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Biofuels - challenges and the futureThe Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources

A roadmap for sustainable bioenergy supply in Ireland

Pearse Buckley – Sustainable Energy Ireland

Hardwood fuel from our new forests

Tom Kent,Waterford Institute of Technology

Séamus Dunne, Forest Service,Department of Agriculture Fisheries and Food

Incorporating low energy design into our schools

John Dolan, Energy Programme Co-ordinator and Senior Engineer,

Department of Education and Science

Balcas delivers brites on time throughout Ireland

Richard Smith,Brites Business Manager, Balcas

Bio-CNG: transport fuel for the future?

Dr Jerry DMurphy,University College Cork

Large scale biomass projects by Powertech

Francis Martin, Powertech

Biofuels roadmap for Europe – The REFUEL project

Marc Londo,ECN,The Netherlands

IFA’s plan to access farm forestry energy potential

Geraldine O’Sullivan, IFA Farm Forestry Development Office

€6million investment by D Pellet Limited for newwood pellet plant in Kilkenny

Larry Doyle,D Pellet Ltd

Providing green energy: the role of the common agricultural policy

Andreas Pilzecker, European Commission Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development,

F6 Bioenergy,Biomass,Climate Change & Forestry

Growning of Hemp in Ireland (Cannabis Sativa)

Barry Caslin,Bioenergy Specialist,Teagasc

IrBEA – developing the bioenergy industry in Ireland

Vicky Heslop,President IrBEA

SEI REIO Resources

Recommended events

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IntroductionThere have been mounting concernsexpressed about the consequences ofincreased global demand for feedstocksfor biofuels, some rational,others less so.Given that the draft Renewable EnergyDirective,published in January 2008,setsa mandatory target of 10% inclusion ofbiofuels in road transport fuels by 2020,it is important to examine the role bio-fuels can play in combating climatechange and helping us deal withincreasing energy prices,and the impactthey have had on communities andcommerce.

Crucially, biofuels are not a ‘silver bullet’solution to either greenhouse gasemissions or fuel security. In their firstgeneration guise (where the mainfeedstocks are commodities that canalso be used as food, along with wasteproducts), there are clear limits to theirproduction and use. Yield of finishedfuels per hectare are often low; it wouldbe extremely difficult for the EU tomeetits proposed 10% target by 2020 fromexisting tillage land using extant tech-nologies. The amount of energy gainedfrom the fuels can vary widely, withsome producing very little savings at all.And perhaps most importantly,increased demand for the feedstockshave been blamed for encouragingdeforestation, increased food prices andfor displacing people from their land.However, these fuels do offer a clearopportunity in terms of ensuring greatersecurity of supply and of reducing GHGemissions from transport.Given the factthat the transport sector has proven tobe one of the most globally intractablein terms of emissions reduction, thisis particularly important. Moreover,increased demand for agriculturalcommodities, if managed sensibly, hasthe potential to return economicviability to rural communities aroundthe world. Therefore, while there arelimits to their use and some difficultiesassociated with their production, it iscritical that we rely on a rational analysis

of their production, use and impact.Biofuels have a role, and it is animportant one.

Increasing global food prices andconcerns about possible food securityissues, particularly in the developingworld, have led to a series of calls forreviews of biofuels policies. Theseconcerns appear to have been broughtto a head by reports from the various UNDevelopment and Food Agencies as toan impending supply shortage, and thesocial, human, and economic effects itwould have in developing countries.

It is important to note that while theseconditions have been partly caused bythe increasing use of crops as feedstockfor energy production, there are anumber of other factors at work thathave been instrumental also.Drought inmajor grain producing regions such asAustralia has had serious impacts onglobal output of cereals. Moreover,increasing demand for food, not leastdue to the developing purchasingpower of large numbers of consumers inAsia and a resulting demand for‘western’foods, such as white bread and beef hasalso played a role. Equally, measurestaken by some governments to reduceexports have also had an impact onglobal inventories and prices.

Analysis carried out for the EUCommission in the preparation of thedraft Renewable Energy Directivesuggests that the cumulative impact of a10% biofuels target for EU memberstates would be a 3%-6% rise in cerealprices,with (for example) the price of oilseed rape rising by approximately 8%.On the other hand,prices of animal feedwill fall due to the increased availabilityof co-products.

There is also significant evidence thatthose other factors listed above haveplayed amuchmore important role thanincreased demands for biofuels in therecent past. The OECD have stated that

the surge in commodities prices wouldhave happened even without biofuels,noting that “a sharp drop in supplymainly due to adverse weather condi-tions in top producing countries such asAustralia, tight stocks worldwide andhigher demand for food in developingcountries were playing the biggest rolein the rally”and that“the supply shortfallin themain grain producing countries --the United States, Canada, Australia andthe European Union -- had been of 60million tons, four times as large as theincrease in demand (for biofuels) ”.

It is also clear, from a series of other re-ports, that themanner in which biofuelsare produced is crucial in determiningtheir sustainability. Some productionpathways result in negligible (or evennegative) energy gains (and thus GHGsavings).The growth in demand has alsoled to the destruction of importanthabitats (and carbon sinks) and to thedisplacement of indigenous communi-ties in some parts of the world. If thedevelopedworld is tomake use of thesefuels, it is crucial that we do so in away that is environmentally sound,commercially viable and not harmful tohuman rights or welfare.

Measures to dateThe Programme for Governmentunderlines our commitment to thesustainable development of an Irishbiofuelsmarket. The biofuelsMineral OilTax Relief (MOTR) schemes have resultedin biofuels already being mainstreamedin blends of up to 5% at a number ofexisting petrol and diesel pumps withhigher blends being sold to identifiedvehicle fleets (both bioethanol andbiodiesel).

Projects granted relief under the MOTRinclude operations producing fuels froma number of waste to energy streams(including animal andmilk by- productsand recovered vegetable oil) along withmore conventional cereals basedprojects. Ireland will also be introducing

Biofuels – challenges and the futureThe Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources

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a biofuels obligation in 2009 which willrequire all fuel suppliers to ensure thatbiofuels represent a certain percentageof their annual fuel sales.

One of the objectives of the biofuelsobligation is to enable Ireland to moveprogressively towards meeting EUtargets for biofuels penetration in a cost-effectivewaywhile taking full account ofenvironmental sustainability in linewithEU developments. Ireland is currentlyworking to deliver the target of 5.75%penetration of biofuels by 2010. The EUCommission’s new Renewable EnergyDirective proposes a minimummandatory target for all member statesof 10%market penetration of biofuels intransport by 2020. The directive iscurrently under discussion with a viewto Council Agreement by end 2008. TheGovernment is committed to existingtargets, but they must be set in thecontext of a framework for robustsustainability criteria in relation toproduction and deployment. TheCommission has proposed such aframework in the new RenewableEnergy Directive.

Sustainability criteriaIn establishing these targets, theCommission recognises that whilebiofuels could offer opportunities fordeveloping countries, sustainability inthe production and use of biofuelswould be critical. In setting out amandatory target of 10% biofuelspenetration by 2020, the Draft Renew-able Energy Directive also includessustainability criteria designed to setminimum standards, which biofuelshave to meet in order to be consideredas eligible for the targets. TheCommission’s proposals set out a rangeof environmental sustainability criteria,which would bemandatory and subjectto verification. The criteria will set stricttargets for biofuels in terms of the GHGemissions they must save before theycan be considered eligible as countingtowards national targets. The criteriaalso preclude changing land use fromlong established forest or grasslands togrowing feedstock for biofuels, and alsoinclude measures to ensure thatprotected species and ecosystems

remain untouched for biofuelsproduction.

The Slovenian Presidency has set up anad hoc group to coordinate a positionon the sustainability criteria for biofuels.DCENR take an active role in the work ofthis group in close consultationwith theDepartment of Environment, Heritageand Local Government and theDepartment of Agriculture. Ourobjective is to ensure that theconclusions reached by this group willstrike a careful balance to ensure theoptimum outcome in terms of reducingGHG emissions in transport, providingreal opportunities for developingcountries based on robust sustainabilitycriteria and at the same timeminimisingrisks in terms of food production andincreasing our security of fuel supplies.

As things stand currently, the feedstocksused for biofuels production byMemberstates are generally sourced on the openinternationally traded commoditiesmarket with little or no informationabout their origins. It is only by settingstringent sustainability criteria thatmember states will be able to verify thesource of these fuels, and mitigate thecumulative effect of unsustainablepractices. The Government fullysupports the Commission’s work toensure that member states agree arigorous sustainability framework underthe new directive. Monitoring,verification and compliance will ofcourse be critical to the effectiveness ofthe sustainability criteria. Moreover,these criteria will place a premium onmore sustainable biofuels, furtherencouraging investment in secondgeneration fuels.These fuels,made fromnon food crops, are much moreproductive in terms of fuel produced perhectare and do not have a direct effecton food prices.

Biofuels obligationDCENR is currently finalising aconsultation paper in relation to theproposed biofuels obligation which willbe rolled out shortly and allow allinterested stakeholders to submit theirviews on the proposal. In that context,EU developments on biofuels policy in

light of the emerging concerns inrelation to sustainability, will be fullyfactored in andwill be publicly debated.Specific details of the obligation will bedeveloped as part of the consultationprocess. The recent introduction by theUK of a biofuels obligation will also becloselymonitored by us for lessons to belearned.

The future

First generation biofuels, or biofuelsmade from food crops, offer realopportunities, but can have significantlimitations, not least in terms of thevolumes that can be produced fromfarmland.The solution to this problem isto use crops that are higher yielding,andwhich can be grown on land lesssuitable for producing food crops.Unfortunately, processing thesecellulosic feedstocks has proven to bevery difficult, and commercially viablesecond generation biofuels are stillgenerally reckoned to be five years away.There has been very considerable globalinvestment in research in this area, notleast through our own Charles Parsonsresearch awards. As set out above, boththe sustainability criteria and theforthcoming Biofuels ObligationScheme are aimed at encouraging andfacilitatingmore sustainable productionof first generation biofuels, andencouraging investment in secondgeneration technology.

Recent events have shown us thatbiofuels are not without their difficulties.However,with careful management andappropriate regulation,we stand to gain,environmentally and socially, from theuse of these fuels, and we can do sowithout compromising the livelihood orwellbeing of people elsewhere on theplanet.

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Bioenergy in Ireland is undergoingsignificant change in recent years with anumber of important developments.Following the publication of 1Bioenergyin Ireland the Ministerial Task Force onBioenergy, which was formed in 2006,was designed to ensure delivery of acoordinated, inter-departmental actionplan on bioenergy. The output of itsdeliberations – the BioenergyAction Planfor Ireland – sets out an integratedstrategy for collective delivery of thepotential benefits (climate changealleviation, increased competitivenessand increased fuel security) of theexploitation of bioenergy resourcesacross the agriculture, enterprise,transport, environment and energysectors. It informed the governmentenergy policy document – Delivering aSustainable Energy Future for Ireland –which established ambitious targets forbioenergy for 2020, including:

� 12% renewable heat – while notdirectly identifying biomass, never-theless it is likely that biomass wouldneed to contribute more than 90%of this target if it were to be realised;

� 30% co-firing with biomass at thethree peat power plants (to beachieved by 2015);

� 800 MWe of CHP with an“emphasison biomass fuelled CHP”;

� 10% biofuels – this would beexclusively derived from biomass.

These targets should be viewed in thecontext of the recent proposal for aRenewable EnergyDirective 2(RED) fromthe European Union, in which Ireland isrequired to achieve from renewablesources by 2020 a 16% contribution tototal final energy consumption and a10% contribution to final consumptionof energy in transport.

Delivering the biomass supply to meetthese targets will require themobilisation of significant additional

resources compared to the present level.The current use of bioenergy in Ireland(in 2006), mainly as renewable heat inwood industries (using wood fuel) andanimal rendering facilities (using tallow),is 9 PJ (218 ktoe) or about 1.4% of theTotal Primary Energy Requirement. 3Toachieve the targets identified inDelivering a Sustainable Energy Future forIreland would require a seven foldincrease in biomass supply, toapproximately 60 PJ (1,425 ktoe) peryear.To further illustrate the scale of thechallenge the renewable heat andco-firing targets alone would require 28PJ (663 ktoe), which is equivalent to anannual 3.1 million tonnes of woodchipat 50% moisture content. This isapproximately 125% of the estimatedtotal removal of wood from the Irishforest estate (for saw log, panel boardmanufacture, bioenergy, etc.) in 2006.

The development of a roadmap forsustainable bioenergy supply for Irelandis required in order to chart the path toachieve the 2020 renewable energytargets. Among the topics that theroadmap should address are thefollowing:� The ongoing availability of biomass

for energy with due regard to otherdemands and taking account of theevolution of land use in Ireland andthe role that imports can play;

� The technology pathways that canbe deployed having regard forcommercial viability and resourceuse efficiency;

� Assessment of the impacts ofdifferent scenarios;

� The research, development anddemonstration needs to achieve thegoals of the roadmap;

� The policy requirements to supportthe effective implementation of theroadmap.

The Bioenergy Strategy Groupestablished by the DCENR in 2004

produced a foundation for the roadmap.It includes a resource dataset which isderived from the best availableinformation at the time.This could formthe basis of an updatable databasewhich would be an integral part of theroadmap.

Finally, sustainability is fundamental tothe development of all renewable formsof energy,and in particular to bioenergy.Competition with food or other uses forbiomass materials (e.g. wood for panelboard production) and the associatedenvironmental and social impacts areissues that are much discussed both inthe literature and in the media, asillustrated by the debate on biofuelstargets versus rainforest preservation.These issues should be fully examined inthe roadmap in order that the bioenergysector in Ireland grows in a sustainableway while gaining wide publicacceptance.

A roadmap for sustainable bioenergysupply in IrelandPearse Buckley, Sustainable Energy Ireland

1 Bioenergy in Irelandwas the output from thework of theBioenergy Strategy Group which was established in 2004by the Dept. of Communications, Marine and NaturalResources,now the Dept.of Communications,Energy andNatural Resources.

2 Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament andof the Council on the promotion of the use of energy fromrenewable sources, COM(2008) 19 final of 23.1.2008.

3 Energy in Ireland 1990 – 2006, Energy Policy StatisticalSupport Unit of SEI, 2007.

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The Irish landscape has changedconsiderably over the last 20 years notleast as a result of the creation of newwoodlands on farms during this period.The level of new woodland planting hasaveraged over 10,000 hectares perannum since 1988.During this period thepolicy of increasing broadleaf forestcover to 30% of total planting has had apositive impact on the landscape andamenity of our countryside but will alsobring with it hardwood marketopportunities in the future.We have nowarrived at the stage where thesebroadleaved woodlands require to bethinned and in these early thinning yearsthe opportunities are already emergingfor the production of hardwood fuel logsandwoodchips.But how competitive willthis newly available local fuel be? Howwill it be removed from the forests? Howmust the timber be treated to maximiseits energy value? And what is the bestform of fuel for this material, fuel logs orwoodchip?

Forest energy programmeThese issues are the focus of the ForestEnergy Programme funded by COFORD,the National Council for Forest Researchand Development. The Forest EnergyProgramme is a collaborative projectbetween Waterford Institute of Technol-ogy and the Danish Forestry Extension.The main project aim is to explore costeffective methods of production of highquality wood fuel from first thinnings ofboth hardwoods, as the timber frombroadleaved woodlands is called; andsoftwoods, thewood from conifer forests.The work programme has involvedthinning several hardwood sites using anumber of different harvesting andprocessing systems. In each case we aretrying to assess the productivity and costeffectiveness of the wood energy supplychain.All systems incorporate a period forseasoning to take place.This reduces thewater content in the wood and increasesthe energy output of the fuel.

FirewoodFirewood has traditionally beenproduced largely from the branchwoodofmature hardwoods, felled primarily forcommercial sawlog. The sector ischaracterised by being local in scale,disassociated and sporadically distrib-uted across the country. The firewoodquality is highly variable, with poordistribution channels and no clearpricing structure.Recently, themarket forfirewood has increased for a number ofreasons: rising oil prices are drivingindividuals to re-assess solid fuel domes-tic heating; the interior design trendtowards installing solid fuel stoves ascentre pieces to living rooms; and theappearance of firewood gasificationboilers on the Irish domestic heatingmarket. The hardwood thinningprogramme could supply this developingmarket with increasing quantities ofhigh quality, homogenous hardwoodfirewood.

The first thinning in hardwoods, like ash, removes the poorer formed trees and the trees that are competingmost intensively with the best – final crop – trees.Here the trees were cut into delimbed,3metre long logs for loading onto a forwarding tractor and trailer and extraction for firewood processing.

Hardwood fuel from our new forestsTom Kent,Waterford Institute of TechnologySéamus Dunne, Forest Service,Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food

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WoodchipWoodchip can be automatically fed intoboilers at a wide range of scales for bothheat and electricity generation.Currently,the main market for woodchip iscommercial boilers, particularly in thehotel sector. This market is rapidlyexpanding. In addition,other markets forwoodchip for energy are developing,such as co-firing woodwith peat by BordnaMona in their power plants and as theraw material for making pellets.Hardwood chip has advantages oversoftwood chip. The energy density ofhardwood woodchip may be over 50%higher than that of softwoods as thebasic wood density is higher. Particularlyin the case of ash, our main nativehardwood, the innate low moisturecontent of the wood at harvest timemeans that it makes excellent fuel.

Future supply is secureWhilewe are still getting to gripswith theoptimum methods of utilising our newfound national fuel resource one thingthat’s certain is that hardwood fuel is hereto stay andwith 18,000 ha of broadleavesnewly planted since the year 2000 alonethe future looks secure. Additionalsupports to farmers to assist in harvest-ing young broadleaf forests will act as amajor catalyst in bringing much of thisrenewable energy to market. We can

further build on our native fuel resourceby continuing to plant new woodlandsand forests. Ireland,at 10% forest cover, isstill one of the least afforested countriesin Europe.Wood energy is another goodreason to plant tree’s and under the newFEPS (Forest Environmental ProtectionScheme) planting grants for farmers andtax free 20 year premiums have neverbeen better.

Mr.TomNixon,Trojan Heavy Horses Ltd., is actively keeping traditional loggingmethods alive andwell. Horse logging is suitable on smaller sites andwhere sitesare sensitively managed.

Firewood from hardwoods is both an attractiveand economic alternative to other solid fuels.Theenergy content of seasoned hardwood isapproximately 3500kWh per tonne.The averageIrish house requires 20000kWh of heating peryear or less than six tonnes of firewood.Plantinga two hectare woodlot of broadleaves wouldallow a household to be completely self-sufficient.

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Usingminimum energy inIreland’s schoolsSince 1998 the Planning and BuildingUnit have been using a process ofdesign, awareness, research andtechnology known as DART to developenergy efficiency in educationalbuildings. Currently all primary schoolsbuilt in accordance with theDepartments Primary Schools technicalguidance documents are capable ofbeing up to 2.3 times more energyefficient than schools built to bestInternational Practice.

As part of its energy researchprogramme, the Department ofEducation and Science have developedgeneric repeat designs; promoted theschool building itself as a learning tooland in addition are undertaking abiomass demonstration project, arepreparing the next generation of lowenergy schools and are developing aweb based energy certification schemefor school buildings.

Rather than focusing uniquely onenergy design, the Department’sPlanning and Building Unit have taken aholistic approach, integrating energyefficiency in school designs into theirsuite of technical guidance documents.These documents are available onwww.education.ie. As new designtechniques and technologies are proven

as reliable and appropriate forapplication in schools they are incorpo-rated into the Department’s guidelinesand introduced in all new schools.

How is low energy designincorporated into schools?Low energy design has beenincorporated on a hybrid basis bymaximising natural resources andutilising technologies. Maximisingnatural resources involves focusing onareas such as passive solar design, goodnatural daylight, natural ventilation andair infiltration.

Passive solar design in school buildingterms means positioning the teachingspaces to face east south east. This canproduce up to 25% savings on early

morning heat up which represents asignificant portion of the school’s totalheating.

Good natural daylight in a learningenvironment is highly desirable. Thewindow design, configuration andlocations maximize available daylightsuch that all classrooms can operatewithout artificial lighting for up to 80%of the occupied period. Computerisedmodeling is used to ensure that thedesign targets are achieved.

Natural ventilation in schools isprovided, without draughts, through amix of high- and low-level open ablewindows; again this is assured throughthe use of detailed computersimulations.

Incorporating low energy designinto our schoolsJohn Dolan, Energy Programme Co-ordinator and Senior Engineer,Department of Education and Science

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Air infiltration is a term used to describeunwanted and uncontrollable airleakage to and from a building. It canoccur through minor gaps inconstruction and results in heatwastage.In effect a building that has a highinfiltration rate will lose a significantamount of heat during the day and evenmore at night (due to lower night timetemperatures) and thus requires moretime and energy to heat up in themornings. All schools greater than1000m2 are now tested for air tightnessand must achieve a minimum airleakage rate that is twice as good ascurrent building regulations.

Use of technologiesTheDepartment has focused on utilisingtechnologies in a number of areasincluding heating, lighting and waterefficiency. Boiler selection to maximiseefficiency is encouraged in the technicalguidance documents and more energyefficient heating controls are promoted.Each teaching space has its ownindividual temperature sensor thatallows the teacher to adjust roomtemperature within a limited band.

To maximise the potential of naturaldaylight, lighting specifications forschools are based on the most energyefficient lighting available withautomatic dimming/off controls.

Research by the Department ofEducation and Science showed thatyoung children used only the coldwatertaps in school for washing their hands asthey were afraid of the hot tap, associat-ing it with those in their homes whichlack anti-scald provisions. Supplying ablended reduced temperature to the hottap made no difference in theirbehaviour. In response, the Departmenthas adopted a single tap solution to allwash hand basins where the hot andcold water are mixed at the tap intakewith anti-scald protection; thus all wateroutlets for ablution are single tapsgiving a blended safe water supply.

Water usage is also minimised throughautomatic shut off taps and dual flushtoilets.

There is good potential for recovering orharvesting rainwater in schools to usefor flushing toilets and where feasiblethese systems are provided for in newschool projects. Retro-fitting rainwaterrecovery into existing buildings is notpossible withoutmajor intervention intothe internal fabric and services of thebuilding (dedicated water supply toevery toilet in the building) and externaldrains (separating rain water andexternal drains and re-routing to acentral collection point).

The first project to feature thecomprehensive DART approach wasGaelscoil an Eiscir Riada inTullamore.Theschool successfully encompassed all ofthe above natural resources and alsotrialed new technologies.These includedlighting and heating controls as well asthe use of a heat pump.

Part of the project was to assess thesuitability for future schools of the heatpump with its underfloor heatingsystem.The high energy performance ofthe heat pump has not been matchedfor a school environment in areas suchas reliability of the system, controllabil-

ity and responsiveness of the heating tothe excellent passive solar designpotential.

The school is also contracted to a windgenerator electrical supply company forgreen electricity and has a rainwatercollection system.

The gaelscoil project has receivednational and international awardsincluding Environmental Initiative of theYear Award CIBSE London 2004;Excellence in Design or Specification -Sustainable Energy Ireland Awards 2004;and Inside Government Merit Award2004 for Best Project within anOrganisation for Innovation throughTechnology.

Generic repeat designThe Planning and Building Unit recentlydeveloped a two-storey primary schooldesign for 8, 12 and 16 classroomschools which is generic in nature andcan be repeated on various sites. Thedesign also allows for the 8 and 12classroom versions to be expanded inthe future, if needed, with minimaldisruption to the existing school thusallowing the day-to-day functions of theschool to continue.

In addition to the excellent low energyconsumption, the benefits of the genericrepeat design projects include thefollowing:

� the development of a considerededucational model,

� extendibility and future-proofingpotential of the core model,

� optimum standardisation ofeducational facilities at primary level,

� reduced professional fees,

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� optimum land use and usability onrestricted sites,

� improved internal comfortenvironment,

� durable use of materials resulting inlower maintenance and lifecyclecosts,

� quick delivery through theapplication of an off-the-shelfoption,

� greater certainty in budgetprojection and programming withinthe overall capital programme.

The GRD project has received a meritaward for Excellence in Design orSpecification - Sustainable EnergyIreland Awards 2007.

The school building as alearning toolIn its efforts to promote theenvironment and energy efficiency toschool children, the Department ispresently piloting two school buildingsthat can be used as active learning tools.

A child-friendly touch screen displaylinked to the building energymanagement system provides thechildren and visitors with energy andenvironmental information relating tothe building. A cartoon character, calledEddie the Grasshopper, encourages thechildren to learn about the schoolconstruction and its day-to-day energyuse. The system can also be interfacedwith the school’s informationtechnology network allowing theteachers to use it in the classrooms as areal-time learning tool.

Biomass demonstrationprojectThis project comprises the design,installation and monitoring of biomassheating systems in primary andpost-primary schools. Fifteen systemshave been installed.

The objectives of the project are toevaluate the suitable application,performance and compatibility ofbiomass systems with school heatingrequirements in terms of demandcharacteristics, controls, reliability, fuelstorage,maintenance and operation.A good practice guide for the designand installation of biomass heatingsystems in schools will be prepared forschool design teams and managers andwill lead to a suite of case studies onselected projects.

Next generation of lowenergy schoolsWork on the design of the nextgeneration of low energy schools isunderway via the Rural Schools Projectwhere the same design is developed foruse on different sites. The objectives ofthis project are to further improve theDepartment’s low energy design ethosand tomake the schools carbon neutral.The design process evaluates enhancedinsulation and air tightness testingcriteria, rainwater recovery, automatedwindow controls linked to CO2monitors,biomass boilers and green electricity. Italso extensivelymonitors heating,powerand lighting, hot and cold water andsewerage flow rates, and energy con-sumption.

Future energy certificateThe Department is developing a project,in conjunction with Sustainable EnergyIreland, aimed at helping existingschools to meet the certificationrequirements of the Energy PerformanceBuilding Directive within a short timeperiod andwithout the need for a costlyand time-consuming assessor-basedsystem.The proposal consists of creatingawebsite that will allow schools to inputbuilding data and energy consumptionelements and to obtain an energyperformance certificate for displaywithin their schools.

The Department’s other energy researchprojects include wind generation, solarelectrical generation, web-basedoperation and maintenance manuals, apost-primary school low energyresearch project, and energy workshopsfor school managers.For more information, contactJohn Dolan at:john_t_dolan@education.gov.ie

Generic repeat design school

Ballyfin N.S., Co Laois – first national school withbiomass heating system capable of both pellet &woodchip burning

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the credit card payment after delivery,and also issue an invoice.”

Bagged brites are now sold through onehundred and forty five Irish outlets, andthe smaller 10kg bags, with a handle,have proved very popular withcustomers. Focus groups organised byBalcas, had highlighted that customerswere looking for a more customerfriendly bag that could be easily liftedand carried through a house, to fill apellet stove.Over the summer,Balcaswillmanufacture large quantities for stock,to ensure that winter demand will besatisfied.

The number of commercial customershas continued to develop, and there are

now over fifty customers taking full loaddeliveries, with the largest taking 48tonnes per week. These includehospitals,hotels, schools,nursing homesand leisure centres. As energy costscontinue to rise, brites are offeringsignificant savings for these users.

Finally, work has started on the 100,000tonne pellet plant in Invergordon,Scotland which will come on line inMarch 2009.While this plant will servethe GB market, it does provide moresecurity of supply for Irish customers.

For up to date information regardingordering, storage recommendations,contacts, retail outlets – please seewww.brites.eu, or visit the brites standat Bioenergy ‘08.

Balcas delivers brites on timethroughout IrelandRichard Smith,Brites Business Manager, Balcas

Balcas, owner of the largest wood pelletfacility in UK and Ireland, has justcompleted its second season supplyingits brites pellets. After the teethingproblems with logistics which causedlong lead times in winter 2006, britesbusiness manager, Richard Smith, ispleased that deliveries have been muchquicker throughout the season. “Wepromised a maximum delivery time oftwoweeks for residential customers,andin reality most customers received theirbriteswithin 7-10 days.”

Balcas also started deliveries out of itsnew distribution depot in Ringaskiddy,Co Cork which was officially opened bytheMinister for Communications,Energyand Natural Resources, Eamon Ryan TDwho praised Balcas for demonstratingthe strength of their commitment to theIrish renewable energy market, “I firmlybelieve that Ireland can be a worldleader in renewable technologies andbecome the centre of global ‘greenenergy boom’ and I am delighted thatcompanies like Balcas are helping tomake this a reality.”

The depot was initially filled with britesfrom the Enniskillen pellet plant, andthen a further 8000 tonnes wereimported from a German pellet supplierduring the winter. This ensured promptdeliveries for all customers in theMunster region throughout the winter.

Another major development was thelaunch of an Internet ordering system forresidential customers. Richard Smithcomments,“As the number of customersgrew to over 2000, we had to find aneasier way for customers to order andpay for their brites. The Internet systemallows customers to order 24/7, and thedrivers are all equipped with computertablets in their cabs which will trigger

Mr.Eamon RyanT.D.,Minister for Communication, Energy and Natural Resources,with Richard Smith(Balcas Business Manager) at the launch of the new Balcas depot in Cork.

must then be purchased and a moreexpensive biofuel is produced.

CASE STUDYFuel farmThe case study is based on a farm inEugendorf, near Salzburg in Austria.Thefarm harvests silage from 150 ha, andconverts it to transport fuel in the formof biomethane.The process in simplifiedform is as follows:

Silage production and storageGrass is cut, allowed to wilt in the field,then harvested at a solids content ofabout 40% and stored in silage pits(figure 1a). From here, when required, itis macerated (figure 1b) before it isdeposited in an underground tank.Water is added in a closed loop toreduce the solids content to about 12%.Two tanks are employed; the dilutedsilage flows from one (tank) digester tothe second. The reactors are heated to40oC, and gentle mixing is applied.Typically, the tanks are sized on 70 dayssupply of feedstock.

Biogas production andupgradingThe biogas produced contains 55% CH4,44% CO2, and trace amounts of H2S andH2O.Biomethane at a standard requiredfor transport fuel or injection into thegrid must comply with ÖVGW G31,which includes for the following:• CH4 > 97%; CO2 <2%;

H2S < 5mg/mn3;H2O < 100mg/mn

3.This is affected by a number ofmeans including:

• Oxygen dosing or activated carbonto remove H2S;

• Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) ormembrane technology to removeCO2.

Bio-CNG: transport fuel for the future?Dr Jerry DMurphy,Department of Civil and EnvironmentalEngineering and Environmental Research Institute,University College Cork

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Problems associated withtransport fuel and liquid biofuelsIreland had 800,000 private cars in 1990and 1.8 million in 2005. Ireland’s green-house gas emissions from transport in2010 are expected to increase by 180%above 1990 levels. This is unsustainablein a world of peak oil, climate changeand energy security.

The implications of theBiofuelsDirective for landuse in IrelandLiquid biofuels tend to be land hungry.Arguments abound on the food/fueldebate. However, the complexitiesassociated with feedstocks, technolo-gies, biofuel types, and productionsystems are not easily explained to thelay person or the public at large. Table 1attempts to highlight the differentiationthrough the use of an example of thequantity of fuel required to power oneDublin Bus for a year. For example,biodiesel from rape seed requires 24 haof land under the crop every year topower one bus; when we consider thatrape seed may only be grown one yearin five, then the developer needs tocontract 120 ha of land to a biofuelfacility to fuel one bus.

Gaseous biofuelsCurrent media coverage of alternativetransport fuels is dominated by liquidbiofuels,but the viewpoint of the authoris that a reduction in use of liquid fuel

will accompany peak oil. The age of gasis starting; biomethane and hydrogenare the transport fuels of the future.Withreference to Table 1, it may be noted thatbiomethane from silage on 6.5 ha willprovide the fuel for one Dublin Bus.Thisis significantly less than the 24 harequired for rape seed.

Grass is the best energy crop inIrelandIreland has 4.4 million hectares ofagricultural land with 9% (400,000 ha)used as arable land and over 90% undergrass. Liquid biofuels require the use ofarable land and thus have a negativeimpact on food production.Bearing thisin mind, it is suggested that grass/silagemay be the best energy crop in an Irishcontext. Grass requires neither rotationnor arable land,and is a low energy inputcrop.

Biomethane from residuesHowever, it is suggested that theoptimum biofuel is produced fromresidues, such as the organic fraction ofmunicipal solid waste (OFMSW),slaughter waste, slurries or grasscuttings; Cork City has 300 ha ofparkland, sufficient to provide the fuelfor 40 buses. If biomethane is generatedfrom these sources, the feedstock is freeleading to a cheap biofuel. After thesefuel sources have been fully utilised,thenfeedstock (such as silage and maize)

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BIOENERGY NEWSS U M M E R 2 0 0 8

The upgraded biogas (termedbiomethane) is compressed to 300 bar(figure 2(a)) and stored in 28 containers(figure 2(b)). Each container is 2m long,has a diameter of approximately 220mm and a capacity of 76 l.This providesa total volume of 2100 l. The storagecapacity is sufficient for 630 mn3 ofbiomethane at standard temperatureand pressure (equivalent to 630 l ofdiesel).

Distribution of biomethaneBecause the farm is remote from thenatural gas grid, a service station wasinstalled at the entrance to the farm.Thestation (figures 3(a) & 3(b)) allows for self

service. Users of the facility type in thequantity of fuel they require at theservice counter, pay with their creditcard and that quantity of fuel is thendispensed to their vehicle. The farmerdoes not need to employ anyone at thefilling station.

bio-CNG

CNGCompressed natural gas (CNG) is thecheapest transport fuel (table 2). It is thecleanest burning transport fuel and as aresult is used in urban areas tominimizelocal air pollution associated withparticulates in the emissions of dieselengines. A disadvantage of CNG is theexpense of a service station. As a result,captive fleets that return to base forrefuelling (and therefore need theminimum number of service stations)often use CNG. Many city bus servicesacross the world (Stockholm,Linkoping,Linz, Lille, Florence, Denver…) arepowered by CNG.

bio-CNGIn Austria, a vehicle fuel consisting of20% biomethane and 80% CNG iscurrently being sold as “bio-CNG” andmarketed as a “green” vehicle fuel. Theproduction cost of biomethane is offsetby the cheap fossil fuel (CNG).To enablecost comparisons to be made betweenfuels, costs are converted to c/MJ intable 2. The cost of the bio-CNG iscomputed using CNG prices in the UK.Biomethane prices are breakeven prices.The feedstock used is assumed to begrass/silage at€132/tdm.

Vision for the futureBiomethane may bemade from varioussources (OFMSW, food waste, slaughterwaste, slurry, parkland cuttings, silage,sugar beet,maize).The viewpoint is thateach facility is analogous to awind farm;it may dispense biomethane to thenatural gas grid and then be usedelsewhere (e.g. Dublin Bus may bepowered by slaughter waste produced

in Tipperary). Alterna-tively, as in this case,the facility may sellthe product locally.Biomethane may beconsidered the bridgeto “The HydrogenEconomy” or may initself be the start of theage of gas.

Figure 1(a) Silage in silage pit

Figure 1(b) Macerator

Figure 2(b) Storage of biomethane

Figure 3(a) Service station

Figure 3(b) Service counterFigure 2(a) Compressor

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Francis Martin the M.D. of PowertechRenewable Energy based in Carrickmore,Co Tyrone has been involved in energyconservation all his working life.Together withMichaelMcGurk,EamonnMartin and Gerard Scallon they set upPowertech over six years ago to bringrenewable energy systems to a veryneedy Irish market.

In these six years Ireland has taken a pos-itive step forward with renewable en-ergy. A number of major land marks likethe setting up of Action Renewables inNorthern Ireland,coupledwith theworkof the Carbon Trust, and SustainableEnergy Ireland with the GreenerHomes Scheme, and other promotionalschemes in the South of Ireland havestimulated themarket. At the same timethe establishment of an Irishmanufacturing wood pellet operationby Balcas in Enniskillen together withsoaring oil prices have greatly helpedcompanies like Powertech to create andmaintain a sustainable business in thisever growing energy sector.

At the beginning,Powertech decided tolook at countries that were passed theresearch and development stage ofrenewable energy for guidance andadvice. They then chose partnershipwith companies with vast experience inthe renewable energy field. NowPowertech have very close associationswith leadingmanufacturers in Germany,Austria, Sweden and England who haveestablished reputations in theirrespective fields.

With a history of development behindthem in domestic renewable energyheating,Powertech have in the past fouryearsmoved into heating hotels,schools,nursing homes, prisons and a range ofother commercial buildings like sportshalls and leisure centres.

Geothermal heatingThe technology used ranges from air towater heat pumps as seen at CampbellCollege in Belfast to geothermal heatingwith bore holes as seen at EnniskillenIntegrated College. In all cases whereheat pumps are used Powertech use aGerman supplier called Alpha-Innotec.This company is part of the SchultzGroup andmanufacture awide range ofproducts from 4kw to 10MW.

In general where geothermal is used thebuilding is heated using underfloorheating or alternatives to standard radi-ators where water temperatures under40 degrees are capable of generatingenough heat. In all instances where thisis achieved there are major cost savingsin the region of 40 - to 60%.

In Enniskillen, Powertech have installedtwenty individual air to water units forTracey Bros development site.

InTyrone, they are currently installing an80-bed nursing home with air to waterheating system. In this instance thebuilding has underfloor heatingwith 6 x33kw heating units.The 140,000 pounds

investment will show a pay back insavings in just four years. This does nottake into consideration grant aid or taxrelief thatmay be available inmost caseswhen this type of development isconsidered.

SolarWhen Powertech are involved ininstalling the primary source ofrenewable heating, solar panels arefitted as a complimentary part of theoverall package as can be seen atCampbell College and Waterways newbuilding outside Enniskillen. In generalthe company policy is to market a flatplate panel made by Roth in Germanywhich is a molded panel with aguarantee of ten years.

BiomassHaving successfully installed woodheating in houses throughout Irelandwith the Austrian manufactured Frolingbiomass boiler, Powertech have movedto large sites including Kilkenny, Let-terkenny and Cookstown leisure cen-tres. Due to the continued priceincrease of oil this has now extended tomushroom growers and otherhorticulture growers.

Large scale biomass projects by PowertechFrancis Martin, Powertech

Campbell College,Co.Antrim

Beragh GAA centre,Co.Tyrone

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BIOENERGY NEWS2 0 0 8

In more recent installations because ofIrish growers in willow and miscanthusthe Froling boiler is widely used becauseof the automatic special self-cleaningheat exchanger. Powertech are workingclosely with local suppliers in installingboilers in a wide variety of buildingsincluding prisons, hotels, schools andnursing homes.

In general there are substantial savingsto be had where material is availablelocally at reasonable prices. Thesesavings are in the region of 40 to 60 %reduction in annual fuel bills.

District heating inMoate,CoWestmeathThe most interesting developmentPowertech is involved in at present is a66 house district heating project inMoate, Co Westmeath. The developerson this site have done a marvelous jobin building an energy efficient housewhere the homeowners are getting theirhouses heated for an annual cost of€600.

In the case of more than one buildinginvolved it is essential to usepre-insulated pipe to transfer the water

Letterkenny leisure centre,Co.Donegal

Sandy Lane development

Villa Rose Hotel and Spa,Co.Donegal

withminimumheat loss around the site.This is the case in most installationswhere more than one boiler room isserving the heat need.

Combined heat and power(CHP)The single most exciting developmenttaking place in Powertech is withbiomass CHP. The company believe thiswill provide major opportunities forthem in Ireland.This coupled with a treeplanting programme using well testedEucalyptus strains is where the companybelieve the most growth potential ispossible not just for Powertech but thecountry as a whole.

14

Biofuels production and consumptionare growing rapidly in the EU. The EUbiofuels directive stipulates that nationalmeasures must be taken by countriesacross the EU aimed at replacing 5.75%of all transport fossil fuels (petrol anddiesel) with biofuels by 2010.Furthermore, the European Commissionhas proposed a 10% binding target forall member states to be reached by2020.

With the increasing growth rates andambitious EU targets, the debate onbiofuels is becoming increasingly strong.Issues like feedstock availability,competition with food, environmentalimpacts and implementation issues canstrongly influence the long-termperspectives for biofuels. Particularly inthe domain of biofuels-induceddeforestation, and related greenhousegas emissions, today’s knowledge iscontroversial and research is ongoing.These issues are highly important for thebiofuels sector since negative newfindings may reduce public support,change policy preferences and therebydeprive the sector of its licence toproduce. Furthermore, a pathway visionis needed that is both ambitious forbiofuels and explicit in its treatment oftheir drawbacks,aiming at a responsibledevelopment.

REFUEL contributes to this visionformation. In this project, funded by theIntelligent Energy Europe Programme,seven EU institutes of differentbackgrounds have analysed theprospects for biofuels in terms ofresource potential, costs and impacts ofdifferent biofuels, effects of differentpolicy strategies,and the broader systemimpacts of biofuels.The extensive analysis of feedstockpotentials in the project indicates that

the EU’s 10% target for biofuels by 2020can be met by domestic production ofconventional, first generation biofuels,and moderate imports. However,advanced,or second generation biofuelswould result in more climate benefits.These biofuels, produced from a widevariety of residues and woody or grassyplants, show substantially higher yieldsper hectare of land, and provide farbetter opportunities for the EU industryto develop an innovative sector. Anybiofuels policy promoting these benefitsleads to improved opportunities forsecond-generation biofuels. Incomparison, conventional biofuels(biodiesel from oil crops and bioethanolfrom sugar crops, cereals etc.) performmuch less effectively.

The REFUEL project– A summaryThe REFUEL project is designed toencourage a greatermarket penetrationof biofuels. To help achieve this goal, abiofuels roadmap has been designed,consistent with EU biofuel policies andsupported by stakeholders involved inthe biofuels field.

The key elements of this roadmap are:� to outline an ambitious, yet realistic

target share for biofuels in the fuelmix for EU transport in 2030;

� to suggest the least-costly biofuelmix which meets this target,withrelated biofuels production chains,conversion technology, and biomassfeedstocks in the EU27+ Ukraine,Norway & Switzerland;

� to assess the impact of reaching thetarget share on the main driversbehind biofuels, i.e. reducinggreenhouse gas emissions,increasing security of supply andsocio-economic impacts, especiallyin agriculture;

� to introduce the key stakeholders,their motives, the actions requiredfrom them, the barriers they willmeet, the optimal timing of theiractions;

� to evaluate and discuss of policiesneeded to mobilise stakeholders,create incentives and reduce barriers;The roadmap consists of asystematically described set ofactions to be taken, coherent in taskallocation and timing.

Biofuels potential can become availablewithout compromising food and feedsupply. Furthermore, it does not requireconversion of forestland, grassland andnature conservation areas into arableland. The latter is essential since recentstudies indicate that such land usechanges may lead to losses of soilcarbon that would turn any greenhousegas emission reductions into netincreases of emissions. In the new EUmember states and Ukraine, agriculturehas ample opportunities for increasingcrop and livestock yields, thereby freeingup agricultural land for biofuelfeedstocks cultivation.

A biofuels target share alone does notseem to induce the development ofbiofuels that best respond to the driversfor biofuels policy. Several policypackages designed to study specificpolicy perspectives for biofuels wereanalysed, focussing for example onclimate mitigation or energy security.These policy packages lead to improvedcompetitiveness of second generationbiofuels and an introduction of thesefuels before 2020. The earlier they areintroduced the better the 2020 biofuelsmix meets the drivers behind the policypush for biofuels. Furthermore, an earlystart leads to earlier cost reductions inconversion technology due to learning

Biofuels roadmap for Europe– The REFUEL projectMarc Londo,ECN,The Netherlands

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BIOENERGY NEWS2 0 0 8

effects. There are several ways toenhance advanced biofuels,given theseperspectives.Specific targets for secondgenerationmay be the easiest,but otherpackages may have comparable effects.

For advanced biofuels to enter themarket, various obstacles need to betackled. Required productiontechnology needs to be furtherdeveloped and deployed,as well as newsupply chains for agricultural andforestry residues and crops.Overcomingthese hurdles will require a favourableand stable investment climate. REFUELshows that cross-sector strategies canhelp reduce these barriers.Examples arethe initial development of woodybiomass supply chains for powergeneration, or integration of biofuelplants in district heating systems.

When developing a policy strategy forbiofuels, it appears clear that the riskprofile of second generation biofuelsdiffers fundamentally from that of firstgeneration biofuels.The introduction ofthe related perennial cropping systemsfaces barriers, possibly increased by astrong initial demand for conventional(first generation) feedstock.Furthermore,the high investment costs for secondgeneration production plants lead to ahigher vulnerability for marketvolatilities. A policy aiming at the

introduction of second generationbiofuels should take these differencesinto account. As for feedstock supplypolicy, points of attention are researchon cultivation practices of perennialcrops, and adaptation of the EUCommon Agricultural Policy and spatialpolicies in order to accommodate thesecrops. Other relevant issues arecross-sector policy harmonisation andthe enhancement of lignocellulosicmarkets able to absorb large-scalesupply chains. In order to reduce theinitial risks for second generation biofuelproduction installations,stepping stonesmay be created by finding synergieswith biomass co-firing for powergeneration (preparing stable feedstocksupply) and by integration of plants indistrict heating systems (outputdiversification).

When stimulating biofuels, the widerperspective of biomass use in the entireenergy economy is essential. Theoptimal allocation of biomass overapplications like power, heat andbiofuels is subject to many factors.Application in heat and power is oftenmentioned as most cost-effective interms of greenhouse gas emissionreduction, but the attractiveness ofbiomass in each sector strongly dependson the expected competitiveness ofalternative options in the different

sectors. Generally, Lignocellulosicbioenergy feedstocks (wood, grasses)provide the best opportunities. Thefood-fuel competition effect is alsolower for these feedstocks, althoughcompetition for the best soils may stilloccur. With their substantial feedstockpotentials, the Central and EasternEuropean countries are rapidlydeveloping a conventional biofuelsindustry. Biofuels policies aiming atintroduction of the second generationtherefore should pay specific attentionto this region.

For further information or to downloadinformation on the REFUEL roadmap,goto www.refuel.eu.

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1st generation 2nd generation

Projected biofuels mix by 2030 atdifferent target heights for biofuels.

Conventional biofuels are able to supplysubstantial amounts,but at higher targetlevels, second generation biofuels becomemore cost-effective.

16

Over 210,000 hectares of private forestryhas been planted since the 1980s.Of this30,000 hectares is over 15 years of age orto put it another way, it is approachingfirst thinning. It is estimated that there iscurrently nearly 900,000 m3 of timberavailable from thinning operations. Thisis expected to rise to 1.9 million m3 in2010 increasing to 5.9 million m3 by2015. These figures demonstrate thatIreland has significant energy potentialin its forestry resource. If all the 900,000m3 of thinnings timberwas converted towood energy this would be theequivalent to an estimated 7.65 PJ or4% of Ireland’s Total Primary HeatRequirements.

However, in reality the volumes oftimber being extracted from privateforests are far less than 900,000m3.Thereare many reasons for the reducedproduction rate, for example, the foresthas a lower yield class than expected,thefarmer is unaware that his plantation isready for thinning, the site isinaccessible or due to instability, the sitewill never be thinned. One of the majorissues impeding harvesting in theprivate forestry sector is the fragmentednature of the sector aswell as plantationsize – the average size is 9 hectares.Thismeans that harvesting costs can behigh; the transportation of specialisedforestry machines to small forestsreduces the income earned from firstthinnings. It can even be difficult toattract contractors or buyers becausethey are short jobs and provide smallvolumes of timber.

Traditionally first thinnings are sold tosawmills to make stakes or pallets andto the board mills for chipboard,OSB orMDF production. The timber from firstthinnings, particularly the pulpwoodelement (which can account for over

50% of first thinnings), is a smalldiameter low value product. The mainmarkets for this wood are located in thesoutheast so if your forest is located inthe southwest the transportation costscan negate the income earned from thethinning operation. Alternative localmarkets are needed for these thinnings,and for many farm foresters the woodenergy sector offers a real opportunityto diversify and to sell their thinningslocally. IFA are actively working tostrengthen the links between forestryand the wood energy sector, throughthe creation of local “clusters” to supplylocally grown renewable timber to localenergy markets.

IFA are working with key organisationsto facilitate the establishment of timberproducer groups throughout Ireland.These groups will bring a change inculture to farming communities that areused to trading livestock or crops andwill now for the first time be tradingtimber. The concept is to start small,

avoiding capital investment until anadequate timber supply capacity iscreated.The groups will not focus solelyon thewood energymarket but will alsosell to sawmills. By selling in larger lotsthe groups will have greater bargainingpower than selling as individual forestowners.

Financial support will be needed initially,as experiences both from overseas andfrom the Clare Wood Energy projecthave shown that it can take up to fiveyears to put the infrastructure in place,organise timber flow and build up themarket. Funding therefore is needed toemploy a field manager to coordinatethe crucial development work. TheForest Service is actively promoting theestablishment of these groups byfunding a number of initiatives. One ofthese groups is the Meitheal ForaoiseChiarrai (Kerry Farm Forestry TaskGroup). IFA Vice-Chairman and ForestryContractor,Michael Fleming is amemberof this group.The aim of the group is to

IFA’s plan to access farm forestryenergy potentialGeraldine O’Sullivan, IFA, Farm Forestry Development Officer

(From L to R) Pat Hennessy, IFA Farm Forestry Chairman,Michael Somers,Teagasc Forestry Adviser,Geraldine O'Sullivan, IFA Farm Forestry Development Officer,Mary Ryan,Teagasc Forest Specialist,Donal Mullane,Teagasc,AMU,Tippeary andMichael Carew, IFA Farm Forestry Tipperary Representative,at a recent IFA/Teagasc producer groupmeeting in Co.Tipperary.

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promote further afforestation in thecounty by facilitating the developmentof wood fuel supply chain enabling thedevelopment of wood heat pilotprojects. The funding secured by theForest Service has enabled the groupto employ a part-time coordinator topromote the group locally, increasemembership; to develop clusters,coordinate road building and harvesting,ensure value for money and work withlocal agencies to develop local woodchipmarket. IFA areworking to establishsimilar groups throughout the country.

Creating a profitable and expandingnetwork of producer groups has realsocial, economic and environmentaladvantages for rural Ireland. Thesestructures provide more accountabilityfor farm foresters and moreresponsiveness to the commercialrealities of the market.

IFA are working on other initiatives intandem to assist farmers to activelyparticipate in the establishment of theseproducer groups.One initiative is the IFASkillnet training courses which providefarmers with the necessary skills tomanage the thinning of their plantation.The courses offered to date include,Chainsaw and Timber Mensuration(measurement). Additional courses are

planned that will provide some of theskills necessary to manage the groups.IFA are also developing a timber tradingwebsite, ifarm, which will enableproducer groups to sell directly toprocessors. Timber trading websiteshave been a very successful marketingtool used by forest owners and farmersinternationally to sell timber.

IFA envision that these groups will addreal impetus to the local wood chip

market. At a time when Ireland isexperiencing an uncertain economicfuture, competitiveness will be key toweathering the storm. As oil pricescontinue to rise, reaching a record highof $125 a barrel in the last few weeksbusinesses, particularly those withhigh-energy demands, are looking toreduce costs. The experiences ofbusinesses that have already convertedto wood chip have been positive, insome instances halving heating costsand a payback on the installation costsbeing achieved within five years.As wellas reducing their energy costs,businesses will be supporting localfarmers and services companies byinstalling wood energy and thus alsocontributing to reducing Ireland’scarbon footprint.

Contact:Geraldine O’SullivanIFA Farm Forestry Development Officer

Mobile: 087 9385283

BIOENERGY NEWSS U M M E R 2 0 0 8

Stacking harvested wood

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A large scale wood pellet productionfacility in the Republic of Ireland hasbegan producing 6mm wood pellets tocater for increasing demand in Ireland.Larry and SorchaDoyle currently employ10 people in their factory which is thefirst whole-log wood pellet plant inIreland. The facility is approximately30,000 square feet on a seven acre sitewhich is capable of producing 70,000tonnes of wood pellets per annum.

Equipment descriptionD Pellet has spent the last four yearsresearching and identifying the mostsuitable equipment to produce qualitywood pellets. The de-barker, chipper,screen and furnace were sourced inNorth America, and the dryer, grindersand pellet mills came from Europe. Inaddition all conveyance and storageequipment was manufactured by RotoSpiral Limited,an associated company ofD Pellet Ltd.

RawmaterialsD Pellet is using forestry thinnings,sourced mainly from local privategrowers,as their source of rawmaterials.They are purchasing thinnings standing,roadside and delivered at the moment.Prices of thinnings have decreasedslightly recently mainly due to the

downturn in the contruction industry.National statistics indicate a very largeincrease in the availability of rawmaterial over the next five to sevenyears due to the implementation of theafforestation programme started inearly 1990s.

Contracts with growers, harvesters andhaulage companies have been finalisedto ensure a reliable supply of rawmaterial. They also intend to have astock in hand of 40,000 tonnes of rawmaterials together with at least fivethousand tonnes of finished pellet inboth bulk and bagged form. D Pellet iswell aware that it will take some time toachieve this storage capacity but theyare confident ofmeeting their targets forSeptember / October 2008.

Distribution networkD Pellet has a number of trucks on theroad designed specifically for bulk woodpellet delivery. These trucks have highpressure pumping systems and alsohave the capacity to extract dust fromthe bulk storage areas.Dust extraction isvery important to enable users tomaximise the efficiency potential of theirboilers. D Pellets’ proximity to a logisticscompany,BrennanTransport,means thatbagged pellets can be deliverednationwide at short notice hence theefficiency of transport and logistics isincreased by keeping fuel costs at aminimum. Their client base consists ofhome owners, schools, hotels,apartment blocks, shopping centres etc.andmanymore large commercial users.They have also finalised contracts withretail chains to establish servicecontracts for bagged pellets.

D Pellet stress that ongoing qualitycontrol is an integral part of theirproduction process to enable traceabil-

ity, monitoring and maintenance of ahigh quality standard of wood pellets. Inaddition they acknowledge that poorquality pellets, in certain cases, havegiven wood pellet heating systemssome bad publicity.The public needs tobe more aware of the source, contentsand standard of wood pellets currentlyavailable on the Irish market. D Pelletindicates that they are producing apremium quality pellet which surpassesboth the German and Austrian standardi.e.NORMM7135 and DINplus.

With the continuance of governmentassistance and grants for renewabletechnology, together with rapidlyincreasing oil prices, the demand forwood pellets is increasing at a steadyrate. In addition approximately 30,000tonnes of wood pellets are currentlyimported into Ireland. A plant tomanufacture wood pellets here inIreland is essential to ensure continuedgrowth from both an economic andenvironmental viewpoint. Most of ourfossil fuel is imported – why should wecontinue to import renewable fuel whenwe now have the ability, expertise andthe rawmaterials tomanufacture here inIreland? With the shortages of woodpellets two years ago,confidence withinthe industry was decimated with highprice increases and exceptionally longdelivery times. This new plant willhopefully help to stabilise prices andbring renewed confidence back into theindustry.

€6 million investment by D Pellet Limited fornewwood pellet plant in KilkennyLarry Doyle,D Pellet Ltd

Larry and Sorcha Doyle

D Pellet Plant

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BIOENERGY NEWS2 0 0 8

The EU Energy Policy is driven byconcerns about the security and conti-nuity of supply of energy and the needto combat climate change. Does theCommon Agricultural Policy (CAP)contribute to this aim,and if yes, in whatway?

In January 2007,the EUCommission pro-posed a comprehensive and ambitiousenergy package, which was broadly en-dorsed by Member States (EuropeanCouncil, March 2007) and by the Euro-pean Parliament (Thomsen Report, Sep-tember 2007). The EU has committeditself to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG)emissions by 20%,to improve energy ef-ficiency by 20% and to attain a 20%share of renewable energy (incl. a 10%biofuels target) by 2020. On 23rd Janu-ary 2008, the Commissionmade specificproposals on how a policy to attainthese objectives could be formulated.

The CAP supports both the productionof biomass from agriculture and forestryas well as the use of bioenergy on farmsand in rural areas. The CAP thereforecontributes to achieving amore sustain-able and reliable energy supply, as en-ergy based on biomass plays a crucialrole when it comes to increasing theshare of renewable energy.

What are the instruments at hand? Firstof all, the Single Farm Payments or Sin-gle Area Paymentswhichmost of the Eu-ropean farmers receive make nodistinction between the production offood, feed or energy. Farmers are free todecide whether (and what) they pro-duce for the food industry, for feed useor for energy purposes.Agricultural pro-duction for energy takes place on about4-5 mio ha of arable land (all estimatesfor 2007/2008). The share in total EUarable land is still very low, as prices for

food and feed use are more attractive.This share is expected to risesubstantially once the proposedrenewable energy and biofuels targetsare in place. In order to stimulatespecifically bioenergy production, theEU grants an energy crop premiumof 45Euro/ha for a maximum of 2.0 mio haand allows farmers to grow energyplants on set-aside land. At presentroughly 3.5 mio ha of arable land forbioenergy supply benefits of one ofthese instruments. The growing ofenergy crops without any specificsupport is still low but of increasingimportance.Production of bioenergy onarable land in the EU currently meansmainly growing rapeseed for biodieseland some cereals for ethanol and biogas.

Apart from these measures in the firstpillar of the CAPwhich helps to increasethe supply of bioenergy, there is avariety of instruments in the secondpillar of the CAP, the rural developmentpolicy1 which addresses both the supplyand the use of bioenergy. Here, farmerscan receive money for plantingperennial energy crops and for theconstruction of an on-farm oilseedcrushing plant, to give just twoexamples.

In the current review of the CAP, the"Health Check"2, the European Commis-sion proposes to strengthen support torural development,which will also allowfor increased support to bioenergyproduction and use. On the other hand,the Commission is consideringabolishing the energy crop premium asthemandatory biofuel target will ensureincreasing demand, and to end theobligatory set-aside as it is no longerneeded as a supply control instrument.Abolishing the specific supportmeasures for biomass production from

the first pillar of the CAP is consistentwith the general line of making the CAPmoremarket oriented. It is also better toaddress the demand-side through amandatory target for renewable energyrather than to try to directly steer theproduction choices of farmers.

There are fears that expandingbioenergy production could harm theenvironment. Concerns are that theincreased demand for arable land couldlead to conversion of land with highcarbon stocks into arable land.This couldrelease more carbon than can be savedby growing feedstocks for biomass onthat land. Expansion of agriculture mayalso endanger areas with a high biodi-versity value.

Aware of these concerns, the EuropeanCommission has proposed to addressthese problems by imposing environ-mental sustainability criteria3. Biofuelsshall not be made from raw materialobtained from pristine forests orwetlands, nor by converting land withrecognised high biodiversity value orland with high carbon stock. It will alsobe required that there is a significantgreenhouse gas reduction calculated ona life-cycle basis.

The same proposal also refers to theCAP directly by requiring that theenvironmental requirements andstandards of the so-called cross-compli-ance obligations be respected for theproduction of feedstocks for biofuels inthe EU. Therefore, if a farmer does notrespect those environmental require-ments when he produces feedstocks forbiofuels, he will lose part of his directpayments and the correspondingbiofuels will not be counted against the10% target.

Providing green energy: the role of thecommon agricultural policyAndreas Pilzecker, European Commission Directorate-General for Agriculture

and Rural Development, F6 Bioenergy,Biomass,Climate Change & Forestry

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Onemainmotivation for the EU's energypolicy is its commitment to combatclimate change. Apart from providingbiomass to other sectors, thus reducingGHG emissions, the agricultural sectorwill have to reduce further its owngreenhouse gas emissions. The EUCommission has proposed to reduce by2020 GHG emissions on average by 10%in those sectors which are not coveredby the Emissions Trading Scheme. Inaddition,a differentiated target has beenproposed for each member state toachieve a fair sharing of the effort. Inmitigating the effects of climate change,EU agriculture has already contributedmore than other sectors to curbinggreenhouse gas emissions.This ismainlydue to the improvement of productionmethods (i.e. more efficient use offertilisers) and diminishing cattlenumbers.

The second main driver is to increasesecurity of energy supply.Here again,EUagriculture canmake a contribution. It isestimated that about 80% of thebiofuels needed in order to attain the10%biofuels target by 2020 could comefrom domestic sources without puttingsignificant stress on resources.4Agriculturemay also have to improve itsenergy efficiency under the (national)Energy Efficiency Action Plans,whichwillhelp to achieve the 20% EU target until2020.

The Common Agricultural Policy helpsagriculture to provide sustainablebioenergy, to continue to reduce its ownGHG emissions and to use energy moreefficiently – in addition to its primary

task of producing food.The instrumentsat hand are statutory obligations(e.g. cross-compliance) and financialincentives in the second pillar. Europehas great potential for supplying bothfood and biomass for energy, withoutcausing unmanageable tensionsbetween the different end uses ofagricultural products.

1 http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/rurdev/index_en.htm2 http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/healthcheck/index_en.htm3 Proposal for a "Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on the

promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources" COM (2008) 19 final4 http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/analysis/markets/biofuel/impact042007/text_en.pdf

Willow chip

BIOENERGY NEWSS U M M E R 2 0 0 8

Hemp is a high yielding annual fibre cropproducing cellulose, edible proteins, andoils with over 50,000 different productapplications across a whole array ofindustries.The cropmaybegrown for bothits fibre and oil.

Where can hemp be grown?Hemp favours a deep humus soil but hasbeen grown successfully on a widerange of soil types. It is eligible to growhemp on set-aside land providing anindustrial end-use contract is in place.Hemp production is supported in Eu-rope by an aid payment to primaryprocessors (known as the Fibre Process-ing Aid Scheme).Hemp is a relatively lowinput crop therefore organic productionis possible. Hemp straw is delivered toprocessing facilities in large round or he-ston bales 8 x 4 x 3. Haulage costs arelikely to dictate that production remainswithin a reasonable delivery distance ofprocessors.

What is hemp grown for?Hemp grown in Ireland may be used toproduce both fibre and seed. Fibre vari-etiesmay reach 3m in height under Irishconditions and are selected to producelarge quantities of high quality fibre.More recently, dwarf or dual purposehemp varieties have been introduced;primarily grown for the seed oil, with

small quantities of fibre also produced.Fibre hemp is a high biomass crop andalso shows potential as a renewable en-ergy feedstock.

What is hemp fibre used for?Once extracted and processed hemp fi-bres are mainly exported to Europe formanufacture of car parts, textiles andconstruction materials. Major car man-ufacturers are already using hemp bio-composites for car components such aslinings and parcel shelves. Other usesfor the fibre include insulation and hor-ticultural matting.The remainder of theplant consisting of the hurd pith or thecore can be used for horse or poultrybedding, hemcrete for house exteriorsor for lime blocks.

Special restrictionsCurrently only cultivars with less than0.2% tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), thenarcotic component of cannabis,may begrown for fibre and seed oil productionin the EU.

In Ireland Cannabis sativa (hemp) isclassed as a controlled drug under theMisuse of Drugs Regulations and pos-session of the material is an offence. Toenable the development of an industrybased on hemp, a licence to grow ap-proved varieties of hemp can be ob-tained. The approved list of varieties ispublished by the Department of Healthand Children. Advice on obtaining a li-cense is available from the ‘Social Inclu-sion’ section of the Department ofHealth and Children by calling01/6354794 or 01/6354338.

Key Points� Annual, spring sown.� License required from Dept of

Health and Children / Irish MedicinesBoard.

� Fibre production will need to bewithin a feasible distance ofprocessing factory.

� Low input� Both fibre and dual hemp crops can

be grown using conventional farmmachinery.

Agronomy – fibre hempCommonly, no pesticides are used onthe crop. The crop is fast growing andquickly forms a dense canopy whichsuppresses weeds. A pre-emergencebroad spectrum herbicide will preventcompetition with weeds in its earlygrowth stages.Sowing should take placeonce risk of hard frosts has passed.

Fibre crops require a higher plantdensity than those destined for seedproduction.Plant density has little effecton yield as self-thinning is seen at highplant densities. At low plant densities

Growing of hemp in Ireland(Cannabis Sativa)Barry Caslin,Bioenergy Specialist,Teagasc

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Fibre boardmade from hemp

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plants compensate by producing thickerstemmed plants which results in lowerquality fibre. Optimal fibre yield can beachieved using sowing rates of 180seeds/m².� Sow late April onwards using

conventional seed drill.� Stale seedbed approach

advantageous.� 80kg – 120kg N/ha applied to the

seedbed.� Aim for target population of 115 –

130 plants/m².� Pesticides not currently used.

InputsCurrent fertilizer recommendations arein the order of 80-120kg N/ha,with littleresponse visible at higher rates.

Hemp flea beetle, Phyllotreta nemorum,may be seen although the fast growingnature of the crop means controlmeasures are rarely necessary. Potentialfungal infections include Botrytis cinereaand Sclerotinia sclerotiorum but againcontrol is seldom justified.

HarvestingTo facilitate extraction of fibre from thewoody core,after mowing in August thecrop is left in the field for 3-4 weeks torett. This allows fungal and bacterialbreakdown of bonds between the fibre

and surrounding tissue.The crop is thenrowed up and baled. The crop must bestored undercover before delivery to thefactory in order tomaintain fibre quality.

Productivity – fibre hempTeagasc, Oak Park have achieved yieldsof 12 tonne/ha during three yearresearch trials from 1997-1999.Processors requiring year round supplymay pay storage increments dependingon when the crop is delivered to thefactory. Contracts for 2008 are beenoffered by Tokn Grain for hemp balesranges from €150 /tonne for Septemberdelivery to €180 /tonne for delivery thefollowing August.

Dual hempRecently dwarf or dual hemp varietieshave been introduced to the UK, mostnotably the variety Finola.These varietiesaremuch shorter, reaching just 1.5m andare grown primarily for seed production.The small amount of straw producedmay be used in certain fibre applications,such as composite manufacture forconstruction and automotive materials.

What is hemp oil used for?Hemp oil has both industrial uses andapplications in the health supplementand personal care markets. It containsmany essential fatty acids thought to beof benefit to human nutrition. Hemp oil

has similar industrial uses to that oflinseed oil in paints and varnishes andmay also be used in printing inks andsolvents.

Agronomy – dual hempSowing rates are reduced compared tothose used for fibre production. Asowing rate of 25 kg/ha will generallygive an adequate plant population.

� Sow late April/May� Nitrogen 60-100Kg/ha� No herbicides or pesticides� Direct combined� Harvest August-September

Harvesting and storageThe crop is harvested using aconventional combine harvester and thestraw is baled for fibre use. Seed shouldbe dried to 9%moisture and cleaned to2% admixture.

Productivity – dual hempYields of 1.25 tonnes/ha of seed arepossible, with a straw yield of 1.5tonnes/ha. Michael Harnett fromWarringstown, Co. Down, will buy theseeds from farmers who grow the dwarfvarieties.

Contact Mike atmike@waringestate.com

Harvesting hemp

Hemp fibre

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BIOENERGY NEWS2 0 0 8

It is now a very exciting time for thebioenergy industry in Ireland, as themarket opens up, more people andbusinesses become involved and newpossibilities for the use of biomassappear.The increased price of fossil fuel,the need to reduce greenhouse gasemissions and the fact that Ireland isideal for growing plants means thatbiomass is the obvious choice for energy,available at all times.Biomass is in effectthe battery for solar power! Plantsextract chemical from the soil,water andcarbon dioxide as they grow, and sobiomass can be used as a source ofchemicals for replacing these materialscurrently extracted frompetrochemicals(e.g. polymers).

In short biomass can not only provideenergy that can be stored and used asrequired for heat, electricity or vehiclefuel, but it can also provide the basicchemicals needed inmanufacturing.Theincreasing price of oil is turning thefocus onto biomass as a resourceencouraging government, researchersand businesses to identify the means toutilise the resources we have in Irelandin abundance.

However there are challenges. Biomassis a bulky material and is not cheap totransport in an unrefined form.Therefore, its use or basic processingneeds to be local to production, andtherefore in most cases will need to besmall or medium scale. This provides an

opportunity for rural communities tobenefit from the growth of the biomassindustry.The challenge for everyone is torethink the marketing and businesssystems that we utilise, and develop thetechnology required. It is important thatall those in the supply chain benefitequally and all will prosper, not onlythose marketing the end products.

A biomass industry developed usingsustainable principles will not causefood or water shortages, or use vastareas ofmono-cropping nor significantlyincrease the traffic on our roads. It wouldgenerate income for everyone involvedin the supply chain including theprimary producers, it would reduce ourreliance on imports for fuel production,

IrBEA –Developing the bioenergyindustry in IrelandVicky Heslop,President IrBEA

Dunboyne Oilseed,photo courtesy BioXL

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it would reduce greenhouse gasemissions and achieve otherenvironmental benefits stimulating newbusiness opportunities.

If we don’t manage to stimulate thedevelopment of the biomass industryusing sustainable principles where theenvironmental and social issues haveequal importance to the economic onesthe result for our country could beextremely negative.

The Irish Bioenergy Association (IrBEA)was founded in May 1999 with theoverall aim of promoting biomass asan environmentally, economically andsocially sustainable indigenous energyresource and to promote its non-energyrelated benefits.

The objectives of IrBEA are to:� Improve the awareness of biomass as

a realistic option for energy supply;� Influence policy makers to promote

the development of bioenergy;� Networking and information sharing

among those interested in bioenergydevelopment;

� Promote the interests of itsmembers;

� Liaise with similar interest groups;� Promote the implementation of

bioenergy projects.

IrBEA is a limited company governed bya management committee elected byIrBEA members and is the Irishrepresentative body of AEBIOM, theEuropean Biomass Association.

Becoming a member – couldn’t beeasier, just click on www.irbea.orgor email us at contact@irbea.org.

Membership benefits:� Contact with others working in all

fields of bioenergy through the IrBEAnetwork;

� The power of a united voice onimportant issues;

� Opportunity to promote yourcompany, activities or products;

� Notification of events connected tothe industry;

� IrBEA newsletters and updates.

� AEBIOM (Association of EuropeanBiomass) membership andrepresentation;

� Member discounts for certainpublications and events;

� The right to vote at the IrBEA AGMand be a member of the sub-groupsof IrBEA.

Current ActivitiesCurrent work of the association includes:

� Participation in the Department ofCommunications, Energy andNatural Resources (DCENR) newlyformed bioenergy working group;

� Participation in the Department ofAgriculture Fisheries and Food(DAFF) working group on animalby-products and

� Developing a series of workshops for2008 including topics focussing ondeveloping AD,bioenergy R&D, PPOand fuel obligation policy,woodsupply chain development etc.

Recent DevelopmentsIn line with the continuous growth ofthe bioenergy industry itself and inorder to further develop the activities ofthe association two new employeeshave been appointed, Bernard Rice andDonna Maskery.

Bernard Rice (Technical advisor) is a Teagascresearcher based at the Crops Research Centre,Oak Park,Carlow.He hasmanaged theTeagascprogramme on biofuel production andprocessing for the last 15 years. This hasincluded biodiesel and pure plant oilproduction and the pre-treatment (drying,storage, chopping, pelleting) and combustionof energy crops and residues such as willows,miscanthus,cereal grains and cereal rape straw.He was for many years a member of themanagement committee of IrBEA and hasrepresented Ireland on IEA Task 39 on LiquidBiofuels.

Donna Maskery (Executive officer) has spentthe last seven years working in the area ofsustainable wastemanagement and recycling.She has experience of working within theprivate and public sector in both Ireland andEngland.As a business DevelopmentManagerwith the NISP programme she hadresponsibility for developing businessopportunities in the bioenergy sector such asnew product development and diversificationetc. More recently her work has focussed onmarketing and communications and projectmanagement of bioenergy initiatives.

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BIOENERGY NEWS2 0 0 8

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SEI REIO Biomass CD

This compilation CD provides a comprehensive overview on a range of bioenergytechnologies and resources including wood heating, anaerobic digestion, liquid biofuels andlandfill gas recovery.

Contents:

� Information on wood energy, ranging from wood fuels production to wood heatingtechnologies.

� Presentations from leading technology experts, in effect ‘a best of’ from the series of SEI REIO / Coford annual woodenergy conferences and study tours, together with material from study tours to Austria, Finland and Sweden.

� Tools for feasibility studies, heating cost comparisons and fuel energy content analysis.� Procurement guidelines for biomass installations.� Buyers’guides to biomass technologies.� Information on SEI’s various grant schemes.� Lists of known commercial boiler and fuel suppliers.� Summary information on fuel quality standards and boiler/stove EU test standards.

Wood Fuels Basic Information PackA publication from BENET Bioenergy Network, Finland – covering all aspects of wood fuelproduction and combustion

The Handbook of Biomass Combustion and Co-FiringThis unique handbook presents both the theory and application of biomass combusion and co-firing,from basic principles to industrial combustion and environmental impact, in a clear andcomprehensivemanner. It offers a solid grounding on biomass combustion,and advice on improvingcombustion systems.Written by leading international academics and industrial experts,and preparedunder the auspices of the IEA Bioenergy Implementing Agreement, the handbook is an essentialresource for anyone interested in biomass combustion and co-firing technologies varying fromdomestic woodstoves to utility-scale power generation.The book covers subjects including biomassfuel pre-treatment and logistics,modelling the combustion process and ash-related issues, as well asfeaturing an overview of the current R&D needs regarding biomass combustion.

Building Sustainable Energy Systems - Swedish Experiences

Sustainable development requires a sustainable energy path.This volume provides insight into howSwedish energy systems have evolved.The issues discussed include the use of renewable resources,fuel switching, technologies and system efficiencies, restructuring of energymarkets, and integrationof environmental concerns into policy design and implementation.The major objective has been todraw lessons that could help us meet future challenges in the context of increasing globalization,structural changes and environmental concerns. This volume is therefore a source of inspiration tothose concerned with building a sustainable energy future.

To purchase these or any SEI REIO resources go to www.sei.ie/resourcecentre

SEI REIO resources

SEI REIO

SEI is funded by the Irish Government under the National Development Plan 2007 - 2013 with programmes part financed by the European Union.

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Bioenergy News is published by Sustainable Energy Ireland’s Renewable Energy Information Office. Edited byMairéad Cummins.

Regular renewable energy information updates are now available by e-mail from SEI REIO.The aim of E-Update is to speed up the relay of informationon topics such as events, policy and funding.To join the list, send an e-mail to renewables@reio.ie with ‘subscribe e-update’ in the subject line.

Mellows Centre,Athenry,Co GalwayThe Energy Show 2009 will be held at the RDS Main Hall,Dublin onWednesday 29th and Thursday 30th April 2009.

This business to business event is a must for anyone with aprofessional interest in or responsibility for energy use. Itwill follow the highly successful format of previous yearswith a two day trade exhibition coupled with acomprehensive and varied seminar programme coveringall aspects of energy efficiency and renewable energyrelevant to Irish business.

For further information on the Energy Show visitwww.sei.ie/energyshow.

R E C O M M E N D E D E V E N T S

Next Generation Biofuels MarketsAmsterdam,The Netherlands6-7 October 2008http://www.greenpowerconferences.com/biofuelsmarkets/index.html

Euradwaste '08Luxembourg20-23 October 2008http://ec.europa.eu/research/energy/gp/gp_events/

2008 Renewable Energy Policy ForumParis, France17 November 2008http://www.erec.org/

SIREME - InternationalExhibition for Renewable Energy & EnergyManagementParis, France17-19 November 2008http://www.sireme.fr/

4th Annual European Energy Policy ConferenceBrussels, BelgiumNovember 2008http://www.euenergypolicy.com/

3rd International Conference on Integration ofRenewable and Distributed Energy ResourcesNice, France10-12 December 2008http://www.conference-on-integration.com/

International Power Summit 2009Rome, Italy29 February–1 March 2009http://www.internationalpowersummit.com/

EuropeanWind Energy Conference & ExhibitionMarseille, France16–19 March 2009http://www.ewec2009.info/

IWWE & IRWM 2008Simmonscourt,Dublin24-25 March 2009http://www.environment-ireland.com/

t +353 23-42193f +353 23-54165e renewables@reio.iew www.sei.ie/reio.htm

Sustainable Energy IrelandRenewable Energy Information OfficeUnit A,West Cork Technology Park,Clonakilty, Co.Cork.

This major national event will focus on farming,education, bioenergy, forestry, renewable energy,alternative agri-enterprises and lifestyle and futurechallenges to the farming sector.

Highlights include:

� Tented village and outdoor product exhibition� Biomass stove and boiler suppliers� Equipment and fuel suppliers� Expert workshops� Practical demonstrations� Field excursions

2009