br />

pierre.dechamps@cec.eu.int<br />

Status: Completed


CORBI<br />

Objectives<br />

Although corrosion has been studied for<br />

several decades, corrosion mechanisms<br />

in waste and especially in biomass<br />

combustion are still not well understood<br />

because of the complex and variable ash<br />

behaviour and chemical nature of the fuel<br />

ashes. The overall objective of the project<br />

is to improve the understanding of<br />

corrosion mechanisms in cases of biomass<br />

and waste combustion. Because of<br />

material constraints, steam temperatures<br />

in biofuelled boilers are currently around<br />

480°C or even lower with waste fuels.<br />

These relatively low temperatures lead<br />

to low power generation efficiency.<br />

By increasing the understanding of<br />

corrosion mechanisms, new superheater<br />

materials with higher corrosion resistance<br />

could be designed/selected in order to<br />

permit steam temperatures up to 550°C.<br />

This would result in about a 10% increase<br />

in power generation efficiency. In addition,<br />

significant savings in maintenance costs<br />

could be achieved by the longer durability<br />

of superheaters.<br />

Chlorine-rich deposits<br />

and superheater corrosion<br />

in co-combustion<br />

Project structure<br />

The co-ordinator for the project is the Technical<br />

Research Centre of Finland (VTT). Other partners<br />

are the Max-Planck-Institut fuer Eisenforschung<br />

GmbH, Vattenfall Utveckling AB, ENEL Produzione<br />

SpA, and the Joint Research Centre’s Institute<br />

of <strong>Energy</strong>.<br />

The main focus of the work is on power plant and<br />

laboratory tests to characterise fuel and ash<br />

behaviour, deposit formation and corrosion<br />

mechanisms. Different heat exchanger materials<br />

are used under controlled combustion conditions.<br />

• Laboratory tests include material testing<br />

with model deposits using advanced methods.<br />

The principal target of these tests is to<br />

understand the corrosion formation mechanism<br />

and chlorine transport inside the corrosion<br />

layers. As a result, more corrosion-resistant<br />

materials could be developed for biofuelled<br />

boilers. These testes focus mainly on common<br />

ferritic and austenitic steels such as X10,<br />

X20, 2.25Cr1Mo, AC66, Sanicro28, Esshette<br />

1250, etc.<br />

130<br />

• Pilot-plant testing will be carried out to<br />

supplement power-plant tests but using more<br />

controlled gas and temperature conditions and<br />

a higher proportion share of hard-to-burn fuels.<br />

• Power-plant tests will be carried out at several<br />

plants, and different fuels, such as woodchips,<br />

logging and agricultural residues, and<br />

demolition and processed municipal waste,<br />

will be used.<br />

• Mathematical modelling will analyse ash and<br />

particulate behaviour and deposit formation<br />

during combustion. Phase stability calculations<br />

using F.A.C.T. software will be carried out to<br />

analyse particulate agglomeration. A kinetic<br />

model for the determination of devolatilization<br />

and oxidation of alkalis, trace metals and<br />

chlorine will also be used. A deposit formation<br />

model will characterise deposit structure and<br />

formation mechanisms.


Expected impact and exploitation<br />

A wider range of waste and biofuels would be<br />

used in existing and new boilers in Europe.<br />

Project results will contribute to achieving the<br />

goals of the Kyoto Protocol as well as to higher<br />

operational reliability, cost savings, less<br />

shutdowns, higher boiler steam properties and<br />

efficiency of power plants. Results will be utilised<br />

in practice for power plant operation, for boiler<br />

design, for defining limits for fuel mixture ratios,<br />

and for heat exchanger material selection.<br />

Progress to date<br />

Characterisation reports from the power plants<br />

used for corrosion tests have been prepared. Two<br />

sets of laboratory-scale combustion tests with<br />

a 40 kW fluidised bed reactor (CFB) have been<br />

carried out. Ashes from filter and cyclone have<br />

been used in laboratory exposures. Preliminary<br />

laboratory tests have been carried on the<br />

oxidation behaviour of the primary alloys selected<br />

for the project. Long- and short-term corrosion<br />

tests have been performed at the Forssa BFBplant,<br />

at the Varkaus CFB-plant and at the<br />

Idbäcken-plant in Nyköping. Co-combustion tests<br />

were performed on the 0.5 MWth pilot furnace.<br />

At this stage few, conclusions can be drawn<br />

from the laboratory experiments:<br />

• Corrosion rate, for the alloys without the<br />

deposit, increases with increasing CO2 content,<br />

especially for the ferritic steels;<br />

• Corrosion rate for samples with the deposit<br />

increase significantly and, in this case, the<br />

internal oxidation of the samples studied was<br />

observed; and<br />

• Cl is not found in the scale and in the deposit<br />

itself after the experiments under usual<br />

conditions.<br />

Figure 1. A deposited superheater in a CFB boiler<br />

(left); deposit probe after a four-week measurement<br />

trial (right).<br />

131<br />

Figure 2. SEM images of high-temperature exposure<br />

tests at 600°C. On the left, molydenym oxide with Ca<br />

(sample 10CrMo9 10 covered with cyclone ashes);<br />

on the right, complex oxide, Fe-Mn-O with Ca (sample<br />

X20 CrMoV121 covered with filter ashes).<br />

INFORMATION<br />

References: ENK5-CT-2001-00532<br />

Programme:<br />

FP5 - <strong>Energy</strong>, Environment and<br />

Sustainable Development<br />

Title:<br />

Mitigation of Formation of Chlorine Rich<br />

Deposits Affecting on Superheater<br />

Corrosion under Co-Combustion<br />

Conditions – CORBI<br />

Duration: 36 months<br />

Contact point:<br />

Markku Orjala<br />

VTT <strong>Energy</strong><br />

Tel: +358-1-4672534<br />

Fax: +358-1-4672597<br />

markku.orjala@vtt.fi<br />

Partners:<br />

VTT (FIN)<br />

Vattenfall Utveckling (S)<br />

JRC Petten (INT)<br />

ENEL Produzione (I)<br />

Max-Planck-Institut für Eisenforschung (D)<br />

EC Scientific Officer:<br />

Pierre Dechamps<br />

Tel: +32-2-2956623<br />

Fax: +32-2-2964288<br />

pierre.dechamps@cec.eu.int<br />

Status: Ongoing


FBCOBIOW<br />

Objectives<br />

To extend combustion of biomass residues<br />

in high-efficiency FB boilers instead of<br />

landfilling:<br />

(a) by creating a way to replace part of the<br />

fossil fuel with biomass in large Polish CFB<br />

plants<br />

(b) by strengthening the systems to fire<br />

small FB boilers with difficult agricultural<br />

plant residues<br />

(c) by finding the means to burn large<br />

portions of meat and bonemeal (MBM)<br />

together with coal.<br />

(d) by strengthening the systems to fire<br />

household and industrial residues with<br />

traditional fuels with an acceptable level<br />

of emissions but without operational<br />

problems.<br />

Means to markedly increase<br />

the portion of demanding<br />

biomass residues<br />

for energy production in<br />

fluidised bed boilers<br />

Problems and their solution<br />

Operational problems that appear, or strengthen,<br />

during an increased portion of demanding<br />

biomass residues in feedstocks are fouling and<br />

corrosion of heat transfer surfaces, bed<br />

agglomeration and feeding problems. In addition,<br />

emissions can exceed the plant limits.<br />

Fouling, corrosion and bed agglomeration will be<br />

reduced by optimising feedstock composition<br />

and co-firing conditions by improving the process<br />

control with a new sensor and advanced probing,<br />

and by developing and optimising assisting<br />

chemicals.<br />

Feeding problems will be solved by process<br />

investigations. Emissions are reduced by<br />

transferring toxic elements from the finest fly ash<br />

to coarse fly ash and by transferring toxic<br />

gaseous compounds from flue gas to coarse<br />

fly ash<br />

An improvement in prediction potential for<br />

operational problems and modelling tools for<br />

emissions of toxic elements and particles will<br />

assist problem solving.<br />

132<br />

Project structure<br />

Workpackages<br />

WP1 ‘Fuel delivery, treatment and analysis’ –<br />

responsibility of partner 1<br />

WP2 ‘Creating a basis to replace parts of brown<br />

coal with biomass waste in large Polish CFB<br />

plants’, – responsibility of partner 5<br />

WP3 ‘Creating a basis to replace a higher share<br />

of coal with MBM in a CFB plant’ –<br />

responsibility of partner 1<br />

WP4 ‘Improving calculation tools and biomass<br />

fuel flexibility in small BFB plants’ –<br />

responsibility of partner 8<br />

WP5 ‘Combustion problem solution by chemicals’<br />

– responsibility of partner 7<br />

WP6 ‘Means of reaching a high share of<br />

household waste in FBs and developing an<br />

alarm sensor of corrosive flue gases for FB<br />

combustion’ – responsibility of partner 1<br />

WP7 ‘Management, implementation, and<br />

reporting’ – responsibility of partner 1


FBCOBIOW - Project.<br />

Expected impacts and exploitation<br />

• The means and guidelines to burn risky<br />

biomass residues safely<br />

• Optimisation of flue gas cleaning to reach<br />

emission limits<br />

• Improved modelling tools on the distribution of<br />

toxic elements and decreased aerosol<br />

formation by additives will assist in more<br />

effective cleaning of flue gases<br />

• New, useful and relatively cheap sensors of<br />

corrosive flue gases<br />

• Well-documented use of chemicals for the<br />

reduction of emissions and operational<br />

problems<br />

• Improved prediction tools to reduce the need<br />

to conduct risky experiments in full-scale power<br />

plants reducing economic risks and ensuring<br />

energy production to communities and industry<br />

without unexpected shut downs<br />

• Combustion of biomass residues decreases<br />

CH4 emissions by several magnitudes<br />

compared to a landfill with an equal mass of<br />

waste.<br />

CO2 emission in energy production as function of biomass share.<br />

133<br />

INFORMATION<br />

References: ENK5-CT-2002-00638<br />

Programme:<br />

FP5 - <strong>Energy</strong>, Environment and<br />

Sustainable Development<br />

Title:<br />

Safe Co-combustion and Extended Use<br />

of <strong>Bio</strong>mass and <strong>Bio</strong>waste in FB Plants<br />

with Accepted Emissions – FBCOBIOW<br />

Duration: 36 months<br />

Contact point:<br />

Martti AHO<br />

VTT <strong>Energy</strong><br />

Tel: +358-14-672545<br />

Fax: +358-14-672597<br />

martti.aho@vtt.fi<br />

Partners:<br />

VTT (FIN)<br />

Kvaerner Power (FIN)<br />

Offenbach Power Company (D)<br />

Dekati Measurements (FIN)<br />

Universität Stuttgart (D)<br />

Technical University Wroclaw (PL)<br />

Emissions-Reduzierungs-Concepte (D)<br />

TU Delft (NL)<br />

W.K. Crone (NL)<br />

EC Scientific Officer:<br />

Erich Nägele<br />

Tel: +32-2-2965061<br />

Fax: +32-2-2993694<br />

erich.naegele@cec.eu.int<br />

Status: Ongoing


HIAL<br />

Objectives<br />

The scientific objective of this project is<br />

to understand the influence of fuel<br />

composition and combustion conditions<br />

on the release of alkali metals, sulphur<br />

and chlorine to the gas phase by<br />

considering different combustion systems.<br />

The technical objective is to apply<br />

the understanding of the alkali chemistry<br />

to develop primary measures for grate<br />

firing to achieve SO2 emissions below<br />

the new EU limiting value of 200 mg/Nm3, without the need for the installation of a<br />

flue gas desulphurisation unit (FGD).<br />

This can be carried out by improved<br />

capture of SO2 in the bottom ash as well<br />

as the fly ash, by changing the process<br />

parameters.<br />

Moreover, this understanding is necessary<br />

for a suppression of alkali-induced<br />

corrosion attack allowing an increase<br />

in operation reliability and an increase<br />

of the straw share in co-combustion<br />

processes.<br />

High-alkali biofuels<br />

for power plants<br />

Project structure<br />

The consortium covers the complete range from<br />

fundamental investigations via laboratory-scale<br />

combustion studies up to full-scale combustion<br />

tests in straw-fired power plants. The full-scale<br />

combustion tests are being carried out by two<br />

industrial companies: Tech-wise, TW (DK) and<br />

EHN Division <strong>Bio</strong>masa SA, EHN (E). TW has the<br />

largest experience worldwide in the design and<br />

operation of straw-fired plants. EHN is a <strong>European</strong><br />

leader company in renewable energies. TW and<br />

EHN are also responsible for the selection,<br />

procurement and distribution of different straw<br />

samples to the partners.<br />

The laboratory-scale combustion studies will<br />

be the main task of the combustion groups at<br />

the City University of London (suspension<br />

firing), Technical University of Denmark (grate<br />

combustion), and the Technical University of<br />

Delft (fluidised bed combustion).<br />

Fundamental studies are being carried out by<br />

the High Temperature Chemistry Division at<br />

the Institute of Materials and Processes in<br />

<strong>Energy</strong> Systems, Research Centre Juelich (RCJ),<br />

Germany. The mass spectrometric methods<br />

established at RCJ allow for the analysis of the<br />

hot gas, including condensable gas species,<br />

and are unique in Europe.<br />

The partner from the Eötvös University (Budapest)<br />

will elaborate on the reaction mechanisms,<br />

gas dynamic simulations, and thermodynamic<br />

calculations.<br />

134<br />

Expected impact and exploitation<br />

The study undertaken by the project leads to a<br />

new quality of understanding of the biomass<br />

combustion process. This, in turn, will have a<br />

positive impact on the competitiveness of the<br />

<strong>European</strong> industry operating, engineering, and<br />

manufacturing power plants, and supports the<br />

creation of new market opportunities for this<br />

industry thereby leading to improved employment<br />

opportunities.<br />

Small biomass power plants built in regions<br />

where the biomass is produced will also improve<br />

employment. New jobs will be created in these<br />

rural regions at the power plant, which also<br />

needs support from local enterprises e.g. for the<br />

transport of the biomass. Existing jobs at the<br />

farms will, at the very least, have a better<br />

economic basis.<br />

The combustion of biomass for heat and power<br />

production will preserve the environment to a high<br />

degree since the use of biomass is completely<br />

CO2 neutral. The project will decrease the SO2<br />

emissions and will create the basis for controlling<br />

and reducing HCl and NOx.<br />

The results obtained are important contributions<br />

to the control and solution of the special<br />

problems inherently coupled with the use of<br />

high-alkali biofuels. They will lead to a broad<br />

introduction of the technology on to the market<br />

and thereby to the use of high-alkali biomass<br />

other than straw.


The Hungarian participant will facilitate access<br />

to the use of biomass in energy production by<br />

the Newly Associated States of Eastern and<br />

Central Europe.<br />

Exploitation of results will be ascertained by<br />

the two industrial partners Tech-wise and EHN<br />

Division <strong>Bio</strong>masa SA. They will benefit from<br />

the results of the project through reduced<br />

emissions and improved availability of existing<br />

straw-fired power plants, thereby reducing the<br />

operating costs. The results of the project will<br />

be used efficiently for the improvement of nextgeneration<br />

biomass power plants. The two<br />

companies, especially Tech-wise, are involved in<br />

the engineering and design of new straw-fired<br />

power plants.<br />

Progress to date<br />

Twelve types of straw from different origins<br />

were collected and chemically analysed. The<br />

samples represent a broad range of elemental<br />

composition of high-alkali biofuels. Four key<br />

samples, selected for study by all partners,<br />

were characterised by TG/DSC measurements.<br />

A study was carried out on the transformation of<br />

K, S and Cl, and the emission of HCl and SO2 in<br />

straw-fired grate boilers (Figure 1). The measuring<br />

data from four different boilers were applied for<br />

this study. The emissions of SO2 and HCl show<br />

large daily variations and cannot be simply<br />

correlated to the content of S and Cl in the straw.<br />

Figure 2: New TOF<br />

HPMS system.<br />

Figure 1:<br />

Transformation of<br />

K, S and Cl species<br />

in straw-fired grate<br />

boilers.<br />

They are strongly influenced by the molar ratio<br />

of K/(Cl+2S). A precise physicochemical model<br />

of HCl and SO2 generation needs improved<br />

fundamental knowledge which will be available<br />

at the end of this project.<br />

Laboratory investigations have been carried out<br />

on the release from biomass and biomass coal<br />

blends in grate firing, fluidised bed combustion<br />

and suspension firing without additives, and<br />

mass spectrometric release investigations<br />

without additives. A new high-pressure mass<br />

spectrometer (HPMS) was set up providing real<br />

on-line hot gas composition (Figure 2). In addition,<br />

numerical simulations of the combustion<br />

chemistry were started. Both the combustion<br />

temperature and the ash composition have<br />

severe impact on the extent of Cl, K and S<br />

release to the gas phase. The release of K<br />

depends on the chlorine content and on the<br />

K/Si ratio, because K can be bound in silicates.<br />

Therefore, the K release is reduced by cocombustion<br />

due to the alkali uptake by silica.<br />

The release of SO2 and HCl is strongly influenced<br />

by the association of S and Cl in the biomass.<br />

High amounts of potassium lower the SO2 release<br />

by formation of potassium sulphates. Silica<br />

promotes the release of SO2 by potassium<br />

capture inhibiting the K2SO4 formation.<br />

135<br />

INFORMATION<br />

References: ENK5-CT-2001-00517<br />

Programme:<br />

FP5 - <strong>Energy</strong>, Environment and<br />

Sustainable Development<br />

Title:<br />

<strong>Bio</strong>fuels for CHP Plants - Reduced<br />

Emissions and Cost Reduction in the<br />

Combustion of High Alkali <strong>Bio</strong>fuels – HIAL<br />

Duration: 36 months<br />

Contact point:<br />

Klaus Hilpert<br />

Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH<br />

K.Hilpert@fz-juelich.de<br />

Partners:<br />

Forschungszentrum Jülich (D)<br />

Technical University of Denmark (DK)<br />

Energia Hidroelectrica de Navarra (E)<br />

City University (UK)<br />

Eotvos Lorand University, Budapest (HU)<br />

TU Delft (NL)<br />

TECH-WISE (DK)<br />

EC Scientific Officer:<br />

Petros Pilavachi<br />

Tel: +32-2-2953667<br />

Fax: +32-2-2964288<br />

petros.pilavachi@cec.eu.int<br />

Status: Ongoing


SEFCO<br />

Objectives<br />

Currently most of the waste materials in<br />

Europe are deposited on landfills.<br />

Consumption of land, long-term reactions<br />

to the landfills and the emission of green<br />

house gases have a negative influence on<br />

the living conditions in Europe. In addition,<br />

power production has to be done in a less<br />

CO2 engendered way. Thermal utilisation of<br />

so-called Solid Recovered Fuels, gained<br />

from waste materials, could be a cost<br />

effective and short-term way available for<br />

the reduction of CO2 emissions.<br />

For the propagation of the co-combustion<br />

technology in power plants the prevention<br />

of disturbance on plant operation and<br />

harmful effects on the environment<br />

represents a vital premise. Therefore the<br />

main objective of this project is to acquire<br />

comprehensive knowledge on the<br />

characteristics of selected fuels as<br />

feedstock, the impact of co-combustion of<br />

waste materials on operation and<br />

emissions. This is necessary to pave the<br />

way for a wide use of this technology.<br />

Utilisation of high calorific<br />

solid waste in power plants<br />

Challenges<br />

After the successful implementation of sewage<br />

sludge co-firing, further biomass and waste<br />

materials are considered for co-combustion in<br />

coal-fired furnaces. It is important for the plant<br />

operators to be able to acquire information<br />

about the composition of the fuel as received and<br />

to have access to information about the<br />

behaviour of solid recovered fuels (SRF) and<br />

the constituents in the power plant. Based on the<br />

experiences gained with other waste materials,<br />

the work in the project focuses on several<br />

challenges of co-firing of high calorific SRF<br />

in pulverised coal-fired boilers, namely on<br />

fuel analysis and analytical methods, milling<br />

behaviour, fuel handling, combustion behaviour,<br />

slagging and fouling, residues and emissions. To<br />

obtain transferable data, a fundamental approach<br />

was chosen with systematic tests in lab and pilot<br />

scale using pure and synthetic waste.<br />

Project structure<br />

The basic idea of the project is that most waste<br />

materials are composed of a few major<br />

components (e.g. paper, plastic, wood, inert<br />

material, biomass). If the composition of the<br />

waste is available, i.e. the shares of the defined<br />

components and the impact of the pure waste<br />

components is known, it will be possible to<br />

predict the behaviour of the waste fuel mix.<br />

The project includes experimental investigations<br />

in lab scale to identify the main components of<br />

waste mixes. Furthermore, the fuel preparation<br />

and characterisation of the fuel mixes and single<br />

compounds of the fuels are studied in pilot<br />

scale, as is the combustion behaviour and fate<br />

of heavy metals. Three partners with previous<br />

experiences in the field of co-combustion<br />

focus on specific tasks to identify the waste<br />

components and to establish knowledge of the<br />

136<br />

impact on different pure wastes on the<br />

combustion, emission and operation.<br />

University Stuttgart (D), Institute of Process<br />

Engineering and Power Plant Technology (IVD),<br />

coordinates the project and investigates chemical<br />

and physical properties of the fuels and the<br />

single components, and the grinding and<br />

combustion behaviour of wastes in pilot scale.<br />

Technische Universiteit Delft (NL), Thermal<br />

Power Engineering Department, studies and<br />

profoundly characterises single waste<br />

components and waste mixtures in lab scale in<br />

order to calculate the composition of an unknown<br />

waste fuel.<br />

ENEL Produzione Research (I) investigates the<br />

fate of trace elements during co-combustion<br />

and evaluates the capture efficiency of filtration<br />

by means of dry sorbent injection.<br />

Results<br />

The partners summarised the status of co-firing<br />

and the boundary conditions in each partner<br />

country. There is a rather large base of knowledge<br />

in co-combustion of bio-fuels (straw, wood)<br />

already established. However, the potential of the<br />

large co-combustion capacity within the <strong>European</strong><br />

power industry has yet to be recognised. There<br />

are large amounts of waste materials, which<br />

could be used as solid recovered fuels.<br />

Methods to analyse the composition of secondary<br />

fuels and secondary fuel mixtures were tested.<br />

It was demonstrated that thermo-gravimetric<br />

analysis gives an indication of the composition<br />

for most fuel mixes. Based on the characterisation<br />

work a classification of waste components<br />

was established.<br />

Preparation and handling tests indicate<br />

appropriate grinding and transport technology for<br />

the different fuels. The combustion experiments


were run with some challenges concerning<br />

feeding. Plastic particles show a particular<br />

behaviour at pulverized coal combustion<br />

conditions. In combustion, the coarse secondary<br />

fuel particles ignite and burn in different regions<br />

as the fine coal particles, changing local flame<br />

conditions. SO2- and NOX-emissions decrease<br />

when co-firing partly as a consequence of the fuel<br />

input of Sulphur and Nitrogen and ash forming<br />

constituents like Ca. The altered temperature and<br />

O2-history affects primary NOX reduction<br />

measures. The ash-forming matter behaves<br />

selectively at different surface temperatures<br />

and forms altered slag, deposit and ash<br />

compositions in comparison to coal.<br />

During the test in pilot scale concerning the<br />

heavy metals the emission limits, fixed by<br />

2000/76/CE Directive, were complied with when<br />

the RDF thermal input did not exceed a certain<br />

percentage. The effect of activated carbon<br />

injection is significant on mercury absorption,<br />

while the overall removal of other trace metal<br />

increases very little by sorbent injection.<br />

The experiments have shown that the concept is<br />

promising for the implementation in utility boilers.<br />

For the implementation, strong focus has to be<br />

made on the fuel preparation and handling<br />

system in combination with the introduction into<br />

the combustion. The efforts necessary are<br />

strongly dependent on the quality and<br />

composition of the SRF delivered by the fuel<br />

supplier and the individual combustion system.<br />

Expected impact and exploitation<br />

The benefits of the implementation of the cocombustion<br />

technology are the reduction of CO2<br />

emissions, by partial substitution of primary<br />

fossil fuels, and a sustainable future waste<br />

management, by developing more efficient waste<br />

pre-treatment technology. Although the waste<br />

has to be pre-treated, the cost-benefit analysis<br />

for the transformation of waste into energy offers<br />

a high potential to reduce the electricity<br />

production costs and to retrieve the necessary<br />

investment costs. The research performed in this<br />

project is a prerequisite for the widespread<br />

implementation of this technology. A detailed<br />

and systematic knowledge about the impact of<br />

different waste fuels on emissions will lead to<br />

a better acceptance of waste co-combustion by<br />

the public and the authorities. To enable the<br />

public to access the results, a project website<br />

was established.<br />

Challenges addressed in the SEFCO-project.<br />

137<br />

INFORMATION<br />

References: ERK5-CT-1999-00021<br />

Programme:<br />

FP5 - <strong>Energy</strong>, Environment and<br />

Sustainable Development<br />

Title:<br />

Quality of Secondary Fuels for Pulverised<br />

Fuel Co-combustion – SEFCO<br />

Duration: 36 months<br />

Contact point:<br />

Jörg Maier<br />

Universität Stuttgart<br />

Tel: +49-711-6853369<br />

Fax: +49-711-1212150<br />

J.Maier@ivd.uni-stuttgart.de<br />

Partners:<br />

Universität Stuttgart (D)<br />

TU Delft (NL)<br />

ENEL Produzione (I)<br />

Website:<br />

http://www.eu-projects.de/sefco<br />

EC Scientific Officer:<br />

Pierre Dechamps<br />

Tel: +32-2-2956623<br />

Fax: +32-2-2964288<br />

pierre.dechamps@cec.eu.int<br />

Status: Completed


TOMERED<br />

Objectives<br />

The utilisation of biomass and biowaste<br />

materials as fuel (biofuels) with coal for<br />

power generation has been proved to<br />

contribute to a decrease in fuel and energy<br />

costs as well as a reduction in CO2.<br />

However, in many instances the use of<br />

biofuels introduces significantly higher<br />

concentrations of toxic metals (ToMe),<br />

such as Hg, Cd, Pb, Ni, Cr, As, etc. into<br />

the combustion process. Valid data is<br />

limited on the emission behaviour of ToMe<br />

during large-scale combustion of biofuels<br />

together with coal and its influence on<br />

their behaviour during subsequent flue gas<br />

cooling and treatment processes.<br />

The project aims to investigate the fate<br />

of ToMe during the combustion of coal<br />

with and without a range of biofuels,<br />

and to develop control strategies for<br />

the reduction of ToMe and other pollutants<br />

from large combustion plants. There will<br />

be a special focus on enhancing<br />

the removal of mercury.<br />

Reduction of toxic metal<br />

emissions from combustion<br />

plants<br />

Problems addressed<br />

The project partners are performing fundamental<br />

investigations in laboratory-, bench-, pilot- and fullscale<br />

combustion facilities with emission control<br />

equipment. The project addresses key technical<br />

issues such as the understanding of ToMe<br />

release, distribution and, when possible,<br />

speciation during combustion and subsequent<br />

cooling, the provision of valid data from fullscale<br />

plants on ToMe emission, and the<br />

development of strategies or novel technological<br />

solutions to enhance the removal of ToMe from<br />

combustion flue gas. Therefore, the partitioning<br />

behaviour and the speciation of ToMe is<br />

characterised in an extensive test programme<br />

with the use and development of advanced<br />

analysis and characterisation methods. The<br />

experimental work will be supported by the<br />

development, validation and application of<br />

theoretical models for ash transformation, and<br />

ToMe speciation, enrichment and removal. Other<br />

main activities include the review and critical<br />

assessment of the best available technologies<br />

and current developmental approaches for the<br />

removal of ToMe, an assessment of fuel-blending<br />

strategies, a detailed study into the impact of<br />

conventional emission control technologies for<br />

particulates, SO2 and NOx on the fate of ToMe,<br />

particularly mercury, an evaluation of suitable<br />

carbon- non-carbon- or metal-oxide-based<br />

sorbents, as well as a techno-economic<br />

assessment of future mercury control options<br />

including recommendations for further research<br />

and development.<br />

138<br />

Consortium<br />

The project consortium is made up of three leading<br />

<strong>European</strong> energy supply companies, namely E.ON<br />

Engineering GmbH, (D), PowerGen UK Plc, (UK),<br />

and ENEL Produzione S.p.A., (I), a power plant<br />

manufacturer, Mitsui Babcock <strong>Energy</strong> Ltd., (UK),<br />

a combustion engineering company, Reaction<br />

Engineering International, (US), as well as two<br />

research organisations, <strong>Energy</strong> Research Centre<br />

of the Netherlands, (NL), KEMA Nederland B.V.,<br />

(NL), and eight <strong>European</strong> universities, Technical<br />

University of Denmark, (DK), Abo Akademi<br />

University, (FI), Technical University of Delft, (NL),<br />

The Imperial College of Science, Technology and<br />

Medicine, (UK), The University of Nottingham,<br />

(UK), University of Alicante, (ES), and Helsinki<br />

University of Technology, (FI), active in the field of<br />

combustion and flue gas treatment technologies.<br />

Expected results and exploitation<br />

The outcome of the work will contribute to a<br />

further understanding of ToMe behaviour during<br />

the (co-)combustion of coal and biofuels and<br />

therefore to contribute to the development of<br />

multi-pollutant control strategies for ToMe. The<br />

identification of relationships between fuel type,<br />

the fate of ToMe, and the major effects from<br />

applied air-pollution control devices is of interest<br />

to both legislative authorities and power plant<br />

operators. The development of approaches for<br />

the enhanced removal and/or capture of ToMe,<br />

such as fuel blending strategies or suitable<br />

additives and sorbents, will be considered in<br />

terms of performance and cost. The most costeffective<br />

strategies will be recommended for<br />

further research and development. Policy-makers<br />

and power plant operators will be provided with<br />

technical guidelines and recommendations<br />

regarding the control of ToMe from large-scale<br />

combustion plants.


Expected impact<br />

International and national plans and treaties<br />

have been proposed and signed with the intention<br />

of reducing particle-bound trace element<br />

emissions as well as gaseous mercury<br />

emissions. Although these plans often include<br />

reduction targets, they rarely, if ever, include<br />

specific details of how such reduction should<br />

be achieved. The contribution of large coalcombustion<br />

plants to ToMe emissions varies<br />

from country to country and, while emissions<br />

from other sources, such as medical and<br />

municipal waste incinerators, are being reduced,<br />

those from large coal-combustion plants are<br />

either remaining constant or have been potentially<br />

increased in recent years.<br />

In the US, activities related to PM and mercury<br />

dominate research related to combustion<br />

emissions. This is mainly the result of the threat<br />

of proposed regulations for mercury emission<br />

(by 2004) and PM. <strong>European</strong> industry and<br />

engineering organisations and research institutes<br />

have pushed ahead with NOx and SOx removal<br />

technologies, but very little effort has been<br />

made across Europe to investigate the impact of<br />

applied flue gas cleaning technologies on the<br />

behaviour of ToMe. With the implementation of<br />

limiting values for NOx and SOx together with<br />

limiting values for mercury in US coal-fired power<br />

plants, information concerning the behaviour of<br />

relevant ToMe and the removal efficiencies of<br />

APCDs are of growing interest.<br />

Flue-gas cleaning.<br />

139<br />

INFORMATION<br />

References: ENK5-CT-2002-00699<br />

Programme:<br />

FP5 - <strong>Energy</strong>, Environment and<br />

Sustainable Development<br />

Title:<br />

Reduction of Toxic Metal Emissions from<br />

Industrial Combustion Plants-Impact of<br />

Emission Control Technologies –<br />

TOMERED<br />

Duration: 36 months<br />

Contact point:<br />

Sven Unterberger<br />

Universität Stuttgart<br />

Tel: +49-711-1212205<br />

Fax: +49-711-1212291<br />

Unterberger@ivd.uni-stuttgart.de<br />

Partners:<br />

Universität Stuttgart (D)<br />

TU Denmark (DK)<br />

Mitsui Babcock <strong>Energy</strong> (UK)<br />

University Alicante (E)<br />

TU Delft (NL)<br />

<strong>Energy</strong> Research Centre of the<br />

Netherlands (NL)<br />

E.ON Engineering (D)<br />

Helsinki University of Technology (FIN)<br />

Reaction Engineering International (USA)<br />

University of Nottingham (UK)<br />

Kema Nederland (NL)<br />

ENEL Produzione (I)<br />

Aabo Akademi University (FIN)<br />

Powergen (UK)<br />

Imperial College of Science (UK)<br />

Website:<br />

http://www.eu-projects.de/TOMERED<br />

EC Scientific Officer:<br />

Pierre Dechamps<br />

Tel: +32-2-2956623<br />

Fax: +32-2-2964288<br />

pierre.dechamps@cec.eu.int<br />

Status: Ongoing


UPSWING<br />

Objectives<br />

The UPSWING process combines both<br />

well-known energy conversion principles,<br />

mainly of waste incineration, plus coal-fired<br />

power plant combustion for<br />

heat/electricity generation. The project<br />

will be applicable on a competitive level<br />

with present technology to current and<br />

future EU members. UPSWING ensures<br />

the sustainable supply of heat/electricity<br />

more economically with improved<br />

efficiency. This will be proven by theoretical<br />

and experimental investigations.<br />

Environmental and social aspects, such as<br />

alleviating waste-disposal problems and<br />

improved control of pollutants, are taken<br />

care of in the project by testing lab to<br />

large scale. The objectives of this project<br />

are to evaluate the UPSWING process and<br />

assess its potential by experimental and<br />

theoretical investigations. The results of<br />

UPSWING will be compiled in a guidebook<br />

which will be prepared by all partners.<br />

Unification of power plant<br />

and solid waste incineration<br />

in the grate<br />

The UPSWING project, funded by the <strong>European</strong><br />

Commission under the Fifth Framework<br />

Programme, started on 1 January 2003 and<br />

will extend over 36 months. Eleven organisations<br />

from seven countries, including four NAS<br />

countries (Newly Associated States), are<br />

participating in this <strong>European</strong> project. The project<br />

is being coordinated by the Institute of Process<br />

Engineering and Power Plant Technology (IVD)<br />

of the University Stuttgart (Germany).<br />

Process description<br />

The UPSWING process (see Figure 1), which<br />

has been developed by the Forschungszentrum<br />

Karlsruhe (Germany), proposes to use the<br />

economic advantages of coupling a waste<br />

incinerator with a power plant while avoiding the<br />

unwanted effects of waste sorting as well as the<br />

risk of additional emissions and the deterioration<br />

of power plant residue quality. The process uses<br />

the partly cleaned flue gas of a waste incineration<br />

plant as part of the combustion air in the power<br />

plant [a]. Another option is to use it as carrier gas<br />

in the coal mills [b]. It also combines the steam<br />

circuit of both facilities [c]. Using this combination,<br />

the waste combustion part does not require the<br />

energy recovery unit and major parts of the gas<br />

cleaning system.<br />

140<br />

The waste combustion flue gas is de-dusted<br />

and partially cleaned during a simple acid wet<br />

scrubbing stage. This procedure guarantees the<br />

almost total removal of particle-bound heavy<br />

metals, of more than 95% of HCl, and of<br />

approximately 90% of Hg. The partially cleaned<br />

gas still contains SO2 and NOx as well as the<br />

gaseous PCDD/F. The PCDD/F will be totally<br />

destroyed inside the combustion chamber. NOx<br />

is converted in the re-burn zone and SO2 is<br />

removed in the respective abatement system of<br />

the power plant.<br />

The process keeps the waste combustion specific<br />

pollutants away from the power plant, as<br />

compared to a direct co-combustion concept. The<br />

main advantages of the UPSWING process can<br />

be summarised as follows:<br />

- Significant cost reduction compared to a samesize<br />

standalone waste incinerator;<br />

- Higher electrical efficiency of the waste<br />

incinerator by coupled steam circuits;<br />

- CO2 reduction by substitution of coal in the<br />

power plant;<br />

- Efficient low-cost flue gas treatment in the<br />

waste incinerator;<br />

- Potential of technology transfer to other (nonparticipating)<br />

<strong>European</strong> countries; and<br />

- Alleviation of problems with waste production<br />

and disposal.


Figure 1: The UPSWING process.<br />

Project structure<br />

The novelty of the concept and its uniqueness<br />

when compared to other state-of-the-art waste<br />

incineration processes has to be emphasised.<br />

The project has set out to assess and evaluate<br />

the potential of the concept as well as of single<br />

process steps. To answer questions that arise<br />

when considering its implementation, six work<br />

packages have been defined (see Figure 2). The<br />

work packages are consequently interrelated,<br />

thereby securing an intensive exchange between<br />

the partners.<br />

Expected results and current<br />

state of work<br />

The results of the UPSWING project will be<br />

compiled in a guidebook. This guidebook will<br />

include the following topics and will enable the<br />

short-term application of the UPSWING process:<br />

- Evaluation of waste quantities and qualities of<br />

the current waste management system;<br />

- Evaluation of power plant locations, including<br />

non-technical basics;<br />

- Evaluation of the most suited power plants<br />

available for coupling in the NAS;<br />

- Start-up/shutdown/emergency measures;<br />

- Influence of coupling on the power plant<br />

process;<br />

- Construction and adaptation of highly flexible<br />

flue gas cleaning systems;<br />

- Adsorption capacities PCCD/F on pulverised<br />

coal and their destruction in the furnace; and<br />

- Technical solutions for lowest NOx/Cl/Hg<br />

emissions in the complete process.<br />

Figure 2: Project structure.<br />

Current work focuses on the evaluation of<br />

available waste qualities/quantities and suitable<br />

power plant locations in the participating NAS<br />

countries. Basic calculations are being made<br />

along with the modification/construction of the<br />

necessary equipment in preparation for the<br />

upcoming experimental investigations.<br />

Expected impact and exploitation<br />

Dissemination of results for application in the EU<br />

and/or NAS is most probable as the project<br />

team consists of industry, research organisations<br />

and universities from EU countries and NAS.<br />

Two industrial NAS partners are interested in the<br />

novel process, and specific sites have been<br />

designated for detailed investigation. To enable<br />

the public to access the results, a project website<br />

has been established.<br />

141<br />

INFORMATION<br />

References: ENK5-CT-2002-00697<br />

Programme:<br />

FP5 - <strong>Energy</strong>, Environment and<br />

Sustainable Development<br />

Title:<br />

Unification of Power Plant and Solid Waste<br />

Incineration – UPSWING<br />

Duration: 36 months<br />

Contact point:<br />

Jörg Maier<br />

Universität Stuttgart<br />

Tel: +49-711-11212177<br />

Fax: +49-711-1212291<br />

j.maier@ivd.uni-stuttgart.de<br />

Partners:<br />

Universität Stuttgart (D)<br />

FZ Karlsruhe (D)<br />

Technical University Sofia (BG)<br />

Power Plant ‘Turow’ – Bogatynia (PL)<br />

Mitsui Babcock <strong>Energy</strong> (UK)<br />

Kema Nederland (NL)<br />

Polytechnical University of Timisoara (RO)<br />

Wroclaw University of Technology (PL)<br />

Czech Technical University of Prague (CZ)<br />

Sokolovska Uhelna (CZ)<br />

Institute of Power Studies and Design (RO)<br />

Website:<br />

http://www.eu-projects.de/upswing<br />

EC Scientific Officer:<br />

Erich Nägele<br />

Tel: +32-2-2965061<br />

Fax: +32-2-2993694<br />

erich.naegele@cec.eu.int<br />

Status: Ongoing


BIOMAX<br />

Objectives<br />

The main objectives of this project are<br />

to show the viability of modern Circulating<br />

Fluidised Bed (CFB) technology in<br />

maximising the use of biomass-based fuels<br />

in large-scale power generation. This<br />

includes providing the means for safe,<br />

sufficient and well-controlled biomass fuel<br />

supply and handling, and appropriate and<br />

safe boiler operation. These objectives are<br />

approached from two directions. On one<br />

hand, biomass fuels can cause operation<br />

problems in fuel storing, receiving and<br />

handling systems due to heterogeneous<br />

properties of biomass fuels. On the other<br />

hand, biomass fuels may induce deposit<br />

formation and corrosion problems in boilers<br />

during combustion due to the specific<br />

chemical characteristics of biomass fuels.<br />

Selected topics from the whole fuel ‘life<br />

cycle’ are tackled starting from fuel<br />

procurement and handling, going through<br />

combustion, deposit formation and<br />

corrosion tests to emission control and<br />

monitoring. Co-firing tests are carried<br />

out with two pilot-scale rigs and at<br />

Alholmens Kraft Ltd, which has the world’s<br />

largest biofuel-fired CFB (550 MWth, 165 bar / 545°C).<br />

The world’s largest<br />

biofuel-fired CFB contributes<br />

to co-firing research<br />

Problems addressed and project<br />

structure<br />

In principle the work is carried out in two research<br />

fields. The first part deals with the problems<br />

related to fuel procurement, logistics, storing,<br />

receiving and crushing. The objectives are to<br />

improve fuel procurement and logistics by making<br />

guidelines for different storage methods and<br />

optimum storage periods, and by developing a<br />

location and property register for different fuel<br />

storages. Additionally, fuel receiving, handling and<br />

crushing methods are assessed. Dust emissions<br />

have been measured inside and outside a fuel<br />

receiving station and fuel crushing tests have<br />

been carried out for different wood fuels.<br />

Expected results are the guidelines for optimising<br />

fuel quality by taking into account seasonal<br />

variations and as safe and dust-free a fuel<br />

handling design as possible using existing<br />

infrastructure for biomass-based fuels.<br />

The second part of the project deals with the<br />

combustion characteristics of biomass fuels.<br />

The results will be applied in evaluating suitable<br />

fuel blends to be used in large-scale power<br />

generation. The objective is to define a safe<br />

and optimal portion of different biomass fuels<br />

in a fuel blend for large-scale boilers. Co-firing<br />

tests are carried out with 0.05MWfuel and<br />

5MWfuel CFB pilot test rigs and at a full-scale<br />

590MWfuel CFB boiler. Additionally, one task<br />

involves the analysis and selection of the best<br />

Mediterranean fuels for combustion in biomassfired<br />

boilers. This is carried out based on<br />

economical and technical criteria. The objective<br />

in this is to find adequate fuel blends for co-firing<br />

in the Mediterranean area.<br />

142<br />

Expected impact and exploitation<br />

On one hand, co-firing provides an alternative to<br />

achieve emission reductions. This is not only<br />

accomplished by replacing fossil fuel with<br />

biomass, but also as a result of the interaction<br />

of fuel reactants of different origins (e.g. biomass<br />

vs. coal). On the other hand, utilisation of solid<br />

biofuels and wastes sets new demands for<br />

process control and boiler design, as well as for<br />

combustion technologies, fuel blend control and<br />

fuel handling systems. In the case of woodbased<br />

fuels this is because of their high reactivity,<br />

high moisture content and specific chemical<br />

composition.<br />

The case power plant, Alholmens Kraft,<br />

introduces the “best-practice” biomass/fossil fuel<br />

co-fired power plant concept with extremely<br />

diverse fuel selection – suitable to be replicated<br />

almost anywhere in Europe. By solving<br />

operational problems and reducing fuel-originated<br />

risks in combustion, the economics of co-fired<br />

power plants can be further improved.


From left to right: The logging residue is harvested and<br />

bundled in the forest. The bundles are transported to<br />

the power plant for crushing and combustion by using<br />

ordinary log transport lorries. Source: Timberjack<br />

Progress to date<br />

Valuable information has already been obtained<br />

about fuel storing and fuel handling systems.<br />

Dust emission studies at fuel receiving stations<br />

have been carried out in order to estimate the<br />

personnel’s exposure to dust. The total and<br />

inhalable airborne dust concentration (mg/m3) has been measured and the particle size<br />

distribution of the dust has been determined. A<br />

new automatic fuel sampling method has been<br />

tested and taken into operation. Also fuel crusher<br />

tests have been carried out.<br />

With the aid of the data acquired from the pilot<br />

tests, new causalities between the chemical<br />

composition of fuel/fuel ash and the risk of the<br />

formation of chlorine-bearing deposits have been<br />

found. This also includes the implications from<br />

the use of sorbents. Special attention has been<br />

paid to the effect of sulphur and aluminiumsilicate<br />

compounds on the formation of chlorinebearing<br />

deposits. Pilot and full-scale tests include<br />

test runs that cover a wide range of co-firing<br />

percentage. In addition to combustion tests,<br />

advanced chemical analyses and calculations<br />

play a major role in the project.<br />

Fouling propensity of biomass fuels in<br />

large-scale boilers (left) can be tested in<br />

both pilot and large-scale by exposing<br />

test probes to combustion gas flow<br />

(right). Source: VTT Processes<br />

143<br />

INFORMATION<br />

References: NNE5-291-2001<br />

Programme:<br />

FP5 - <strong>Energy</strong>, Environment and<br />

Sustainable Development<br />

Title:<br />

Maximum <strong>Bio</strong>mass Use and Efficiency<br />

in Large-scale Cofiring – BIOMAX<br />

Duration: 30 months<br />

Contact point:<br />

Pasi Vainikka<br />

VTT Processes<br />

Pasi.Vainikka@vtt.fi<br />

Partners:<br />

VTT (FIN)<br />

Alholmens Kraft (FIN)<br />

Fundación CIRCE (E)<br />

Kvaerner Power (FIN)<br />

Tech-Wise (DK)<br />

Aabo Akademi University (FIN)<br />

EC Scientific Officer:<br />

José Riesgo Villanueva<br />

Tel: +32-2-2957939<br />

Fax: +32-2-2966261<br />

jose.riesgo@cec.eu.int<br />

Status: Ongoing


Figure 3: Pilot scale test rig.<br />

CO-FGT<br />

Objectives<br />

The innovative Combined Flue Gas<br />

Treatment (CO-FGT) will treat fumes<br />

coming from a Utility Boiler firing coal and<br />

waste and a Municipal Solid Waste<br />

incineration, and aims at:<br />

• contributing to the reduction of<br />

emissions of dangerous substances, such<br />

as heavy metals, SO2 , NOx, dioxin,<br />

furans, HCl,<br />

• using an innovative highly reactive<br />

calcium-based sorbent, which will reduce<br />

the amount of reagent needed to absorb<br />

the air pollutants and hence reduce the<br />

reagent costs,<br />

• reducing the amount of secondary waste<br />

coming from the FGT itself,<br />

• reducing operative and installation costs<br />

of the incineration plants.<br />

A cost-effective flue<br />

gas treatment<br />

Challenges<br />

The project aims to:<br />

• decrease the overall CO2 emissions and reduce<br />

the import dependency for solid fuels for the<br />

EU by the introduction of solid municipal waste<br />

as biomass in coal fired power plants,<br />

• limit the drawbacks, such as flue gas<br />

emissions, with the introduction of biomass in<br />

co-combustion with solid fuels.<br />

All of the existing flue gas treatment processes<br />

(wet, dry or semi-dry) have advantages and<br />

disadvantages but none of them can be standalone<br />

processes. The new process can be<br />

classified as a semi-dry process (spray-drier)<br />

where an innovative calcium based sorbent will<br />

be applied, leading to a strong decrease in<br />

reactant consumption due to the increase of<br />

sorbent particles reactivity.<br />

Project structure<br />

The CO-FGT project will benefit from the<br />

experience of two flue gas manufacturers from<br />

Italy and Germany, two lime producers from Italy<br />

and Spain and one incinerator from Italy.<br />

An experimental institute from Italy is the RTD<br />

performer.<br />

Expected impact and exploitation<br />

The CO-FGT project will have a double impact for<br />

EU social objectives. The first impact is due to<br />

its own technological progress, and the second<br />

is related to the contribution of such a project in<br />

the development of alternative energy sources,<br />

such as biomass.<br />

144<br />

The SMEs of the consortium intend to exploit the<br />

results, partially by selling licences to companies<br />

in the flue gas treatment manufacturing field. The<br />

result of this project will be disseminated to a<br />

large number of incinerators upon whom<br />

<strong>European</strong> Waste Management depends.<br />

Progress to date<br />

The bibliographic review, the data collection and<br />

the successive statistical analysis have supplied<br />

an overview of the <strong>European</strong> situation in terms<br />

of technological distribution, which foresees the<br />

possible impact of the penetration of the CO-FGT<br />

technology in the <strong>European</strong> market.<br />

The laboratory study was focused on the<br />

optimisation of a laboratory scale spray-drier<br />

reactor, which was able to reproduce on a smallscale<br />

conditions of reaction similar to the ones<br />

encountered in the flue gas stream coming from<br />

an incineration plant. Many tests have been<br />

performed varying the experimental conditions<br />

in terms of temperature, moisture fraction,<br />

residence time and atomisation conditions,<br />

characterising the final properties of the sorbents<br />

of different formulation. The surface area and<br />

porosity of the collected samples, along with their<br />

morphological aspect, have been used to<br />

estimate the possible efficiency of each sorbent.<br />

The evaluation of the preliminary results,<br />

obtained in the laboratory scale tests, have<br />

shown favourable and promising elements in<br />

terms of the expected properties of the prepared<br />

sorbent formulations. Some samples, having a


Figure 1: General layout of an incineration<br />

plant, with the average distribution I<br />

Europe of each sub-unit.<br />

high surface area in respect to commonly<br />

available commercial products and hence a high<br />

expected reactivity towards acid gases and micropollutants,<br />

have been obtained under particular<br />

but repeatable conditions, as shown in Figure 2<br />

for six different sorbent formulations and six<br />

different series of tests. Other positive<br />

technological properties of the new sorbent<br />

have been observed and quantified (good<br />

flowability, low agglomerating tendency and good<br />

grindability) which confirm and support the<br />

feasibility and potentiality of the proposed<br />

technology.<br />

The preliminary results collected and analysed<br />

until now, have shown the necessity to pass to<br />

a larger experimental scale in order to reproduce<br />

the real conditions of an industrial semi-dry<br />

scrubber. A pilot scale plant, shown in Figure 3,<br />

was built for this purpose and is now in the<br />

optimisation stage.<br />

This test rig is constituted by a medium scale<br />

boiler (250.000 kcal), able to produce a 300 Nm3 flue gas stream, a spray drier scrubber reactor<br />

with a vertical chamber 5 m long, and a fabric<br />

filter for dust removal and the simulation of the<br />

filter cake reactions. Specifically formulated<br />

fuels will be used to reproduce the flue gas<br />

concentrations typical of an incineration plant so<br />

that a complete evaluation of the abetment<br />

efficiency will be possible.<br />

Figure 2: Surface area of different sorbents under different<br />

experimental conditions<br />

145<br />

INFORMATION<br />

References: CRAFT-70808-1999<br />

Programme:<br />

FP5 - <strong>Energy</strong>, Environment and<br />

Sustainable Development<br />

Title:<br />

Innovative Combined Flue Gas Treatment<br />

for Refused Urban Waste – CO-FGT<br />

Duration: 24 months<br />

Contact point:<br />

Biagio Passaro<br />

Tel: +39 02 3452591<br />

bpassaro@espia.it<br />

Partners:<br />

GPC (I)<br />

ITAS (D)<br />

SEVERA (I)<br />

Calcisernia (I)<br />

Ciaries (E)<br />

EC Scientific Officer:<br />

Kyriakos Maniatis<br />

Tel: +32-2-2990293<br />

Fax: +32-2-2966261<br />

kyriakos.maniatis@cec.eu.int<br />

Status: Ongoing


HOTDISC<br />

Objectives<br />

Replacing fossil fuels with renewable fuel<br />

sources, such as biomass and combustible<br />

waste, has been proved to conserve<br />

natural resources, reduce emissions of<br />

harmful elements and provide solutions<br />

to climate change.<br />

However, until now, using pre-treatment<br />

to produce a fuel that can be used for<br />

energy purposes has presented a technical<br />

and economic barrier for a wider use of<br />

these solid alternative fuels in industrial<br />

combustion processes.<br />

The overall objective of the proposed<br />

project is, therefore, to increase the use<br />

of renewable fuel sources in industrial<br />

furnaces by allowing for direct<br />

co-combustion of a number of different<br />

lumpy sized fuels, thus eliminating the need<br />

for expensive pre-treatment of these fuels.<br />

The project comprised of the design and<br />

installation of a novel HOTDISC combustion<br />

reactor at a cement works and<br />

the demonstration of its ability to fulfil<br />

the defined specific, technical and<br />

economic objectives.<br />

No need for expensive<br />

pre-treatment of waste fuels<br />

Project structure<br />

The project consortium consists of the following<br />

partners:<br />

- NORCEM A.S, Norway, as the owners of the<br />

cement plant where the HOTDISC reactor is<br />

installed, are responsible for the installation work<br />

- F.L.Smidth A/S, Denmark, the inventors of the<br />

technology who also supply the equipment<br />

- Heidelberg Zement Group, Germany, are the<br />

owners of NORCEM and are a project exploiter<br />

- FFE Minerals Denmark A/S, who are part of the<br />

FLS Group and a project exploiter.<br />

Expected impact<br />

The consequences of implementing the project<br />

were estimated as follows:<br />

• Using about 20 000 ton/year of unprocessed<br />

renewable fuels to replace 25% of fossil fuels<br />

• Reducing emissions of GHG by 36.000 ton/year<br />

• Reducing power and operating costs, compared<br />

with traditional pre-treatment<br />

• Low investment costs and positive production<br />

costs<br />

• Reducing emissions of harmful compounds<br />

like NOx<br />

• Preserving jobs.<br />

146<br />

Results<br />

The project is in its final stages and can be<br />

classified as having been highly successful.<br />

Operation experience has been obtained for<br />

waste fuels like wood waste and tyres. The<br />

longest operation periods have been with car-and<br />

truck tyre pieces of about 200-300 mm. The key<br />

results have shown the following:<br />

- The HOTDISC reactor has proved very easy to<br />

operate, after overcoming some commissioning<br />

difficulties<br />

- Feeding at least 3 ton/h is achievable, this<br />

being equal to a reduction in coal consumption<br />

of the plant by about 35%<br />

- Due to the composition of the raw materials, the<br />

HOTDISC is usually operated at 2 tons tyre<br />

pieces/h, replacing 2 tons coal/h or 25% of the<br />

coal consumption and resulting in a reduction<br />

in CO2 outlets of about 36.000 ton/year<br />

- Emissions of NOx have dropped by about 15%<br />

- Emissions of CO are practically unchanged<br />

- No impact has been noted on the cement quality.


Exploitation<br />

The exploitation activities have commenced.<br />

NORCEM has started investigating the feasibility<br />

of operating with additional unprocessed waste<br />

fuels and F.L.Smidth has begun working on<br />

HOTDISC projects in other countries.<br />

3D Stretch of HOTDISC.<br />

147<br />

INFORMATION<br />

References: NNE5-255-2001<br />

Programme:<br />

FP5 - <strong>Energy</strong>, Environment and<br />

Sustainable Development<br />

Title:<br />

Novel Reactor System for Utilisation of<br />

Unprocessed <strong>Bio</strong>mass and Waste Fuels<br />

to Replace Fossil Fuels – HOTDISC<br />

Duration: 40 months<br />

Contact point:<br />

Niels Anderson<br />

F.L. Smidth AVS<br />

Tel: +45-36182680<br />

Fax: +45-36301820<br />

niels.andersen@flsmidth.com<br />

Partners:<br />

F.L. Smidth (DK)<br />

FFE Minerals Denmark (DK)<br />

Heidelcement (D)<br />

Norcem (NO)<br />

EC Scientific Officer:<br />

José Riesgo Villanueva<br />

Tel: +32-2-2957939<br />

Fax: +32-2-2966261<br />

jose.riesgo@cec.eu.int<br />

Status: Ongoing


POWERFLAM2<br />

Objectives<br />

The programme aims to coordinate and<br />

provide synergy between results obtained<br />

from a range of different complimentary<br />

techniques to allow substantial increases<br />

in the co-firing of biomass and bio-waste<br />

materials with coal in large utility boilers.<br />

The techniques to be used range from<br />

measurements obtained on large utility<br />

boilers, to those on pilot and simulation<br />

rigs and various laboratory techniques.<br />

These measurements will be used to<br />

correlate and calibrate computational fluid<br />

dynamic (CFD) simulations of the various<br />

complex processes occurring (see figure<br />

1). This will be followed by neural network<br />

analysis of the plethora of data obtained to<br />

provide working tools for the utility<br />

operators. When integrated together, it will<br />

allow operators of large pulverised coal<br />

boilers to evaluate the effects of different<br />

levels of substituting / co-firing upon the<br />

whole performance of the boiler.<br />

PowerFlam2 programme<br />

Background<br />

Fossil fuel is still the main source of energy<br />

conversion for the power industry. It is likely to<br />

be dominant for many years to come since the<br />

development of renewable energies, in terms of<br />

affordable and reliable technology, is low.<br />

Electricity generation via fossil fuel is in the<br />

100’s MW per installation whereas equivalent<br />

biomass output is generally in the 10’s of MW<br />

range. Europe has to face the fact that<br />

generations using traditional fuels are<br />

fundamental to the increasing demand for energy.<br />

The use of coal within this sector is also vital to<br />

meet the needs of supply and demand. The<br />

infrastructure is well established and the<br />

technology is mature, but the environmental<br />

consequences are also known. Fuel substitution<br />

offers a route to use the existing <strong>European</strong><br />

power plant infrastructure to reduce the<br />

equivalent amount of available carbon for energy<br />

conversion, thereby having a considerable<br />

influence on CO2 reduction from this crucial<br />

industrial sector.<br />

Challenges<br />

Although co-firing of biomass and bio-waste has<br />

been practised in a number of plants, the practice<br />

is not widespread. A recent survey by a trade<br />

association representing large utilities, VGB<br />

Powertech E.V. (formerly VGB Technishe<br />

Vereinigung Der Grosskraftwerksbetreiber E.V.),<br />

showed that only 29 out of 353 power plants<br />

surveyed employed any form of co-firing. Barriers<br />

to substantially increased co-firing arise from a<br />

number of technical, economic and operational<br />

factors. A number of critical technical factors have<br />

been identified, including the effects of the co-<br />

148<br />

firing fuel on slagging and fouling in<br />

the system, downstream deNOx systems,<br />

environmental impact and the quality /<br />

marketability of the ash. There are no models or<br />

techniques at the moment that would allow an<br />

operator of a large utility boiler to ascertain<br />

whether a particular form of biomass material or<br />

waste can be successfully co-fired.<br />

Programme structure<br />

The programme will be delivered by a consortium,<br />

including three universities, two major research<br />

laboratories, three large utility operators and<br />

the VGB Powertech E.V. The core of the work<br />

involves the use of several novel laboratory and<br />

pilot scale rigs that provide different experimental<br />

information concerning the behaviour of the fuel<br />

blends in different conditions. Complimentary<br />

modelling work with CFD and neural networks will<br />

be undertaken to better describe the processes<br />

occurring both in the rigs and large boilers (see<br />

figures 2 and 3).<br />

Expected impact<br />

New test methods will be created for fuel blends<br />

using several different laboratory / pilot scale rigs<br />

that will individually give different information on,<br />

for example, ignition, volatile evolution and<br />

slagging. Extensive modelling results using CFD<br />

and neural network analysis will be correlated and<br />

calibrated using results from laboratory and<br />

large co-fired plant experiments. The information<br />

obtained will be in a format that can be integrated<br />

with systems that utility operators are able to use<br />

to make judgments on realistic fuel blends and<br />

levels of substitution for optimum performance.


Figure 1: Mesh for Two Stage Combustor<br />

Geometry used in CFD Software.<br />

Progress to date<br />

The start date for the programme was<br />

1 January 2003. The first meeting of the<br />

programme steering committee took place at<br />

ENEL Produzione in Pisa, Italy on the 29 January<br />

2003. Coordination and communication<br />

strategies were developed by the partners to<br />

ensure the effective transfer of data and<br />

information.<br />

The PowerFlam2 website is near completion,<br />

which will allow the general public access to<br />

information relating to the programme<br />

(http://www.powerflam.ifrf.net/pf2). Each partner<br />

is authenticated and this allows them secure<br />

access to the website and the ability to exchange<br />

sensitive information.<br />

Pilot rigs and experimental techniques have<br />

been created to generate the data required for<br />

correlation and calibration of the computer<br />

simulations. Large utility operators are preparing<br />

for large-scale co-firing experiments that will<br />

generate vital data that can be used with the<br />

development of the computer simulations. Fuel<br />

preparation is an important aspect of the<br />

programme and has been centralised to ensure<br />

stability in the fuel composition. Currently the fuel<br />

requirements of each partner are being assessed<br />

so that fuel preparation can commence.<br />

Figure 2: CFD Static Temperature Profile of a 500kW<br />

Down Fired Furnace.<br />

149<br />

Figure 3: CFD Mesh Quality Check for a 500kW Burner.<br />

INFORMATION<br />

References: NNE5-907-2001<br />

Programme:<br />

FP5 - <strong>Energy</strong>, Environment and<br />

Sustainable Development<br />

Title:<br />

Studies of Fuel Blend Properties in Boilers<br />

and Simulation Rigs to Increase <strong>Bio</strong>mass<br />

and <strong>Bio</strong>-waste Materials Used for Co-firing<br />

in Pulverised Coal Fired Boilers –<br />

POWERFLAM2<br />

Duration: 36 months<br />

Contact point:<br />

Steven Morris<br />

University of Wales Cardiff<br />

MorrisSM@Cardiff.ac.uk<br />

Partners:<br />

University of Wales (UK)<br />

IFRF Research Station (NL)<br />

VGB Powertech (D)<br />

Electricité de France – Division R&D (F)<br />

ENEL Produzione (I)<br />

Laborelec (F)<br />

Insytut Energetyki (PL)<br />

TU Clausthal (D)<br />

University of Glamorgan (IRL)<br />

EC Scientific Officer:<br />

José Riesgo Villanueva<br />

Tel: +32-2-2957939<br />

Fax: +32-2-2966261<br />

jose.riesgo@cec.eu.int<br />

Status: Ongoing


Figure 2: Concrete mixture with fly<br />

ash, Self Compacting Concrete.<br />

(Source:Vattenfall).<br />

UCOR<br />

Objectives<br />

The co-combustion of biomass together<br />

with coal in existing large-scale firing<br />

systems offers several advantages; for<br />

example, the possibility to utilise a large<br />

quantity of biomass at lower investment<br />

costs compared with systems exclusively<br />

fired with biomass. An obstacle for the<br />

co-combustion of bio fuels in power plants<br />

is the possible effect on the common<br />

commercial utilisation of the fly ash.<br />

Actual <strong>European</strong> data show that residues<br />

from pure coal combustion are used almost<br />

completely as aggregates in building<br />

materials. Since power plant residues from<br />

co-combustion are not included in the<br />

relevant <strong>European</strong> norms, for example<br />

EN 450, a review of the <strong>European</strong><br />

legislation on ash disposal, utilisation and<br />

national amendments is urgently required<br />

and already ongoing. It is the aim of this<br />

project to provide sufficient data about<br />

the properties of co-combustion residues<br />

in order to support a review of <strong>European</strong><br />

legislation, to indicate further utilisation<br />

possibilities and therefore enhance<br />

the commercial utilisation of fly ash from<br />

co-combustion as products.<br />

Supporting biomass<br />

co-combustion for a cleaner<br />

power production<br />

Solving problems and giving<br />

recommendations for fly ash utilisation<br />

derived from biomass co-combustion in<br />

pulverised fuel fired boilers<br />

Project structure<br />

The present RT&D project supported by the<br />

<strong>European</strong> Commission entitled ‘Utilisation of<br />

residues from biomass co-combustion in<br />

pulverised coal boilers’ (UCOR), with the contract<br />

number NNE/1999/366, started on 1 October<br />

2000 with a project period of 36 months.<br />

The project consortium consists of six partners<br />

from different areas in the fields of power<br />

production, energy research and analytical<br />

laboratories.<br />

The project work programme consists mainly of<br />

three tasks.<br />

The first task, mainly focussing on theoretical<br />

work, gives an overview about fly ash amounts,<br />

utilisation rates and different applied ways<br />

of fly ash utilisation in Europe. An overview<br />

about the status of biomass co-combustion in<br />

pulverised fired boilers in Europe is part of the<br />

theoretical work too. A data bank concerning<br />

chemical composition, physical and construction<br />

behaviour of co-combustion derived fly ashes<br />

is established. The data bank consists of fly<br />

ash information about main and trace elements,<br />

leaching behaviour (according to DIN EN 38414),<br />

particle size distribution, loss on ignition (LOI),<br />

Na2O-equivalent, density and construction<br />

behaviour (fly ash in concrete, according to EN<br />

450) like water/ash-ratio, free lime and strength.<br />

150<br />

Additionally, information about the used fuels,<br />

power plants, test facilities, combustion<br />

parameters and analysis methods are given.<br />

From the ash data collection and the experience<br />

of the project partners, parameters were<br />

established and also select fuel mixtures for<br />

carrying out the co-combustion experiments.<br />

The second task contains the accomplishment<br />

of co-combustion test runs and fly ash analysis.<br />

Different power plants and pilot scale test<br />

facilities from Vattenfall, Techwise (Elsam),<br />

Verbund and IVD are involved in this part of the<br />

project. All the power plants and the test facility<br />

are based on pulverised fuel fired technology and<br />

have the possibility for co-combustion of different<br />

shares of biomass and waste, like straw, wood,<br />

peat and sewage sludge. The following analysis<br />

of the fly ashes enfolded the points, which are<br />

the content of the project ash data bank,<br />

described above. In Figure 1, for example, is<br />

shown the influence of co-combustion on fly ash<br />

particle shape. The picture on the left shows a<br />

fly ash derived from hard coal mono combustion<br />

and the right hand picture shows fly ash derived<br />

from co-combustion of 47-% wood. Both fly ashes<br />

were produced with the same coal, in the same<br />

test facility under the same combustion<br />

conditions. Co-combustion derived fly ashes<br />

have a more porous particle shape than the fly<br />

ashes derived from hard coal mono-combustion.<br />

Figure 2 shows experiments with Self-Compacting<br />

Concrete (SCC) carried out by Vattenfall.


The advantage of fly ash in concrete is the ‘ball<br />

bearing effect’ of the fine spherical fly ash<br />

particles in the concrete mixture. It has a positive<br />

influence on the flow behaviour of concrete.<br />

The last task is the evaluation of all collected<br />

fly ash analysis data. As result of this task<br />

recommendations will be prepared for ash<br />

utilisation and a guideline will be produced. The<br />

recommendations will compare analysis data<br />

of fly ashes derived from mono-, co- and pure<br />

biomass combustion to map the influence of<br />

different kinds and shares of secondary fuel<br />

on fly ash quality. Additionally, different ways of<br />

utilisation will be given in the recommendations.<br />

The guideline, as a summary of the recommendations,<br />

will describe the expected influences<br />

of co-combustion of secondary fuels on fly ash<br />

quality and can therefore be used by power<br />

plant operators or authorities for the revision<br />

of standards and regulations concerning<br />

co-combustion derived fly ash utilisation.<br />

Figure 1: SEM-Pictures of fly ashes: the picture on the left shows fly ash derived by mono-hard coal combustion;<br />

on the right, fly ash derived from co-combustion of hard coal with 47 wt-% wood. (Source: mpa).<br />

Expected impact and exploitation<br />

<strong>Bio</strong>mass / coal co-firing activities, both in the<br />

retrofit and new plant markets, are expected to<br />

expand significantly, particularly in Northern<br />

Europe but also elsewhere in the world. This will<br />

happen over the next five to ten years as<br />

concerns about the global warming issue are<br />

translated into direct actions to minimise CO2<br />

emissions from power plants. It is important<br />

that the <strong>European</strong> suppliers have the design<br />

and support methods in place, which will<br />

allow full participation in this market. As<br />

operational problems of co-combustion seem<br />

to be manageable, the compulsion to deposit the<br />

fly ashes prevents an economic use of this<br />

technique. A new legislation allowing an<br />

economic use of the residues from co-combustion<br />

will lead <strong>European</strong> co-combustion plant manufacturers<br />

and operators to the pole position in<br />

the worldwide market.<br />

151<br />

INFORMATION<br />

References: NNE5-366-1999<br />

Programme:<br />

FP5 - <strong>Energy</strong>, Environment and<br />

Sustainable Development<br />

Title:<br />

Utilization of Residues from <strong>Bio</strong>mass<br />

Co-Combustion in Pulverized Coal<br />

Boilers – UCOR<br />

Duration: 36 months<br />

Contact point:<br />

Sven Unterberger<br />

Universität Stuttgart<br />

Tel: +49-711-6853572<br />

unterberger@ivd.uni-stuttgart.de<br />

Partners:<br />

Universität Stuttgart (D)<br />

Vattenfall (S)<br />

Tech-Wise (DK)<br />

Verbund-Umwelttechnik (A)<br />

MPA – Labor für Materialprüfung<br />

und -analyse (D)<br />

National Technical University of Athens (GR)<br />

Website: http://www.eu-projects.de/UCOR<br />

EC Scientific Officer:<br />

Kyriakos Maniatis<br />

Tel: +32-2-2990293<br />

Fax: +32-2-2966261<br />

kyriakos.maniatis@cec.eu.int<br />

Status: Ongoing


BIOCOGEN<br />

Objectives<br />

The main goal of the <strong>Bio</strong>Cogen network is:<br />

• To provide technical and economic data<br />

and deal with key issues for<br />

implementation of biomass CHP in<br />

Europe, with the aim of facilitating<br />

26Mtoe biomass CHP installations by<br />

2010.<br />

This goal will be reached through:<br />

• A market analysis of biomass CHP in<br />

the <strong>European</strong> Union (EU) and selected<br />

Eastern <strong>European</strong> countries;<br />

• Provision of information on the current<br />

situation on biomass CHP in the EU<br />

and selected Eastern <strong>European</strong> countries;<br />

• Identification of differences between<br />

countries or regions within the same<br />

country as regards cost efficiencies<br />

and environmental performance in<br />

comparison with the targets set by<br />

the EU;<br />

• Determination of the factors which foster<br />

or hinder biomass CHP;<br />

• Dissemination of the results through<br />

educational/training activities as well as<br />

through the development of a website on<br />

biomass CHP.<br />

<strong>Bio</strong>mass cogeneration<br />

network<br />

Challenges<br />

Despite the wide-ranging and important benefits<br />

that biomass CHP offers, its penetration into the<br />

energy sector has been very limited in most<br />

<strong>European</strong> countries. This Accompanying Measure<br />

intends to provide technical and economic<br />

data and deal with the key issues in the<br />

implementation of biomass CHP in Europe, with<br />

the aim of facilitating:<br />

• The achievement of the White Paper target of<br />

6 Mtoe of biomass fuels being used in co-firing<br />

plants by 2010;<br />

• Identification of the best options in terms of<br />

resource and technology to reach the cost<br />

targets of 1500 Euro/ kWe and 0.05 Euro/kWh<br />

investment and electricity production cost;<br />

• The achievement of the strategic priority<br />

of 26 Mtoe in CHP installations by 2010.<br />

Project structure<br />

The project brings together partners from five<br />

countries of the <strong>European</strong> Union, four countries<br />

of Eastern Europe and a <strong>European</strong> technical<br />

institute. The know-how and experience of all<br />

partners cover every aspect of production and<br />

use of biofuels, and of biomass cogeneration.<br />

<strong>Bio</strong>Cogen comprises six work packages: WP1<br />

details the network management, providing the<br />

basic infrastructure needed to operate it. WP2<br />

reviews national and international activities on<br />

biomass CHP. In WP3, a market analysis is<br />

performed on biomass CHP in the EU and<br />

selected Eastern <strong>European</strong> countries. Having<br />

ascertained the current situation and the<br />

peculiarities of biomass CHP at a <strong>European</strong> and<br />

national level, WP4 deals with the drawing up<br />

of a detailed survey of biomass CHP plants.<br />

152<br />

Surveying is based on uniform questionnaires<br />

which focus primarily on the existing biomass<br />

CHP plants and then on the other target groups<br />

involved in biomass CHP deployment (ministries,<br />

utilities, industry, RTD institutes, and consumers).<br />

In WP5, factors that hinder or foster biomass<br />

CHP are identified, thereby facilitating the<br />

determination of existing or future flagship<br />

projects. Finally, WP6 focuses on the<br />

dissemination of the results of the network<br />

through educational and training activities as<br />

well as through the development of an interactive<br />

website on biomass CHP.<br />

Expected impact and exploitation<br />

The aim of the project is to facilitate the<br />

penetration of biomass, in particular biomass<br />

cogeneration, in the EU energy market by<br />

analysing all key aspects and suggesting<br />

measures for its future development. <strong>Bio</strong>Cogen<br />

provides up-to-date knowledge on:<br />

• biomass cogeneration and the respective<br />

policy framework;<br />

• existing biomass cogeneration plants (including<br />

technical data); and<br />

• analysis of the market for biomass<br />

cogeneration.<br />

<strong>Bio</strong>Cogen will improve our understanding of the<br />

benefits that biomass CHP presents and how<br />

these may be achieved. <strong>Bio</strong>mass CHP offers<br />

important benefits across several sectors in<br />

Europe, as shown below:<br />

Industry and other investors<br />

• energy solutions<br />

• solutions for waste streams<br />

• financial returns commensurate with risk


Environment<br />

• reduce emissions of greenhouse gases and<br />

other pollutants: biomass cogeneration is near<br />

CO2 neutral on the life-cycle basis.<br />

• reduce impacts from waste disposal<br />

<strong>Energy</strong><br />

• help enable decentralisation and thus flexibility<br />

• help competition<br />

• improve efficiency of energy conversion<br />

• avoid electricity transmission and distribution<br />

losses<br />

• achieve greater use of renewable energy<br />

• help improve local energy security<br />

• reduce fuel import needs at national and<br />

regional level<br />

Agriculture and forestry<br />

• enable diversification<br />

• create rural revenue streams<br />

• create jobs<br />

• help to improve land management practices<br />

such as forestry thinning and clearing<br />

Competitiveness<br />

• stimulate development of technologies and<br />

services with worldwide applications<br />

<strong>Bio</strong>Cogen has strong links with IEA activities:<br />

IEA <strong>Bio</strong>energy Task 38 provides life-cycle analysis<br />

tools to assess the benefits of biomass CHP<br />

compared with fossil CHP; and<br />

IEA <strong>Bio</strong>energy Task 29 brings to <strong>Bio</strong>Cogen<br />

knowledge of the socio-economic benefits related<br />

to the implementation of biomass CHP.<br />

Also, it is notable that <strong>Bio</strong>Cogen includes transfer<br />

of knowledge between EU countries and<br />

participating Eastern <strong>European</strong> countries through<br />

exchange of personnel and training, and<br />

workshops to promote biomass CHP in these<br />

countries.<br />

In addition, the project contributes to the<br />

mobilisation of human resources involved with<br />

biomass CHP in Europe through workshops,<br />

training and educational activities etc., aiming to<br />

assist in the deployment of policy priorities as<br />

stated in the <strong>European</strong> Research Area with<br />

regard to biomass cogeneration.<br />

<strong>Bio</strong>Cogen is a unique initiative – there is no<br />

similar mechanism currently focusing on biomass<br />

CHP in Europe.<br />

Progress to date<br />

The work has progressed according to plan.<br />

There has been considerable interest in the<br />

work from industry, trade associations and<br />

related EU and national initiatives. Links and<br />

dialogue have benefited both <strong>Bio</strong>Cogen and<br />

these stakeholders.<br />

• Review of national activities on biomass CHP<br />

completed.<br />

• Information on current status of biomass CHP<br />

in EU and selected Eastern <strong>European</strong> countries<br />

collected;<br />

• Market analysis of biomass CHP in the EU<br />

and selected Eastern <strong>European</strong> Countries is<br />

being finalised;<br />

• Determination of the factors that foster or<br />

hinder biomass CHP is being completed;<br />

• Identification of ‘flagship’ projects is being<br />

finalised; and<br />

• Dissemination of results is ongoing.<br />

153<br />

INFORMATION<br />

References: ENK5-CT-2001-80525<br />

Programme:<br />

FP5 - <strong>Energy</strong>, Environment and<br />

Sustainable Development<br />

Title:<br />

<strong>Bio</strong>mass Cogeneration Network –<br />

BIOCOGEN<br />

Duration: 24 months<br />

Contact point:<br />

Calliope PANOUTSOU<br />

Centre for Renewable <strong>Energy</strong> Sources<br />

ppanouts@cres.gr<br />

Partners:<br />

Centre for Renewable<br />

<strong>Energy</strong> Sources (GR)<br />

TV <strong>Energy</strong> (UK)<br />

Institut Technique Européen<br />

du Bois- Energie (F)<br />

Sveriges Lantbrukeuniversitet (S)<br />

Joanneum (A)<br />

VTT (FIN)<br />

<strong>Energy</strong> Institute “Hrvoje Pozar” (CZ)<br />

Slovenian Forestry Institute (SI)<br />

Ecolinks- Regional Environmental<br />

Committee (BG)<br />

TUBITAK- Marmara Research Centre (TR)<br />

EnergiGruppen Jylland a/s (DK)<br />

EC Scientific Officer:<br />

Garbiñe Guiu Etxeberria<br />

Tel: +32-2-2990538<br />

Fax: +32-2-2993694<br />

garbine.guiu@cec.eu.int<br />

Status: Ongoing


BGGE<br />

Objectives<br />

The 13 MW CHP Plant Based On <strong>Bio</strong>mass<br />

Gasifier With Gas Engines (BGGE) project<br />

started in 2001 with FLS Miljø (DK) as the<br />

project co-ordinator. Other partners<br />

are Lemvig Varmevaerk A.m.b.A. (DK),<br />

Carbona Inc. (FIN), Jenbacher AG (A),<br />

and <strong>Energy</strong>Power Resources Ltd. (UK).<br />

The main objective of this project is to<br />

demonstrate and optimise a novel CHP<br />

plant based on biomass gasification on a<br />

full scale (13 MW thermal input). In this<br />

plant, four biogas-fuelled engines will<br />

produce electricity (4 MWe) from gasified<br />

biomass, while the district heat (8 MWth)<br />

will be produced in various heat<br />

exchangers.<br />

Since this is the first time that some of<br />

the main plant components will be built<br />

and integrated on this scale, one important<br />

objective of this project will be the process<br />

optimisation and demonstration of such<br />

integration.<br />

The ultimate goal is to make this<br />

technology competitive with power plants<br />

based on fossil fuel.<br />

CHP plant based on biomass<br />

gasifier and gas engines<br />

Project structure<br />

FLS Miljø is the project coordinator and is<br />

responsible for all technical aspects and<br />

execution of this project. Lemvig Varmevaerk is<br />

the investor, is providing the site for BGGE plant<br />

and will be the end-user of this plant. Together<br />

with a sub-contractor VTT, Carbona is providing<br />

the know-how in biomass gasification and bio-gas<br />

clean-up, and will provide analytical services, data<br />

analysis and will participate in the plant’s<br />

optimisation programme.<br />

Jenbacher is the internal combustion engines<br />

supplier and will perform testing and optimisation<br />

activities. EPR will participate in the BGGE plant<br />

optimisation and technology dissemination, in<br />

particular in the UK.<br />

Challenges<br />

The major innovative parts of the project relate<br />

to the gasification and clean-up of the biogas<br />

from mixed wood biofuel, in particular the tars,<br />

while the major aim with the gas engines is<br />

to increase the power output by up to 30%<br />

and demonstrate reliable operation and long life.<br />

The major risks associated with BGGE plant can<br />

be summarised as:<br />

• Potential for catalyst deactivation;<br />

• Gasifier integration into process; and<br />

• Performance and life of IC engines.<br />

154<br />

Expected benefits<br />

The direct benefits of the innovative BGGE plant<br />

for the EU can be summarised as<br />

follows:<br />

1. Based on biomass thermal input of 13 MW,<br />

the plant will generate 8 MWth district heat and<br />

4 MWe electricity, based on CO2-neutral green<br />

energy.<br />

2. The overall efficiency will be 86% while electric<br />

efficiency will be 29%.<br />

3. An annual output of 50,000 MWh of district<br />

heat and 22,000 MWh electricity.<br />

4. The plant will gasify 2.8 tonnes/hour of mixed<br />

wood biofuel and use biogas in gas engines<br />

for electricity production.<br />

5. It will reduce CO2 emissions by 13,000 tonnes<br />

per year.<br />

6. The plant will provide a major part of the<br />

district heating requirements covered by the<br />

existing plant.<br />

7. It will create a number of new permanent<br />

jobs in plant operation and biomass handling.<br />

8. It will serve as a reference plant for the<br />

dissemination of this novel technology.


Progress to date<br />

All the design and engineering for the BGGE<br />

plant has been completed. The new CHP plant<br />

will be established as a biomass gasification<br />

plant with gas engines. The gasification reactor<br />

is a one-stage atmospheric fluid-bed gasifier<br />

with air as the gasification media. <strong>Bio</strong>gas<br />

produced in the gasifier will be cleaned first in<br />

a cyclone with subsequent tar removal in a<br />

catalytic cracker and the remaining particulate<br />

removal in a bag filter. Electricity production<br />

takes place in four gas engines coupled to<br />

generators. District heat is produced in various<br />

heat exchangers and gas engines. The BGGE<br />

plant is designed to cover (together with the<br />

existing biogas engine) 90% of Lemvig total<br />

district heat production of ca. 300 TJ/year<br />

(2003/04).<br />

The key data for the plant are as follows:<br />

• <strong>Bio</strong>gas CHP plant– 1.9 MWe og 2.5 MJ/s<br />

district heat<br />

• <strong>Bio</strong>mass CHP plant – peak load: 5.7 MWe og<br />

10.4 MJ/s district heat<br />

• Wood pellets boiler – 2 x 4.7 MJ/s heat<br />

• Oil boiler – 11 + 7 MJ/s heat<br />

• <strong>Bio</strong>gas boiler – 4 +1 MJ/s heat<br />

• Heat accumulation tank – 1,100 m3 Figure 1: shows the plan of the BGGE plant.<br />

Project delay<br />

Figure 2: Process flow diagram for BGGE plant.<br />

The Lemvig county authorities have approved<br />

the proposal for a BGGE plant and the signing of<br />

the contract was expected in January 2001.<br />

Unfortunately, there was a change in Danish<br />

government with the new one putting forward a<br />

completely new policy on renewable energy. This<br />

delayed the signing of the contract and eventually<br />

Lemvig decided not to build BGGE plant. As a<br />

consequence, the rest of the partners have<br />

been looking for an alternative site. Skive<br />

combine heat and power plant in northern Jutland<br />

is a major candidate to demonstrate this<br />

technology.<br />

155<br />

INFORMATION<br />

References: NNE5-124-2000<br />

Programme:<br />

FP5 - <strong>Energy</strong>, Environment and<br />

Sustainable Development<br />

Title:<br />

13 MW CHP Plant Based on <strong>Bio</strong>mass<br />

Gasifier with Gas Engines – BGGE<br />

Duration: 36 months<br />

Contact point:<br />

Vladimir Boscac<br />

FLS Miljø A/S<br />

Tel: +45-36181100<br />

Fax: +45-36174599<br />

vlb@flsmiljo.com<br />

Partners:<br />

FLS Miljø (DK)<br />

<strong>Energy</strong> Power Resources (UK)<br />

Jenbacher AG (A)<br />

CARBONA (FIN)<br />

Lemvig Varmevaerk (DK)<br />

EC Scientific Officer:<br />

Kyriakos Maniatis<br />

Tel: +32-2-2990293<br />

Fax: +32-2-2966261<br />

kyriakos.maniatis@cec.eu.int<br />

Status: Ongoing


BIO-GASCAT-<br />

POWER<br />

Objectives<br />

The objective of the project is the design,<br />

installation and operation of a 1MWe-scale<br />

green biomass powered facility based on<br />

the gasification technology. The proposed<br />

methodology is totally innovative since it<br />

combines the bubbling bed gasification<br />

technology with the monolith catalytic<br />

cracking of incurring tars before the fuel<br />

gas engines.<br />

Green energy<br />

Problems addressed<br />

The energy utilisation of green biomass is held<br />

back by the incurring tar content of the fuel gas<br />

produced. This causes irreversible damage to the<br />

gas engines since it blocks the pipe system<br />

within them. This problem is being confronted<br />

through the catalytic cracking of tars before their<br />

introduction into the gas engines. The project will<br />

also address a major environmental and disposal<br />

problem concerning biomass residues, which<br />

is faced by numerous local authorities in the<br />

regions of the EU.<br />

Project structure<br />

The project implementation strategy is based on<br />

a team of excellence and relies on a multidisciplinary<br />

approach in order to execute a logical<br />

and performance-guided sequence of work<br />

packages for its successful completion. The aim<br />

is to demonstrate a full-scale gasification plant<br />

for the production of renewable energy. The<br />

innovative process has been designed in order<br />

to upgrade biomass residues to a clean fuel<br />

gas and subsequently to power; an approach that<br />

can find numerous applications at a regional<br />

level in the EU.<br />

The consortium is led by ENVITEC, the most<br />

experienced company in Greece on environmental<br />

technology, while expert teams provide technical<br />

expertise for the design of the plant. In addition,<br />

the plant will solve a major environmental<br />

problem for the Municipality of Nea Makri (EL),<br />

while at the same time assisting with the<br />

integration of bioenergy projects with the local<br />

community.<br />

156<br />

The individual parts of the project have already<br />

been developed. However, the integration of all<br />

components is unique. The work is divided into<br />

work packages (WP) covering the design,<br />

construction, assembly, commissioning, demonstration<br />

and monitoring as well as actions to<br />

improve the acceptability of bio-energy by the local<br />

population. Although it is not technical, the<br />

consortium considers the last WP as being very<br />

critical in order to overcome the non-technical<br />

barriers by the population of the regions of the<br />

<strong>European</strong> Union for bio-energy penetration. The<br />

project will finally prove the technical and<br />

economic viability of the proposed innovative<br />

technology and its suitability for power generation.<br />

The technology also has a very high export<br />

potential, thus supporting <strong>European</strong> SMEs.<br />

Expected impact and exploitation<br />

The results expected from the project will<br />

demonstrate the successful design and efficient<br />

operation of a biomass gasification power<br />

generating plant. Over a period of one year, the<br />

operation and monitoring will demonstrate the<br />

overall technical reliability, environmental<br />

soundness and economic viability of the<br />

proposed methodology.<br />

Dissemination activities carried out during<br />

the course of the project will raise awareness<br />

and encourage replication of the opportunities<br />

and potential of the proposed technology, not<br />

only in the <strong>European</strong> Union but also on a worldwide<br />

scale.


Figure 1: Flow Chart.<br />

Moreover, the project intends to address all<br />

those limitations that restrain the wide<br />

exploitation of biomass gasification. This will<br />

be achieved through the technical solutions<br />

provided to all the process phases (pre-treatment<br />

of biomass residues, fluidised bed gasification,<br />

adequate gas cleaning and specially modified gas<br />

engine/generator).<br />

Progress to date<br />

The project is at the design phase, while<br />

construction of the digestion plant is in the<br />

pipeline.<br />

Figure 2: Gas Engine.<br />

157<br />

INFORMATION<br />

References: NNE5-312-2000<br />

Programme:<br />

FP5 - <strong>Energy</strong>, Environment and<br />

Sustainable Development<br />

Title:<br />

A 1M‹We <strong>Bio</strong>mass Fluidised Bed Gasifier<br />

Power Plant with Catalytic Conversion of<br />

Tars – BIO-GASCAT-POWER<br />

Duration: 48 months<br />

Contact point:<br />

Panagiotis Kalogeropoulos<br />

ENVITEC SA<br />

Tel: +30-210-6855560<br />

Fax: +30-210-6855564<br />

envitec@envitec.gr<br />

Partners:<br />

ENVITEC (GR)<br />

Vrije Universiteit Brussel (B)<br />

Universidad Complutense de Madrid (E)<br />

Municipality of Nea Makri (GR)<br />

Jenbacher AG (A)<br />

EC Scientific Officer:<br />

Kyriakos Maniatis<br />

Tel: +32-2-2992093<br />

Fax: +32-2966261<br />

kyriakos.maniatis@cec.eu.int<br />

Status: Ongoing


BIO-STERLING<br />

Objectives<br />

An efficient utilisation of biomass for<br />

energy, with a minimum of environmental<br />

impact, can be obtained when biomass<br />

is used for small-scale Combined Heat<br />

and Power (CHP) production in smaller<br />

cities and villages close to biomass<br />

production sites, as well as in the wood<br />

processing industries.<br />

The main objective of this project is to<br />

develop a small-scale biomass fired<br />

CHP plant based on a 75 kWel hermetically<br />

sealed Stirling engine. A pilot plant is<br />

manufactured, and the comprehensive<br />

test run will be performed using wood<br />

chips as fuel.<br />

75 kW stirling engine<br />

CHP-plant for biofuels<br />

For small-scale CHP systems using biomass as<br />

fuel, Stirling engines are a promising solution for<br />

installations with an electric power output below<br />

150 kW corresponding to a thermal output of 600<br />

- 800 kW. The advantage of the Stirling engine,<br />

compared to an IC-engine, is that the heat is not<br />

supplied to the cycle by combustion of the fuel<br />

inside the cylinder, but is transferred from the<br />

outside through a heat exchanger in the same<br />

way as in a steam boiler. Consequently, the<br />

combustion system for a Stirling engine can be<br />

based on well-known furnace technology,<br />

considerably reducing the problems of the<br />

utilisation of solid fuels.<br />

Stirling engines are based on a closed cycle,<br />

where the working gas is alternately compressed<br />

in a cold cylinder volume and expanded in a hot<br />

cylinder volume. The heat input from the<br />

combustion of fuel is transferred from the outside<br />

to the working gas through a hot heat exchanger<br />

(the heater) at a high temperature, typically<br />

between 950 K and 1050 K<br />

Challenges<br />

The problems concerning the utilisation of<br />

biofuels in a Stirling engine are concentrated on<br />

transferring the heat from the combustion of<br />

the fuel into the working gas. The temperature<br />

must be high in order to obtain an acceptable<br />

specific power output and efficiency, and the hot<br />

heat exchanger must be designed so that<br />

problems with fouling are minimised.<br />

The Stirling engine hot heat exchanger has been<br />

designed specifically for using biomass as fuel<br />

because of the high temperatures in the<br />

combustion chamber and the risk of fouling.<br />

158<br />

Advanced design tools, including numerical<br />

simulation programmes (NSP), have been utilised<br />

for the calculation of main characteristic<br />

parameters of the Stirling engine. Numerical<br />

optimisation programmes have been used for<br />

the optimisation of more than 20 parameters<br />

describing the cylinders, heat exchangers,<br />

regenerators and other components.<br />

The engine, which is designed for a nominal<br />

electric power output of 75 kW, has eight<br />

cylinders. Narrow passages in the heater section<br />

are avoided in order to for it to adapt to solid fuel<br />

combustion gases.<br />

In order to avoid leakage of the helium working<br />

gas to the surroundings, the engine is designed<br />

as a hermetically sealed unit with the generator<br />

incorporated in the pressurised crankcase just<br />

like the electric motor in a hermetically sealed<br />

compressor for refrigeration.<br />

The need for a high temperature in the Stirling<br />

engine hot heat exchanger also makes the design<br />

of the combustion system complicated.<br />

Therefore, the design of the combustion chamber<br />

is based on CFD calculations in combination<br />

with the above-mentioned MARS optimisation<br />

technique for improved performance and low<br />

emissions.<br />

The minimisation of fouling of the heat exchanger<br />

surfaces by aerosol and fly ash particles<br />

contained in the flue gas has also been taken into<br />

consideration. A specially adapted automatic<br />

heater cleaning system has been developed to<br />

achieve extended cleaning intervals for the heat<br />

exchanger, preventing hard deposit formation<br />

and limiting corrosion.


Project structure<br />

In order to develop the Stirling engine and<br />

the biomass combustion system, the project<br />

combines the scientific skills of two universities<br />

involved with the knowledge and experience of<br />

the companies involved.<br />

Technical University of Denmark is responsible<br />

for the development of the Stirling engine in<br />

co-operation with the company I.B. Bruun & Son,<br />

Denmark.<br />

BIOS, Austria, is responsible for the development<br />

and optimisation of the biomass combustion in<br />

co-operation with MAWERA, Austria, who is also<br />

responsible for the erection and testing of the<br />

biomass combustion system.<br />

The University of Bradford is responsible for<br />

implementing new optimisation techniques,<br />

which are used for optimising the Stirling engine<br />

and the combustion system.<br />

E.ON. Energie is responsible for the technoeconomic<br />

analysis of the overall CHP technology.<br />

Expected impact and exploitation<br />

The result of the project will offer a solution for<br />

simple, reliable, clean, efficient, safe and costeffective<br />

power production, utilising renewable<br />

energy.<br />

The new technology will have a positive socioeconomic<br />

impact on local communities and<br />

employment, especially in less favoured regions<br />

concerning employment and infrastructure.<br />

Small-scale CHP plants, close to the site of<br />

biomass production, result in a reduction of<br />

transport costs and emissions compared to<br />

the utilisation of biomass in large centralised<br />

heat and/or power plants.<br />

TABLE 1. Stirling engine specifications<br />

Nominal electric power, kW 75<br />

Bore, mm 142<br />

Stroke, mm 76<br />

Number of cylinders 8<br />

Speed, rpm 1010<br />

Mean pressure, MPa 4.5<br />

Working gas Helium<br />

Heater temperature, K 1020<br />

Engine weight, kg 3500<br />

Based on the assumption of 10 000 installed<br />

Stirling CHP plants within the next ten years, the<br />

CO2 emissions can be reduced by approximately<br />

540 000 tons per year (compared to oil furnaces<br />

for heating and electricity produced from coal).<br />

This corresponds to 1.8% of the 600 million<br />

tons of CO per year allowed for the EU according<br />

to the Kyoto objectives.<br />

When a future production series of engines and<br />

plants has been established, it is expected that<br />

the cost target for biomass CHP technologies<br />

specified in the 5th Framework Programme can<br />

be met by the new technology,<br />

Progress to date<br />

Results from the optimisation of the Stirling<br />

engine design show that the new 8-cylinder<br />

engine should meet the design targets<br />

concerning power output, efficiency and service<br />

interval. The testing of the engine in the<br />

laboratory, with natural gas as fuel, has just<br />

been initiated and the results so far are<br />

promising.<br />

The combination of CFD and the optimisation for<br />

the design of the furnace has opened new<br />

possibilities for adaptation of combustion to the<br />

application with a minimum of emissions. Results<br />

have shown that it is possible to transfer heat<br />

equally to all eight heat panels on the Stirling<br />

engine, and that it is possible to meet the targets<br />

concerning CO and NOx emissions.<br />

When the final erection of the biomass-fired<br />

CHP pilot plant is finished a comprehensive test<br />

programme is planned with wood chips as fuel.<br />

Results of the test programme will be evaluated<br />

for further development of the overall plant.<br />

159<br />

8 cylinder Stirling engine.<br />

INFORMATION<br />

References: NNE5-97-1999<br />

Programme:<br />

FP5 - <strong>Energy</strong>, Environment and<br />

Sustainable Development<br />

Title:<br />

Small-Scale CHP Plant Based on a<br />

Hermetic Four-Cylinder Stirling Engine<br />

for <strong>Bio</strong>mass Fuels – BIO-STERLING<br />

Duration: 36 months<br />

Contact point:<br />

Henrik Carlsen<br />

Technical University of Denmark<br />

Tel: +45-45254171<br />

Fax: +45-45930663<br />

hc@mek.dtu.dk<br />

Partners:<br />

Technical University of Denmark (DK)<br />

University of Bradford (UK)<br />

MAWERA Holzfeuerungsanlagen (A)<br />

Bayernwerk (D)<br />

I.B. Brunn & Søn (DK)<br />

Ingenieurbüro BIOS Obernberger<br />

& Narodoslawsky (A)<br />

EC Scientific Officer:<br />

Kyriakos Maniatis<br />

Tel: +32-2-2990293<br />

Fax: +32-2-2966261<br />

kyriakos.maniatis@cec.eu.int<br />

Status: Ongoing


BM SCREW<br />

Objectives<br />

The objective of this project is to obtain a<br />

more efficient utilisation of biomass fuels<br />

by using generated energy, not only for<br />

heat supply but also for electricity<br />

production. This will be done by<br />

demonstrating the technical maturity and<br />

economic competitiveness of an innovative<br />

small-scale biomass CHP (combined heat<br />

and power) technology based on a screwtype<br />

steam engine. The steam engine, with<br />

a nominal electric capacity of 800 kW<br />

suitable for multi-fuel feed, will be<br />

implemented into the steam cycle of a<br />

district and process heating plant in<br />

Hartberg (Austria). Technological targets<br />

are to show that the overall efficiency of<br />

the CHP plant is above 90 % and the<br />

electric efficiency is about 13 %. Another<br />

key aim is the improvement of the plant<br />

availability and the reduction of operating<br />

costs by using a new, automatic, steam<br />

boiler cleaning system.<br />

Demonstration of an 800 kW<br />

screw-type steam engine<br />

Challenges<br />

This project covers the implementation of a CHP<br />

module based on a screw-type steam engine<br />

into an already existing biomass district and<br />

process heating plant. At present the only useful<br />

technologies from a technical and economical<br />

point of view for CHP generation, based on<br />

biomass fuels in the power range between 200<br />

to 1,000 kWel, are the screw-type steam engine<br />

(for steam applications) and the already<br />

demonstrated ORC process (for thermal oil<br />

applications).<br />

Screw-type steam engines for small-scale<br />

biomass CHP applications have a number of<br />

advantages compared to steam turbines and<br />

conventional steam engines. Screw-type engines<br />

show a comparatively high electric efficiency for<br />

small-scale CHP units (about 13 %), which only<br />

slightly decreases at partial load operation. Due<br />

to the high electric efficiency in a wide range of<br />

load conditions, the whole process can be<br />

operated heat controlled without a significant<br />

reduction in electric efficiency.<br />

The screw-type engine is a displacement rotary<br />

engine. The main parts of a screw-type engine<br />

are the male rotor, the female rotor and a casing,<br />

which together form a V-shaped working chamber<br />

whose volume increases during rotation. The<br />

steam enters the casing through the intake port.<br />

The intake is finished when the rotor faces pass<br />

the guiding edges and the chamber is separated<br />

from the intake port. At this stage steam<br />

expansion starts and mechanical power is<br />

produced at the output shaft. During expansion<br />

the volume of the chamber increases, whereas<br />

160<br />

the energy content of the fluid decreases. This<br />

process continues until the exhaust process starts<br />

and the steam is extruded and leaves the machine<br />

through the exhaust port. The expansion process<br />

within a screw-type engine is shown in Figure 1.<br />

The biomass district heating plant in Hartberg<br />

(Austria) is equipped with a water tube steam<br />

boiler producing saturated steam, which supplies<br />

process and district heat consumers via a<br />

hydraulic network. In order to optimise the CHP<br />

plant energetically a superheater will be<br />

implemented into the water tube steam boiler,<br />

which generates superheated steam at a<br />

pressure of 26 bar and a temperature of 260°C.<br />

Based on the annual characteristic curve of the<br />

heat demand of the district heat network (see<br />

Figure 2), the biomass CHP plant is designed for<br />

basic and medium load operation in heat<br />

controlled mode. During the first year<br />

approximately 5 000 operating hours will be<br />

achieved and the electricity production will be<br />

about 3,000 MWh/a. In Figure 3 the annual<br />

energy flow of the heating plant is shown.<br />

In addition, the demonstration of a new and<br />

automatic boiler cleaning system, specially<br />

developed for water tube steam boilers and<br />

based on pressurised air, is foreseen. It focuses<br />

on a boiler operation without the need for manual<br />

cleaning. Thus maintenance and operating costs<br />

can be reduced and the thermal boiler efficiency,<br />

as well as the availability of the plant, will<br />

increase.


Figure 1: Expansion process within a screw-type engine.<br />

Explanations: 1 - radial guiding edge, 2 - axial guiding<br />

edge, 3 - flow direction, 4 - sense of rotation.<br />

Project structure<br />

The project consortium consists of the<br />

coordinator (FWG-Fernwärmeversorgungsgenossenschaft<br />

reg.Gen.m.b.H. Vitis, Austria), the operator<br />

of the plant, one development and engineering<br />

company which specialises in biomass CHP<br />

plants and are responsible for the basic and<br />

detailed engineering of the overall CHP plant<br />

(BIOS BIOENERGIESYSTEME GmbH, Austria),<br />

one development and engineering company<br />

which specialises in screw-type steam engines<br />

and are responsible for the detailed engineering<br />

of the CHP module (IDEA - Ingenieurgesellschaft<br />

für dezentrale Energieanlagen mbH, Germany),<br />

one partner (MAN Turbomaschinen AG GHH<br />

BORSIG, Germany) responsible for the<br />

manufacture of the screw-type steam engine<br />

and another partner (Kohlbach GmbH & Co,<br />

Austria) responsible for the manufacture of the<br />

automatic boiler cleaning system.<br />

The demonstration project combines the scientific<br />

skills of the R&D institutions involved with the<br />

expertise, and the experience that innovative<br />

manufacturing companies have gained from<br />

successful development projects. This<br />

partnership ensures that all scientifically and<br />

economically relevant questions and problems<br />

of the new CHP technology will be addressed from<br />

the point of demonstration to future market<br />

introduction and dissemination.<br />

Figure 2: Annual characteristic curve of the heat<br />

demand of the district heat network loco heating<br />

plant (Hartberg, Austria).<br />

Expected impact and exploitation<br />

The screw-type engine is derived from the screw<br />

compressor and is consequently based on<br />

comprehensive engine knowledge. Due to the<br />

high development of the screw-type engine (a gasfired<br />

pilot plant already exists) and the automatic<br />

boiler cleaning system (already demonstrated<br />

with hot water boilers) a quick market<br />

introduction, after completing the demonstration<br />

phase, is anticipated in the short term. The<br />

dissemination of the results will be done by all<br />

of the project partners. Four partners of the<br />

project are SMEs, thus strengthening the SME<br />

cooperation within the EU and contributing to an<br />

international knowledge transfer.<br />

Due to the great potential and large demand for<br />

decentralised biomass fired CHP plants in the<br />

power range up to 1 MWel, the implementation of<br />

the screw-type steam engine in this project will lead<br />

to increased and more efficient thermal biomass<br />

utilisation in small-scale units within Europe.<br />

Progress to date<br />

In general, the design of the CHP module is<br />

completed. Based on the specification of the<br />

screw-type steam engine, the manufacture of the<br />

engine and the gear unit for connecting the two<br />

stages of the engine was started in the summer<br />

of 2002.<br />

The assembly and erection of the CHP module,<br />

as well as the automatic boiler cleaning system,<br />

will be completed in the autumn of 2003. The<br />

commissioning will be carried out at the end of<br />

2003.<br />

On the basis of this demonstration project the<br />

screw-type steam engine is completing its state<br />

of development successfully and is proven for<br />

market introduction.<br />

161<br />

Figure 3: Annual energy flow of the heating plant<br />

(process heat as well as district heat including the<br />

CHP module).<br />

INFORMATION<br />

References: NNE5-467-2000<br />

Programme:<br />

FP5 - <strong>Energy</strong>, Environment and<br />

Sustainable Development<br />

Title:<br />

<strong>Bio</strong>mass-fired CHP Plant Based on a<br />

Screw-type Engine Cycle – BM SCREW<br />

Duration: 36 months<br />

Contact point:<br />

Alfred Hammerschmid<br />

BIOS-<strong>Bio</strong>energiesysteme GmbH<br />

Hammerschmidt@bios-bioenergy.at<br />

Partners:<br />

FWG-Fernwärmeversorgungsgenossenschaft<br />

(A)<br />

BIOS-<strong>Bio</strong>energiesysteme (A)<br />

Kohlbach (A)<br />

IDEA - Ingenieurgesellschaft für<br />

dezentrale Energieanlagen (D)<br />

MAN Turbomaschinen (D)<br />

EC Scientific Officer:<br />

José Riego Villanueva<br />

Tel: +32-2-2957939<br />

Fax: +32-2-2966261<br />

jose.riesgo@cec.eu.int<br />

Status: Ongoing


LIFT-OFF<br />

Objectives<br />

The LIFT-OFF project intends to provide a<br />

solution to the problem of local energy<br />

demands in agricultural areas. It will utilise<br />

local bio-fuels, like woodchips and<br />

agricultural residues in small and medium<br />

size CHP (Combined Heat and Power)<br />

units that can be constructed at a<br />

competitive price and run producing very<br />

low emissions and good efficiency.<br />

Multi agricultural fuelled<br />

staged gasifier with<br />

dry gas cleaning<br />

Challenges<br />

Utilisation of biomass and wastes is a<br />

sustainable and environmentally friendly way of<br />

producing energy, which contributes to the<br />

reduction of the greenhouse effect, reduces<br />

local environmental problems, utilises local<br />

resources and improves local employment. Small<br />

CHP plants will certainly constitute the most<br />

promising route, as they represent the major<br />

market perspective in terms of replication.<br />

Gasification is a way to increase the utilisation<br />

of renewable energy sources as it presents a<br />

higher efficiency as well as a good flexibility to<br />

the feedstock. In addition, development of<br />

components and integration of processes is a<br />

potential export opportunity.<br />

Project description<br />

In order to achieve this goal, a multi-fuelled<br />

fixed bed gasification process with patented dry<br />

gas cleaning technology will be scaled up from<br />

a large laboratory scale (400 kWth), where the<br />

process has been previously proved, to a 1.5 MWth<br />

industrial demonstration plant. The research<br />

activities include developing a model and tools,<br />

which will focus on the first design of the new<br />

LIFT-OFF demo plant for woodchips. Then in a<br />

second step, the research and modelling will<br />

continue and be applied to other biomasses<br />

and operating conditions, in order to provide a<br />

tool for the design of multifuel LIFT-OFF reactors<br />

and to optimise operating conditions. The aims<br />

are to enlarge the potential market towards the<br />

cheapest biomass resources.<br />

162<br />

The gasifier will be a 2-stage 3 zones fixed bed<br />

gasifier. This principle is based on the traditional<br />

open-core gasifier, but is different in the design<br />

of the grate. The principle is shown in the figure.<br />

It consists of two stages. Stage one is fed with<br />

biomass, and stage two is fed with char from<br />

stage one. Stage one is placed on top of stage<br />

two so that the char from stage one falls into<br />

stage two. Between the two stages there is a<br />

combustion chamber, where the gas produced<br />

in stage one is partially oxidised, and the<br />

temperature is thereby increased to about<br />

1 100C. This reduces the tar by thermal cracking<br />

and by oxidisation.<br />

Expected impact and exploitation<br />

The successful outcome of the project will have<br />

an important character on small-scale CHP and<br />

energy production.<br />

No problems with up-scaling<br />

• The LIFT-OFF bed solves the fixed bed upscaling<br />

problem in order to avoid a large<br />

pressure drop over the char bed and to avoid<br />

channelling.<br />

• By turning the cold end of the fixed bed upside<br />

down it is possible to obtain a situation where<br />

the small particles that will normally create<br />

pressure drop will be lifted out of the bed. And<br />

the mechanical means of turning the bed<br />

upside down will, at the same time, provide an<br />

efficient means of breaking all channels and<br />

bridges in the bed.<br />

• This LIFT-OFF bed separates the zones of<br />

pyrolysis, combustion and gasification in a<br />

way so that the gasifier is fuel flexible.


No tar-contaminated wastewater<br />

• Combining the LIFT-OFF principle with the Dry<br />

Gas Cleaning technology the wet gas scrubbing<br />

systems, with all the environmental drawbacks,<br />

will be technically outdated. As a consequence,<br />

CHP plants based on gasification technology<br />

will be technically and economically competitive<br />

and thus the market will increase significantly<br />

for this type of technology. This will be<br />

commercially proven in the LIFT-OFF project.<br />

• The pyrolysis temperature of an open-core<br />

gasifier is very high, so the char being fed to<br />

stage two has a very low tar content, and<br />

there will be almost no tar production in this<br />

stage. It has been possible to obtain a gas with<br />

tar content below 50 mg/Nm3 (verified by an<br />

independent technological service institute,<br />

according to specifications from the Tar<br />

Protocol). For comparison, the counter-current<br />

gasifier produces 100-1000 mg tar/Nm3. High efficiencies<br />

• The heat from the combustion chamber is<br />

used to convert the char into gas. This<br />

increases the char conversion, and thereby<br />

increases the gasifier efficiency by 10-15%. The<br />

three-stage gasifier will obtain high-energy<br />

efficiency and provide good means for returning<br />

waste heat back into the gasification process.<br />

Thus it is possible to obtain cold gas<br />

efficiencies of 85-95 % based on the lower<br />

heating value of the biomass, and electric<br />

efficiencies in the range from 30-34 %<br />

depending on the efficiency of the engine.<br />

LIFT-OFF principle.<br />

163<br />

INFORMATION<br />

References: NNE5-704-2001<br />

Programme:<br />

FP5 - <strong>Energy</strong>, Environment and<br />

Sustainable Development<br />

Title:<br />

Multi-Agricultural Fuelled Staged Gasifier<br />

with Dry Gas Cleaning – LIFT-OFF<br />

Duration: 36 months<br />

Contact point:<br />

Laurent van de Steene<br />

c/o Cirad Forêt<br />

laurent.van_de_steene@cirad.fr<br />

Partners:<br />

CIRAD-Forêt (F)<br />

Thomas Koch Energi (DK)<br />

GJØL Private Kraftwarnevaerk (DK)<br />

National Technical University of Athens (GR)<br />

DK Teknik <strong>Energy</strong> Environment (DK)<br />

EMAC (F)<br />

EC Scientific Officer:<br />

José Riesgo Villanueva<br />

Tel: +32-2-2957939<br />

Fax: +32-2-2966261<br />

jose.riesgo@cec.eu.int<br />

Status: Ongoing


LOW EMISSION<br />

BIO ORC<br />

Objectives<br />

The main key objective of the project is the<br />

demonstration of an innovative small-scale<br />

biomass CHP technology based on the first<br />

ORC process implementation with a<br />

nominal net electric capacity of 1,000 kW<br />

in Europe. Another key aim is the design<br />

and engineering of an internal heat<br />

recovering system, combining a thermal oil<br />

boiler with a thermal oil economiser and a<br />

combustion air pre-heater to increase the<br />

net electric efficiency to about 15 %<br />

(related to the NCV of the biomass fuel).<br />

A further key target is the development<br />

and implementation of a Fuzzy Logic<br />

process control system in combination with<br />

an Artificial Neuronal Network, optimising<br />

the performance of the overall CHP plant.<br />

Regarding economy, the production of<br />

electricity and district heat on a<br />

competitive basis is to stay due to the<br />

innovative small-scale biomass CHP<br />

technology. Moreover, the project serves<br />

to contribute to a reduction of CO2<br />

emissions of about 23,000 t/a.<br />

Market introduction of a<br />

biomass-based ORC process<br />

Challenges<br />

This project covers a CHP plant based on biomass<br />

combustion in Lienz, Austria in order to supply the<br />

town with district heat and to produce electricity.<br />

First of all, the project demonstrates the largest<br />

<strong>European</strong> biomass CHP plant based on an ORC<br />

process (Organic Rankine Cycle) with a nominal<br />

net capacity of 1,000 kWel. This ORC process<br />

represents a further improvement and an upscaling<br />

by a factor of 2.5 of the already<br />

successfully demonstrated 400 kWel unit in<br />

Admont, Austria. Both cases operate with silicon<br />

oil as an organic working medium at medium<br />

pressure levels. This up-scaling can only be<br />

achieved by an obvious transformation of the<br />

400 kWel ORC process design, because the<br />

vapour and liquid volume flows become very<br />

large as well as the surface areas of the heat<br />

exchangers of the 1,000 kWel machine.<br />

Another key innovation of the project is the first<br />

use of an internal heat recovering system,<br />

combining a thermal oil boiler with a thermal oil<br />

economiser and a combustion air pre-heater to<br />

increase the net electric efficiency to about 15 %<br />

(related to the NCV of the biomass fuel).<br />

An additional key innovation of the project is<br />

the Fuzzy Logic process control system in<br />

combination with an Artificial Neuronal Network<br />

for analysing, forecasting and optimising the<br />

performance of the overall CHP plant. This new<br />

process control technology is developed,<br />

designed and demonstrated for a biomass CHP<br />

plant for the first time in Europe.<br />

In order to decrease harmful emissions, an<br />

efficient, multi-stage flue gas cleaning system<br />

consisting of multi-cyclone, economiser, wet<br />

electrostatic precipitation combined with a flue<br />

gas dilution unit is implemented within the overall<br />

CHP plant.<br />

164<br />

Project structure<br />

The demonstration and development project<br />

combines the scientific skills from a university<br />

institute, as well as a R&D and engineering<br />

company with the knowledge and experience<br />

that innovative manufacturing companies and<br />

utilities have gained from projects already<br />

performed. The team of partners represents<br />

leading specialists in their fields of work. This<br />

project consortium forms a fundamental basis<br />

for the successful demonstration of new<br />

technologies, and additionally enhances the<br />

cohesion within Europe.<br />

Expected impact and exploitation<br />

Due to the high level of development of the ORC<br />

process and the Fuzzy Logic process control<br />

technology, a market introduction (after completing<br />

the demonstration phase) is anticipated in the<br />

short term. The dissemination of the results<br />

will be done by all of the project partners. Two<br />

partners of the project are SMEs, thus<br />

strengthening the SME co-operation within the<br />

EU and contributing to an international knowledge<br />

transfer.<br />

Advantageous developments, on the basis of this<br />

demonstration project, are the contribution to the<br />

preservation of natural resources and support<br />

of regional infrastructure and incomes, as well<br />

as the relatively low production costs for<br />

electricity generated by a small-scale biomass<br />

CHP plant based on an ORC process. The<br />

extended use of biomass as an energy carrier<br />

safeguards the energy supply by drawing on<br />

domestic energy sources and reducing the<br />

dependence on fossil energy imports.


Figure 1: View of the CHP plant, Lienz.<br />

Results<br />

The ORC process mentioned represents,<br />

economically and technologically, a very<br />

interesting solution for small-scale biomassfired<br />

plants, due to the fact that it allows a<br />

highly automated and multi-fuel operation with<br />

relatively low operation and maintenance costs.<br />

Further results achieved are comparably high<br />

net electric efficiencies of about 15 % (related to<br />

the NCV of the biomass fuels) and an excellent<br />

partial load behaviour, which is especially relevant<br />

for the heat controlled operation of the overall CHP<br />

plant. Moreover, the maximum net electric power<br />

performed at about 1,100 kWel is 10 % higher<br />

than the respective nominal value mentioned.<br />

The internal heat recovering system, combining<br />

the thermal oil boiler with the thermal oil<br />

economiser and the combustion air pre-heater,<br />

improves the net electric efficiency of the ORC<br />

process by up to 15 % (in comparison to a<br />

conventional system).<br />

The Fuzzy Logic process control system leads to<br />

a homogenisation of the combustion process and<br />

a smoother and more stable operation of the<br />

overall CHP plant with higher efficiencies and<br />

lower emissions.<br />

In the town of Lienz, many households have<br />

replaced their mainly oil- and coal-fired furnaces<br />

with biomass district heat. Hence this<br />

substitution of fossil energy sources, as well as<br />

the production of about 7,200 MWh/a electricity<br />

based on biomass fuels, contributes to<br />

substantial reductions of CO2 of about 23,000 t/a<br />

and other harmful emissions like SO2, CO, TOC<br />

and NOx.<br />

Figure 2: Components of the 1,000 kWel ORC<br />

process based on biomass fuels.<br />

Explanations: Regenerator (left), evaporator (right,<br />

bottom) and turbine (right, above).<br />

On the basis of this demonstration project, the<br />

ORC process is completing its stage of<br />

development successfully and is proven for<br />

market introduction. As a result, more than 10<br />

ORC units based on biomass fuels are currently<br />

under construction, or in planning phases, in<br />

Austria, Italy and Germany.<br />

165<br />

Figure 3: <strong>Energy</strong> flow chart of the CHP plant based on<br />

biomass fuels.<br />

Explanations: Given values are average values over a<br />

selected period of time at nominal load conditions.<br />

INFORMATION<br />

References: NNE5-475-2000<br />

Programme:<br />

FP5 - <strong>Energy</strong>, Environment and<br />

Sustainable Development<br />

Title:<br />

Fuzzy Logic Controlled CHP Plant for<br />

<strong>Bio</strong>mass Fuels Based on a Highly Efficient<br />

ORC-process – LOW EMISSION BIO ORC<br />

Duration: 30 months<br />

Contact point:<br />

Gerold Pointner<br />

Stadtwärme Lienz Produktions und<br />

Vertriebs GmbH<br />

Tel: +43-316-38751020<br />

Fax: +43-316-38721009<br />

Gerold.Pointner@Fernwaerme.com<br />

Partners:<br />

Stadtwärme Lienz (A)<br />

Turboden (I)<br />

Bergakademie Freiberg (D)<br />

Ingenieurbüro BIOS Obernberger<br />

& Narodoslawsky (A)<br />

EC Scientific Officer:<br />

José Riesgo Villanueva<br />

Tel: +32-2-2957939<br />

Fax: +32-2-2966261<br />

jose.riesgo@cec.eu.int<br />

Status: Completed


NESSIE<br />

Objectives<br />

The project aims to develop a new robust<br />

and reliable biomass-based CHP system for<br />

small and medium ranges (< 10 MW rated<br />

thermal capacity), which can be operated<br />

with both bulk and baled biomass.<br />

The new combustion system should lead<br />

to an investment cost reduction of min.<br />

33% compared to conventional grate-fired<br />

boilers, due to the simple construction of<br />

the boiler without refractory material and<br />

mechanical moving parts within the firing<br />

zone. A reduction in operation costs can<br />

be expected from short start-up time<br />

(reduced fuel stock), low stack loss and<br />

more complete combustion, even in<br />

the case of inhomogenities.<br />

Improved demand-side management should<br />

lead to a complete new district heating<br />

system with fewer losses in the heating<br />

grid and a smaller boiler for a maximum of<br />

full-load operating hours.<br />

New small-scale combustor<br />

based on baled biomass<br />

Challenges<br />

In the small and medium capacity range the<br />

most important technical challenge is the<br />

conception, design, construction and testing of<br />

a prototype of a new high turbulence combustor<br />

for biomass bales of different fuel types, in<br />

order to obtain evidence that the combustion of<br />

bales can be reached without prior size reduction.<br />

As regards the compactness of the combustion<br />

chamber, the new system approaches that of<br />

high-performance gas- and oil-fired burners.<br />

Another problem addressed is the question of<br />

appropriate fuel supply. The new concept<br />

encourages a supply of baled biomass cultivated<br />

in the nearest vicinity of the CHP plant, resulting<br />

in lower procurement costs and emissions due<br />

to transport.<br />

A number of thermodynamic cycles have been<br />

suggested for the small to medium power range,<br />

with the conventional steam (Rankine) cycle<br />

ranking first as regards a maximum yield in heat<br />

and power, but with relatively low electric<br />

efficiency, compared to fossil-fired steam cycles,<br />

because of limitations in both the steam<br />

temperature and the steam pressure. The<br />

proposed new ‘modified’ Rankine cycle will be<br />

tested in simulations (scale-up study).<br />

The state of the art in district heating systems<br />

is to design the combustion plant for the<br />

expected heat demand of the supplied system,<br />

where the peak demand is covered by an<br />

additional, usually fossil-fuel-fired, system in the<br />

central or in the distribution net, and the<br />

dimensions of the distribution system pipes<br />

have to be designed for peak demand.<br />

166<br />

Larger dimensions bring about more investment<br />

costs and greater losses in the system during<br />

part- load operation, while the operation of the<br />

combustion system off the rated parameters<br />

causes higher emissions and operating costs.<br />

A novel decentralised heat accumulation system<br />

with added new functionality enables the use of<br />

the maximum heat content of the house substations<br />

(hot-water tanks) as integrated<br />

decentralised buffering installations for district<br />

heating systems to compensate for the time<br />

between energy supply and consumption, with<br />

loading and unloading controlled by the central.<br />

Five major technological risks have been<br />

identified as well as appropriate countermeasures:<br />

melting point of the ashes, humidity<br />

of the biomass, chlorine content of the biomass,<br />

recycling of the ash, and improper functionality<br />

of the demand-side management installations.<br />

Project structure<br />

The project is being carried out by companies and<br />

research institutes from Austria, Germany, Poland<br />

and Denmark. The project consortium groups<br />

experts in energy-supply management, cultivation<br />

and biomass quality, combustion technology,<br />

manufacturing of boiler components, power-plant<br />

construction and operation, and energy supply<br />

control software technology. The broad <strong>European</strong><br />

dimension will contribute to shortening the time<br />

to market and to the dissemination of the results.<br />

The work comprises three parts, the most<br />

important being the design, assembling, testing<br />

and optimising of the pilot plant. In addition, a<br />

variety of energy crops that can be supplied as


ales will be tested with the new technology,<br />

starting with maize. The second part consists in<br />

the completion of a scale-up-study showing the<br />

feasibility of the technology for a new biomassfired<br />

CHP system (possibly for an urban site) with<br />

a wide range of applications using a ‘modified<br />

Rankine’ CHP cycle. The third part deals with<br />

confirmation of the innovative concept of tap<br />

water storage with load management capabilities.<br />

Expected impact and exploitation<br />

As regards the development of district heating<br />

and CHP supply systems, mid- and northern<br />

Europe in particular always played a leading<br />

role. This technological leadership could be<br />

improved with the broad application of the<br />

proposed biomass use which can be combined<br />

with district heat distribution systems already in<br />

existence, without an extension of the capacity.<br />

Beside the sustainable reduction of CO2 and<br />

other greenhouse gases through the use of<br />

biomass rather than fossil fuels, the project<br />

also contributes to reducing the dependence<br />

on foreign energy supply (oil, gas, coal), which<br />

is also a major goal of the <strong>European</strong> Union’s<br />

energy policy.<br />

Progress to date<br />

The three major expected results of the project<br />

are: the designed, assembled, tested and<br />

optimised pilot plant, leading to a marketable<br />

NEw Small-Scale Innovative <strong>Energy</strong> (NESSIE)<br />

combustor for bulk and baled biomass; a<br />

completed scale-up study, showing the feasibility<br />

of a new biomass-fired CHP system (urban site)<br />

with a wide range of applications, using a<br />

‘modified Rankine’ CHP cycle; and the confirmed<br />

concept of tap water storage with load<br />

management capabilities and clearance for<br />

series production in a large number of units.<br />

The project started in January 2003. The<br />

innovative combustion system will be implemented<br />

at the start of the heating period in<br />

autumn 2003 in a pilot plant in Lower Austria,<br />

approximately 60 km from Vienna and at the<br />

border with the Slovak Republic. The plant will<br />

have a rated thermal capacity of 1850 kW and<br />

an electric capacity of 300 kW. First combustion<br />

trials with baled maize were successful.<br />

167<br />

INFORMATION<br />

References: NNE5-517-2001<br />

Programme:<br />

FP5 - <strong>Energy</strong>, Environment and<br />

Sustainable Development<br />

Title:<br />

New Small Scale Innovative <strong>Energy</strong><br />

<strong>Bio</strong>mass Combustor – NESSIE<br />

Duration: 36 months<br />

Contact point:<br />

Gerhard Gamperl<br />

Wiener Stadtwerke<br />

Beteiligungsgesellschaft<br />

Gerhard.Gamperl@bmgwien.at<br />

Partners:<br />

Wiener Stadtwerke<br />

Beteiligungsmanagement (A)<br />

Greenpower (A)<br />

Herz Armatura I Systemy Grewcze (PL)<br />

DANFOSS (DK)<br />

TU Wien (A)<br />

Technologie- und Förderzentrum<br />

Nachwachsende Rohstoffe (A)<br />

EC Scientific Officer:<br />

José Riesgo Villanueva<br />

Tel: +32-2-2957939<br />

Fax: +32-2-2966261<br />

jose.riesgo@cec.eu.int<br />

Status: Ongoing


Lupine field in the south of Iceland.<br />

BESUB<br />

Objectives<br />

• To ascertain the availability of suitable<br />

biomass, its cost, quality and yields;<br />

• To develop methodology and processes<br />

for extracting high-value bio-chemicals<br />

from green biomass such as sparteine<br />

and its derivatives, lactic acid, and<br />

ethyl lactate and to test-run the production<br />

of these;<br />

• To develop a new continuous<br />

fermentation process for lactic acid;<br />

• To develop a new ethyl-lactate production<br />

process; and<br />

• To select optimal economical processes<br />

and products that contribute to the<br />

biosphere and ashes production in rural<br />

communities.<br />

Sustainable utilisation<br />

of herbaceous biomass<br />

Challenges<br />

The explosive growth of industrial societies in the<br />

last century was achieved through scientific<br />

and technological development and easy access<br />

to cheap energy such as fossil fuels. Social<br />

and environmental imbalances resulted and<br />

employment opportunities were concentrated<br />

in urban centres, bringing about disturbing<br />

pollution concentration and global warming.<br />

Sustainable development, which in political and<br />

public terms means primarily careful resource<br />

management and greater focus on renewable<br />

energy, has become the catchphrase at the<br />

start of the 21st century. To meet this challenge,<br />

the project partners, involved in biorefinery<br />

design for biomass feedstock of grains, grasses,<br />

legumes and straw, decided to engage in the<br />

production of high-value industrial bioproducts for<br />

use as biomass fuels for electricity and heat in<br />

industry; and for local as well as private use<br />

in the form of biogas and biomass fuel, biobased<br />

transportation fuels such as ethanol, and<br />

bio-based biorefinery products like biochemicals<br />

and materials.<br />

<strong>Bio</strong>refinery<br />

In its overall concept, a biorefinery is a processing<br />

plant in which biomass feedstock is converted<br />

into a spectrum of valuable products with near<br />

zero CO2 emission. <strong>Bio</strong>refineries are based<br />

upon petrochemical refinery technology and<br />

their development represents a potential key<br />

for the integrated production of food, feed<br />

chemicals, materials, goods, and fuels, as<br />

outlined in figure 1.<br />

Project structure<br />

The composition of the project partnership and<br />

the partners’ respective spheres of activity are<br />

depicted in table 1.<br />

168<br />

Project approach<br />

The specific focus of the project is the Alaska<br />

Lupine (Iceland), grasses and Lucerne (Ireland,<br />

Germany). An important reason behind this is the<br />

sparse population of Iceland and the large<br />

expanses of barren land ideal for lupine growing<br />

that could thus be reclaimed to counteract land<br />

erosion which has reached quite serious levels.<br />

The approach adopted is to investigate the most<br />

relevant data needed for the commercial<br />

harvesting of these plants for biomass purposes,<br />

such as sustainability of growing, feasibility of<br />

harvesting, suitability, etc. Special focus will<br />

also be directed towards producing spartein,<br />

which the plant is known to contain in significant<br />

amounts. Spartein has important uses as a<br />

non-polluting natural insecticide. It is also planned<br />

to investigate the use of geothermal energy for<br />

the process. Simultaneously, a special biorefinery<br />

process will be developed for these species.<br />

The project approach is depicted in figure 2.<br />

Expected impact and exploitation<br />

EU member states are encouraged to set their<br />

national guidelines so that minimum levels<br />

reached by biofuels and other renewable energy<br />

resources by the year 2005 amount to 2% and<br />

5.75% by the year 2010, measured on the basis<br />

of energy content as it applies for all petrol and<br />

diesel fuels, see table 2.<br />

The biorefineries proposed are expected to<br />

provide high-tech jobs in rural areas, as well<br />

as income to farmers for producing biomass<br />

feedstock. Small amounts of fertilisers are<br />

envisaged; the refineries will produce biodegradable<br />

pesticides and have about zero CO2<br />

emission. In general, they will yield in total over<br />

100% energy gains. The processes developed will<br />

be licensed to qualified parties, and the products<br />

mainly sold via professional vendors.


Progress to date<br />

Figure 1: Sustainable biorefinery products cycle (without foods).<br />

Several key achievements were reported during<br />

the first six months of operation (from 1 Oct.<br />

2002).<br />

The University of Heidelberg obtained 17-Oxosparteine<br />

derivatives that will be evaluated<br />

for their biological properties, and succeeded<br />

in finding methods for debittering Lupinus<br />

nootkatensis. <strong>Bio</strong>refinery.de produced crystallised<br />

sugar from Alaska lupine straw (main stems) and<br />

have started the fermentation of ethanol. The<br />

residue from this crop is suitable for animal<br />

feed (fodder). BIOPOS produced ethyl lactate<br />

and fractionated from 50% (w/w) and 20% (w/w)<br />

lactic acid and ethanol with a yield between<br />

55-70%. The residue of distillation can be used<br />

for further esterification (zero-waste process).<br />

Table 1: Project partners and their respective roles<br />

ATB isolated a very good strain of bacteria<br />

producing pure L(+)-lactic acid in high yields<br />

(>90%). The strain’s most important data<br />

from the product formation and growth kinetics<br />

were estimated and optimised taking into<br />

account the process parameters, temperature<br />

and pH value.<br />

<strong>Bio</strong>refinery.de company produced the following<br />

results: The fraction from the main stems and<br />

lupine straw are very good carbohydrate sources.<br />

The tough and dry residue is a protein-rich source<br />

usable for fodder. The late summer harvest of<br />

lupine has a very high raw protein value which<br />

is better than the protein value of high-quality<br />

fodder as well as that of alfalfa. The entire<br />

summer plant is suitable for use as feed.<br />

Organisation Country Status Business activity R&D function in project<br />

IBC IS SME Entrepreneur Establishment of a bio-refinery in Iceland<br />

tetra D SME Engineering and Establishment of a bio-refinery in Germany<br />

Beltra IRL SME consulting Innovation Establishment of a biorefinery in Ireland<br />

RALA IS RTD performer Agricultural research Estimate the availability of biomass in Iceland<br />

U.H. D RTD performer University Sparteine derivative development<br />

B.R. de D RTD performer <strong>Bio</strong>refinery development Testing of biomass samples<br />

BIOPOS D RTD performer University Lactic acid and ethyl lactate development<br />

ATB D RTD performer Technical agricultural<br />

research<br />

Lactic acid and biogas fermentation<br />

Table 2: EU goals for renewable and bio-based energy in the energy balance<br />

Year 2001 2005 2010 2020-2050<br />

<strong>Bio</strong>energy<br />

Portion of wind energy, photovoltaics, 7.5 % - 12.5 % 26% (2030)<br />

biomass, and geothermal electricity and heat 58% (2050)<br />

<strong>Bio</strong>fuels<br />

Portion of biomass fuels 1.4 % 2.8 % 5.75% 20% (2020)<br />

(Petrol and diesel fuel basis)<br />

<strong>Bio</strong>based products<br />

Portion of biobased chemicals 8-10% - - -<br />

Figure 2: General scheme of the product lines and the aimed at products<br />

in the biorefinery project.<br />

169<br />

INFORMATION<br />

References: ENK5-CT-2002-30014<br />

Programme:<br />

FP5 - <strong>Energy</strong>, Environment and<br />

Sustainable Development<br />

Title:<br />

<strong>Bio</strong>chemicals and <strong>Energy</strong> from<br />

Sustainable Utilisation of Herbaceous<br />

<strong>Bio</strong>mass – BESUB<br />

Duration: 24 months<br />

Contact point:<br />

Asgeir LEIFSSON<br />

The Icelandic <strong>Bio</strong>mass Company EHL<br />

asgeir@biomass.is<br />

Partners:<br />

The Icelandic <strong>Bio</strong>mass Company EHL (IS)<br />

Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg (D)<br />

Tetra Ingenieure (D)<br />

Beltra Forestry (IRL)<br />

Agricultural Research Institute (IS)<br />

BIOREFINERY.DE (D)<br />

Research Institute of <strong>Bio</strong>active<br />

Polymer Systems (D)<br />

Institut für Agrartechnik Bornim (D)<br />

EC Scientific Officer:<br />

Garbiñe Guiu Etxeberria<br />

Tel: +32-2-2990538<br />

Fax: +32-2-2993694<br />

garbine.guiu@cec.eu.int<br />

Status: Ongoing


Fynsvaerket: The 1,000 kg/h pilot<br />

plant for Integrated <strong>Bio</strong>mass<br />

Utilisation Systems will be<br />

positioned at Elsams CHP power<br />

station in Odense, Denmark.<br />

CO-PRODUCTION<br />

BIOFUELS<br />

Objectives<br />

The overall objective is to develop costand<br />

energy-effective production systems<br />

for co-production of bioethanol and<br />

electricity based on Integrated <strong>Bio</strong>mass<br />

Utilisation Systems (IBUS) located on<br />

existing CHP power stations.<br />

The main features of the novel Integrated<br />

<strong>Bio</strong>mass Utilisation System is:<br />

1. that is based on simultaneous utilisation<br />

of biomass with high lignocellulose<br />

content (e.g. straw, waste wood and<br />

MSW), producing a surplus of electricity<br />

and energy;<br />

2. that the ethanol production is integrated<br />

with existing power plants. The main<br />

objectives are design, construction and<br />

experiments on a small, a medium sized<br />

and a large pilot plant.<br />

Co-production biofuels<br />

Challenges<br />

The most important problems to be addressed<br />

are that the cost of transferring grain and straw<br />

from the field to the processing plants is too high;<br />

that no process has demonstrated cost-effective<br />

utilisation of the huge amount of municipal solid<br />

waste (MSW) produced by modern societies;<br />

that no pre-treatment method for lignocellulose<br />

biomass is feasible; that no ethanol fermentation<br />

process for mixtures for C5 and C6 sugars has<br />

demonstrated feasibility; that the cost of<br />

saccharification of pre-treated cellulose is too<br />

high; and that implementation of new technology<br />

in the very capital-intensive production of ethanol<br />

and electricity is very low.<br />

170<br />

Project structure<br />

WP1: Construction and testing of a 100 kg/h<br />

continuous pilot plant to compare<br />

continuous wet oxidation and dilute acid<br />

hydrolyses as pre-treatment processes<br />

for lignocellulosic feedstock.<br />

WP2: Developing and testing of a novel<br />

simultaneous thermophilic ethanol<br />

fermentation end recovery process on<br />

feedstock providing C6 sugars, C5 sugars<br />

and mixtures of C6 and C5 sugars.<br />

WP3: Design and construction of a 1,000 kg/h<br />

pilot plant and trials on the pilot plant<br />

with straw, Municipal Solid Waste (MSW)<br />

and residues from food industries.<br />

WP4: Feasibility study on IBU system with<br />

450,000 t/y molasses, straw and MSW at<br />

an existing CPH power station.<br />

WP5: Development of an IBU system for<br />

400,000 t/y whole crop provided by a<br />

novel whole crop harvesting system<br />

and lab-scale testing of simultaneous<br />

thermophilic ethanol fermentation and<br />

recovery process.<br />

WP6: Establishment of an ICT (Information and<br />

Communication Technology) platform to<br />

facilitate the implementation of the project<br />

results.


Expected impact and exploitation<br />

It is expected that the project will provide a<br />

number of novel cost-reducing unit operations.<br />

When these innovations are combined and<br />

integrated with existing power plants, it is<br />

expected that biomass can provide ethanol for<br />

the transport sector and electricity to the grid at<br />

prices lower than any other production system<br />

for pollution-free renewable energy. Based on this<br />

background, the target of the implementation<br />

plan will be to establish around 500 Integrated<br />

<strong>Bio</strong>mass Utilisation Systems at existing power<br />

plants in Europe (incl. Eastern Europe) for the<br />

utilisation of the major part of all MSW, waste<br />

wood and straw, as well as whole crops from setaside<br />

land. The socio-economic impact will be<br />

decisive by transforming waste products into<br />

products badly needed to reduce pollution and<br />

CO2 emissions, and by stimulating the rural<br />

economy through increased production and<br />

stabilisation of prices.<br />

Parallel to the implementation in Europe, a<br />

worldwide export of the project technology will<br />

be carried out with special attention being paid<br />

to existing ethanol plants in the US and Brazil.<br />

Utilisation of traditional feedstock integrated with utilisation of<br />

lignocellulosic feedstock for production of bioethanol, electricity<br />

and animal feed.<br />

Progress to date<br />

The most important result is that the 100 kg/h<br />

pilot plant for continuous pre-treatment of<br />

lignocellulosic raw material has been developed<br />

and constructed. The double screw, plug flow<br />

reactor is designed for a pressure of max. 30 bar<br />

and temperatures up to 230° C. Loading and<br />

unloading of the reactor is conducted by two<br />

particle pumps (patent pending).<br />

171<br />

Pilot plant: 100 kg/h pilot plant for continuous<br />

pre-treatment of lignocellulosic raw materials.<br />

INFORMATION<br />

References: ENK6-CT-2002-00650<br />

Programme:<br />

FP5 - <strong>Energy</strong>, Environment and<br />

Sustainable Development<br />

Title:<br />

Integrated <strong>Bio</strong>mass Utilisation for<br />

Production of <strong>Bio</strong>fuels –<br />

CO-PRODUCTION BIOFUELS<br />

Duration: 40 months<br />

Contact point:<br />

Charles Nielsen<br />

Elsam A/S<br />

Tel: +45-76222000<br />

Fax: +45-76222450<br />

chn@elsam.com<br />

Partners:<br />

Elsam (DK)<br />

Energia Hidroelectrica de Navarra (E)<br />

Sicco (DK)<br />

Agrol (UK)<br />

Risø National Laboratory (DK)<br />

The Royal Veterinary and Agricultural<br />

University (DK)<br />

EC Scientific Officer:<br />

Garbiñe Guiu Etxeberria<br />

Tel: +32-2-2990538<br />

Fax: +32-2-2993694<br />

garbine.guiu@cec.eu.int<br />

Status: Ongoing


TIME<br />

Objectives<br />

The general aim of the project is to improve<br />

the technology and it is expected that this<br />

will reduce the cost of producing ethanol<br />

by 10-20% in the medium to long term.<br />

The technological objective is to improve<br />

the design and performance of the key<br />

steps in the lignocellulose-to-ethanol<br />

process, which contribute to the overall<br />

system efficiency and cost effectiveness;<br />

pre-treatment, enzyme development and<br />

increased process integration. This project<br />

is aimed at innovations based on new<br />

biotechnical process methods, with<br />

positive outlooks in terms of technical<br />

and economical developments. The technoeconomical<br />

evaluation of the proposed<br />

process aims at ascertaining production<br />

costs and the use of energy, and assessing<br />

the environmental impact by the use of Life<br />

Cycle Analyses.<br />

Improved ethanol production<br />

from lignocellulose.<br />

It’s TIME<br />

Challenges<br />

Development of improved fuel-ethanol production<br />

technologies from lignocellulose would enable the<br />

reduction of CO2 emissions in the transport<br />

sector to be in the range of 90%, compared<br />

with the use of fossil fuels. The project focuses<br />

on the development of cost effective and<br />

sustainable production methods for clean biofuel,<br />

i.e. ethanol, based on lignocellulosic waste<br />

materials or dedicated crops. The raw materials<br />

are among the potential ones in Southern,<br />

Eastern and Northern Europe, comprising of<br />

forest and agricultural residues as well as energy<br />

crops. The key issues essential for the<br />

improvement of the process steps in the<br />

conversion of lignocellulosics to ethanol are<br />

related to the hydrolysis and fermentation<br />

technologies.<br />

172<br />

Expected impact and exploitation<br />

The project provides solutions for improving the<br />

security of energy supply and for reducing the<br />

environmental impacts, especially on climatic<br />

change. The role of ethanol may be seen as an<br />

alternative fuel in the intermediate term, but<br />

the replacement of liquid biofuels will depend on<br />

the legislation, as well as development and<br />

commercialisation, of new technologies. Ethanol<br />

is also especially interesting in the short to<br />

medium term because it can be used as a blend<br />

with gasoline, either directly or as ETBE, in<br />

existing vehicles and distribution systems and<br />

does not, therefore, require expensive<br />

infrastructure investments. The extension of<br />

renewable raw materials to the energy sector, and<br />

especially for transport fuels, would also have a<br />

positive contribution to the quality of life; ethanol<br />

based fuels reduce the emission of pollutants<br />

from motor vehicles.


Progress to date<br />

The delays of present lignocellulose-to-ethanol<br />

conversion technologies can be overcome by<br />

developing improved pre-treatment and enzymatic<br />

hydrolysis methods, resulting in higher yields<br />

of product (fuel-ethanol) and co-product (solid fuel)<br />

and decreased energy demand in the production<br />

process. The development and optimisation of<br />

pre-treatment technologies (steam pre-treatment<br />

and wet oxidation) of the chosen raw materials<br />

(corn fodder, salix, soft wood) as well as<br />

improved, integrated cellulose hydrolysis<br />

techniques is underway. The superior cellulolytic<br />

enzymes required have been identified and<br />

selected yeast strains will be used for the<br />

optimisation of ethanol fermentation. The<br />

improvement will result in a new process concept<br />

with a high degree of process integration.<br />

Project structure<br />

In this project, there is a combination of high-level<br />

multi-disciplines and specific areas of expertise<br />

for the partners.<br />

TIME - Structure.<br />

173<br />

INFORMATION<br />

References: ENK6-CT-2002-00604<br />

Programme:<br />

FP5 - <strong>Energy</strong>, Environment and<br />

Sustainable Development<br />

Title:<br />

Technological Improvement for Ethanol<br />

Production from Lignocellulose – TIME<br />

Duration: 36 months<br />

Contact point:<br />

Liisa Viikari<br />

VTT <strong>Bio</strong>technology<br />

Tel: +358-9-4565140<br />

Fax: +358-9-4552103<br />

liisa.viikari@vtt.fi<br />

Partners:<br />

VTT (FIN)<br />

ENEA (I)<br />

Risø National Laboratory (DK)<br />

Lund University (S)<br />

Royal Nedalco (NL)<br />

Roal (FIN)<br />

Budapest University of Technology<br />

and Economics (HU)<br />

Website: http://timeproject.vtt.fi<br />

EC Scientific Officer:<br />

Garbiñe Guiu Etxeberria<br />

Tel: +32-2-2990538<br />

Fax: +32-2-2993694<br />

garbine.guiu@cec.eu.int<br />

Status: Ongoing


BABILAFUENTE<br />

BIOETHANOL<br />

PROJECT<br />

Objectives<br />

The construction of the bioethanol plant<br />

in Babilafuente, Spain will represent<br />

a significant change in the ethanol<br />

production system. The new process,<br />

using biomass as feedstock, will provide a<br />

number of benefits and short-term solutions.<br />

These are:<br />

- enhancing the security and the diversity<br />

of <strong>European</strong> agriculture<br />

- reducing greenhouse gas emissions and<br />

other pollutants<br />

- creating energy from wastes<br />

- creating new jobs in an under-developed<br />

region of the EU<br />

- reducing the EU´s trade deficit in animal<br />

feed<br />

- contributing to the goals of the 1997<br />

Renewables´ White Paper, the 2000<br />

Green Paper for energy supply security,<br />

and the EC action plan of November 2001<br />

to foster the alternative uses of transport.<br />

The aim of this project is to reduce the<br />

costs associated with lignocellulosic<br />

bioethanol technology, by creating the first<br />

plant of its kind within the EU. It will try<br />

to demonstrate the integration of the<br />

existing technology and practices with<br />

quickly delivered research and new<br />

technological developments throughout<br />

the entire product chain, from feedstock<br />

production to final use.<br />

Ethanol from biomass:<br />

The Babilafuente<br />

bioethanol project<br />

Description of the work<br />

The project brings together partners from the<br />

research community (University of Lund, Sweden<br />

and Ciemat, Spain), industrial companies<br />

(<strong>Bio</strong>carburantes de Castilla y León S.A., Spain,<br />

Ecoagrícola S.A, Spain, Novozymes A/S, Denmark<br />

and Repsol-YPF S.A., Spain), with a construction<br />

company as a major sub-contractor to create an<br />

integrated fuel bioethanol chain.<br />

The centrepiece of the project is the construction,<br />

followed by testing for one year, of a bioethanol<br />

plant that sells 200 million litres of fuel<br />

bioethanol, by combining a traditional cereals<br />

process (producing 195 million litres) with a<br />

lignocellulosic process (5 million litres). The<br />

former uses barley grain as its feedstock, while<br />

the latter uses the remainder of the barley plant<br />

– the straw – as its primary feedstock (see<br />

figure 1). The application of the lignocellulosic<br />

materials, as well as the enzymes to convert<br />

them, will be the subject of intense research and<br />

development.<br />

The project will also research the potential use<br />

of other lignocellulosic raw materials. The<br />

feedstock will be sourced, based on a study<br />

that seeks to optimise the raw material from<br />

sustainability (environmental, social and<br />

economic) principles. Research into high starch<br />

174<br />

using low input barley production will be carried<br />

out, both to reduce agricultural pollution and to<br />

improve the economic efficiency of bioethanol<br />

production. If successful, the project will analyse<br />

how to contract the new feedstock from local<br />

farmers. Downstream of the plant new facilities<br />

will be constructed to distribute the bioethanol<br />

to the final users, and tests will be carried out<br />

on vehicle emissions to assess the benefits of<br />

its use. All new facilities will be subject to<br />

intensive monitoring during the year of testing.<br />

The whole project will be subject to a life cycle<br />

analysis which, combined with a social and<br />

economic analysis, will evaluate the benefits<br />

that this integrated approach offers the <strong>European</strong><br />

Union within the context of the proposed biofuels<br />

targets of the <strong>European</strong> Commission.<br />

A website will be created to release the results<br />

of the project, and all other research items will<br />

be disseminated through conference papers<br />

and scientific publications.


Expected impact and exploitation<br />

One outcome of the project will be the first<br />

lignocellulosic plant in the EU to start operating<br />

on a commercial basis. It should be followed by<br />

larger plants that can be run on a fully commercial<br />

and competitive basis.<br />

The other principal outcome is the demonstration<br />

of bioethanol for transport in sustainable<br />

communities which, when combined with the<br />

lignocellulosic plant, provides a practical model<br />

for the achievement of the <strong>European</strong> Commission<br />

targets for alternative road fuels.<br />

Figure 1: Block Flow Diagram of the Lignocellulosic<br />

Ethanol Process.<br />

175<br />

INFORMATION<br />

References: NNE5-685-2001<br />

Programme:<br />

FP5 - <strong>Energy</strong>, Environment and<br />

Sustainable Development<br />

Title:<br />

Project for the Production of 200 Million<br />

Litres of <strong>Bio</strong>ethanol in Babilafuente<br />

(Salamanca) from Cereals and<br />

Lignocellulose – BABILAFUENTE<br />

BIOETHANOL PROJECT<br />

Duration: 48 months<br />

Contact point:<br />

Carmen Millan<br />

Abengoa<br />

Tel: +34-954-937111<br />

Carmen.Millan@bioenergy.abengoa.com<br />

Partners:<br />

<strong>Bio</strong>carburantes de Castilla y León (E)<br />

CIEMAT (E)<br />

Lund University (S)<br />

Novozymes (DK)<br />

Ecoagrícola (E)<br />

Repsol-YPF (E)<br />

EC Scientific Officer:<br />

Kyriakos Maniatis<br />

Tel: +32-2-2990293<br />

Fax: +32-2-2966261<br />

kyriakos.maniatis@cec.eu.int<br />

Status: Ongoing


BIODIEPRO<br />

Objectives<br />

The project will demonstrate an<br />

environmentally sensitive solution for<br />

the safe disposal of animal by-products,<br />

increase the knowledge of biodiesel<br />

production and investigate the potential in<br />

the fuel supply sector. It will be necessary<br />

undertake first life cycle analysis of<br />

biodiesel produced from RVO and tallow.<br />

<strong>Bio</strong>diesel from tallow<br />

and ‘Recovered<br />

Vegetable Oil’ (RVO)<br />

Problems to be solved<br />

Argent <strong>Energy</strong> Limited is to establish the first<br />

<strong>European</strong> large-scale biodiesel manufacturing<br />

facility, using both RVO and tallow, for sale to oil<br />

companies. The project will demonstrate an<br />

environmentally sensitive solution for the safe<br />

disposal of animal by-products, increase the<br />

knowledge of biodiesel production and investigate<br />

the potential in the fuel supply sector. It will<br />

be necessary to undertake first life cycle analysis<br />

of biodiesel produced from RVO and tallow. The<br />

project will contribute to the <strong>European</strong> fuel<br />

standards setting by generating data on the<br />

feasibility of producing biodiesel to specific<br />

technical characteristics. The project will<br />

demonstrate that TSE protein prions are<br />

neutralised or eradicated by the transesterification<br />

process to the satisfaction of the<br />

Scientific Screening Committee (SSC) and<br />

achieve an SSC (or replacement body)<br />

declaration of the process.<br />

176<br />

Project structure and partnerships<br />

There are six main work packages to the project:<br />

• Design and construction of the biodiesel<br />

production demonstration plant<br />

• Commissioning and testing – optimising<br />

production and developing the supply chain<br />

• Development – testing techniques for product<br />

quality control, co-product processing<br />

• Analysis and evaluation – analysis of the plant<br />

performance, including financial and<br />

environmental performance<br />

• Dissemination – promoting the results of the<br />

project to wider stakeholders<br />

• Project management, including reporting on<br />

progress to the Commission.<br />

The diagram (see next page) demonstrates how<br />

the consortium, the main subcontractor and the<br />

parties involved with the project, covers a range<br />

of different functions along the supply chain.


Expected results and<br />

exploitation plans<br />

This project aims to demonstrate a multifeedstock<br />

biodiesel production facility that uses<br />

a mixture of animal tallow and RVO, rather than<br />

virgin oils. The plant will have the potential to<br />

produce 45 000 tonnes of biodiesel per annum,<br />

which represents 14% of the current UK diesel<br />

market when used as a 2% blend with mineral<br />

diesel. In addition, the project seeks to develop<br />

and demonstrate a new supply chain providing<br />

a complete integrated solution for the safe<br />

treatment and recovery of energy from animal<br />

by-products.<br />

Progress to date<br />

The project began in January 2003 and is,<br />

therefore, at a very early stage with literature<br />

reviews and limited scientific analysis having<br />

been undertaken. The site for the biodiesel<br />

plant has now reached the stage at which<br />

infrastucture installation will begin by<br />

September 2003, with full production expected<br />

to begin in the summer of 2004.<br />

177<br />

INFORMATION<br />

References: NNE5-2001-00832<br />

Programme:<br />

FP5 - <strong>Energy</strong>, Environment and<br />

Sustainable Development<br />

Title:<br />

Demonstration of the Production of<br />

<strong>Bio</strong>diesel from Tallow and Recovered<br />

Vegetable Oil (RVO) – BIODIEPRO<br />

Duration: 36 months<br />

Contact point:<br />

Christopher D Bond<br />

The Rural Centre<br />

Tel: +44-7736-723-740<br />

chris.bond@argentenergy.com<br />

Partners:<br />

The Rural Centre (UK)<br />

TU Graz (A)<br />

EC Scientific Officer:<br />

Kyriakos Maniatis<br />

Tel: +32-2-2990293<br />

Fax: +32-2-2966261<br />

kyriakos.maniatis@cec.eu.int<br />

Status: Ongoing


BIODINA<br />

Objectives<br />

The objective of the project is to<br />

demonstrate and widely disseminate<br />

the benefits of changing the agrarian<br />

practices of the Navarra community from<br />

cereal food crops to oleaginous energy<br />

crops in order to approach a sustainable<br />

community in diesel consumption,<br />

through the local production of biodiesel<br />

at a large scale.<br />

The specific objectives of the project are:<br />

• To produce 35,000 Tm/year of sunflower,<br />

rape and palm biodiesel, (11% of the<br />

community consumption);<br />

• To create 25 direct and 100 indirect jobs<br />

related to the biodiesel plant;<br />

• To involve between 300 and 400 farmers<br />

from the community in the development<br />

and supply of oleaginous biomass, which<br />

implies a change of mentality from<br />

traditional food crops to the new idea<br />

of energy crops; and<br />

• To contribute to <strong>European</strong> security<br />

of supply. The use of local production<br />

of 35,000 Tm/year of biodiesel will avoid<br />

an annual import of 36,900 tonnes<br />

of oil derivatives.<br />

Production of biodiesel<br />

from sunflower,<br />

rapeseed and palm<br />

Challenges<br />

Navarra is a Spanish regional community lacking<br />

conventional energy resources. Ten years ago its<br />

supply was mainly based on the imports of<br />

conventional energy sources (solid fuels, oil<br />

derivatives and some gas), its energy self-supply<br />

being just 13.3% in 1993. This strong external<br />

energy dependency motivated its half a million<br />

inhabitants, through the regional government, to<br />

devise and execute (since 1990) a pioneer plan<br />

for the integration of its own resources (renewable<br />

energies) into the energy consumption chain.<br />

Efforts were initially directed towards the RES<br />

electric supply and, as a result, in 2003 the<br />

community now generates over 50% of the<br />

electricity consumption using RES (wind: over<br />

400 MW; mini-hydro: over 60 MW; photovoltaic:<br />

1.2 MWp; biomass: 25 MW).<br />

However, fuels used for transport, heating, etc.<br />

are still 100% conventional and imported.<br />

The time has come to reduce this dependency<br />

The RES biofuels project is a RES-based innovative<br />

approach which will integrate the whole<br />

chain of actors involved in biofuel production<br />

(farmers, technology developer, biofuel producer<br />

and end-users) in the community, in order to<br />

shift to a more sustainable energy supply.<br />

Location<br />

The biodiesel plant will be located in the<br />

Caparroso municipal area in the region of Navarra.<br />

The land is situated to the north-west of the<br />

municipal area, very close to the railway station.<br />

The locality has very good road connections.<br />

178<br />

Project structure<br />

The work is divided into the following work<br />

packages:<br />

• WP1: Project management<br />

• WP2: Crops<br />

• WP3: Plant engineering<br />

• WP4: Plant construction<br />

• WP5: Laboratory<br />

• WP6: Operation set-up<br />

• WP7: Fill-in stations<br />

• WP8: In-vehicle tests<br />

• WP9: Final evaluation<br />

The consortium comprises:<br />

• EHN: Renewable energy promoter, Spain<br />

• Lurgi: <strong>Bio</strong>diesel plant technology manufacturer,<br />

Germany<br />

• ITGA: Agrarian technical institute, Spain<br />

• SCPSA: Local public organisation in charge of<br />

local transport and other municipal services in<br />

the city of Pamplona (capital of Navarra), Spain<br />

• Cetenasa: Research centre, Spain<br />

• ONIDOL: National organisation of oleaginous<br />

plants, France<br />

Expected impact and exploitation<br />

The project will contribute to the local socioeconomic<br />

development as it will create 25 direct<br />

jobs for the operation of the new plant plus<br />

100 indirect jobs in related services activities.<br />

In addition, between 300 and 400 jobs will be<br />

generated in the agrarian sector as regards<br />

the following activities in the chain: raw material<br />

growing, harvesting and logistics, and fuel<br />

distribution and sale.


As a result of the new agricultural needs that this<br />

latest biodiesel activity will generate in the region,<br />

it is very possible that the area will change crop<br />

distribution significantly, thereby increasing<br />

production of oleaginous plants. In addition, the<br />

project will contribute towards changing the<br />

mentality of the farmers as they will switch from<br />

food production to energy production. Therefore,<br />

in order to establish the impact that this whole<br />

new biofuel activity will generate on the farming<br />

sector, socio-economic research studies will be<br />

developed in the farming sector.<br />

In addition, the project will raise public awareness<br />

regarding the cost/efficiency rate of the whole<br />

biodiesel process, and also as regards the<br />

environmentally friendly characteristic of biodiesel<br />

generation and consumption technologies.<br />

Publicity campaigns will be undertaken.<br />

The economic objective is to reach an investment<br />

level under 535 euro/Tm of biodiesel and<br />

to achieve annual production costs under<br />

594 euro/Tm (including raw material costs<br />

and operation and maintenance).<br />

The environmental objective is to avoid the<br />

emission of 71.000 Tm/year of CO2 (this is the<br />

amount of CO2 that 35,000 Tm of conventional<br />

diesel emits into the air). In addition, the emission<br />

of 82 Tm/year of CO and 105 Tm/year of SO2 will<br />

be suppressed.<br />

Computer simulation of the future biodiesel plant. <strong>Bio</strong>diesel bus.<br />

Finally, as regards exploitation, the project will<br />

provide a stable use of biodiesel in passenger<br />

transport services and other transport activities.<br />

In addition, although the project will materialise<br />

locally in the region of Navarra, the promoters will<br />

establish a plan for replicating this technology<br />

on a large scale in any <strong>European</strong> region where<br />

there is raw material availability, social and<br />

administration interest, and a legal framework that<br />

favours its development.<br />

Progress to date<br />

The project, which started on 1 January 2003, will<br />

last for 36 months. In June 2003, the project<br />

status was:<br />

• Completion of the design of the laboratories<br />

needed for testing and assuring the quality<br />

of future biodiesel;<br />

• Good progress on the design of the biodiesel<br />

plant;<br />

• Civil engineering work started on the plant<br />

(earth removal);<br />

• Test methodology to be applied to vehicles<br />

under development; and<br />

• Location of future fill-in stations under<br />

discussion.<br />

179<br />

INFORMATION<br />

References: NNE5-649-2001<br />

Programme:<br />

FP5 - <strong>Energy</strong>, Environment and<br />

Sustainable Development<br />

Title:<br />

Sustainable Community through<br />

the Production of 30.000 Tm/year of<br />

<strong>Bio</strong>-Diesel Starting from Sunflower,<br />

Rapeseed and Palm <strong>Bio</strong>mass – BIODINA<br />

Duration: 36 months<br />

Contact point:<br />

Kintxo Ancin<br />

Corporación Energía Hidroeléctrica<br />

de Navarra SA<br />

Tel: +34-948-229422<br />

Fax: +34-948-222970<br />

jancin@ehn.es<br />

Partners:<br />

Corporación Energía Hidroeléctrica<br />

de Navarra (E)<br />

Lurgi Life Science (D)<br />

Instituto Técnico y de<br />

Gestión Agrícola (E)<br />

Servicios de la Comarca de Pamplon (E)<br />

Fundación Cetenasa (E)<br />

Organisation Nationale Interprofessionelle<br />

des Oléagineux (F)<br />

EC Scientific Officer:<br />

Kyriakos Maniatis<br />

Tel: +32-2-2990293<br />

Fax: +32-2-2966261<br />

kyriakos.maniatis@cec .eu.int<br />

Status: Ongoing


Timberjack Bundler 1490D.<br />

FORENERGY<br />

Objectives<br />

The main scientific and technical<br />

objectives of the FORENERGY<br />

demonstration project are:<br />

• to conduct high level research on the<br />

development of renewable and clean<br />

bio-energy technology,<br />

• to model, develop and optimise the<br />

complete energy chain from the forest<br />

to the end users,<br />

• to test an energy system producing<br />

biofuel for the power plant at a<br />

competitive price<br />

(


<strong>Bio</strong>mass bundling technology system.<br />

Progress to date<br />

Since the start of the project there have been<br />

several technology demonstrations in various<br />

countries (Austria, Italy, France, Spain and<br />

Finland). In Spain there have been two systems<br />

in commercial operation since the beginning<br />

of 2003.<br />

In Finland there are now over 20 systems in<br />

operation and the slash bundling technology<br />

has especially become a standard method. The<br />

slash bundles contain 1MWh of energy each<br />

and are easy to handle and store. The biggest<br />

power plant using this technology is the world’s<br />

largest biomass plant, Alholmens Kraft, which<br />

has a fuel power of 590MW. When optimised in<br />

the right way this technology should be applicable<br />

to any forested <strong>European</strong> country.<br />

Timber and energy bundles. Bundles in France showing fresh and old material.<br />

181<br />

INFORMATION<br />

References: NNE5-395-2000<br />

Programme:<br />

FP5 - <strong>Energy</strong>, Environment and<br />

Sustainable Development<br />

Title:<br />

Forest <strong>Energy</strong> – A Solution for the Future<br />

Power Needs – FORENERGY<br />

Duration: 36 months<br />

Contact point:<br />

Arto Timperi<br />

Timberjack Oy<br />

Tel: +358-20-5846800<br />

Fax: +358-20-5846800<br />

arto.timperi@fi.timberjack.com<br />

Partners:<br />

Timberjack (FIN)<br />

Association Forêt Cellulose (F)<br />

Centre National du Machinisme Agricole (F)<br />

Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (I)<br />

Shotton Paper CO (UK)<br />

Österreichisches Forschungszentrum<br />

Seibersdorf (A)<br />

UPM-KYMMENE (FIN)<br />

EC Scientific Officer:<br />

Kyriakos Maniatis<br />

Tel: +32-2-2990293<br />

Fax: +32-2-2966261<br />

kyriakos.maniatis@cec.eu.int<br />

Status: Ongoing


FERMATEC<br />

Objectives<br />

The FERMATEC project will provide a<br />

modular fermentation unit for continuous<br />

ethanol production. Compared with<br />

traditional units, it will decrease ethanol<br />

production costs to a minimum of 20%<br />

and increase bio-ethanol production yield<br />

to approximately 25 g EtOH/l.h.<br />

The main achievements of FERMATEC<br />

project will have an impact on<br />

environmental, social and economic fields:<br />

• applying biotechnology to the production<br />

of renewable fuels will directly improve<br />

the quality of the environment<br />

• enhancing sustainable development<br />

by using waste products and valorisation<br />

of sub products<br />

• increasing ethanol production plants and<br />

updating the large number of <strong>European</strong><br />

distilleries that still use traditional<br />

fermentation processes.<br />

<strong>Bio</strong>-ethanol production by a<br />

new fermentation process<br />

Challenges<br />

In the EU, as elsewhere, an increase in energy<br />

output is projected over the next 20 years: from<br />

12 million barrels per day (600 million toe) in<br />

2000 to 13.2 million barrels per day (660 million<br />

toe) in 2020.<br />

In the EU the dependence on oil imports is<br />

already high (currently 75%) and it is likely to<br />

increase even further and exceed 85% by the year<br />

2020. The rising fossil fuel consumption implies<br />

the augmentation of greenhouse gas emissions,<br />

in particular of CO2. In the EU about 60% of CO<br />

emissions come from transport, accounting for<br />

25% of total energy-related CO2 emissions, of<br />

which 80% comes from road transport. The use<br />

of alternative fuels like alcohol, biodiesel, biogas,<br />

electricity etc. can help: they can reduce<br />

petroleum dependence and, in the case of<br />

alcohol, it can also reduce gaseous emissions<br />

(see Figure 1).<br />

The EC’s contribution to lowering CO2 emissions<br />

can be achieved by several measures, but the<br />

largest is the possibility of using up to 25%<br />

anhydrous ethanol blended with gasoline.<br />

(Brazil is using up to 22-23%.)<br />

The EC has taken certain decisions which<br />

will impact on the community’s ethanol industry,<br />

both directly and indirectly: The most recent<br />

directive (May 2003) provides for indicative<br />

targets of a 5.75% biofuel content in all fuels<br />

by 31 December 2010, starting at 2% by<br />

31 December 2005. As a consequence, ethanol<br />

use could reach 11 billion litres a year by<br />

2010 if all 15 member states were to comply<br />

fully with the legislation, which is a great step<br />

compared with an estimated 390 million litres<br />

in 2003.<br />

182<br />

Project structure<br />

In the FERMATEC project a Fluidised-Bed<br />

<strong>Bio</strong>rreactor – Three Phase (FBR 3P) will be<br />

dimensioned and used for the field tests to<br />

ensure performance in real conditions.<br />

The work is to be carried out first at laboratory<br />

scale, which includes the use and selection of<br />

the best micro-organisms and the testing of<br />

some variations in the solid matrix for cell<br />

immobilisation and several raw materials.<br />

Afterwards, the long term operation of a<br />

laboratorial FBR-3P new fermenter will be<br />

implemented.<br />

The second part of the work will be concentrated<br />

on a scaled-up and long term operation of the<br />

prototype FBR-3P including optimising operating<br />

conditions such as pH, temperature, dissolved<br />

oxygen, substrate flow rate and also maximising<br />

the yield. This work is especially focused on the<br />

building and operation of an industrial prototype<br />

in an end user installation.<br />

The process conception, which includes the<br />

selection of micro-organisms and the immobilisation,<br />

process modelling, solid support<br />

selection, establishment of process control and<br />

monitoring, must be performed mostly by the<br />

RTD partners due to their large knowledge in<br />

these fields.<br />

It is expected that strong partnerships between<br />

the researchers and members of industry<br />

will develop as they work in co-operation to<br />

solve technical problems and meet changing,<br />

concerning demands.


Expected impact and exploitation<br />

Recent figures reveal that the world ethanol<br />

production in 2003 can achieve the highest<br />

annual growth rate by more than 10% to almost<br />

38 billion litres against a revised 2002 total of<br />

34.3 billion. Ethanol output in the <strong>European</strong><br />

Union (EU) is increasing by under 7%.<br />

It is a goal of this project to obtain a final<br />

prototype that gives the best performance<br />

possible thus giving to industries, both in and out<br />

of the consortium, good perspectives to invest<br />

in the modernisation of their industrial facilities<br />

and stimulate new investments in bioethanol<br />

industry. The product of FERMATEC will be available<br />

on the market in approximately one year, and the<br />

technology could be used without further tests<br />

and research. This is a consequence of the size<br />

of the final tested prototype. Commercial<br />

conditions, like real raw materials, will be used<br />

and industrial tests will also be conducted.<br />

Figure 1: Complete cycle of alcohol production and<br />

combustion (Dempsey, M.J.).<br />

Progress to date<br />

The project started in January 2003 and the work<br />

scheduled for the 1st semester has been<br />

concluded. The main tasks developed are related<br />

to process modelling, laboratorial tests and a<br />

survey on the raw materials and requirements,<br />

which will be verified in the final bio-reactor.<br />

It has developed the model of the first Fluidised<br />

Bed Reactor – 3 Phases laboratorial prototype.<br />

From this model it was possible to establish<br />

the configuration of the fermenter, develop the<br />

necessary technical drawings, specifications<br />

and material selection that has led to the<br />

construction of the first laboratorial prototype<br />

(see Figure 2). This will be running continuously<br />

at INETI installations, as predicted in the<br />

initial workplan.<br />

Also resulting from the work developed in the first<br />

semester, it is possible to now have a selection<br />

of the micro-biological species and solid supports<br />

that will be used when the reactor is continuously<br />

running during in the second semester of 2003.<br />

183<br />

INFORMATION<br />

References: ENK6-CT2002-30029<br />

Title: Development of a <strong>Bio</strong>technological<br />

High Yield Process for Ethanol Production<br />

Based on a Continuous Fermentation<br />

Reactor – FERMATEC<br />

Duration: 24 months<br />

Contact point:<br />

Susana Seabra<br />

TECNIA - Processos e Equipamentos<br />

Industriais e Ambientais<br />

Tel: +351-2-61930750<br />

Fax: +351-2-61930751<br />

tecnia@tecnia.net<br />

Partners:<br />

Tecnia (P)<br />

ARGUS Umweltbiotechnologie (D)<br />

Manchester Metropolitan University (UK)<br />

Verein zur Förderung des<br />

Technologietransfers an der Hochschule<br />

Bremerhaven (D)<br />

Jose Viegas da Silva (P)<br />

Eco-Soros Transformacao de Soros<br />

Lacteos (P)<br />

Azucarera del Guadalfeo (E)<br />

University of Coimbra (P)<br />

INETI (P)<br />

AGROL (UK)<br />

EC Scientific Officer:<br />

Garbiñe Guiu Etxeberria<br />

Tel: +32-2-2990538<br />

Fax: +32-2-2993694<br />

garbine.guiu@cec.eu.int<br />

Status: Ongoing<br />

Figure 2:<br />

Fermenter<br />

laboratory<br />

prototype built<br />

in the Tecnia<br />

workshop.


BIONORM<br />

Objectives<br />

The objective of the <strong>Bio</strong>Norm project is<br />

it to provide the scientific background,<br />

as well as the necessary data, for the<br />

ongoing <strong>European</strong> standardisation process<br />

in the field of solid biofuels. This includes<br />

the development of a fuel quality<br />

assurance (QA) system for solid biofuels.<br />

This QA-system is based on ISO 9000<br />

and its development is supported by<br />

extensive work on sampling and testing<br />

of physical-mechanical fuel characteristics,<br />

as well as chemical fuel properties, to<br />

provide reliable procedures. The work is<br />

closely linked to the efforts of the CEN<br />

Technical Committee (TC) 335 “Solid<br />

<strong>Bio</strong>fuels”. Additionally partners from the<br />

New Accession States (NAS) serve as<br />

an interface to give the NAS the chance<br />

to participate in the development of<br />

<strong>European</strong> standards.<br />

Pre-normative work for<br />

the use of solid biofuels<br />

Problems addressed<br />

The <strong>European</strong> Commission has given a mandate<br />

to CEN for the development of standards in the<br />

field of solid biofuels.<br />

The ongoing standardisation work has shown that<br />

the methods for sampling and testing, as well as<br />

for quality assurance, already exist for the use<br />

of solid fossil fuels (e. g. hard coal). But these<br />

methods are only partly applicable to solid<br />

biofuels. Although CEN Technical Committee<br />

(TC) 335 “Solid <strong>Bio</strong>fuels” will continue to develop<br />

standards on the basis of the best information<br />

available, it recognises the strong need for<br />

further research to improve the reliability of<br />

selected sampling and testing methods. Also the<br />

strong need for the development of an overall<br />

quality assurance system for solid biofuels,<br />

taking practical requirements into consideration,<br />

was acknowledged. To close these gaps the<br />

<strong>Bio</strong>Norm project (‘Pre-normative work on sampling<br />

and testing of solid biofuels for the development<br />

of quality assurance systems’) was started in<br />

early 2002.<br />

To support the work of CEN TC 335 ‘Solid<br />

<strong>Bio</strong>fuels’ most effectively, a quality assurance<br />

system for solid biofuels based on sampling<br />

and testing procedures will be developed within<br />

the <strong>Bio</strong>Norm project to ensure that the<br />

appropriate biofuel quality is available at<br />

reasonable costs at the plant gate. To achieve<br />

this goal, verified tests with high precision for the<br />

determination of selected physical-mechanical<br />

and chemical properties are strongly needed.<br />

The work within the <strong>Bio</strong>Norm project includes the<br />

following fields of research:<br />

184<br />

Sampling and Sample reduction<br />

Sampling and sample reduction errors are often<br />

much more significant than testing errors.<br />

Therefore investigations of methods for sampling<br />

as well as for sample reduction are carried out<br />

to provide a representative bulk sample.<br />

Physical tests<br />

The testing of the physical properties of solid<br />

biofuels is commonplace but the precision and<br />

reproducibility of the results is often very poor.<br />

Additionally there is a strong need for reliable rapid<br />

methods, for example for either fuel acceptance<br />

or rejection. Thus, the exactness of existing<br />

procedures will be improved and, respectively, new<br />

procedures will be developed, such as:<br />

• the determination of the moisture content and<br />

bulk density with a focus on rapid on-site test<br />

methods,<br />

• the determination of ash melting behaviour,<br />

• particle size distribution and dimension,<br />

• the determination of the durability and raw<br />

density of pellets and briquettes.<br />

Chemical tests<br />

Tests for the determination of chemical fuel<br />

characteristics are derived primarily from the<br />

analysis of coal. Consequently the exactness of<br />

existing procedures needs to be improved and<br />

new procedures need to be developed for sulphur,<br />

chlorine and nitrogen content and for major and<br />

minor elements.<br />

Solid biofuel quality assurance<br />

Currently no quality assurance system exists<br />

which takes the whole provision chain of solid<br />

biofuels into account. Another goal, therefore, is<br />

to develop an overall quality assurance system<br />

for solid biofuels.


Structure of the <strong>Bio</strong>Norm project. Example of solid <strong>Bio</strong>fuel.<br />

Research exchange with NAS<br />

To give the Newly Associated States (NAS) the<br />

chance to participate in the forthcoming biofuel<br />

market at an early stage, a continuous flow of<br />

information is needed in both directions.<br />

Therefore the partners from the NAS will develop<br />

a country report describing the national situation<br />

in detail and, additionally, national platforms<br />

will be established to serve as an interface<br />

between the project consortium and NAS.<br />

Project structure<br />

The project work plan is sub-divided into five<br />

work packages (WP), which consist of interrelated<br />

tasks as illustrated in Figure 1. 39 partners<br />

from 20 different <strong>European</strong> countries including<br />

the NAS contribute to the work of the project.<br />

Expected impact<br />

<strong>Bio</strong>Norm will help to develop the market for<br />

solid biofuels throughout Europe, as more reliable<br />

and acceptable sampling and testing procedures<br />

will increase the quality of the biofuel to be<br />

traded and used. Additionally, a system for fuel<br />

quality assurance will be developed to allow for<br />

the provision of a high quality biofuel throughout<br />

the overall provision chain and thus improve<br />

the confidence of the customer into the fuel. The<br />

integration of the NAS ensures that the<br />

standardisation requirements of these countries<br />

are considered as well. As the work to be realised<br />

within the <strong>Bio</strong>Norm project is closely linked to the<br />

work of CEN TC 335 ‘Solid <strong>Bio</strong>fuels’ an excellent<br />

exploitation of the results is guaranteed.<br />

Progress to date<br />

After almost half of the project lifetime,<br />

substantial progress has been made regarding<br />

procedures for sampling and sample reduction,<br />

as well as for the development of procedures for<br />

the determination of physical-mechanical and<br />

chemical fuel properties. Moreover, best practice<br />

guidelines, for example on the determination of<br />

moisture content, bulk density, particle size<br />

distribution, durability, raw density as well as ash<br />

characterisation and the production of<br />

homogeneous biomass samples, were drafted.<br />

Within the work on fuel quality assurance, a<br />

review on the existing quality systems based on<br />

ten different cases has been elaborated, and a<br />

guideline for the implementation of quality<br />

assurance systems within companies dealing<br />

with solid biofuels has been developed. Also, the<br />

research exchange with the NAS has been<br />

established.<br />

185<br />

INFORMATION<br />

References: ENK6-CT-2001-00556<br />

Programme:<br />

FP5 - <strong>Energy</strong>, Environment and Sustainable<br />

Development<br />

Title:<br />

Pre-Normative Work on Sampling and Testing<br />

of Solid <strong>Bio</strong>fuels for the Development of Quality<br />

Management – BIONORM<br />

Duration: 36 months<br />

Contact point:<br />

Martin Kaltschmitt<br />

Institut für Energetik und Umwelt<br />

mk@ie-leipzig.de<br />

Partners:<br />

Institut für Energetik und Umwelt (D)<br />

National Technical University of Athens (GR)<br />

Danish Forest and Landscape Research<br />

Institute (DK)<br />

Universität Stuttgart (D)<br />

TU München (D)<br />

Green Land Reclamation (UK)<br />

Keskuslaboratorio (FIN)<br />

TPS Termiska Processer (S)<br />

Freiberg University of Mining & Technology (D)<br />

<strong>Energy</strong> Research Center of The Netherlands (NL)<br />

VTT (FIN)<br />

DK-Teknik <strong>Energy</strong> & Environment (DK)<br />

CIEMAT (E)<br />

TU Wien (A)<br />

Bundesanstalt für Landtechnik (A)<br />

TU Graz (A)<br />

TNO (NL)<br />

Koneko Marketing (CZ)<br />

IFE-Analytik (D)<br />

Central Laboratory of General Ecology (BG)<br />

Bayerische Landesanstalt für Landtechnik (D)<br />

Institute of Physical Energetics (LV)<br />

Ingenieur- und Servicegesellschaft<br />

für Energie und Umwelt (D)<br />

Centre for Research & Tecnology Hellas (GR)<br />

Skelleftea Kraft (S)<br />

University of West-Hungary (HU)<br />

Association Foret Cellulose (F)<br />

Swiss Federal Research Station for<br />

Agricultural Economics and Engineering (CH)<br />

Forestry Contracting Association (UK)<br />

Holzforschung Austria (A)<br />

University of Oulu (FIN)<br />

The Swedish University of Agricultural Science (S)<br />

Signalsfromnoise.com (UK)<br />

INETI (P)<br />

Comitato Termotecnico Italiano (I)<br />

Lithuanian <strong>Energy</strong> Institute (LT)<br />

Agricultural Research Centre of Gembloux (B)<br />

Institute for Building, Mechanisation and<br />

Electrification of Agriculture (PL)<br />

Tech-Wise (DK)<br />

Österreichisches Forschungsinsitut für<br />

Chemie und Technik (A)<br />

Swedish National Testing and Research<br />

Institute (S)<br />

EC Scientific Officer:<br />

Garbiñe Guiu Etxeberria<br />

Tel: +32-2-2290538<br />

Fax: +32-2-2993694<br />

garbine.guiu@cec.eu.int<br />

Status: Ongoing


TAR<br />

MEASUREMENT<br />

STANDARD<br />

Objectives<br />

So far, no well-developed and standardised<br />

measurement method exists for tars in<br />

biomass-producer gases, and different<br />

sampling and analysis methods are<br />

currently being used. In a previous<br />

EU-project (ERK6-CT1999-20002),<br />

a guideline for tar measurement<br />

(‘the Guideline’) was developed in order<br />

to remove this obstacle. The guideline aims<br />

at the measurement of both gravimetric<br />

tars as well as individual organic<br />

compounds. The measurement principle<br />

is based on the discontinuous sampling<br />

of a gas stream containing particles<br />

and condensable organic compounds.<br />

The overall objective of the present project<br />

is to expand the use of the guideline<br />

and transfer it into a <strong>European</strong> (CEN)<br />

standard method.<br />

A standard for tar<br />

measurement to enhance<br />

implementation of biomass<br />

systems<br />

Challenges<br />

Gasification processes, converting the solid<br />

biomass feedstock to a gaseous fuel (or syngas),<br />

significantly broaden the biomass utilisation<br />

spectrum. The syngas can be used for, for<br />

example, co-firing in coal-fired power plants,<br />

electricity generation in stand-alone conversion<br />

devices (gas engines, gas turbines, fuel cells), and<br />

production of gaseous/liquid fuels or chemicals.<br />

These applications set different specifications<br />

for (the contaminant levels in) the syngas.<br />

Organic contaminants or ‘tars’ are considered<br />

as the major problem-causing contaminants,<br />

which causes a large obstacle for the market<br />

introduction of biomass-gasification based<br />

systems. Measurement methods, as well<br />

as definitions for tars, are numerous and nonconsistent.<br />

As a result, the comparison of<br />

data and the definition of clear maximum<br />

allowable concentrations for tars in the syngas<br />

still cause problems.<br />

On the basis of a prior joint attempt by IEA,<br />

US-DoE and EU parties to arrive at a common tar<br />

measurement method (in the framework of a<br />

previous EU project ‘Tar Guideline’), this problem<br />

was tackled and a new measurement method<br />

(Guideline) was developed. This method now<br />

forms the basis for a standardisation procedure<br />

at <strong>European</strong> level.<br />

186<br />

Project structure<br />

The work in this project is subdivided into two<br />

activities:<br />

• standardisation of the existing guideline into<br />

a standard for measurement of tars in biomass<br />

producer gases<br />

• dissemination of the results.<br />

In the first activity, standardisation is performed<br />

in a task force (BT/TF/143) ‘Measurement of<br />

organic contaminants (tars) in biomass producer<br />

gases’ installed directly under the <strong>European</strong><br />

Committee for Standardisation (Comité Européen<br />

de Normalisation, CEN). The task force is open<br />

to representatives of each country affiliated to<br />

CEN, and each representative/country has the<br />

right to vote. The task force follows the work on<br />

standardisation, basically consisting of meetings<br />

to discuss draft versions and scientific content<br />

of the standard. The participants of the ‘Tar<br />

Measurement Standard’ project act in a double<br />

role as national representatives in the task force<br />

and also as technical experts performing R&D<br />

activities, thus bringing in their expertise on tar<br />

measurement and the use of the guideline to<br />

define the specifications the standard has to<br />

fulfil. In addition, the technical experts take<br />

action to ensure collection of data that are still<br />

missing. In particular, data on accuracy and<br />

reproducibility of the draft standard are essential<br />

in the process of standardisation. Other technical<br />

experts from the field have been invited to join<br />

the standardisation work.


In the second activity, the results from this project<br />

will be disseminated to ensure widespread<br />

acquaintance with the standard. Dissemination<br />

is aimed at the companies, institutes and<br />

universities working in the field of biomass<br />

gasification. Dissemination will be performed by<br />

means of an Internet site, by using Internet<br />

mailing lists/discussion groups and by means of<br />

papers and presentations at conferences.<br />

The project team is co-ordinated by the <strong>Energy</strong><br />

research Centre of the Netherlands (ECN) and<br />

consists of eight <strong>European</strong> organisations which<br />

develop, commercialise and advise on biomass<br />

gasification. The same project consortium had<br />

developed the guideline method.<br />

Expected impact and exploitation<br />

A standard allows manufacturers of gasifiers, gas<br />

cleaning systems and engine or turbine/generator<br />

sets to convince potential end-users on the<br />

technical performance of the sub-systems, and<br />

to define tolerances from which guarantees on<br />

performance, system life time etc. can be<br />

derived. Guarantees decrease the non-technical<br />

risks of the implementation of biomass<br />

gasification-based systems.<br />

In addition, the standard allows companies,<br />

institutions and universities that develop<br />

gasification technology to have a common<br />

method to measure the tar concentrations.<br />

Figure 1: The Guideline sampling<br />

set-up: atmospheric and isokinetic<br />

sampling train for tar and particles<br />

with removable probe and pitot<br />

tubes for flow measurement.<br />

Results<br />

The main result of this project will be a CEN<br />

Standard for a method of the sampling, postsampling<br />

and analysis of tar and particles in<br />

biomass producer gases. The project officially<br />

started in December 2002. A Round Robin Test,<br />

the results of which will be globally evaluated in<br />

the second half of 2003, has been performed<br />

to evaluate data on the accuracy of the method.<br />

The initial version of the draft standard has<br />

been discussed in the first official CEN/BT/TF<br />

143 meeting in June 2003. The members of the<br />

task force are also currently evaluating which is<br />

the best standardisation procedure for the<br />

guideline method in terms of specifications,<br />

level of performance required and possibilities<br />

for future adaptation to an international ISO<br />

standard.<br />

The full version of the guideline can be<br />

downloaded from the website.<br />

187<br />

INFORMATION<br />

References: ENK5-CT-2002-80648<br />

Programme:<br />

FP5 - <strong>Energy</strong>, Environment and<br />

Sustainable Development<br />

Title:<br />

Standardisation of a Guideline for the<br />

Measurement of Tars in <strong>Bio</strong>mass Producer<br />

Gases – TAR MEASUREMENT STANDARD<br />

Duration: 36 months<br />

Contact point:<br />

Beatrice Coda<br />

<strong>Energy</strong> Research Centre of<br />

The Netherlands<br />

coda@ecn.nl<br />

Partners:<br />

ECN (NL)<br />

BTG <strong>Bio</strong>mass Technology Group (NL)<br />

DTI (DK)<br />

EMC (UK)<br />

KTH (S)<br />

NEN (NL)<br />

NOVEM (NL)<br />

Verenum (CH)<br />

Website:<br />

www.tarweb.net<br />

EC Scientific Officer:<br />

Garbiñe Guiu Etxeberria<br />

Tel: +32-2-2990538<br />

Fax: +32-2-2993694<br />

garbine.guiu@cec.eu.int<br />

Status: Ongoing


T AR-PROTOCOL<br />

Objectives<br />

The main objective of the project was<br />

to develop a Guideline describing<br />

the necessary equipment and procedures<br />

for the sampling and analysis of tars<br />

in biomass producer gases. The Guideline<br />

should be suitable for measurement<br />

of tars at all relevant conditions<br />

(0-900 °C, 0.9-60 bars) and concentrations<br />

(1 mg/Nm3 – 100 g/Nm3), and it should<br />

allow for simultaneous measurement<br />

of particles and soot. Furthermore,<br />

the Guideline should be promoted so<br />

that it is accepted and applied as<br />

the standard tar measurement method<br />

in the field of biomass gasification.<br />

Measurement of tar<br />

and particles in biomass<br />

producer gases<br />

Challenges<br />

Gasification technologies are expected to play a<br />

key role in expanding the use of biomass. The<br />

gas can be used, for example, for co-firing in coalfired<br />

power plants, electricity generation in standalone<br />

conversion devices (gas engines, gas<br />

turbines, fuel cells), and the production of<br />

gaseous/liquid fuels or chemicals.<br />

Proper measurement of contaminant levels in<br />

biomass gasification-based systems is crucial to<br />

their optimisation and implementation. The<br />

measurement of organic contaminants or “tars”<br />

in syngas still causes much confusion.<br />

Measurement methods, as well as definitions for<br />

tars in biomass gasification-based systems, are<br />

numerous and non-consistent. As a result, the<br />

comparison of data and the definition of clear<br />

maximum allowable concentrations for tars are<br />

problematic. Since tars are considered as the<br />

major problem causing contaminants, this<br />

generates a large obstacle for the market<br />

introduction of these systems.<br />

The objective of the project was to remove this<br />

obstacle by developing a standard measurement<br />

method (Guideline) which is accepted and used<br />

by parties working on biomass gasification and<br />

can form the basis for a subsequent<br />

standardisation procedure at CEN.<br />

188<br />

Project structure<br />

The work consisted of three main activities: (a)<br />

development, optimisation and testing of the<br />

Guideline, (b) dissemination and internalisation<br />

of the Guideline and (c) the initiation of the<br />

standardisation of the Guideline on a <strong>European</strong><br />

level.<br />

In the first activity, a draft version of the Guideline<br />

was prepared. The Guideline was then optimised<br />

and tested by means of a reviewing round and<br />

through R&D activities performed outside, but coordinated<br />

from inside this project. In the second<br />

activity the Guideline was disseminated by means<br />

of an Internet site (www.tarweb.net), by using<br />

Internet mailing lists/discussion groups and by<br />

means of papers and presentations at three<br />

<strong>European</strong> <strong>Bio</strong>mass conferences in Tirol, Sevilla<br />

and Amsterdam. In the third activity a task force<br />

was installed at CEN to start the standardisation<br />

procedure of the Guideline.<br />

The project team was co-ordinated by the <strong>Energy</strong><br />

Research Centre of the Netherlands (ECN) and<br />

consisted of 15 <strong>European</strong> and 2 North-American<br />

parties, which were involved because the<br />

internalisation of the Guideline should not be<br />

limited to Europe.


Expected impact and exploitation<br />

In the first place, the Guideline will allow<br />

companies, institutions and universities that<br />

develop gasification technology to compare<br />

tar concentrations. Secondly, it will allow<br />

manufacturers of gasifiers, gas cleaning systems<br />

and engine or turbine generator sets to convince<br />

potential end users of the technical performance<br />

of the sub-systems, and to define tolerances from<br />

which guarantees on performance, system lifetime<br />

etc. can be derived. These guarantees decrease<br />

the non-technical risks of implementation of<br />

biomass gasification based systems.<br />

The Guideline will be transformed into a CEN<br />

Standard to widen its international acceptance<br />

and application. To this purpose, CEN Task Force<br />

143 “Measurement of Organic Contaminants<br />

(tars) in <strong>Bio</strong>mass Producer Gases” has been<br />

installed.<br />

Results<br />

Figure 1: Project management structure.<br />

The main result of this project is a guideline for<br />

the sampling and analysis of tars and particles in<br />

biomass gasification producer gases. The<br />

measurement principle of the Guideline is based<br />

on discontinuous sampling and it is set-up in<br />

such a way that particles can also be measured<br />

quantitatively. The tar and particle sampling<br />

system consists of a heated probe, a heated<br />

particle filter, a condenser and a series of impinger<br />

bottles containing isopropanol to dissolve the<br />

tars. The solvent containing bottles are placed in<br />

a warm (bottles 1-4) and a cold bath (bottles 5 and<br />

6) so that the sampled gas is cooled in two steps,<br />

first to 20°C and finally to -20°. The sampling train<br />

is shown schematically in Figure 2. The postsampling<br />

involves Soxhlet extraction of the tars on<br />

the particle filter and the collection of all tars in<br />

one bulk solution. Finally, the analysis comprises<br />

the determination of the gravimetric tar mass<br />

from the bulk solution and the determination of<br />

the concentration of individual tar compounds.<br />

The Guideline has also achieved the following<br />

results:<br />

• It can be used for both raw and clean producer<br />

gases of all commonly applied biomass gasifiers<br />

• It has been disseminated to, and gained<br />

acceptance among, major <strong>European</strong> and North<br />

American parties that develop, commercialise<br />

and advise on biomass gasification technology<br />

• It has entered the procedure to become a<br />

<strong>European</strong> standard.<br />

The full version of the Guideline can be downloaded<br />

from the website.<br />

Figure 2: The Guideline sampling set-up: atmospheric and isokinetic<br />

sampling train for tar and particles with removable probe and pitot tubes<br />

for flow measurement. The liquid quench is optional.<br />

189<br />

INFORMATION<br />

References: ERK6-CT-1999-20002<br />

Programme:<br />

FP5 - <strong>Energy</strong>, Environment and<br />

Sustainable Development<br />

Title:<br />

Development of a Standard Method<br />

(Protocol) for the Measurement of Organic<br />

Contaminants “Tars” in <strong>Bio</strong>mass Producer<br />

Gases – TAR-PROTOCOLL<br />

Duration: 28 months<br />

Contact point:<br />

Jacob H.A. Kiel<br />

<strong>Energy</strong> Research Centre of The Netherlands<br />

Tel: +31-224-564590<br />

Fax: +31-224-568487<br />

kiel@ecn.nl<br />

Partners:<br />

<strong>Energy</strong> Research Centre of<br />

The Netherlands (NL)<br />

Universidad Complutense de Madrid (E)<br />

TPS Termiska Processer (S)<br />

BTG <strong>Bio</strong>mass Technology Group (NL)<br />

TU Wien (A)<br />

Foster Wheeler Energia (FIN)<br />

Danish Technology Institute (DK)<br />

National Renewable <strong>Energy</strong> Laboratory (USA)<br />

Enerkem Technologies (CAN)<br />

Royal Insitute of Technology (S)<br />

National Technical University of Athens (GR)<br />

VTT (FIN)<br />

Université Catholique de Louvain (B)<br />

Lurgi Metallurgie (D)<br />

CRE Group (UK)<br />

Verenum (CH)<br />

Website:<br />

www.tarweb.net<br />

EC Scientific Officer:<br />

Garbiñe Guiu Etxeberria<br />

Tel: +32-2-2990538<br />

Fax: +32-2-2993694<br />

garbine.guiu@cec.eu.int<br />

Status: Ongoing


TBR<br />

Objectives<br />

In order to achieve sustainable<br />

development there is a trend towards<br />

integrated resource and waste<br />

management. <strong>European</strong> environmental<br />

and energy policies include measures to<br />

enhance recovery of unavoidable waste<br />

as well as to promote energy from biomass<br />

and waste. Waste-derived fuels are<br />

indigenous fuels that help achieve security<br />

of supply and the Kyoto Protocol targets.<br />

Objectives of this Accompanying Measures<br />

project are to facilitate <strong>European</strong><br />

standardisation (CEN) for the production,<br />

trade and use of solid recovered fuels<br />

(SRF), and to provide a cost-benefit<br />

analysis of this concept. CEN standards<br />

for SRF will support the free trade of these<br />

fuels on the Internal Market. They will also<br />

be of assistance to equipment producers<br />

and authorities, and will help to build<br />

acceptance and trust among the public.<br />

Waste-to-recovered fuel<br />

Challenges<br />

The Landfill Directive (LD) will significantly reduce<br />

the disposal of biodegradable, i.e. organic/<br />

combustible, waste in landfill. At the same time,<br />

the RES-E Directive sets out procedures for the<br />

promotion of renewable energy sources, e.g.<br />

biomass, including the “biodegradable fraction”<br />

of waste.<br />

Dedicated waste incineration with energy recovery<br />

is a robust economic and environmentally<br />

sound recovery option that is regulated under the<br />

Waste Incineration Directive (WID). However,<br />

in Europe there is not enough incineration<br />

capacity to meet the demands of the LD and<br />

building permission for new installations takes<br />

a long time.<br />

The use of SRF for the generation of power<br />

and/or heat or for the production of material<br />

products, e.g. clinker for cement, is regulated as<br />

co-incineration in the WID. The fuel market needs<br />

to be developed rapidly with the help of pan-<br />

<strong>European</strong> procedures which are also accepted<br />

by the building permission authorities.<br />

190<br />

Project structure<br />

The project involved three contractors and ten<br />

members. It was organised into three work<br />

packages: co-ordination (WP0, Borealis),<br />

<strong>European</strong> standardisation (CEN) including a CEN<br />

Report (WP1, Green Land), and a cost-benefit<br />

analysis (WP2, GUA). The members provided<br />

expertise in these tasks.<br />

Expected impact<br />

<strong>European</strong> standardisation for the production,<br />

trade and use of classified solid recovered fuels<br />

will expand the nascent market for these fuels<br />

and will create new jobs in a growing industry.<br />

During the course of this project, the SRF industry<br />

has established a new representative trade body<br />

designated the <strong>European</strong> Recovered Fuels<br />

Organisation (ERFO).<br />

The estimated quantity of solid recovered fuel<br />

produced in 2000 was 1,000 kt/a. That figure<br />

is expected to rise to 10,000 kt/a in 2005,<br />

corresponding to 5,000 ktoe/a. The main market<br />

drivers are economic ones resulting from the<br />

implementation of instruments within the<br />

framework of <strong>European</strong> policy on environmental<br />

protection. The use of these fuels for the<br />

substitution of fossil fuels will significantly reduce<br />

the emissions of greenhouse gases in line with<br />

the Kyoto Protocol.


Results<br />

The project has successfully initiated the<br />

<strong>European</strong> standardisation of solid recovered<br />

fuels, as follows:<br />

1. The cost-benefit analysis report Waste to<br />

Recovered Fuel was presented at a workshop<br />

organised jointly by the ERFO and the<br />

<strong>European</strong> Commission on 29 May 2001 in<br />

Brussels. The report is available at www.guagroup.com/cba-wtrf.<br />

2. CEN BT/TF 118 Solid Recovered Fuels, at<br />

its fourth (final) meeting on 23 January 2002,<br />

agreed to establish a CEN technical<br />

committee, adopted a prospective work<br />

programme for that committee, and accepted<br />

a background report on Solid Recovered Fuels<br />

presently under publication as CEN/TR<br />

14745:2003.<br />

3. CEN TC 343 Solid Recovered Fuels,<br />

(secretariat held by Finland) was established<br />

on 4 April 2001. It has achieved active<br />

participation from more than ten Member<br />

States. The work programme contains 27<br />

items, i.e. standards to be developed. At<br />

the TC’s second meeting on 21 January 2003,<br />

the following organisation of expert working<br />

groups was agreed upon:<br />

WG1: Terminology and Quality Assurance;<br />

secretariat held by Italy.<br />

WG2: Specifications and Classes; secretariat<br />

held by Sweden.<br />

WG3: Sampling, sample reduction and<br />

supplementary test methods; secretariat<br />

held by The Netherlands.<br />

WG4: Physical/mechanical test methods;<br />

secretariat to be held by Germany.<br />

WG5: Chemical test methods; secretariat<br />

held by Italy.<br />

4. Policy matters arising during the period before<br />

the establishment of CEN TC343 were<br />

extensively discussed at eight joint steering<br />

committee and project group meetings.<br />

Representatives from DG ENTR, DG ENV,<br />

DG RTD, DG TREN and the <strong>European</strong><br />

Environmental Bureau attended these<br />

coordination meetings.<br />

5. As a result of the project, on 26 August 2002<br />

the <strong>European</strong> Commission issued Mandate<br />

M/325 Solid Recovered Fuels to CEN for the<br />

execution of the standardisation work. The<br />

mandate asks CEN in particular to develop a<br />

test method for determining the biodegradable/biogenic<br />

fraction of SRF to be used<br />

for the support systems of the RES-E Directive.<br />

191<br />

INFORMATION<br />

References: NNE5-533-1999<br />

Programme:<br />

FP5 - <strong>Energy</strong>, Environment and<br />

Sustainable Development<br />

Title:<br />

Waste to Recovered Fuel – TBR<br />

Duration: 36 months<br />

Contact point:<br />

Martin Frankenhaeuser<br />

Borealis Polymers Oy<br />

Tel: +358-9-39494805<br />

Fax: +358-9-39494810<br />

martin.frankenhaeuser@borealisgroup.com<br />

Partners:<br />

Borealis Polymers (FIN)<br />

Foster Wheeler Energia (FIN)<br />

Association of Plastics Manufacturers<br />

in Europe (B)<br />

Association for the Sustainable Use<br />

and Recovery of Resources in Europe (B)<br />

Green Land Reclamation (UK)<br />

Unipede/Eurelectric (B)<br />

ESSENT Milieu (NL)<br />

Scoribel (B)<br />

Slough Heat & Power (UK)<br />

Alliance for Beverage Cartons and<br />

the Environment (B)<br />

Ewapower (FIN)<br />

GUA Gesellschaft für umfassende<br />

Analysen (A)<br />

EC Scientific Officer:<br />

José Riesgo Villanueva<br />

Tel: +32-2-2957939<br />

Fax: +32-2-2966261<br />

jose.riesgo@cec.eu.int<br />

Status: Completed


CONBIOT<br />

Objectives<br />

The Centre for Thermochemical Conversion<br />

of Solid Fuels aims to:<br />

1. Strengthen its international position in<br />

the field of research on thermochemical<br />

processing (pyrolysis, gasification,<br />

combustion) of renewable energy<br />

sources and wastes (dissemination of<br />

own knowledge, demonstration);<br />

2. Integrate the Centre<br />

in the <strong>European</strong> Research Area and its<br />

research networks in the specific<br />

research field (exchange of knowledge,<br />

joint research programmes);<br />

3. Improve skills and capacities of young<br />

researchers guaranteeing continuation<br />

of the Centre’s activities in the<br />

long-term;<br />

4. Channel best practises from EU research<br />

networks to Polish industry, in particular<br />

SMEs, and strengthen co-operation (with<br />

industry, SMEs) in applied research; and<br />

5. Optimise dissemination and<br />

implementation of technological<br />

solutions and research results in an NAS<br />

country and for improved participation of<br />

related research centres in the Sixth<br />

Framework Programme.<br />

Thermochemical conversion<br />

of biomass and waste<br />

Research focus<br />

of the CONBIOT Centre<br />

Four work groups are carrying out the following<br />

topics in the CONBIOT Centre:<br />

1. Work group 1: Combustion and gasification<br />

of biomass and wastes for heat and energy:<br />

- Development of a reactor for small- and<br />

medium-capacity gasification of biomass;<br />

- Conceptual design of installations for heat<br />

and electricity co-generation on the small and<br />

medium scale;<br />

- Demonstration of co-generation installations<br />

of different kinds.<br />

(Research area of Work group 1 and Work<br />

group 2 - see figure 1);<br />

2. Work group 2: Processes for upgrading solid<br />

products by pyrolysis of biomass:<br />

- Development of gas cleaning technology<br />

(tars removal);<br />

- Development of integrated technological<br />

systems for activated carbon production<br />

and heat generation;<br />

- Implementing sorption technologies for<br />

“end-of-pipe” cleaning of industrial gases<br />

and waste water;<br />

- Development and implementation of ecologically<br />

safe and effective technologies of<br />

waste plastics utilisation.<br />

3. Work group 3: Standardisation and testing of<br />

solid fuels and processes:<br />

- Development of attestation criteria for<br />

biomass-fired boilers;<br />

- Harmonisation of the standardisation system<br />

of fossil and renewable fuels and waste<br />

with EU standards;<br />

- Implementation of technical evaluation<br />

procedures for biomass boilers.<br />

(Testing stand - see figure 2).<br />

192<br />

4. Work group 4: Integrated technology transfer;<br />

co-operation with <strong>European</strong> centres in the<br />

field of the implementation of new technologies<br />

for biomass and waste processing:<br />

- Extension of existing databases;<br />

- Development of optimal designing procedures<br />

for heating systems which use biomass;<br />

- Development of a catalogue of available<br />

techniques for biomass application and<br />

the energetic valorisation of waste;<br />

- Identification of processes for effective<br />

waste utilisation for chemicals production<br />

(methanol, hydrogen);<br />

- Market-oriented analysis for short- and<br />

long-term development strategy.<br />

(Communication plan - see figure 3).


Figure 1: Research Areas of WG1 and WG2.<br />

What has been done<br />

in the CONBIOT Project<br />

1. Formalisation of the Centre’s supervisory<br />

board:<br />

• A supervisory board has been established;<br />

members are experts from the University of<br />

Leeds (UK), Danish International Consulting<br />

(D), The Institute of <strong>Energy</strong> - Joint Research<br />

Centre (NL), TNO Environmental, <strong>Energy</strong><br />

and Process Innovation Systems (NL) and<br />

Silesian Technical University (PO);<br />

• The first Supervisory Board Meeting was<br />

held in February 2003.<br />

2. Conference: “Combustion and gasification of<br />

biomass and wastes”.<br />

125 participants<br />

7 sessions<br />

28 papers (9 external – 19 internal)<br />

13 posters (1 external – 12 internal)<br />

3. Establishing and implementation of a<br />

communication plan:<br />

• Website for Centre;<br />

• Preparation and dissemination of the first<br />

newsletter;<br />

• Preparation and publication of a partial<br />

database.<br />

What will be done in the near<br />

future in the CONBIOT project<br />

1. Seminar: Instrumental analysis in research<br />

of solids derived from biomass and waste<br />

(September).<br />

2. Twinings: University of Leeds (UK), Instituto<br />

Superior Tecnico from Lisbon (PT), TNO Environment,<br />

<strong>Energy</strong> and Process Innovation (NL).<br />

3. Professional Training Course: “Methodology<br />

of technology transfer and realisation of putting<br />

it into practice” (June).<br />

4. Implementation of the Communication plan<br />

(continuous action).<br />

Figure 2: Testing Stand. Figure 3: Communication Plan.<br />

Institute partnerships<br />

The University of Leeds (UK), Danish International<br />

Consulting (D), Université Pierre et Marie Curie,<br />

Paris (FR), University of Münster (DE), The Coal<br />

Research Establishment (UK), Centre de Pyrolyse<br />

de Marienau (FR), Université de Metz (FR),<br />

Université de Nancy (FR), Deutsche Montan<br />

Technologie GmbH (DE), Instituto National del<br />

Carbon, Oviedo (ES), Consejo Superior de<br />

Investigaciones Cientificas – Instituto de<br />

Carboquimica, Zaragoza (ES), Anlagentechnik<br />

GmbH (DE), Technical University Clausthal (DE),<br />

Engineer School of Chambery (FR), Technical<br />

University of Ostrava (CZ), The Slovak Academy<br />

of Science SAV, Kosice, (SK).<br />

Partners needed<br />

for following topics<br />

1. Small- and medium-scale generation systems<br />

using solid fuels, biomass or organic waste;<br />

2. <strong>Bio</strong>mass and waste gasification;<br />

3. Solid fuels, biomass and waste thermal<br />

processing modelling and engineering;<br />

4. Standardisation of biomass and waste for<br />

heat and power production;<br />

5. Gas engines and turbines – microgeneration;<br />

and<br />

6. Chemical synthesis using biogas (hydrogen,<br />

liquid hydrocarbons, methanol).<br />

193<br />

INFORMATION<br />

References: ENK5-CT-2002-80663<br />

Programme:<br />

FP5 - <strong>Energy</strong>, Environment and<br />

Sustainable Development<br />

Title:<br />

Thermochemical Conversion of Solid Fuels<br />

– Processes of Pyrolysis, Gasification and<br />

Combustion of <strong>Bio</strong>mass and Wastes –<br />

CONBIOT<br />

Duration: 36 months<br />

Contact point:<br />

Marek Sciazko<br />

Institute for Chemical Processing of Coal<br />

Tel: +48322715152<br />

conbiot@koala.ichpw.zabrze.pl<br />

Partner:<br />

Institute for Chemical Processing<br />

of Coal (PL)<br />

EC Scientific Officer:<br />

Erich Nägele<br />

DG RTD J3<br />

Tel: +32-2-2965061<br />

Fax: +32-2-2993694<br />

erich.naegele@cec.eu.int<br />

Status: Ongoing


ERA<br />

BIOENERGY<br />

Objectives<br />

• To develop strategies for measures to<br />

promote coordination between the<br />

<strong>European</strong> Union (EU) and the Member<br />

States in the area of bioenergy RTD<br />

policies and programmes; and<br />

• To identify opportunities for short-term<br />

actions leading to the <strong>European</strong><br />

Research Area for bioenergy RTD.<br />

ERA bioenergy strategy –<br />

short-term measures<br />

to develop the <strong>European</strong><br />

Research Area<br />

for bioenergy RTD<br />

Challenges<br />

To reach the goals set by the White paper and<br />

by the Kyoto Protocol the use of biomass as an<br />

energy source has to be increased significantly<br />

in Europe in the near future. Therefore, bioenergy<br />

RTD will have to be enhanced significantly. The<br />

introduction of the <strong>European</strong> Research Area<br />

(ERA) will support the measures necessary to<br />

achieve this. The ERA bioenergy strategy is being<br />

carried out to support the actions necessary for<br />

the implementation of ERA in the field of<br />

bioenergy RTD.<br />

Project structure<br />

All partners are involved in their national RTD<br />

policy and programme planning processes.<br />

The ongoing planning process within the<br />

<strong>European</strong> Commission will be integrated thus<br />

assuring that the future <strong>European</strong> needs in<br />

bioenergy RTD will be reflected in the <strong>European</strong><br />

Research Area.<br />

The ERA bioenergy work programme comprises<br />

three tasks:<br />

• Country survey: Survey of national bioenergy<br />

RTD policies and programmes. Besides current<br />

EU member and accession countries, the<br />

survey will include the IEA <strong>Bio</strong>energy Research<br />

Network.<br />

• <strong>Bio</strong>energy policies and programmes mapping:<br />

Categorisation and comparison of current<br />

national RTD policies and programmes;<br />

conclusions regarding the coordinated<br />

implementation of future national and <strong>European</strong><br />

RTD policies and programmes.<br />

194<br />

• Recommendations for short-term actions:<br />

Identification of opportunities for short-term<br />

actions leading to the ERA for bioenergy RTD<br />

by describing specific RTD areas and<br />

support tools.<br />

Expected impact and exploitation<br />

The expected results of the project are:<br />

a) Categorisation and comparison of the current<br />

national RTD policies and programmes and<br />

conclusions regarding the coordinated<br />

implementation of future national and<br />

<strong>European</strong> RTD policies and programmes; and<br />

b) Identification of opportunities for short-term<br />

actions leading to the ERA for bioenergy RTD<br />

by specifying RTD areas and support tools.<br />

Using these results, the <strong>European</strong> Commission<br />

and the member countries will be able to initiate<br />

actions to integrate future RTD programmes so<br />

that the potential for synergies will be exploited<br />

and efficiency will be increased.<br />

Progress to date<br />

The Country survey was carried out using<br />

five questionnaires: country conditions, driving<br />

forces, RTD policies, RTD programmes, and<br />

RTD institutions.<br />

Country conditions<br />

This questionnaire aims to provide background<br />

information on biomass use in the partner<br />

countries: existing industry, existing energy<br />

systems, biomass resource potential, existing<br />

and planned legislation, structure of RTD<br />

organisation, educational programmes, public


perception and image of bioenergy, influence of<br />

renewable energy related EU Directives, opinion<br />

leaders, and lobbying groups.<br />

Driving forces<br />

This questionnaire describes to what extent<br />

driving forces related to bioenergy RTD are<br />

valid in the partner countries: <strong>Energy</strong> security,<br />

environment, economic and technical<br />

development, and scientific interest.<br />

RTD policies<br />

This questionnaire lists all policies directly or<br />

indirectly influencing bioenergy RTD: content of<br />

the law, legal status, addressees of the law,<br />

and relevance for bioenergy RTD.<br />

RTD programmes<br />

This questionnaire lists all programmes and<br />

actions financing bioenergy RTD projects:<br />

programme character, programme content, and<br />

technologies promoted by the programme.<br />

RTD institutions<br />

This questionnaire lists all bioenergy RTD<br />

institutions with at least two full-time employees<br />

for bioenergy RTD: description of the institution,<br />

and budget and industry relevance of the RTD<br />

results.<br />

First results from <strong>Bio</strong>energy policies and<br />

programmes mapping show that environmental<br />

concerns such as fulfilling the Kyoto obligation,<br />

a secure energy supply, and economic<br />

development are the main driving forces behind<br />

the use of bioenergy. In some countries, policies<br />

directly promote bioenergy RTD. The majority of<br />

countries have policies with an indirect impact<br />

on bioenergy RTD. These policies refer mainly to<br />

electricity production and waste management.<br />

The majority of programmes focus on combustion<br />

and gasification, primarily for heat production and<br />

for combined heat and power production. Most<br />

programmes are related to woody biomass from<br />

forestry and wood industry, while programmes<br />

on agricultural biomass only exist in a few<br />

countries. Of all the institutions working on<br />

bioenergy RTD, nearly half were university<br />

departments, less than one-third were public<br />

research institutions, and the rest were industry<br />

and private research institutions.<br />

Future bioenergy RTD requirements in the<br />

participating countries have been drawn up<br />

from an indication of the relative importance<br />

(“need”) of a particular topic and the means<br />

available (“capacity”) to treat that topic in the<br />

participating countries. Topics (“technologies/<br />

processes/issues”) have been chosen so that<br />

both technology-related and policy-related areas<br />

are covered. The results show that the capacities<br />

are generally considered to be insufficient, i.e.<br />

an increase of RTD effort seems to be necessary.<br />

The work under Recommendations for shortterm<br />

actions is currently in progress.<br />

195<br />

INFORMATION<br />

References: ENK5-CT-2001-80526<br />

Programme:<br />

FP5 - <strong>Energy</strong>, Environment and<br />

Sustainable Development<br />

Title:<br />

ERA <strong>Bio</strong>energy Strategy – Short Term<br />

Measures to Develop the <strong>European</strong><br />

Research Area for <strong>Bio</strong>energy RTD –<br />

ERA BIOENERGY<br />

Duration: 21 months<br />

Contact point:<br />

Josef Spitzer<br />

Joanneum Research<br />

Forschungsgesellschaft mbH<br />

Josef.Spitzer@joanneum.ac.at<br />

Partners:<br />

Joanneum (A)<br />

Netherlands Agency for <strong>Energy</strong><br />

and Environment (NL)<br />

Centre for Renewable <strong>Energy</strong> Sources (GR)<br />

VTT (FIN)<br />

CIEMAT (E)<br />

IST (PT)<br />

Jozef Stefan Institute (SLO)<br />

Agricultural Research Centre<br />

of Gembloux (B)<br />

Technical University of Ostrava (CZ)<br />

Danish <strong>Energy</strong> Agency (DK)<br />

Fachagentur Nachwachsende Rohstoffe (D)<br />

South Western Services Co-Operative (IRL)<br />

ENEA (I)<br />

Institute of Physical Energetics (LV)<br />

Lithuanian <strong>Energy</strong> Institute (LT)<br />

Slovak University of Technology (SK)<br />

Swedish National <strong>Energy</strong> Administration (S)<br />

Secretary of State for Trade<br />

and Industry (UK)<br />

EC Scientific Officer:<br />

Garbiñe Guiu Etxeberria<br />

Tel: +32-2-2990538<br />

Fax: +32-2-2993694<br />

garbine.guiu@cec.eu.int<br />

Status: Ongoing


BIOMITRE<br />

Objectives<br />

The aims of the BIOmass-based Climate<br />

Change MITigation through Renewable<br />

<strong>Energy</strong> (BIOMITRE) Project are to assist<br />

propagation of biomass energy technologies<br />

throughout the <strong>European</strong> Union as a<br />

cost-effective means of providing<br />

commercial renewable energy supplies,<br />

which mitigate global climate change<br />

through greenhouse gas emissions savings.<br />

There are six objectives of this work.<br />

Existing methodologies will be reviewed to<br />

determine their basic nature and any<br />

deficiencies in evaluating the benefits of<br />

prominent biomass energy technologies.<br />

Existing data will be collated by means of<br />

case study material. Methodologies will be<br />

unified to establish a standard methodology<br />

for assessing biomass energy technologies.<br />

This will enable a complete technical<br />

specification of the standard methodology<br />

to be documented. A user-friendly software<br />

tool and a user guide will be developed<br />

and tested with case study material.<br />

Finally, the standard methodology and<br />

software tool will be publicised and<br />

disseminated by means of a dedicated<br />

website and established networks.<br />

Standard assessment of<br />

biomass energy benefits<br />

Challenges<br />

Diverse biomass energy technologies present<br />

considerable potential for the large-scale<br />

exploitation of renewable energy sources in the<br />

<strong>European</strong> Union. These technologies also offer<br />

significant prospects for reducing greenhouse gas<br />

emissions, such as carbon dioxide, methane<br />

and nitrous oxide, which are associated with<br />

global climate change. However, in order to help<br />

the promotion of these important technologies,<br />

it is essential that their greenhouse gas benefits<br />

are widely understood and appreciated.<br />

Consequently, as an accompanying measure,<br />

the BIOMITRE Project will make a standard<br />

methodology and software tool available as a<br />

routine means of analysing the greenhouse gas<br />

balances and emissions-saving costeffectiveness<br />

of biomass energy technologies.<br />

A substantial body of work exists on the<br />

development of methodologies and tools for<br />

analysing the greenhouse gas balances of<br />

biomass energy technologies. However, these<br />

methodologies and tools have a number of<br />

limitations which prevent their widespread use<br />

as an efficient means of promoting biomass<br />

energy technologies. These limitations include<br />

application to only certain technologies and<br />

incorporate certain assumptions that affect the<br />

meaning of the results produced. Hence, there<br />

is a vital need for a standard methodology and<br />

software tool which can cover the diversity of<br />

biomass energy technologies in a consistent,<br />

transparent and user-friendly manner so that<br />

results can be produced easily, can be<br />

understood clearly and can be communicated<br />

confidently to a broad audience.<br />

196<br />

Project structure<br />

The BIOMITRE Project Partnership consists of six<br />

organisations; Joanneum Research Froschungsgesellschaft<br />

mbh in Austria, the Technical<br />

Research Centre in Finland (VTT Processes),<br />

the University of Utrecht’s Department of<br />

Science, Technology and Society in the<br />

Netherlands, Mid Sweden University, Forest<br />

Research and Sheffield Hallam University in the<br />

United Kingdom. Each partner is responsible<br />

for a major work package. The project coordination<br />

is provided by Sheffield Hallam<br />

University. Dissemination is undertaken by<br />

Joanneum Research, which also provides an<br />

important formal connection with International<br />

<strong>Energy</strong> Agency Task 38 on ‘Greenhouse Gas<br />

Balances of <strong>Bio</strong>mass and <strong>Bio</strong>energy Systems’.<br />

A steering group, consisting of leaders of each<br />

work package, is responsible for overseeing<br />

progress and effective collaboration between<br />

the partners.<br />

Expected impact and exploitation<br />

It is intended that the standard methodology<br />

and software tool produced by the BIOMITRE<br />

Project will have a range of important<br />

applications. First, their use can raise awareness<br />

of greenhouse gas emission savings by deriving<br />

sound case study material on typical examples<br />

of biomass energy technologies of relevance<br />

to the <strong>European</strong> Union. Secondly, they can<br />

contribute to the demonstration of good practice<br />

in the design and operation of biomass<br />

technologies. Thirdly, they can address the<br />

evaluation with means of improving biomass<br />

energy technologies to maximise greenhouse<br />

gas benefits, and to increase emissions-saving<br />

cost-effectiveness. Fourthly, they can be applied


to determining the consequences for biomass<br />

energy technologies, of current and future<br />

mechanisms, for promoting renewable energy<br />

technologies and reducing greenhouse gas<br />

emissions in the <strong>European</strong> Union. Finally, they<br />

can assist with the targeting of research,<br />

development and technological demonstration on<br />

biomass energy technologies in terms of<br />

greenhouse gas emissions savings.<br />

It is expected that the standard methodology<br />

and software tool will find opportunities for<br />

exploitation by a variety of potential users,<br />

including industry practitioners, scheme<br />

developers, policy-makers and interested citizens<br />

throughout the <strong>European</strong> Union. The standard<br />

methodology and software tool will be generally<br />

applicable to all major commercial biomass<br />

energy technologies, including agricultural and<br />

forestry residues, energy crops and wastes. By<br />

adopting a modular approach, the standard<br />

methodology and software tool will reflect all<br />

the important components of these technologies,<br />

including production (cultivation, harvesting,<br />

recovery, etc.), processing (chipping, pelletisation,<br />

baling, etc.), transportation (by road, rail,<br />

waterways, etc.), conversion (direct combustion,<br />

co-firing, gasification, pyrolysis, digestion, etc.),<br />

and end product utilisation (heat, power,<br />

combined heat and power, liquid and gaseous<br />

biofuels, etc.).<br />

Harvesting of biomass.<br />

Progress to date<br />

The BIOMITRE Project began on 17 April 2003<br />

and the ‘Kick-Off’ meeting has been held in<br />

Utrecht. Work has begun on the review of existing<br />

methodologies and this has involved creating a<br />

database of literature, initially consisting of 500<br />

references. A procedure for screening this<br />

literature is being established to identify key<br />

references on important methodologies.<br />

Additionally, criteria for assessing these<br />

methodologies are being assembled. Some case<br />

study material has been chosen and this is<br />

being collected, assessed and summarised. A<br />

draft scoping matrix for all prominent biomass<br />

energy technologies relevant for the <strong>European</strong><br />

Union has been formulated and circulated for<br />

consideration. A preliminary modular approach<br />

to the description of biomass energy technologies<br />

has been devised and all this early work<br />

contributes to the development of the standard<br />

methodology. The possible basis for a software<br />

tool has been outlined and the planning of<br />

dissemination activities is underway.<br />

197<br />

Carbon cycle in forest-based bioenergy use.<br />

INFORMATION<br />

References: NNE5-69-2002<br />

Programme:<br />

FP5 - <strong>Energy</strong>, Environment and<br />

Sustainable Development<br />

Title:<br />

BIOmass-based Climate Change<br />

MITIgation through Renewable <strong>Energy</strong> –<br />

BIOMITRE<br />

Duration: 18 months<br />

Contact point:<br />

Nigel Mortimer<br />

Sheffield Hallam University<br />

N.D. Mortimer@shu.ac.uk<br />

Partners:<br />

Sheffield Hallam University (UK)<br />

Mid-Sweden University (S)<br />

VTT (FIN)<br />

Forest Research (UK)<br />

University of Utrecht (NL)<br />

Joanneum (A)<br />

EC Scientific Officer:<br />

Kyriakos Maniatis<br />

Tel: +32-2-2990293<br />

Fax: +32-2-2966261<br />

kyriakos.maniatis@cec.eu.int<br />

Status: Ongoing


© ImageDJ, Series LandScapes,<br />

Registration Number for SEASON.<br />

BIO-SME-TC<br />

Objectives<br />

The main objective of the project was the<br />

promotion and business-development<br />

of EU manufacturers of biomasscombustion<br />

equipment in third world<br />

countries. This initiative aimed to assist<br />

<strong>European</strong> manufacturers penetrate<br />

the international market, introduce their<br />

technologies to potential investors, reduce<br />

the market-access and administrative<br />

barriers and allow companies to assume<br />

a leading role. The objectives were<br />

accomplished by<br />

• supporting participation of <strong>European</strong><br />

biomass SMEs in international<br />

high-grade marketing and technology<br />

business exhibitions,<br />

• accompanying co-ordinated promotional<br />

actions, which included a dedicated<br />

website, a database with biomass<br />

technology manufacturers, workshops,<br />

brochures, and a market-guide for EU<br />

<strong>Bio</strong>mass Technologies and Manufacturers<br />

in both CDs and hard copies.<br />

Promotion of EU biomass<br />

technology in third countries<br />

Challenges<br />

Today, forestry and agricultural residues, including<br />

rice husks, cotton ginning, straw and wood<br />

waste, appear as the most economical renewable<br />

energy recourses for heat and electricity<br />

production, substituting expensive oil products<br />

and natural gas. Very positive results are<br />

experienced in many application areas in agroindustry<br />

(for example, the fruit and vegetable<br />

industry, drying of agriculture products etc.),<br />

district heating of rural areas, combined heat and<br />

power production etc.<br />

Within the <strong>European</strong> Union, major efforts have<br />

been initiated for increasing the use of agricultural<br />

and forestry residues driven by various strategic<br />

energy, environmental, rural and regional<br />

development needs.<br />

The main objective of the project was the<br />

promotion of EU agro-industry residues<br />

combustion technologies, developed by <strong>European</strong><br />

SME manufacturers, in third world countries<br />

with high biomass potential. Specifically<br />

the scope of the project was the promotion<br />

of innovative combustion technologies for<br />

the energy production from cotton, rice and<br />

wheat residues.<br />

198<br />

These agricultural residues present operational<br />

problems due to the high concentration of inert<br />

and ash in the feedstock, which causes serious<br />

maintenance problems and long downtime<br />

periods. Few EU SME boiler manufacturers have<br />

developed specific technologies to overcome<br />

these problems. There are state-of-the-art<br />

systems that have been developed in the EU but<br />

the main markets for these are outside the EU<br />

in countries with an abundance of agricultural and<br />

forestry waste.<br />

Project structure<br />

The consortium consisted of a group of companies<br />

and biomass associations, each of which had<br />

significant experience in the biomass sector.


EU <strong>Bio</strong>mass Technology Pavilion in WasteTech 2003, Moscow.<br />

© EXERGIA S.A.<br />

Results<br />

1. Organisation of the existing information of<br />

the EU agro-industry and the state of the art<br />

biomass technologies,<br />

2. Segregation and presentation of <strong>European</strong><br />

manufacturers according to their specialisation<br />

in the utilisation of different types of forestry,<br />

agricultural residues and agro-industrial<br />

process waste,<br />

3. Promotional material (website, brochures,<br />

market guide),<br />

4. Demonstration of EU technologies in<br />

international exhibitions and trade fairs (China,<br />

Turkey, Russia),<br />

5. Direct contacts between EU partners<br />

(manufacturers, consultants, engineers etc)<br />

and local market actors during workshops<br />

in China, Turkey, and Russia,<br />

6. Direct contacts between small and medium<br />

enterprises in Europe, developing biomass<br />

technologies for agro-industry residues, with<br />

SME technology developers of third world<br />

countries,<br />

7. Evaluation of the project dissemination<br />

activities impact.<br />

EU <strong>Bio</strong>mass Technology Pavilion in CBHT 2002, Beijing. © EXERGIA S.A.<br />

199<br />

INFORMATION<br />

References: NNE5-461-2000<br />

Programme:<br />

FP5 - <strong>Energy</strong>, Environment and<br />

Sustainable Development<br />

Title:<br />

Promotion of EU <strong>Bio</strong>mass Technology in<br />

Agro-Industry of High-Potential Third<br />

Countries – BIO-SME-TC<br />

Duration: 24 months<br />

Contact point:<br />

Niki Komioti<br />

EXERGIA S.A. (GR)<br />

N. Komioti@exergia.gr<br />

Partners:<br />

EXERGIA (GR)<br />

Green Land Reclamation (UK)<br />

E.V.A Energie Verwertungsagentur (A)<br />

British <strong>Bio</strong>gen (UK)<br />

China Association Of Rural <strong>Energy</strong><br />

Industry (P.R.China)<br />

Merkat <strong>Energy</strong> (TR)<br />

EC Scientific Officer:<br />

Kyriakos Maniatis<br />

Tel: +32-2-2992093<br />

Fax: +32-2966261<br />

kyriakos.maniatis@cec.eu.int<br />

Status: Completed


CLEAR DATA<br />

Objectives<br />

The main objective of this project is to<br />

assist policy-makers and industrial<br />

organisations in identifying the possibilities<br />

and strategies towards large-scale<br />

sustainable production, use and trade of<br />

biofuels for the transport sector in and<br />

from Central and Eastern <strong>European</strong><br />

countries. The project’s objectives are<br />

• to create better understanding among<br />

<strong>European</strong> stakeholders on the economic<br />

and environmental performance of biofuels;<br />

• to have a better understanding of<br />

the biomass production potentials in<br />

Western and Eastern Europe;<br />

• to identify for Europe promising<br />

international trading chains for biofuel,<br />

and to understand the (socio)-economic<br />

impacts for the agricultural, industrial<br />

and transport sectors in Europe.<br />

By integral analysis, the project aims at<br />

providing a sound information basis for<br />

the <strong>European</strong> Commission and industrial<br />

and other stakeholders for future<br />

decision-making, policy formulation and<br />

information dissemination activities,<br />

in order to facilitate a successful<br />

introduction of biofuels into the <strong>European</strong><br />

energy system.<br />

VIEWLS: Clear views<br />

on clean fuels;<br />

data, potential, scenarios,<br />

markets and trade<br />

of biofuels<br />

Achieving clear views on information and future<br />

perspectives of biofuels for transportation is<br />

the key driver of VIEWLS. This project aims to<br />

assist policy-makers, NGOs and industrial<br />

decision-makers in the selection of optimal<br />

pathways for the development and market<br />

introduction of biofuels in Europe.<br />

Challenges<br />

Given the plans of the <strong>European</strong> Commission for<br />

a 20% market share of alternative transport<br />

fuels (biofuels, natural gas, and hydrogen) by the<br />

year 2020, it is clear that biofuels will have to<br />

contribute significantly to reach this target. In fact,<br />

biofuels are already expected to play a dominant<br />

role in the short term. A contribution of 2% in<br />

2005 is envisaged, growing to 5.75% in 2010,<br />

requiring a significant increase in production<br />

and consumption levels. Just how ambitious<br />

these targets are is illustrated by the production<br />

level of biofuels in Europe in 2000: the<br />

contribution of biofuels in the total mix of<br />

transportation fuels was approximately 0.3%!<br />

As investments in new production plants are<br />

about to be made, new Member States are<br />

joining at the eastern border of the <strong>European</strong><br />

Union, and the greenhouse gas problem has<br />

still to be tackled, this is the time to make the<br />

right decisions on the ways to stimulate the<br />

introduction of biofuels. This project aims to<br />

assist policy-makers, NGOs and industrial<br />

decision-makers in the selection of the most<br />

optimal pathways for the development and<br />

market introduction of biofuels. The project will<br />

do this by:<br />

200<br />

• Making clear which environmental and<br />

economic performance parameters of biofuels<br />

are vital for high-quality decision-making for the<br />

promotion of biofuels, also in the light of<br />

socio-cultural aspects;<br />

• Making clear just what the biofuel production<br />

potential in the EU is and which data are<br />

needed for future assessment of this<br />

potential;<br />

• Making clear how biofuels can be introduced<br />

or produced sustainably and which opportunities<br />

are presented by inter-<strong>European</strong> trade<br />

in biofuels; and<br />

• Making clear how different national circumstances<br />

in EU Member States can be ‘used’<br />

to achieve the biofuel targets, at the lowest<br />

risks and costs to society.<br />

Interaction and information<br />

exchanges<br />

The project will be realised in close collaboration<br />

with and with regular feedback to the relevant<br />

stakeholders (industry, consumer representatives,<br />

environmental bodies, local and national<br />

authorities). Stakeholders are invited to<br />

participate in the project, according to the<br />

following levels of (free-of-charge) ‘membership’:<br />

• “VIP-membership”: VIEWLS Interested Persons<br />

are interested in VIEWLS and receive<br />

invitations to workshops, are invited to fill<br />

in questionnaires, and receive the VIEWLSnewsletter<br />

in which news alerts for newly<br />

available reports and other documents are<br />

published. With this membership you are kept<br />

up to date with the development of biofuels


for the transport sector, and you have access<br />

to the open area of the website www.VIEWLS.<br />

org/ where you can find general information on<br />

the project and available reports.<br />

• “Diamond-VIP-membership”: this level of<br />

membership requires a more active kind of<br />

contribution, such as more regular requests to<br />

fill in questionnaires, invitations to put forward<br />

ideas and topics during workshop preparation,<br />

etc. It offers a higher level of influence to the<br />

outcomes of the project, as it enables you to<br />

comment on ‘near-to- publication’ documents.<br />

You will receive pdf documents when they are<br />

ready for publication, as well as the VIEWLSnewsletter.<br />

You have access to both the open<br />

area and to the Diamond VIP area of the<br />

website.<br />

At the time of publication, the project was still<br />

at the design stage of the appropriate instrument<br />

to realise various membership facilities. Please<br />

indicate your interest in participating by sending<br />

an e-mail to VIEWLS@novem.nl. Any other<br />

question or remark can also be directed to this<br />

e-mail address.<br />

Project structure and general<br />

information<br />

The project consist of the following work<br />

packages: WP0 Project Management, WP1<br />

Review of Methodologies; WP2 Collection and<br />

Reviewing of Existing Data on <strong>Bio</strong>fuels; WP3<br />

Collection of New Data on <strong>Bio</strong>mass Production<br />

Potentials; WP4 Chain Definition and Analysis;<br />

WP5 Modelling and Analysis; WP6 Interpretation<br />

of Results and Policy Recommendations; and<br />

WP7 Communication and Dissemination.<br />

Project organisation comprises 19 project<br />

partners from government-supporting organisations,<br />

intermediate organisations and scientific<br />

institutes from all over Europe and North America.<br />

This mixture ensures that different views<br />

regarding process and content are taken<br />

into account.<br />

201<br />

INFORMATION<br />

References: NNE5-619-2001<br />

Programme:<br />

FP5 - <strong>Energy</strong>, Environment and<br />

Sustainable Development<br />

Title:<br />

Clear Data for Clean Fuels – CLEAR DATA<br />

Duration: 24 months<br />

Contact point:<br />

Eric van den Heuvel<br />

NOVEM<br />

Tel: +31-30-2393488<br />

Fax: +31-30-2316491<br />

E.van.den.Heuvel@novem.nl<br />

Partners:<br />

NOVEM (NL)<br />

Netherlands <strong>Energy</strong> Research Centre (NL)<br />

University of Utrecht (NL)<br />

Joanneum (A)<br />

CIEMAT (E)<br />

University of British Colombia (CAN)<br />

COWI (DK)<br />

Swedish National <strong>Energy</strong> Administration (S)<br />

IEA <strong>Bio</strong>energy Task 39, Liquid <strong>Bio</strong>fuels (USA)<br />

Institute for <strong>Energy</strong> and Environment (D)<br />

Göteborg University (S)<br />

EC Baltic Renewable <strong>Energy</strong> Center (PL)<br />

University of Agronomic Sciences and<br />

Veterinary Medicine Bucharest (RO)<br />

Research Institute of Landscape and<br />

Ornamental Gardening (CZ)<br />

Hungarian Institute of Agricultural<br />

Engineering (HU)<br />

ADEME (F)<br />

National Technical University of Athens (GR)<br />

Federal Institute of Agricultural<br />

Engineering (A)<br />

Transport and Mobility Leuven (B)<br />

Website: www.VIEWLS.org/<br />

EC Scientific Officer:<br />

Kyriakos Maniatis<br />

Tel: +32-2-2990293<br />

Fax: +32-2-2966261<br />

kyriakos.maniatis@cec.eu.int<br />

Status: Ongoing


EU-CHINA<br />

BIOTECH<br />

Objectives<br />

The overall objectives were to:<br />

• Determine and quantify the opportunities<br />

for EU industry to transfer biomass<br />

utilisation technologies to China on<br />

a commercial and sustainable basis<br />

• Establish the basis for demonstrations<br />

of such technologies to China as part<br />

of the technology transfer activities<br />

• Estimate both the full and realistic<br />

potential for EU technology introduction<br />

to China, on the basis of technical and<br />

non-technical barriers identified, and<br />

the associated impact that both could<br />

have on the possible levels of transnational<br />

greenhouse gases that could<br />

be saved.<br />

EU industry can support<br />

sustainability in China –<br />

EU biomass utilisation<br />

technology transfer to China<br />

Challenges<br />

China is one of the world’s highest emitters of<br />

carbon dioxide, due to its heavy dependence<br />

on fossil fuels. The growth in the Chinese<br />

economy is accompanied by an increased<br />

demand for power, with much of the new<br />

requirement being met by coal-fired power plants,<br />

adding to overall carbon dioxide levels. With the<br />

increasing urgency to meet Kyoto targets, carbondioxide-neutral<br />

fuels, such as biomass, have a<br />

potentially significant role to play in helping to<br />

stabilise levels of greenhouse gases. However,<br />

at present, the major use of biomass in China<br />

is in domestic and small industrial situations<br />

where the fuels are used inefficiently.<br />

The EU biomass utilisation companies are leading<br />

the world, with developments in this area creating<br />

a growing biomass-related industry that<br />

manufactures plant and sells skills appropriate<br />

to all levels of industrial use. If this industry is<br />

able to access and exploit the huge Chinese<br />

market successfully, not only will there be a<br />

global environmental benefit but the effects on<br />

employment and standards of living for members<br />

of the EU and Chinese industry will be favourable.<br />

Project structure<br />

The approach of this project comprised of the<br />

following:<br />

• Quantify the biomass related energy sources<br />

in China that are potentially available as fuel<br />

in heat and power applications<br />

• Identify the EU technology options that might<br />

be suitable for Chinese application, together<br />

with possible demonstrations of such<br />

technologies<br />

202<br />

• Assess the Chinese energy and environment<br />

legislation and policy issues that will impact<br />

directly on the realisation of the potential<br />

market for EU technology<br />

• Determine the options for technology transfer<br />

to highlight the most significant routes for<br />

increased biomass utilisation in the targeted<br />

provinces, leading to an overall market<br />

assessment.<br />

Expected impact and exploitation<br />

The sources, distribution and availability of<br />

biomass materials have been quantified and, via<br />

a techno-economic assessment, have been<br />

matched with opportunities in existing and<br />

potential new plants on a nationwide basis within<br />

China. This information will be presented to the<br />

<strong>European</strong> biomass industry, on a pre-competitive<br />

basis, via various reports and meetings. It is also<br />

intended to bring together EU and Chinese<br />

industrialists and to enhance the prospects of<br />

industrial co-operation.<br />

Results<br />

There would appear to be significant scope to<br />

introduce EU biomass utilisation technologies for<br />

heat and power production into China, since the<br />

quantities of agricultural biomass wastes that are<br />

not currently used are very large. If biomass<br />

fired power plants could be introduced throughout<br />

China they could, in principle, provide some<br />

40% of the total power generated from coal.<br />

There is scope for EU fluidised bed combustion<br />

(FBC) technologies and some grate-fired systems<br />

to be introduced, which would be fuelled with rice


husks. As this waste material is collected in<br />

large quantities at rice processing plants<br />

throughout China, the quantities in one location<br />

would be large enough to operate at least a<br />

50MWth unit (perhaps equivalent to a 5 MWe unit<br />

under Chinese steam turbine conditions).<br />

There also appears to be an opportunity to<br />

introduce EU FBC technology and possibly<br />

advanced grate fired systems as retrofits to small<br />

(~50 MWe), pulverised coal fired power generation<br />

boilers. The original fuel in these boilers must be<br />

replaced by biomass (i.e. husks and/or straw) if<br />

the unit is not to close, as a result of the power<br />

reform programme in China. The potential market<br />

is very large across most of China but, unless<br />

conversion occurs, this will decrease in time as<br />

progressively more of the units are closed in line<br />

with State government edicts.<br />

There are also some longer-term prospects. One<br />

of the most promising ways forward within Europe<br />

is to introduce a biomass gasifier alongside an<br />

existing coal-fired unit, with the fuel gas being<br />

fired into the combustor. This enhances the<br />

overall performance but more importantly,<br />

provides a significant environmental benefit.<br />

Thus the fuel gas directly substitutes for some<br />

of the coal and, as such, results in lower SOx<br />

concentrations. In addition, the fuel gas can be<br />

focused to interact with the coal combustion<br />

chemistry thereby reducing NOx formation and<br />

subsequent emissions. Such an approach, if<br />

adopted in China, would allow a significant takeup<br />

of biomass utilisation with a consequent<br />

reduction, not only in SOx/NOx but also in CO2<br />

emissions.<br />

Reeds, that have been harvested and dried, in transit to a paper mill.<br />

EU technologies will only be introduced into<br />

China if commercial terms and conditions<br />

acceptable to both sides can be established. The<br />

issues that concern EU industry are the lack of<br />

a comprehensive market infrastructure and the<br />

need to ensure an adequate and sustainable<br />

return on investment. In this regard, there are a<br />

number of significant deficiencies in the<br />

establishment of a sustainable biomass energy<br />

industry within China and the Government will<br />

need to take a significant number of steps to<br />

rectify this.<br />

Maize residues collected as fuel at a Chinese gasifer.<br />

203<br />

INFORMATION<br />

References: NNE5-143-2001<br />

Programme:<br />

FP5 - <strong>Energy</strong>, Environment and<br />

Sustainable Development<br />

Title:<br />

Accompanying Measure to Assist<br />

Technology Transfer of EU <strong>Bio</strong>mass /<br />

<strong>Bio</strong>mass Waste Utilisation Technologies<br />

to China – EU CHINA BIOTECH<br />

Duration: 18 months<br />

Contact point:<br />

Andrew Minchener<br />

EMC Environment Engineering Ltd.<br />

Tel: +44-1242-663500<br />

Fax: +44-1242-677258<br />

Andrew@Minchener@fsnet.co.uk<br />

Partners:<br />

EMC Environment Engineering (UK)<br />

Aston University (UK)<br />

BTG <strong>Bio</strong>mass Technology Group (NL)<br />

BTG Baltic (EST)<br />

Cesky Swaz Ochranku Priody (CZ)<br />

Scientific Engineering Centre <strong>Bio</strong>mass (UK)<br />

Slovak <strong>Bio</strong>mass <strong>Energy</strong> Centre (SK)<br />

Instytut Energetyki<br />

Odnawialnej (PL)<br />

EXERGIA (GR)<br />

VTT (FIN)<br />

EC Scientific Officer:<br />

Kyriakos Maniatis<br />

Tel: +32-2-2992093<br />

Fax: +32-2-2966261<br />

kyriakos.maniatis@cec.eu.int<br />

Status: Completed


INFBIOMENXP<br />

Objectives<br />

The principal objective of the project is the<br />

dissemination of information in Bulgaria<br />

and Romania concerning modern EU<br />

technology for biomass-based energy<br />

production. Due to the considerable energy<br />

potential of the available biomass<br />

resources in these countries, such<br />

development could make a serious<br />

contribution to the general objective of<br />

the energy part of the RTD Programme of<br />

the EU for the reduction of greenhouse<br />

gas emissions.<br />

An innovative aspect of the project<br />

consisted of selecting the most appropriate<br />

EU equipment for the circumstances in<br />

Bulgaria and Romania and for possibly<br />

combining EU and locally produced<br />

equipment. The proposed technologies<br />

were selected to be cost-effective for<br />

the Bulgarian and Romanian economic<br />

conditions.<br />

EU bioenergy technology<br />

for Bulgaria and Romania<br />

Challenges<br />

Since the main objective of this project is the<br />

dissemination of information, specific attention<br />

was given to the following issues in order to<br />

achieve the maximum possible effect:<br />

• Straw energy. Applications concerning this<br />

type of energy do not exist yet in Bulgaria and<br />

Romania. Particular emphasis was therefore<br />

made on the existence of several successful<br />

applications in EU countries (Denmark,<br />

Germany, Austria, etc.).<br />

• Wood energy. It is important to note that<br />

several experts and the general public in<br />

Bulgaria and Romania believe that the<br />

exploitation of forests should decrease. This<br />

is due to the occurrence in recent years of nonregulated<br />

felling of high quality trees.<br />

Consequently, the information campaign<br />

involved a clear distinction between such<br />

existing practices and the suggested<br />

sustainable exploitation of forests, suitable for<br />

the production of wood fuels.<br />

Project structure<br />

The project consisted of conducting an information<br />

campaign, which included the preparation of text<br />

for two booklets: ‘Straw <strong>Energy</strong> Technology’ (which<br />

was Work Package 1) and ‘Wood <strong>Energy</strong><br />

Technology’ (Work Package 2). The booklets are<br />

based on evaluations of the local conditions in<br />

Bulgaria and Romania and include:<br />

204<br />

• a brief presentation of energy policy issues<br />

concerning biomass, including a chapter about<br />

EU policy for renewable energy,<br />

• a survey of national biomass reserves in both<br />

Bulgaria and Romania giving typical financial<br />

calculations for prospective applications, (this<br />

chapter was different in the Bulgarian and<br />

Romanian versions of the booklets),<br />

• information about biomass harvesting and<br />

transport,<br />

• a presentation of biomass firing equipment,<br />

including small boilers, district heating, CHP<br />

and power plants, with a particular emphasis<br />

on small boilers,<br />

• a list of equipment producers from EU<br />

countries, Bulgaria and Romania..<br />

The translation of the two booklets into both<br />

languages, the publishing of 1 000 copies of<br />

each of the Bulgarian and Romanian versions of<br />

each of the two booklets, and the distribution<br />

(free of charge) to key actors in Romania and<br />

Bulgaria made up Work Package 3 and Work<br />

Package 4.<br />

Two workshops were conducted: one in Sofia (on<br />

30 September 2002 - Work Package No. 5) and<br />

the other in Bucharest (on 2 October 2002 - Work<br />

Package No. 6).


Distribution of the various types of forest in Bulgaria and Romania.<br />

Expected impact and exploitation<br />

The users of the project results are experts in<br />

renewable energy, forestry and agriculture and<br />

are also potential developers of implementation<br />

projects.<br />

The booklets were distributed to experts from<br />

ministries, research institutes, technical<br />

universities and non-governmental organisations.<br />

Also, in order to obtain a wider audience, booklets<br />

were sent to mayors of municipalities and<br />

directors of local forestry offices.<br />

An important issue is how the first applications<br />

of the technology, covered by the project, can be<br />

organised. The financial calculations of the<br />

possible implementations demonstrated that<br />

they could be cost-effective in Bulgarian and<br />

Romanian conditions. In the case of using only<br />

imported equipment, simple payback periods<br />

were evaluated not to exceed five years in case<br />

of the substitution of light fuel oil by biomass –<br />

wood chips or straw. The current situation<br />

indicates the need for successful practical<br />

demonstration of straw energy pilot projects in<br />

Bulgaria and Romania, implemented by<br />

experienced companies in the best possible way.<br />

Results<br />

During the project, the possibilities for costeffective<br />

applications of new biomass energy<br />

technology in Romania and Bulgaria were studied.<br />

For straw energy the first applications in the shortterm<br />

will, most probably, concern straw boilers and<br />

wood boilers of small capacity – up to 1 MW.<br />

In the booklet, ‘Straw <strong>Energy</strong> Technology’, batchfired<br />

boilers are recommended for the first<br />

applications and, specifically, those models<br />

which are suitable for small rectangular bales,<br />

the type typically available in Bulgaria and<br />

Romania at present. <strong>Energy</strong> potential in the<br />

target countries was identified not only for straw,<br />

but also for other types of agricultural residues;<br />

such as maize stalks, sunflower stalks, vine<br />

branches, fruit tree branches and tobacco stalks<br />

in Bulgaria, and maize stalks, sunflower stalks,<br />

autumn rape and sugar beet in Romania.<br />

Regarding wood energy, the concept of using<br />

whole trees for the production of wood chips, and<br />

subsequent energy production, is new for Bulgaria<br />

and Romania. The current approach in these<br />

countries is to recommend the energy use of<br />

wood residues from forestry activities (branches)<br />

or waste from wood processing (sawdust,<br />

cuttings, etc.). Producing firewood for individual<br />

stoves is an important idea but the production of<br />

forest wood chips is not practised yet. However,<br />

a significant potential exists in thinning some<br />

coppice forests, which currently are not used.<br />

Available amounts of agricultural by-products in Bulgaria and<br />

Romania (thousands of tonnes).<br />

205<br />

INFORMATION<br />

References: NNE5-11-2000<br />

Programme:<br />

FP5 - <strong>Energy</strong>, Environment and<br />

Sustainable Development<br />

Title:<br />

Information Initiative, Concerning <strong>Bio</strong>mass<br />

<strong>Energy</strong> Experience from EU Countries –<br />

INFBIOMENXP<br />

Duration: 11 months<br />

Contact point:<br />

Ludmil Kostadinov<br />

<strong>Energy</strong> & Ecology Ltd.<br />

eniec@omega.bg<br />

Partners:<br />

<strong>Energy</strong> & Ecology (BG)<br />

Intertermo Concept (RO)<br />

Danish Forest and Landscape<br />

Research Institute (DK)<br />

EC Scientific Officer:<br />

José Riesgo Villanueva<br />

Tel: +32-2-2957939<br />

Fax: +32-2-2966261<br />

jose.riesgo@cec.eu.int<br />

Status: Completed


WTE-ISLE<br />

Objectives<br />

Islands have particular characteristics with<br />

regards to energy supply and waste<br />

disposal that distinguish them from<br />

mainland areas. The landfilling of waste is<br />

not favoured due to land use and<br />

environmental implications, and energy<br />

production costs are usually high since<br />

they are based on imported fossil fuels.<br />

Modern waste-to-energy (WTE)<br />

technologies have addressed both issues<br />

but their applications are still scarce on<br />

islands. The project aims at facilitating<br />

their penetration by providing the islands<br />

with sustainable, indigenous and renewable<br />

energy supply options based on waste<br />

management practices, in line with<br />

guidelines set by EC Waste Directives.<br />

Proven methods of using solid waste as<br />

an energy supply source will be<br />

disseminated. Clean and renewable energy<br />

produced from waste will be integrated<br />

into the energy supply system of islands;<br />

and the waste problem of the islands will<br />

be dealt with.<br />

Addressing waste<br />

management and energy<br />

supply challenges in Islands<br />

Challenges<br />

A number of challenges have been identified<br />

that may affect the successful penetration of WTE<br />

in Europe. Such challenges include:<br />

• the capital intensive nature of WTE projects that<br />

lead to large investments with long pay-back<br />

periods<br />

• the administrative and institutional structure of<br />

the islands, and the lack of appropriately trained<br />

staff to manage such investment projects<br />

• the lack of an integrated, far-sighted waste<br />

management strategy in many of the islands<br />

• the negative public perception for waste<br />

incineration and the relevant plants.<br />

An effort has been made to address most of<br />

these challenges in a strategy for the promotion<br />

of WTE in the islands, developed within the<br />

framework of this project.<br />

Project structure<br />

The project is bringing together partners<br />

representing different stakeholder groups and<br />

many <strong>European</strong> islands with different levels of<br />

experience and involvement in waste management<br />

and WTE projects. EXERGIA, a Greek energy and<br />

environment consultancy is the project coordinator.<br />

The <strong>European</strong>-wide network of islands, ISLENET,<br />

and the Association for the sustainable use and<br />

recovery of resources in Europe, (ASSURRE)<br />

are heavily involved in the project. The island<br />

partners are made up of Kefalonia and Ithaki<br />

Development, the Municipality of Gotland,<br />

Transenergie representing the islands of<br />

Guadeloupe and Martinique, the Regional <strong>Energy</strong><br />

206<br />

Agency of Crete, MULTISS S.P.A representing<br />

Sardinia, TIRME S.A. representing Mallorca, the<br />

Applied <strong>Energy</strong> Centre of the Ministry of<br />

Commerce, Industry and Tourism of Cyprus,<br />

Keep the Archipelago Tidy Association representing<br />

Nagu Nauvo from Finland, Consorzio APEM<br />

representing Sicily, the Isle of Wight Council and<br />

the Shetland Islands.<br />

The project approach is based on quite simple<br />

principles. An international team of experts on<br />

waste management was formed and worked<br />

closely with the islands in order to identify the<br />

particular characteristics, which, in some cases,<br />

facilitated WTE project implementation while in<br />

other cases hindered similar developments.<br />

Emphasis was then put on incorporating the<br />

findings into a strategy addressed to the islands’<br />

authorities, aiming to facilitate the alleviation of<br />

barriers to WTE option implementation. In parallel,<br />

a number of tools have been developed with<br />

the aim of facilitating decision-making in this<br />

area, comprising a software tool for pre-feasibility<br />

assessment of WTE projects and a conceptual<br />

model for assessing the environmental impacts.<br />

Much emphasis has been placed on<br />

disseminating the progress of the project and the<br />

results achieved at a wider possible audience.<br />

A project-specific web-page has been set within<br />

the site of ISLENET, a brochure has been<br />

produced mainly addressing local authorities, a<br />

CD-ROM with comprehensive WTE information<br />

has been published and a workshop is planned<br />

at the project’s conclusion. In addition, the<br />

project has been presented at two international<br />

conferences on the environment and renewables.


Expected impact and exploitation<br />

Waste-to-energy solutions exhibit significant<br />

benefits related to reducing Green House Gas<br />

(GHG) emissions compared to traditional fossil<br />

fuel use for energy production in a life-cycle<br />

perspective. Data on waste provided by project<br />

partners show that the produced quantities of<br />

waste on islands vary from roughly 350 kg/<br />

inhabitant/year to over 500 kg/inhabitant/year.<br />

Based on a population of the EU islands of<br />

around 13 million inhabitants, the total amount<br />

of waste produced in the EU insular areas roughly<br />

amounts to 5.2 million tons/year. Assuming<br />

that half of the waste produced in the EU islands<br />

could undergo some kind of thermal treatment<br />

instead of being landfilled, the team arrived at<br />

substituting 390 million litres of diesel oil.<br />

Avoiding diesel oil consumption has a number of<br />

benefits for the environment (the release of<br />

1236 thousand tonnes CO2, 5460 tonnes SO2<br />

and 2067 tonnes Nox is avoided), for the national<br />

and local economy since diesel oil is an imported<br />

energy source, and for the security of energy<br />

supply. In addition, thermal treatment of waste<br />

radically reduces the volume of waste going to<br />

landfills, thus extending their life expectancy,<br />

and minimises the generation of landfill gas,<br />

which often escapes to the atmosphere<br />

uncontrolled.<br />

Given that waste-to-energy projects usually require<br />

large investments, it is reasonable to expect<br />

that the realisation of such projects will enhance<br />

employment opportunities and revitalise local<br />

economy.<br />

Results<br />

CFB - Boiler.<br />

The project is coming to a conclusion during<br />

the summer of 2003. Its main objective, the<br />

strategy for the promotion of waste-to-energy in<br />

islands, has been prepared and circulated to<br />

island communities for consultation before taking<br />

its final form. The brochure, aiming at increasing<br />

awareness and modifying perceptions towards<br />

the use of WTE technologies, has been produced<br />

and distributed to island communities and other<br />

stakeholders around Europe. The final workshop,<br />

aiming at bringing together island authorities,<br />

policy-makers, investors and scientists working<br />

on WTE, is expected to take place at the end of<br />

July 2003.<br />

207<br />

INFORMATION<br />

References: NNE5-211-2001<br />

Programme:<br />

FP5 - <strong>Energy</strong>, Environment and<br />

Sustainable Development<br />

Title:<br />

Waste Management in Island<br />

Communities: Strategy to Integrate Waste<br />

to <strong>Energy</strong> Policies – WTE-ISLE<br />

Duration: 18 months<br />

Contact point:<br />

Kostas Batos<br />

EXERGIA S.A.<br />

Tel: +30-210-6996157<br />

Fax: +30-210-6995450<br />

K.Batos@exergia.gr<br />

Partners:<br />

EXERGIA (GR)<br />

Ministry of Commerce, Industry<br />

and Tourism (CY)<br />

Region of Crète - Regional <strong>Energy</strong><br />

Agency (GR)<br />

Kefalonia and Ithaki Development<br />

Company (GR)<br />

Consorzio APEM (I)<br />

MULTISS (I)<br />

TIRME (E)<br />

Shetland Islands Council (UK)<br />

Isle of Wight Council (UK)<br />

The Municipality of Gotland (S)<br />

Pida Saaristo Siistina ry Hall<br />

Skargarden Ren (FIN)<br />

ASSURRE (B)<br />

TRANSENERGIE (F)<br />

Islenet (B)<br />

EC Scientific Officer:<br />

Kyriakos Maniatis<br />

Tel: +32-2-2990293<br />

Fax: +32-2-2966261<br />

kyriakos.maniatis@cec.eu.int<br />

Status: Completed


MOND<br />

Objectives<br />

The aim of this accompanying measure is<br />

a two-year, techno-economic study leading<br />

to a conference, which will be a<br />

dissemination platform for the facilitation<br />

and implementation of renewable energy<br />

technology selection for subsequent EU<br />

based exploitation within the leather<br />

sector. The <strong>European</strong> leather sector<br />

selection criterion of renewable energy<br />

technology is random and the Renewable<br />

<strong>Energy</strong> Systems (RES) technology uptake<br />

is in its infancy. The leather industry is a<br />

prime target for renewable energy<br />

technology transfer, being one of the few<br />

sectors where decentralised RES<br />

technology can be easily applied as each<br />

tannery site produces more waste biomass<br />

than leather product. More energy is<br />

disposed of within this waste biomass than<br />

energy consumed in the manufacture of<br />

leather products. This project is essential<br />

to overcome technical and non-technical<br />

barriers, culminating in a selection process<br />

for best practice and workshop/<br />

conference and interactive website<br />

establishment for dissemination.<br />

REStoring leather!<br />

Challenges<br />

There is a strong demand for the implementation<br />

of appropriate technology within the leather<br />

sector. In Europe, some 2 million tonnes of<br />

leather waste are disposed annually. This<br />

contains the equivalent of 38 x 10 10 MJ of<br />

wasted energy.<br />

The success of the project depends upon the<br />

involvement of multi-sector groups, specifically<br />

the technology providers and the leather sector<br />

end users. The user groups are both the end user<br />

sector (tanneries and leather goods market) and<br />

the renewable energy technology providers.<br />

Currently these groups have limited direct<br />

contact, though the benefits of application of<br />

renewable energy recovery to the tanning sector<br />

are an opportunity that should not be overlooked.<br />

Barriers to implementation exist, both technically<br />

and non-technically. The most fundamental is the<br />

lack of freely available knowledge by the target<br />

sector of what and how energy recovery and<br />

re-use can be achieved. Additionally, the<br />

renewable energy sector has little appreciation<br />

of the peculiarities of the waste streams<br />

concerned. However, by overcoming these<br />

perceptions via the project, the potential benefits<br />

are unmistakable.<br />

Project structure<br />

The project work is conducted by technology<br />

transfer organisations directly involved in the<br />

target sector. Initial data gathering, and<br />

subsequent decision making and evaluation,<br />

will ultimately lead to the conference and<br />

publication of proceedings where the results<br />

of the project will be delivered. The initial studies<br />

concentrate on the selection of technologies<br />

208<br />

(for example gasification and pyrolysis, which<br />

are beginning to be applied in the target sector)<br />

based on a ‘specific decision criterion process’.<br />

This process considers the strategic intentions<br />

of the ‘Energie’ programme and specific key<br />

actions, based on economic, energy efficient,<br />

logistic and “safe” grounds for suitable process<br />

selection.<br />

The project therefore seeks to:<br />

• carry out techno-economic identification of<br />

technologies for energy recovery from biomass<br />

• identify needs and demands for energy<br />

recovery and non-technical barriers<br />

• compare technologies and apply and review the<br />

Quantifiable Criterion MATRIX. These include<br />

economic standards (E1500/ Ktoe), safety<br />

standards (employee quality of life and health<br />

and safety improvements), environmental<br />

standards (emission standards according to EU<br />

Incineration Directive), energy efficiency<br />

standards (>45% efficient recovery) giving<br />

rise to a techno-economic evaluation of<br />

technology.<br />

• evaluate efficiency of energy use and potential<br />

for reduction in energy (in accordance with<br />

EC BREF documents)<br />

• conduct international conference/workshop –<br />

Efficient <strong>Energy</strong> Recovery within the leather<br />

industry<br />

• produce an interactive website for dissemination<br />

to <strong>European</strong> leather industry.<br />

Culminating in the dissemination of a definitive<br />

state of the art technology transfer to the EU<br />

target sector and longer term, potential<br />

exploitation of EU technology within the global<br />

sector will be facilitated.


Expected impact and exploitation<br />

The outcome of the project is a transfer of<br />

information for the selection and implementation<br />

of RES allowing an industrial sector to achieve<br />

sustainable energy self-sufficiency, thereby<br />

eliminating the current poor practices of wasteful<br />

and environmentally harmful, as well as economically<br />

disadvantageous, disposal. The consortium<br />

will derive no direct benefit from the<br />

exploitation of the results of the project and the<br />

application of renewable energy technology into<br />

the target sector. However, the technology<br />

providers will benefit through direct access to<br />

the end users, ‘the demand’. The end users<br />

will also benefit by reductions in operating costs,<br />

reduced environmental impact and improved<br />

employees’ health and safety through reduced<br />

waste production and reduced energy<br />

consumption.<br />

In the short term, a new technology market<br />

opportunity within the EU target sector will be<br />

opened up. In the longer term it is believed that<br />

this EU based and applied technology can will be<br />

transferred globally, within the global leather<br />

sector, providing technology and market<br />

opportunities for EU based technology providers.<br />

Progress to date<br />

The partners have been acquiring and reviewing<br />

information regarding technology suppliers for the<br />

purposes of compiling a database of RES<br />

technology providers and also preparing a review<br />

of the demand for technology, based upon waste<br />

disposal quantities across the EU.<br />

Work is progressing well though the number of<br />

suitable technology providers is considerably<br />

lower than first thought. This represents the<br />

first barrier identified by the consortium.<br />

Consequently greater emphasis is being placed<br />

upon gathering more detailed information from<br />

those providers who are available for the<br />

purposes of improving decision making in WP3<br />

(Matrix). Technology providers are also being<br />

informed of the proposed conference.<br />

Arrangements are in progress for an International<br />

Conference that will be held in Northampton, UK,<br />

in October 2004.<br />

209<br />

INFORMATION<br />

References: ENK5-CT-2002-80641<br />

Programme:<br />

FP5 - <strong>Energy</strong>, Environment and<br />

Sustainable Development<br />

Title:<br />

Accompanying Measure on Critical<br />

Technology Selection and Conference for<br />

Renewable <strong>Energy</strong> Recovery from <strong>Bio</strong>mass<br />

Generated within the <strong>European</strong> Leather<br />

Sector – MOND<br />

Duration: 24 months<br />

Contact point:<br />

Victoria ADDY<br />

BLC Leather Technology Center LTD<br />

Tel: +44-160-4679943<br />

Fax: +44-1604-679998<br />

vikki@blcleathertech.com<br />

Partners:<br />

BLC Leather Technology Center (UK)<br />

Asociacion de Investigacion de las<br />

Industrias del Curtido y Anexas (E)<br />

Elkede Technology and Design Center (GR)<br />

Rovesta Miljø (DK)<br />

EC Scientific Officer:<br />

Garbiñe Guiu Etxeberria<br />

Tel: +32-2-2990538<br />

Fax: +32-2-2993694<br />

garbine.guiu@cec.eu.int<br />

Status: Ongoing


<strong>European</strong> Commission<br />

EUR 20808 – <strong>European</strong> <strong>Bio</strong>-<strong>Energy</strong> <strong>Projects</strong>, 1999-2002<br />

Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the <strong>European</strong> Communities<br />

2003 - 212 pp. - 21 x 29.7 cm<br />

ISBN 92-894-4831-8


This compilation of synopses covers research and demonstration projects in the area of bio-energy as well as<br />

supporting activities such as networks, standards and studies. The projects concerned are those funded under the<br />

Thematic Programme “<strong>Energy</strong>, Environment and Sustainable Development” of the 5th RTD Framework Programme<br />

(1999-2002). For each project, basic information is provided with regard to scientific and technical scope, the<br />

participating organisations and contact points. The scope of the projects cover the whole bio-energy chain from biomass<br />

production, waste management, conversion technologies up to the production of biogas, hydrogen and biofuels.<br />

ISBN 92-894-4831-8<br />

15 KI-NA-20-808-EN-C

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!