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NETBIOCOF is a COORDINATION ACTION PROJECT with a duration of 2 years and funded by the European Commission. The aim of the project is to promote European co-operation between research organisations devoted to biomass co-firing, promoting the uptake of innovative technologies to expand the use of biomass co-firing in new and existing power plants, with emphasis in the New Member States. Biomass co-firing represents, compared to other renewable sources, a technically feasible option with the potential of contributing to the EU energy supply meanwhile ensuring sustainable development. Co firing of biomass with coal offers several advantages, such as the utilisation of large quantities at low combustion rates in the current combustion systems, lower investments and higher conversion efficiencies compared to systems fired exclusively with biomass. The EC has recognised the need of promoting the use of biomass co-firing in order to comply with the Kyoto Protocol which implies a reduction of 8% of the greenhouse emissions between 2006 and 2012. In spite of numerous successful experiences achieved in Europe, this technology still deserves attention in order to find solutions for technical problems as well as to improve efficiency, reduce costs and emission levels. Today, the accession of the 10 new members to the EU 25 brings a new opportunity for the development of biomass co-firing, due to the coal combustion infrastructure already installed, the land availability for energy crops and the current dependency on imported fossil fuels. According to the Council resolution on renewable energies of May 1998, the share of biomass has to be increased from 3.1% in 1995 up to 8.5% in 2010, a target which will not be met unless an unified approach of biomass co-firing in the European level comes into play. A biomass co-ordination platform will be established, which will co-ordinate on-going research and strategic activities with the aim of identifying best practices and will propose strategies of implementation and directions for futures research.  |  |
Duration: 2005-2008 Budget: (estimated) 959.146 € Partners: TECHNOLOGIE TRANSFER ZENTRUM BREMERHAVEN (Germany) - Coordinator EUROPEAN BIOMASS INDUSTRIAL ASSOCIATION (Europe) SVERIGES LANTBRUKSUNIVERSITET (Sweden) EESTI PÕLLUMAJANDUSÜLIKOOL (Estonia) SZKO³A G³ÓWNA GOSPODARSTWA WIEJSKIEGO (Poland) BIOAZUL S.L. (Spain) TECHNICAL RESEARCH CENTRE OF FINLAND (Finland) UNIVERSITATEA “POLITEHNICA” TIMISOARA (Romania) BIOMASSE PROJEKT GMBH (Germany) KEMA NEDERLAND BV (Netherlands) LANDESKAMMER FÜR LAND- UND FORSTWIRTSCHAFT STEIERMARK (Austria) INSTITUTE JOZEF STEFAN (Slovenia) ETA RENEWABLE ENERGIES (Italy) CENTRO DE INVESTIGACIONES ENERGÉTICAS, MEDIOAMBIENTALES Y TECNOLÓGICAS (Spain) CENTRE WALLON DE RECHERCHES AGRONOMIQUES (Belgium) UNIVERSITY OF WEST HUNGARY (Hungary) EUROPEAN RENEWABLE ENERGY CENTRES AGENCY (Europe) JOINT INSTITUTE FOR POWER AND NUCLEAR RESEARCH “SOSNY” (Belarus) SCIENTIFIC ENGINEERING CENTRE BIOMASS (Ukraine) TUBITAK MARMARA RESEARCH CENTRE (Turkey) TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY OF SOFIA (Bulgaria) LITHUANIAN FOREST RESEARCH INSTITUTE (Lithuania) MB FINISHING ENGINEERING (Germany) TNO-MEP SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY (Netherlands) ELSAM ENGINEERING A/S (Denmark)
Main strategic objectives of the NETBIOCOF project: To co-ordinate current research activities in the all Europe in order to promote cooperation and avoid overlapping and duplication of efforts. To encourage the establishment of permanent communication links between research centers, business and other stakeholders in Europe, promoting the know-how exchange and expertise in relation to biomass co-firing. To develop adequate recommendations for biomass co-firing implementation in targeted European countries, focused on the socioeconomic, technological, climate conditions, legal and political requirements. To initiate and guide future R&D activities on an European level by mapping current research activities and forming research clusters in order to fulfil the scientific and technological needs for the further implementation of biomass co-firing. To disseminate and promote biomass co-firing as a sustainable energy source option.
Main technological objectives: To assess on-going research in biomass co-firing in Europe, identifying the gaps in knowledge and the barriers for the cooperation of R&D activities in an European scope. To document the state-of-the-art in the European biomass co-firing sector, with a special focus on East and Central European applications, in order to identify successful experiences through the region. To identify technical and non-technical barriers for the biomass co-firing further implementation in Europe, in order to propose local and global strategies to overcome them.
Background:
Nowadays the energy system in Europe is characterised by a strong dependency on imported fossil fuels and growing emissions of CO2 leading to an unsustainable pattern of development governing in the entire continent. The European economy, steadily demanding more energy, is essentially based on oil, coal and natural gas, which make up to four-fifths of its total energy consumption and almost two-thirds of which it imports. The EU's own energy production covers barely half of its needs. If nothing is done, by 2030 the share of fossil fuels is going to increase making the energy imports much higher..
The promotion of renewable energy has an important part to play in redefining the European strategy in the energy sector. Since 1997, the EU has been working towards the ambitious target of a 12% share of renewable energy in gross inland consumption by 2010. In 1997 the share of renewable energy was 5.4% and by 2001 it had reached 6%. Bio-energy already provides 64% of all renewable energy sources (RES) of the European Union, thus leading the way to a sustainable pattern of energy generation. In spite of the advance already gained in the bio-energy sector, the overall development lags far behind the goals fixed in the White Paper of the European Commission. According to this document the contribution of bio energy should increase from 45 Mtoe in 1995 to 135 Mtoe in 2010. However, it won’t be possible for the EU-15 to achieve such targets alone, due to the scarce national biomass resources existing in some countries (e.g. the Netherlands). Today, the inclusion of ten new members gives the opportunity for reaching the European goals, since the New Member States bring to the EU a significant bio-energy potential.
The New Members States present a clear group of potentialities for the development of biomass energy such as huge and unexploited biomass resources, surplus of agricultural production, opportunities for energy crops, adoption of EU directives and strong agriculture lobby. However, the prevailing energy system is characterised by a presence of large quantities of fossil fuels available for energy purposes, which has resulted in a more or less fully fossil fuel based energy infrastructure. Due to this situation, the implementation of stand-alone biomass-based power technologies in this region would not be enough to provide the bio-energy demand. Because of this, biomass co-firing in already existing coal fired power plants is one of the most feasible bio- energy options. It has been also recognised by the EU-15, that commercialisation of co-firing technologies offers among the best short and long term solution to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from power generation (Kyoto protocol).
Co-firing has been successfully implemented in countries like United Kingdom (with 14 coal/biomass plants), the Netherlands (with 7 coal/biomass plants), Germany, Austria, Finland, Sweden and Denmark, where a lot of experience has been gained in the various technology configurations. However, there are several barriers that hinder actual implementation such as liberalisation of the energy sector, as well as uncertainties about long term fuel supplies at low costs. On the other hand, there are still R&D demands arising from co-firing, such as further development of appropriate co-combustion technologies for different fuels, NOx reduction by fuel staging, problems concerning the de-activation of catalysts, characterisation and possible utilisation of ashes from co-combustion plants, as well as corrosion and ash deposition problems More information can be found on the project website www.netbiocof.net.
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