University of Leeds

Renewable Energy: The Potential of Biomass - Sustainability, Rural Environment and Enterprise

Professor Adrian McDonald

University of Leeds

with contributions by Dr Keith Pitcher, First Renewables

University of Leeds

This presentation will be placed on the School of Geography Web Site

www.geog.leeds.ac.uk

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The Content

A Reminder about A Levels

Drivers and Policy for Renewables

– World

– Europe

– UK

– Local

Arbre The Project

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Just One Mark More

Most of you will have a mark between 45 and 67.

Although it varies from year to year, 45 might make an ‘E’

and 67 an ‘A’.

Thus 66 is a ‘B’, as is 66.9 and 66.99

So only about 5 marks is the width of a grade!!!!

So 20% of you here only need one more mark for a higher

grade.

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The Drivers

Climate Change and Global Warming

Kyoto Commitments

20% CO2 reduction by 2010

Limited Options:

– Transport or Power

– Onshore wind, Offshore wind, Biofuel

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Renewable Energy Development in Europe

The driving forces in Europe are:

World-wide concerns about CO2 levels, post Kyoto

Desire to increase the share of indigenous energy fuels

Desire to reduce the fossil fuel use, especially imports

Need to use surplus land effectively

Need to promote clean and efficient energy technologies

Need to bring employment into rural agricultural sectors

Wish to see sustainable regional development

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European Policies for Renewable Energy European Union White Paper 1998

– need identified to accelerate renewables– doubling of current use of 6% by 2010– biomass a key role

European Directive on Renewable Energy– equiv. to 22.1% electricity supply by 2010– adopted by Commission & Parliament, becomes law summer

2001– national targets (not legally binding), guaranteed access to

grids, 4 year period to set up + 7 years to implement harmonisation

Kyoto obligation to reduce basket of greenhouse gases Strong European drive to double energy from renewables, with higher targets later

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UK Policies for Renewable Energy Domestic goal of reducing CO2 emissions by 20% by 2010 New & Renewable Energy

– 10% target by 2010 (50 TWh)– obligation on supply companies– 3p/kWh buyout price– additional support for emerging technologies

MAFF National Biomass Energy Strategy & New Rural Development Programme– 125,000 hectares energy crops target - £5m per year grants for

establishment Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution

– sustainable energy policy paramount– development of energy and environment in parallel– 60% reduction in CO2 emissions by 2050

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Local Drivers

Setaside

Farm Forestry Grants

Sludge Disposal

Non Fossil Fuel Obligation Premiums

Company Diversification

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Energy Crops 31%

Residues 15%

Wastes 25%

Hydro 13%

Wind 4%

Solar 5%

Others 7%

Market Penetration in the EU of Renewable Energies by 2020 using Best Practice Policies228 Mtoe - 12% of energy supply EC’s TERES report

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Percentage Share of Renewable Energy Sources in Gross Inland Energy Consumption

1990 1995Austria 22.1 24.3Belgium 1.0 1.0Denmark 6.3 7.3Finland 18.9 21.3France 6.4 7.1Germany 1.7 1.8Greece 7.1 7.3Ireland 1.6 2.0Italy 5.3 5.5Luxembourg 1.3 1.4Netherlands 1.3 1.4Portugal 17.6 15.7Spain 6.7 5.7Sweden 24.7 25.4United Kingdom 0.5 0.7European Union 5.0 5.3

Source: EUROSTAT

In 2000 2% of electricity supply

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ARBRE - The Project

A sustainable electricity generator with renewable fuel

Fuelled by forest residues and new willow coppices

The wood produces a clean gas for combined cycle plant

Being built at Eggborough, near Selby, in North Yorkshire

Completion date was expected end 1999

Completed 2001 – 2002 depends on definition but…..

85% FRL, 10 % TPS , 5% Royal Schelde

c. £30 m capital invested, with THERMIE and DTI support

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Generating Plant Process

Wood is delivered as chips, weighed & sampled, offloaded to covered store and dried using waste heat from the plant

The chips are gasified and cleaned in the plant The gas is compressed for use in a combined cycle

generation set The site will export 8 MW to the local grid, enough for the

domestic electricity needs of 33,000 people 20 direct full time operational jobs are created at site, with

similar numbers in the fuel supply chain Local people are represented on the liaison committee

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Process Schematic

Gas clean up- tar cracker- wet scrubber

Dryer

Wood fuels

Gas flows

Gas turbine

Boiler Steam turbine

Electricity

Heat

GasifierStore

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GasTurbine

ARBRE 1 - Eggborough

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Short Rotation Coppices A new crop for growers SRCs may be planted on different types of soils Plant in spring, cutback in autumn & harvest every 3 yrs Planting density 15,000 per ha with 6 varieties of willow

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200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

1600

1800

2000

pre

1997

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

Planting of SRC (ha) Cumulative total •Contracts with growers are for 15 years, to match NFFO•Planting grants are obtained from WGS•MAFF have secured supplementary payments to WGS for ARBRE

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Environmental Assessment

Mandatory for certain projects, optional for others

– (see DoE Good Practice Guide 1995) Ensures that technical and environmental aspects

developed in parallel Need necessary Site selection becoming of increasing importance Scoping agreement with planning authority Reduces likelihood of unfounded objections Builds consensus between interested parties

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Short Rotation Coppice - Environmental Land Use

SRC is robust and it can be grown on agricultural land, reclamation sites and old mining spoil heaps that are currently desolate. Digested sewage sludges are applied to improve the nutrient status and over time will improve the soil and regenerate the land.

BiodiversitySRC creates a mix of wildlife habitats in the plantations and the headlands. In particular songbirds and warblers are found in high numbers. SRC supports the highest number of invertebrates of all types of woodland.

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Wood Fuel Supply - Forestry

Forestry residues come from Forest Enterprise (East England)

Other supplies are being sourced from forests in the Yorkshire

region - 3 contracts have been agreed

12,000 tonnes of woodchips & 1,000 tonnes of SRW have been

stockpiled

Transportation systems are being examined for bringing wood

chips

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Wood Fuel Supply - Transportation

The main forestry sources are Kielder, Thetford and North

York Moors

Transportation systems are being examined for bringing

wood chips:

– by road, using back to back journeys

– by train

Planning permission has been gained for the construction

of a new railhead at Eggborough. Support for funding has

been made to the DETR.

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Plant Impacts

NoiseEmissionsFlaresLandscapeAsh

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Fuel Impacts

Transport

Carbon Balance

Monoculture

Security

Pests

Metals

Leaching

Restoration

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Short Rotation Coppice - Environmental Benefits

Land Use

SRC can be grown on agricultural land, brownfield/ reclamation sites and old mining spoil heaps that are currently desolate. Digested sewage sludges can be applied to improve the nutrient and organic status which over time will improve the soil and regenerate the land.

BiodiversitySRC creates a mix of wildlife habitats in the plantations and the headlands. In particular, songbirds and warblers are found in high numbers. SRC supports the highest number of invertebrates of all types of woodland.

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Coppice Planting Rods

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SRC Planting

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Coppice after 2 weeks

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Coppice after 3 months

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Coppice harvesting

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European Role

Clarity and robustness of targets - EC to lead AND police

Level the playing field for renewables, viz historic subsidies to other fuels

Fuel flexibility is essential

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2000

4000

6000

8000

10000

12000

Direct subsidies ($ million/yr)

Fossil Fuels

NuclearEnergy

Renewables

Source: Greenpeace

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New & Renewable Energy by 2010

Biomass

1 GW each installed capacity

90% availability

On-shore Wind

30% availability

Waste

85% availability

Off-shore Wind

50% availability

10% @ 2010

5% @ 2003

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2

4

6

8

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12

RE

S-E

% (

UK

)

Renewable energy capacity must be built 8x faster than in last decade

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Key drivers for renewables include:• diversity and security of supply

• CO2 reductions

• industrial/agricultural job opportunities

10% from renewables is a credible and achievable target Biomass and offshore wind are key opportunities, with 35 - 40

biomass plants and 10 -20 wind farms needed by 2010 ARBRE is the first commercial biomass example and FRL wish

to develop 350 MW plus offshore wind by 2010

The benefits include• clean and sustainable energy with CO2 reductions

• leadership, market scale, profit and job creation

Summary - The Way Forward

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Future Biomass Projects Areas have been identified throughout the

UK that can grow SRC Each of the next Second Generation

projects will be 35+MW – each requiring 7 - 8000 ha SRC– some will be located in areas that are

predominately grassland– each supplying 100,000 people– each fuelled from mix of willow, forestry

and clean wood South Yorkshire and Somerset offer good

potential Part of regeneration programmes Develops sustainable local economy Permanent full time jobs

– operations + maintenance (20) & fuel (20)

– (+ shorter term construction)

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Second Generation ARBRE - Layout

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Arbre Outline

Gasification Plant producing 8MW net

Fuelled by coppice or wood residues

Next station 35 – 50 MW

5 new stations

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But

BUT

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For the moment Project Arbre has been shut down!Kelda group sold First Renewables and the new company seeks profitability immediately.

It is expected that it will be reopened on purchase by a more far sighted company.

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DETR Environment for Renewables The EU has a binding target to reduce CO2 levels and

renewables have a vital role to play The 10% UK target for renewables demonstrates a national

need It is clear that that these will be interim targets, with a drive to

produce energy in a more sustainable manner Regional targets may be a useful mechanism in translating

national need to regional contributions Renewables produce energy in a more dispersed manner and

by smaller scale projects compared to fossil fuel generation The planning regime must be consistent and recognise the

contributions that individual renewables projects make in achieving overall targets