'Energy from Biomass in the Scottish Highlands and Islands' EuroMontana Meeting 19 th of November 2009 Mike Weston

Transcription

1 'Energy from Biomass in the Scottish Highlands and Islands' EuroMontana Meeting 19 th of November 2009 Mike Weston

2 Outline Introduction to UHI Presentation Brief Woodfuel in Scotland Drivers and Barriers Costs and Benefits Key lessons UHI Activities

3 UHI Millennium Institute Thirteen partners Further education colleges Specialist colleges Research institutions Over 100 outreach learning centres Using technology to help people learn with and from each other

4 UHI Mission To be a distinctive and innovative regional university of national and international significance; a university with a pivotal role in the educational, economic, social, cultural and environmental infrastructure of its region and which reaches out to the people of the Highlands and Islands and the rest of the world through its research and teaching. Creating the University of the Highlands and Islands

5 Energy Research Group Focal point for connecting the UHI academic partners Encouraging and enabling joint projects in renewable energy A key priority is to form a working relationship with local businesses with an interest in energy

6 Potential of biomass Presentation brief Advantages of local production What is needed to implement Within a mountain context

7 Plenty of information available

8 Energy in Scotland Renewable energy generation capacity in Scotland 14th August 2009 Tidal electricity Wave electricity 0% 0.02% Biomass heat 0.94% Biomass electricity 2.53% Energy from waste 3.19% Estimated energy use in Scotland Source: FREDS 2008 Hydro electricity Wind electricity 47.54% 45.79% Source: SREF Website 2009 >90% renewable energy produced for electricity Whilst over 50% energy consumed is for heat 1.4% (0.83 TWh) renewable heat energy produced 2009 Renewable Heat target of 11% by 2020 (6.4TWh)

9 Renewable Heat Renewable heat is simply heat (rather than electricity) produced from low or zero carbon renewable sources contributing to a low carbon and energy efficient future FREDS 2008 Shetland Heat and Power

10 Potential Scotland s Climate Change Programme estimates that 0.75m green tonnes of wood will be used for bioenergy by 2010, rising to 1m green tonnes by 2020 Of this more than 90% is by major industrial consumers in plants utilising >10,000 odt/yr This equates to ~5% of heating requirements

11 Potential

12 Supply & Demand

13 Bio-derived Sources & Sinks Industrial wastes Agricultural Forestry Anaerobic digestion Gasification Biogas Human wastes Construction Food Sewage Biomass Fermentation Liquefaction Biofuels Heat & Power Local resources Combustion

14 What are the drivers? Sustainable heating system Tackle fuel poverty Reduce heating costs Reduce carbon footprints Improve EPC Ratings Create a local industry, create jobs Manage the environment Participate actively in Research

15 Technology challenges? Logs Peat Pellets Chips Waste wood Bio-digestor General waste Handling issues, dryness Sustainability at scale? Small domestic market 30kW to 5MW Incinerator, CHP District heating, CHP Incinerator, CHP Generally well proven technologies

16 Concerns at policy level Quality of data/controls on resource Waste streams Energy crops Nutrient loss Lack of demonstration sites Price variability Emergent supply chain

17 Specific Issues at local level Chicken & egg situation No supply chain/ no demand Support for feasibility reports Little funding for capital Tend to be optimistic Need for collaboration

18 Capital Costs

19 Operation costs Base fuel costs can be significantly lower but are highly dependant on the supply chain Logs<Chips<Pellets 150kW Private House

20 Introduction of SBBS Incentives & Support mechanisms

21 Carbon reduction

22 Skills development Forestry management Harvesting Heating system design Mechanical skills Electrical skills Civil engineering System design Business skills Education Project Management

23 Job Creation Megawatt for megawatt, wood fuel heating creates between five and ten times more jobs than other renewable technologies, and also more than nuclear Sustainable Development Commission in Scotland Wood Fuel For Warmth 2005

24 Implementation at local level Assess demand profile, heat load of interested parties Apply technology which best matches demand profile Don t be sidetracked Indentify constraints Local availability Capital cost of installed system Moisture content Timber extraction Sustainability of imported timber Time to grow forests (25-35 years)

25 Advice from wiser heads Manage the supply chain Manage the pilot boiler installation Retain back-up for pilot boiler Prepare well, failure is not an option

26 A plant based Research and Development facility opened in Developing land based opportunities to improve the economic and social development of the Highlands and Islands. Agronomy Institute - Orkney College Orkney College and experimental farm Undertaking research into: Developing a wide range crops and plants for the food, drink or natural products market Potential fuels from locally grown biomass Developing willow and energy grasses as biomass crops

27 PelleTime Research Programme Developing biomass energy solutions for Orkney and Shetland A European collaboration between Scotland, Sweden, Iceland and Finland Aims to develop local biomass products into energy pellets as an sustainable, economic alternative to oil based energy systems Supporting energy self-sufficiency of northern peripheral regions

28 UHI Expertise Inverness College/School of Forestry GIS mapping of resource and demand Demonstration wood chip CHP system ERI/NAFC/SAMS Anaerobic digestion Lews Castle College Sustainable island development Centre of Mountain Studies

29 Thank you Any questions?