Sustainable Energy Ireland

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Sustainable Energy Ireland

• Exploiting the Resource
• David Raubenheimer
• March 2004

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Fibrowatt Overview

• Developer owner operator
• Power from agricultural residues
• 65 MW operational
• 2,650,000 MWh produced, 3.7 million tonnes fuel
• Overview of Fibrowatts plants

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The Carbon Cycle
CARBON (CO2)
Flue Gases
ENERGY
BEDDING FEED
ELECTRICITY
MANURE
BIOMASS
Ash
NUTRIENTS
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Power Stations
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Fibropower
Commissioned Jul 1992 Design output 12.7MW Burns
150,000 t/yr of poultry litter other biomass
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Fibropower - Operational Experience

• Development of know-how
• Fuel characterisation difficult
• Biomass knowledge fragmented
• No available standards
• Now runs exceptionally well
• New fuels trialled

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Fibrogen
Commissioned Nov 1993 Design output 13.5MW 3-5
yr Govt contract for 85,000 t/yr of meat bone
meal
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Fibrogen

• Commercially similar to Fibropower
• 8 larger
• New fuel handling design trials
• Technically very successful
• Achieves 90 100 availability
• Converted to burn MBM

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Fibrothetford
Commissioned 1998 Design output 38.5MW Burns
460,000 t/yr of poultry litter other biomass
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Fibrothetford

• Significant scale up 3x
• New fuel storage design trial
• Environmentally sensitive site
• Environmental standards changed
• Construction contractors more cautious
• Scale up caused technical problems
• Now running well

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How it Works in the plant
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Technology Current Plants
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Fuel Pits at Fibrogen
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Thetford Fuel Hall
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Fuel Trucks Unloading
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Fibrogen - MBM Conversion
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Inside the Boiler
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Technology - Results

• Poultry litter burns very well
• Characterisation is difficult
• Handling needs care
• Combustion performance
• Certain arrangements excluded

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Technologies Reviewed

• Have reviewed a number
• Stepwise development strategy
• Fluidised Bed
• Gasification
• Digestion
• High tech may be counterproductive

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What a Project Needs

• Available, contactable characterised fuel
  supply
• Affordable electrical connection
• 4 million to develop
• 2 - 5 yrs development, 2 yrs construction
• Incentivised construction contractors
• Available land and local support

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What a Project Needs (2)

• Power Purchase Agreement
• Bankable
• Long term (construction 15 years)
• Technology specific
• Ash fertiliser sales routes
• Abundant political support

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Summary

• 2,650,000 MWh
• 3,700,000 tonnes of fuel
• Significant teething problems overcome
• Structure new market with care
• Particularly the Power Sale arrangements
• Consistent and broad political support