Tag Archives: biomass
UK Government Sets Biomass Power Rules
Electricity from biomass is expected to save 70% of greenhouse gas emissions 22/08/2013 UK government sets biomass power rules Financial support only available if sustainable Helen Tunnicliffe THE UK government has set new sustainability criteria for biomass to ensure that it contributes effectively to the country’s emissions reduction targets. Electricity from biomass is expected to save 70% of greenhouse gas emissions compared to fossil fuels, but concerns have been raised that some of the wood chips and pellets used in biomass power stations is no better than coal and in some cases worse if it has been harvested in an unsustainable way, from a badly-managed plantation or shipped from thousands of miles away. The new standards announced by the Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC) are designed to address these concerns and apply to all companies generating 1 MW or more of energy from solid biomass or biogas which are claiming financial support under the Renewables Obligation (RO). The RO means that all generating companies must source a set proportion of their electricity from renewable energy, but receive a premium for doing so. From April 2015 onwards, electricity generating companies could face losing these financial incentives if they cannot prove that the biomass fuel for their plants meets the tough new standards. The sustainability criteria look at the way the source forest is managed, including ensuring that harvesting rates are sustainable, that biodiversity is protected and that indigenous populations retain their land use rights. DECC has also pledged not to make any more changes to the sustainability criteria before April 2027. Greg Barker, the minister of state for energy and climate change says that biomass is an important part of the UK’s energy mix. “The new criteria will provide the necessary investor certainty and, crucially, ensure that the biomass is delivered in a transparent and sustainable way,” he adds. The news has been welcomed by the Renewable Energy Authority (REA), which represents UK companies in the renewable energy industry. “These sustainability criteria ensure that the UK can reap the benefits of biomass, safe in the knowledge that it is making a real dent in our carbon emissions and that ecologically sensitive land is being protected. Biomass is a great way to bridge the looming capacity gap because it has all the same benefits as fossil fuels, such as reliability and flexibility of supply, but without the carbon impacts,” says REA CEO Nina Skorupska. The REA, however, warned that all biomass generation must be supported by the government. Earlier this month, RWE closed its Tilbury power station in the UK, which it had been converting from coal to biomass, when the government withdrew subsidies under the Contracts for Difference scheme which invests in low carbon technologies. Only combined heat and power (CHP) projects are now eligible for subsidies under this scheme, but REA points out that many otherwise suitable sites have no users for the heat generated. Continue reading
Wood Biomass An Untapped Resource, Climate Group Says
University of Northern British Columbia president George Iwama in front of the Nexterra biomass gasification system installed at UNBC, which is designed to replace 85 per cent of the natural gas consumed on campus. Waste wood from logging and forest fire mitigation could replace 30 to 50 per cent of the fossil fuel used in B.C. and significantly reduce carbon emissions for heating buildings and water, a new study says. Biomass that is routinely collected and burned in the name of forest management around B.C.’s small and remote towns could generate clean energy at a lower cost than fossil fuels, according to a new white paper from the Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions. Dozens of First Nations communities are not on B.C.’s natural gas or electric grids, but may be surrounded by forests that could supply them with affordable energy, said study co-author Dale Littlejohn. PICS has created a new online assessment tool that will allow communities to quickly determine whether their local environment can produce enough biomass sustainably to fuel such a system. Even forests that are not being logged or thinned for fire prevention can be managed for the purpose of harvesting biomass for energy. Trees killed by pine beetle are also a potential fuel source. “We have a huge amount of waste biomass in B.C.” said Littlejohn. “There is huge potential at a building scale and a district energy scale.” District energy systems supply heat to entire communities — from clusters of commercial buildings to schools, prisons and hospitals — usually through underground pipes. At least half a dozen biomass generators are already in operation at the University of B.C., the University of Northern B.C. and in small towns such as Enderby and Quesnel. The biomass system at UNBC in Prince George is designed to replace 85 per cent of the natural gas consumed on campus. The technology is already well established in Europe, where most of B.C.’s pelletized waste wood is shipped as fuel, Littlejohn said. The PICS screening tool — called the Fire Interface Rural Screening Tool for Heating, or FIRST Heat — uses detailed information about the composition of the forest and estimates the amount of biomass that could be harvested through forest fire risk management without compromising the long-term viability of the ecosystem and the soil, which is usually replenished by wood waste and naturally occurring forest fires. The resulting data, along with information about the capital costs of generators and district heating systems, are used to calculate potential energy savings and greenhouse gas reductions compared with using conventional fossil fuels to heat space and water. The paper predicts local energy systems will create jobs in the forestry, transportation and service sectors and keep money spent on energy from flowing out of the local economy. “This is a great way to leverage a resource that is all around us and this biomass is going to burned one way or another,” said Littlejohn. “At least [biomass generators] reduce our reliance on fossil fuels and keep that money in the community.” Cases studies conducted by PICS found that Sicamous could reduce annual energy costs by up to $2.3 million and GHG emissions by up to 10,895 tonnes using biomass harvested from 70,963 hectares of mature local forest. On the other hand, the case for profitably managing young forests around Burns Lake was marginal due to lower biomass estimates. rshore@vancouversun.com Blog: vancouversun.com/greenman Podcast: vancouversunpodcasts.com/category/green-man Read more: http://www.vancouver…l#ixzz2dMCpI8se Continue reading
The Sustainable Approach – Powering Africa Through Biomass Energy
Countries within the great African continent are blessed with enough resources to see them benefiting from biomass energy. Biomass is an important source of energy and the most important fuel worldwide after coal, oil, and natural gas. Bio-energy, which is derived from biomass, is expected to be a pivotal resource, which will contribute to global sustainable development. Dr Segun Adaju, the Project Manager of the Bank of Industry/United Nations Development Project (UNDP), Access to Renewable Energy (AtRE) Project, notes thus: “Biomass is a clean renewable energy resource derived from the waste of various human and natural activities. It excludes organic material, which has been transformed by geological processes into substances such as coal or petroleum.” The energy of biomass is extracted from three distinct sources, the largest energy source of biomass being wood (contributors include the timber industry, agricultural crops and raw materials from the forest); the second largest source is waste energy (main contributors are municipal solid waste and manufacturing waste); and the third largest source is alcohol fuels ‑ derived mainly from corn. Accordingly, in the developed world, biomass should become more important for dual applications such as heat and power generation. This is so since most countries within and across the African continent have a lot of resources for biomass energy; the continent is blessed with an environment and geography that supports the growth of anything. Importantly, biomass energy is especially relevant for Sub-Saharan Africa where over 80 percent of the population relies upon wood, crop and animal residues for meeting their household needs (mainly cooking). Notwithstanding extensive plans for electrification and provision of fossil fuels, a vast majority of households in Sub-Saharan Africa will still depend on biomass resources for their energy needs for at least the next two decades. It is also critical to note that African countries have adequate biomass resources for biomass energy because there is waste like sawdust and/or wood chips, which should not waste away. These countries can convert them into energy by simply putting the waste into small devices called bio-digesters, so that they can digest those waste through bacteria and the rest, scientists know more about that. Since African countries have so many resources (biomass energy resources), developing biomass industries in the continent will have more impact and it will ease some problems affecting the development of the continent. For instance, developing biomass industries in African countries will create more jobs; it will create adequate energy and it will solve the problem of how do we deal with waste. To effectively use resources for biomass energy, policy makers in African governments need to know the technologies that are available and how to apply them. There are also many technologies that can be imported and used to develop local (African) technologies. More so, to tap into these resources, the first thing is for African governments to create awareness so that people know that the waste they are even generating in their houses is actually money and it is a material to generate energy. Crafting of policies is a crucial step if the continent is to effectively utilise its resources for biomass energy. Adaju concurs: “We need government’s support in terms of policy so that we can be able to use our resources to generate our needs. It is not all the time we have to import what we want to consume or use so we need government’s policy to encourage production, and to support entrepreneurs.” The World Bank’s Director for Sustainable Development in the Africa Region, Jamal Saghir, said partners now need to foster mainstreaming of biomass into national economic policies. “The development of biomass energy is closely linked with forestry, agriculture, indoor air pollution and health, environment and climate change, rural electrification, and gender development,” he said. “And all these linkages have to be explicitly recognised and harmonised to have a unified sustainable approach.” This means Africa must embrace biomass energy and utilise it as a developmental tool. One of the major reasons why unemployment is high in the continent and why manufacturing companies are shutting down is because of energy is insufficient. If African countries have adequate energy, there will obviously be more employed people. Without doubt, biomass is an important source of energy and the most important fuel worldwide after coal, oil, and natural gas. Continue reading
