Special Report: BioenNW – northwest Europe-wide bioenergy
Bioenergy is a rapidly growing sector driven by government policies promoting the use of low carbon energy and waste recycling. Targets to increase the security of energy supply and reduce greenhouse gas emissions have been set for all European Union member states to ensure the EU reaches a 20% share of renewable energy by 2020.
The progress in northwest Europe towards meeting these challenging targets has been slow. If you look at the UK, ambitious reduction targets to reduce CO2 levels – 34% by 2020 and 80% by 2050 – have been agreed. Regions across the country have implemented schemes to reduce CO2 accordingly. However, achieving these targets will require a near 300% increase in renewable energy production before the end of this decade – with bioenergy set to contribute more than 50% of the required increase.
To address this challenge, a group of organisations in northwest Europe are working together specifically to look at how they can accelerate the provision of renewable energy in their countries. The result is a €7.9m European Union INTERREG IVB-funded project – Bioenergy North West (BioenNW) – which sees 11 European partners working together to promote and support the implementation of bioenergy schemes within the northwest Europe region to reduce carbon emissions, and to increase energy security and employment opportunities.
Led by the European Bioenergy Research Institute (EBRI) at Aston University in Birmingham, UK, BioenNW offers support to companies, organisations and local authorities looking to set up local bioenergy schemes fuelled by waste on a small to medium scale (5-10MW output). The initiative is active in five regions: West Midlands (UK), Ill-de-France (France), Wallonia (Belgium), Eindhoven (the Netherlands) and North Rhine Westphalia (Germany). BioenNW is demonstrating the economic viability of power generation from urban and rural waste by exploring how innovative bioenergy technologies can be used with existing anaerobic digestion, and difficult to manage waste streams, to increase the efficiency of these bioenergy processes.
BioenNW has four main objectives:
- To create a network of bioenergy support centres providing support to organisations to deliver local bioenergy more efficiently and cost-effectively;
- To build an online decision support tool to assist with the investment process and decide where to locate future bioenergy plants;
- To demonstrate the combined operation of innovative bioenergy technologies at a commercial scale and to test a range of biomass and waste streams; and
- To identify at least new 25 sites which are suitable for the development of new bioenergy schemes, and developing five of these to the point of build by the end of 2015.
Promoting the use of innovative bioenergy technology
To enable the testing of waste and residues for suitability for bioenergy applications, two mobile ‘Pyrofab’ testing units have been constructed within the project. Each Pyrofab consists of a ‘Pyroformer™’; an innovative bioenergy technology (developed by EBRI). The Pyrofab converts carbon from organic waste materials to produce carbon-neutral fuel and biochar, a commodity that can be used to improve soil quality. It has the ability to process a wide range of biomass, residues and wastes. This means that hard to treat sources of waste now have the potential to be used as a feedstock to produce low carbon energy. Feedstocks being tested include food waste, domestic waste, agricultural waste such as pig manure and industrial waste.
The Pyrofabs are housed in mobile containers so they can be easily transported and are currently on a European tour of four locations in Germany, France, the Netherlands and Sweden before returning to the UK in October 2015. The Pyrofab enables waste to be locally sourced, reducing the environmental impact of transportation and reliance on overseas imports of biomass such as wood. When fully developed, the Pyrofab could offer businesses and local governments access to the emerging bioenergy market, stimulating rural economies and reducing waste management costs.
The case for increased government investment and policy support for new technologies such as the Pyroformer™ is strong. Bioenergy offers significant business, as well as environmental, benefits. In 2009 the UK Government estimated that the global market for low carbon goods and services was worth around £3 trillion (~€4.2tr) a year and could be worth £4.5 trillion by 2015.
Results from pre-testing work that has taken place at EBRI and test results from the tour itself will be included in BioenNW’s business support tool, designed to help businesses make bioenergy investment decisions.
Support throughout northwest Europe
The development of bioenergy technology is a priority particularly for the West Midlands, where BioenNW Lead Partner EBRI is based. Birmingham’s location at the heart of the UK means geographical constraints limit the region’s potential to generate renewable energy from alternative technologies. This is also the case for the other BioenNW regions: Ill-de-France, Wallonia, Eindhoven and North Rhine Westphalia. It means the need to provide focal points for regional business support, technology transfer and growth opportunities has never been more important.
A European Network of Bioenergy Support Centres has been established in each of the five regions to disseminate information about alternative solutions and innovative bioenergy technologies by acting as an information hub in each country. Each centre offers free services including expert advice, testing, workshops and seminars, access to funding etc. and help organisations understand the market opportunity and develop innovative bioenergy solutions.
BioenNW is also working to create a much needed bioenergy supply chain within each region. Sourcing local waste for biomass to run bioenergy technologies without having to transport it long distance is crucial for the future. Project partners have been working with businesses that produce waste – such as food and agricultural waste – to test it for suitability as a bioenergy feedstock and reduce the amount of waste being sent to landfill.
This is where new bioenergy technologies currently being developed, such as the Pyrofab, can offer significant energy efficiency and profit gains. Further support is now needed to develop these innovations into viable, sustainable energy sources and reduce the world’s reliance on fossil fuels.
To find out more about BioenNW and the European Pyrofab tour, visit www.bioenergy-nw.eu.
To watch a video about the Pyrofab, visit: www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTyz3Kds0OU.
To watch a video about BioenNW, visit: www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8-bXRTk0oA.
Louise Ciaravella
Marketing & Communications Officer
European Bioenergy Research Institute
Aston University, UK
