European Bio-Energy Projects

MOND
Objectives
The aim of this accompanying measure is
a two-year, techno-economic study leading
to a conference, which will be a
dissemination platform for the facilitation
and implementation of renewable energy
technology selection for subsequent EU
based exploitation within the leather
sector. The European leather sector
selection criterion of renewable energy
technology is random and the Renewable
Energy Systems (RES) technology uptake
is in its infancy. The leather industry is a
prime target for renewable energy
technology transfer, being one of the few
sectors where decentralised RES
technology can be easily applied as each
tannery site produces more waste biomass
than leather product. More energy is
disposed of within this waste biomass than
energy consumed in the manufacture of
leather products. This project is essential
to overcome technical and non-technical
barriers, culminating in a selection process
for best practice and workshop/
conference and interactive website
establishment for dissemination.
REStoring leather!
Challenges
There is a strong demand for the implementation
of appropriate technology within the leather
sector. In Europe, some 2 million tonnes of
leather waste are disposed annually. This
contains the equivalent of 38 x 10 10 MJ of
wasted energy.
The success of the project depends upon the
involvement of multi-sector groups, specifically
the technology providers and the leather sector
end users. The user groups are both the end user
sector (tanneries and leather goods market) and
the renewable energy technology providers.
Currently these groups have limited direct
contact, though the benefits of application of
renewable energy recovery to the tanning sector
are an opportunity that should not be overlooked.
Barriers to implementation exist, both technically
and non-technically. The most fundamental is the
lack of freely available knowledge by the target
sector of what and how energy recovery and
re-use can be achieved. Additionally, the
renewable energy sector has little appreciation
of the peculiarities of the waste streams
concerned. However, by overcoming these
perceptions via the project, the potential benefits
are unmistakable.
Project structure
The project work is conducted by technology
transfer organisations directly involved in the
target sector. Initial data gathering, and
subsequent decision making and evaluation,
will ultimately lead to the conference and
publication of proceedings where the results
of the project will be delivered. The initial studies
concentrate on the selection of technologies
208
(for example gasification and pyrolysis, which
are beginning to be applied in the target sector)
based on a ‘specific decision criterion process’.
This process considers the strategic intentions
of the ‘Energie’ programme and specific key
actions, based on economic, energy efficient,
logistic and “safe” grounds for suitable process
selection.
The project therefore seeks to:
• carry out techno-economic identification of
technologies for energy recovery from biomass
• identify needs and demands for energy
recovery and non-technical barriers
• compare technologies and apply and review the
Quantifiable Criterion MATRIX. These include
economic standards (E1500/ Ktoe), safety
standards (employee quality of life and health
and safety improvements), environmental
standards (emission standards according to EU
Incineration Directive), energy efficiency
standards (>45% efficient recovery) giving
rise to a techno-economic evaluation of
technology.
• evaluate efficiency of energy use and potential
for reduction in energy (in accordance with
EC BREF documents)
• conduct international conference/workshop –
Efficient Energy Recovery within the leather
industry
• produce an interactive website for dissemination
to European leather industry.
Culminating in the dissemination of a definitive
state of the art technology transfer to the EU
target sector and longer term, potential
exploitation of EU technology within the global
sector will be facilitated.