MixBioPells: Overview of the achieved

project results

Thomas Zeng, Nadja Weller, Volker Lenz

2nd Advisory commitee meeting, 31.1.2012, Stockholm /

Sweden

Contract No: IEE/09/758/SI2.558286

Duration: 24 Months (05/2010 – 04/2012)

Content

1 Regional activities

2 Identified raw materials and their properties

3 Best Practise Examples for production and combustion chains

4 Results from combustion tests

5 Economics

• Involve regional key-actors and relevant target groups into the

project

• Information exchange between different target groups

– Discuss the situation within the regions

– Gathering information supporting the regional analysis

• Establishment of regional case studies

• Knowledge transfer on a regional level

• Exchange of experience

• Support and monitoring of regional activities

sta

rt p

ha

se

co

nti

no

usly

Regional activities

Main topics

• Legal framework

→ lack of information/need for contact

with experts

• Economic situation and price

development of the raw materials

• Concerns & obstacles

• Concrete support of regional bioenergy

projects

Workshop review

• Participation of key actors and target groups

along the whole energy production chain

(boiler manufacturers, pellet manufacturers, raw

material suppliers, regional authorities, …)

• Kick-off for regional networking meetings

Regional activities - Regional start workshops -

• Network meeting 1:

Discussion and analysis of possible alternative raw materials for pellets and

their potential.

• Network meeting 2:

Discussion and analysis of case studies and cost analysis.

• Network meeting 3:

Discussion of possibilities for implementation of new bio- business involving

alternative pellets.

• Network meeting 4:

Presentation of state of the art. Open meeting to a larger group to present

results to inspire other stakeholders and inform about problems and

possibilities.

Regional activities - Regional network meetings -

22 network meetings so

far

Regional activities - Regional network meetings -

Identified raw materials and their

properties

Identified raw materials and their

properties

Raw material net calorific value ash content N S Cl

MJ/kg, d.b. w.-% d.b.

Almond shells 17.9-18.3 9-12 2.5 0.15 0.06

Carragenan waste 16.6 10 0.3 0.7 0.3

Corn cobs 16.5 1-3 0.4-0.9 0.03 0.02

Grape marc 18.4-20.8 3.5-11 1.8-2.2 0.09-0.13 0.02-0.03

Hay 18.3 5.5 1.6 0.04 0.09

Hemp 19.1-19.6 1.6-2.3 0.3-1.4 0.06-0.1 0.02-0.3

Miscanthus 17.5-17.9 2.7-3 0.23-0.43 0.03-0.09 0.02-0.13

Olive cake 17.9-18.3 9-12 2.5 0.15 0.06

Peat 16.5 4 1.2 0.12 0.03

Rape press cake 20.84 6.5 5.39 0.36 0.01

Reed cannary grass 17.5-19.0 4.5-6 0.3-0.6 0.07-0.08 0.03-0.04

Shea waste 18.5 6 2.6 0.3 0.1

Straw 17-19 4.5-6 0.3-0.8 0.06-0.1 0.03-0.04

Vine Prunings 17.5-18.2 2.2-3.5 0.5-0.75 0.02 0.05-0.07

Identified raw materials and their

properties

• Nearly all raw materials have high amounts of critical elements like N, S and Cl.

• The ash content is within a range of 1 to 12 w. -% (d.b.).

• Pelletising and combustion technologies have to apply to varying and critical fuel

properties.

Production of alternative raw

materials

Production capacity and real production of alternative and mixed biomass

pellets in different European countries (based on interviews)

Best Practise Examples for

production and combustion

chains

• Pelletising and combustion technologies respectively → seven best practise examples each:

http://www.mixbiopells.eu/en/publications/best-practices.html and

• Six best bractise examples for existing pelletising and combustion chains:

Country Initiator(s) Raw material Pelletising technology Combustion

technology

IT Produttori Pellet –

Colognola ai Colli

Vine pruning

pellets

Mobile pellet press

(General dies)

Termocabi

burner

GER 1 Agroscience

GmbH

Grape marc / vine

pruning pellets

Ring die press (Friedli

AG, CPM 200)

Hargassner

Agrofire 30

GER 2 Pusch AG Miscanthus, wood,

digestates pellets

and mixtures

Hydraulic pellet press

(Pusch AG, PM6-28)

PH 47 & dust

precipitator

Schräder Al Top

SWE Låttra Farm Reed canary

grass briquettes

briquette press (Bogma

V40)

Ökotherm C6

DK in preparation (combustion of cereal spillings in industrial scale)

ES in preparation (combustion of almond shell briquettes)

Best Practise Examples for

production and combustion

chains

Heat

Electricity

INPUT PRODUCTION & COMBUSTION CHAIN OUTPUT

Best Practise Examples for

production and combustion

chains

Challenges for the future:

• The requirements of the target groups regarding the optimal (regional) mixture

are often unknown.

• The technical know-how of the key actors is too less.

• Regional market structures do mostly not exist.

A production of 1,000,000 t / a alternative (mixed) biomass pellets with 60 to 90

partners is planned by 2020.

Results from pelletising and

combustion tests

BE2020+ DBFZ & Pusch AG VTT

Batch 1 50% hay, 50%

Miscanthus Miscanthus 100% Straw 50%/ peat 50%

Batch 2 75% hay, 25%

Miscanthus Grape marc 100%

Straw 50%/ peat 50%,

kaolin 2%

Batch 3 50% corn cob, 50%

Miscanthus

Miscanthus 30% /

grape marc 70%

Reed canary grass

20%/wood 80%

Batch 4 50% hay, 50% vine

prunnings

Miscanthus 70%/

grape marc 30 %

Reed canary grass

50%/wood 50%

Results from pelletising tests

Results from pelletising experiments

of IFA Tulln and BE2020

in AK-33-390 (a)-(b), and AK 14-175 (c)-(d)

a b

c d

0,00

0,05

0,10

0,15

0,20

0,25

Heu +

Miscanthus

(50:50)

Heu +

Miscanthus

(75:25)

Maisspindel +

Miscanthus

(50:50)

Rebschnitt +

Heu (50:50)

Spezifis

cher

Energ

iebed

arf

in k

Wh/k

g

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

Te

mp

era

tur

in °

C

AK 33-390AK 14-175Matrizen-Temperatur AK 33-390Matrizen-Temperatur AK 14-175

Hay +

Miscanthus

(50:50)

Hay +

Miscanthus

(75:25)

Corn cob +

Miscanthus

(50:50)

Vine pruning +

Miscanthus

(50:50)

sp

ecific

en

erg

y d

em

and [kW

h/k

g]

tem

pe

ratu

re [°C

]

Results from combustion tests - NOx emissions -

BE2020 DBFZ & Pusch AG

Results from combustion tests - Dust emissions -

0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140

Hay 2

Hay 1

Vine pruning +

Hay (50:50)

Vine pruning

Dust emissions in mg/MJ

0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140

Hay 2

Hay 1

Miscanthus + Hay (25:75)

Miscanthus + Hay (50:50)

Miscanthus + Corn cob (50:50)

Miscanthus

Dust emissions in mg/MJ

conversion factor:

1 mg/m³ ≈ 1.5 mg/MJ

Economics - Case studies -

Case study Raw material

Spain • Olive stones from the food industry

• Almond shells from the food industry

Finland • Reed canary grass from local farmers

• Reed canary grass mixed with wood (20/80)

Sweden • Reed canary grass

Denmark • Shea and rape waste, beet pulp, grain screenings

• Straw, grain screenings, peanut shells and corn cobs

Italy • Miscanthus and poplar

• Vine pruning

Austria • Straw from regional farmers

• Miscanthus

Germany • Grape marc and dried digestate

Economics - Heat supply costs -

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

Hemp briquettes [500 kW]

Digestate pellets [250 kW]

Reed canary grass briquettes [200 kW]

Miscanthus briquettes [200 kW]

Straw pellets [200 kW]

Reed canary grass/wood briquettes (20/80) [200 kW]

Reed canary grass pellets [200 kW]

Vine pruning pellets [30 kW]

Grapemarc pellets [30 kW]

Almond shell briquettes [30 kW]

Olive stone pellets [25 kW]

Straw/grain screening pellets [20kW]

Shea waste/grain screening pellets [20kW]

Heat supply costs in €/MWh per year

Economics - Major impacts -

Fuel costs

Pre-treatments of the raw material

Drying and storage

Optimal plant operation for mixed

raw materials

Short transport distances have

scarcely any effect on the pellet price

Other costs

Investments for combustion and flue

gas cleaning technology

Subsidies and taxation

Economics - Conclusions -

Costs for pelletizing / briquetting ≈ 11-32% of the whole fuel costs.

Wood chips are a strong competitor to alternative pellets.

Medium to large scale heating systems which are operated with

alternative (mixed) pellets are more profitable than fossil heating

systems.

Currently, heating oil is very expensive (particularly in the nordic

countries) the utilisation of alternative pellets is cheaper.

Currently, gas is cheaper than alternative pellets.

Thank you for your attention!

The sole responsibility for the content of this publication lies with the authors. It does

not necessarily reflect the opinion of the European Union. Neither the EACI nor the

European Commission are responsible for any use that may be made of the

information contained therein.

www.mixbiopells.eu

Thomas Zeng (DBFZ - project management)

Phone: +49 (0) 341-2434-542

Fax: +49 (0) 341-2434-133

E-Mail: thomas.zeng@dbfz.de

Are there any questions or remarks?