European Bio-Energy Projects

Expected impact and exploitation
This project evaluates, in an integrated scheme,
the profitability of both Brassica Carinata and
Triticale for power production by reproducing and
evaluating the whole supply and energy generation
chain on a real scale. Major scientific and
technological prospects are the ‘decrease of
uncertainty’ degree related to biomass energy
and the possibility of ‘promoting future R&D’ and
‘demonstration projects’ on the identified
improvement points.
On the one hand, a significant saving in the cost
of energy is expected at the end of the project,
which could be approximately 10%, beginning
with the cost of energy produced with straw
(0,08 euro per kWh). In the long term, there will
be a clear improvement potential in all the
economic areas mentioned above, thanks to the
exploitation of the improvement points that are
going to be identified in this project.
On the other hand, the exploitation plan includes
the encouragement of biomass penetration in
Southern Europe, for example the creation of
biomass plants in the Mediterranean area. As a
first step, the aim of the project is to develop an
effective supply chain of new Mediterranean
energy crops up to the production plant, taking into
account not only the farmers but also the final
electric or heat utility and all the intermediate
actors. The restricting factors for developing the
energy crops on a large scale will also be identified
and measured.
Concerning the environmental impact, the project
also addresses the large scale generation of
Crop Region Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Total
(hectares)
Brassica Navarra 100 250 400 750
Carinata (Spain)
Soria (Spain) 100 250 400 750
Triticale Le Lauragais 30 30 30 90
(France)
Total 230 530 830 1 590
WP1: Demonstration of field performance.
electricity with reduced CO2 emissions from
biomass. In particular, the project will produce
15 720 tons of energy crops and be able to create
an electricity generation of nearly 20 GWh (that is
10% of the annual production of a 25 MW biomass
power plant).
This will therefore mean the elimination of the use
of 15 720 tons of coal, thus avoiding the emission
of about 20 000 tons of CO2, 321 tons of SO2 and
48 tons of NOx. The effect will be similar to the
purification effect of 970 000 trees.
Progress to date
The project started on 1 February 2003 and will
last for 36 months. In June 2003, the state of the
project is:
• The plots of Brassica Carinata and Triticale
have been sown and the crops are growing
• The common methodology for essays and
measurements in the land plots, in order to
obtain comparable results (agricultural, energy
and economic) in every plot, has been
established
• The process of data collection (agricultural,
energy and economic) from the plots has
started.
21
Sangüesa’s 25 MW combustion power plant
INFORMATION
References: NNE5-605-2001
Programme:
FP5 - Energy, Environment and
Sustainable Development
Title:
Big Scale Demonstration of Energy Crops
Utilisation for Bioelectricity Generation –
BIOELECTRICITY CROPS
Duration: 36 months
Contact point:
Alfredo Erviti Lopez
EHN Division Biomasa
aerviti@ehn.es
Partners:
EHN (E)
Tech-Wise (DK)
ITGA (I)
CIEMAT (E)
Fundacion Soriactiva (E)
Société Agro-industrielle du Sorgho (F)
Institut Technique des Céréales et des
Fourrages (F)
EC Scientific Officer:
José Riesgo Villanueva
Tel: +32-2-2957939
Fax: +32-2-2966261
jose.riesgo@cec.eu.int
Status: Ongoing