publications

Phase III Final Report - 1997, ETSU

Detection and Promotion of Business Opportunities

The detection and promotion of business opportunities is the key area of work for the project.  Most of the activities have some relevance to this area.  Success in this area is particularly difficult to assess because information is not easy to collect.  NCs depend on their industry to report to them any outcomes which result from the network, such as successful encounters or the receipt of commercially valuable information etc.  In turn, the PC relies on this information to be reported by NCs.  Activities are reported for each country below.  The detail given below varies.  An NC might give a lot of detail if they were involved (such as several activities undertaken in Italy), or detail might be limited if it is commercially restricted.

Table 1 summarises the activities which have taken place during Phase III under this objective.  The ``means" or type of activity is given (see descriptions of different types of activities above).  The table indicates the countries involved,  gives an outline of the activity and what it achieved, and other objectives to which the activity contributed.  The PC believes that this table, for the reasons given above, cannot fully reflect all the advances made as a result of network activities.

As part of their AC role, VTT held an event in Jyväskylä, Finland, titled ``Co-combustion and gasification, biomass and wood waste: an event to create new business opportunities through exchange of information and experience".  The event was focused on the latest technical and commercial developments in the field of wood fuel production, handling and combustion/co-combustion/gasification.  The focus was on technologies which are proven, have good environmental performance and operate with high energy efficiencies.  The workshop sessions, study tours and study tours aimed to provide opportunities for multi-national contacts to be made, to identify and promote business collaboration.  A further aim was to transfer information on up-to-date technologies to professionals in the biomass industry.  Business forums held on two afternoons were an important part of the event.  Organisers assisted companies to prepare a catalogue and a poster exhibition.  This is reported fully in Section 3.  Feedback during and after the event indicated that it was a great success.  The PC was informed by one of the UK national team that their company was in the process of selling boilers to Finnish customers: this was a direct result of attending the event.

An event titled ``Forest residues in Ireland - Harvesting, Logistics and Markets" was organised by Teagasc and held in Dublin in October.  This was attended by 80 professionals from the forestry and energy sectors, and had speakers from UK, Danish and Swedish industry.  The aim of the event was to transfer experience and knowledge from countries with developed residue markets, and hence improve awareness of opportunities, and lead to increased use of residues in Ireland.  Topics at the workshop included;

• Status reports on recent developments in machinery for the harvesting of forest residues and the potential markets for wood biomass energy in Ireland.
• Current techniques in residue harvesting, extraction, transport, storage and supply used in Scandinavia.
• Development of wood biomass to energy industries in the United Kingdom, prompted by the initiation of a financial support structure to promote renewable energy.
• The present position and future trends in Irelands energy economy and the potential of wood fuel to contribute in fulfilling Irelands' stated energy policy of maximising use of indigenous resources, from a diverse range of fuels, in an environmentally sustainable manner.

Two articles on the afb-net, outlining its aims and activities, were written by Teagasc for two Irish trade journals. Each of these has a circulation greater than 1000 copies and is read widely by the forestry and timber processing sectors in Ireland.  The articles were aimed to increase awareness of afb-net and the EU biomass industry in general within the forestry sector in Ireland.  The articles also promoted the event noted above.

Teagasc and other members of the Irish AFB national team are currently discussing with the Department of Public Enterprise the possibility of securing an EU Thermie funded biomass to energy demonstration plant.  No formal agreement has yet been reached, but the Department have voiced positive support for this proposal.  This bid was an outcome of the October workshop.

Teagasc are holding discussions with a private forestry company on a number of biomass projects which they are implementing.  Teagasc are facilitating the provision of suitable forest sites for the company to run trials of a Swedish forest residue baler in early 1998.  Teagasc are also advising the company on international partners for a wood residue pelletising plant.  In addition, they are giving advice on the formation of a consortium of wood fuelled stove manufacturers, which this company wishes to establish for the Irish domestic market.

Teagasc have had discussions with a number of interested parties concerning the formation of an Irish Biomass Association, to act as a trade association, lobbying group, advisory body and promotion organisation.  A strategy has been developed to initiate such an association and will be progressed in 1998.

afb-net web pages have been visited by a large number of people (circa 5500 visits in the last 12 months) and the numbers are increasing.  Details on the web pages are given in Section 3 and example pages are included as Appendix 4.  The web is a very effective means of accessing either, or both, general audiences and target audiences world-wide.  Contact details for a large number of EU companies and organisations, and an outline of their activities are provided on the AFB web pages.  The Directory is a useful tool for organisations seeking partners, and potential customers seeking expertise or technologies to suit their needs.  An advertising facility, where companies can present new developments, skills etc., has recently been set up on the AFB web pages.

CBE are encouraging awareness of afb-net amongst Portuguese industry.  CBE have recently established contact with a range of organisations involved, or with potential involvement, in biomass to energy.  These include: a briquetting plant; local municipalities; Universities; private entrepreneurs.  CBE are encouraging these organisations to use the network contacts and attend relevant AFB events.  CBE have prepared a proposal for the promoters and investors of the briquetting plant, and contacted several equipment manufacturers. 

Following an invitation from the Mayor, CBE visited the Sardoal Municipality to discuss a heat project in a school, using forest residues.  A collaborative agreement was made, whereby CBE will assist with selection of forest harvesting equipment and the boiler etc.  Forest owners are also collaborating with the project.

CBE are co-operating with EDP in preparing a project for a 10MWe forest residue-fuelled power plant to be built in central Portugal.  This involves participation of 16 municipalities.  One of the benefits of this project will be forest-cleaning, and the reduced incidence and gravity of forest fires.  CBE is responsible for the fuel supply, and PROET (an engineering subsidiary of EDP) will develop the power plant.  The developers attended the event on ``Co-combustion and Gasification" in Jyväskylä, organised by VTT.  CBE are investigating the opportunities for implementing other similar projects.

CBE have contacted a large number of embassies in Lisbon, including those from EU and non-EU countries, to inform them of AFB and other activities.  A number of embassies responded (e.g.  Canadian and Finnish embassies sent details of manufacturers of forestry equipment, USA sent a list of companies working in the bio-energy sector, UK sent a 1997 guide to UK RE companies etc.).

CIEMAT have established contacts with a sawmill in central Spain (Castilla y León Region), to evaluate the production of wood waste and forest residues and undertake financial analysis for two businesses: a pellet factory and a CHP plant.  Harvesting technologies from Denmark and Finland are being considered. 

CIEMAT have also put a Spanish company in contact with a Swedish supplier, to test innovative forest residue harvesting machinery in Spanish conditions.  The aim will be to lower costs of collecting and transporting residues.  CIEMAT will monitor the trials.

CRA attended the event ``Energy from biomass and biofuels" in the Netherlands in May 1997.  CRA found the information on the wood energy situation in the Netherlands (quantity, quality, prices, collection etc.) very useful.  In particular, the presentation on a ``biomass energy bank" was very informative, and CRA have plans to develop a similar initiative in Belgium.

Personnel exchange funds have been used to support a visit by several UK individuals to the Elmia Wood Fair in Sweden.   The individuals are from three companies, which are together responsible for the supply of forest residues to several proposed biomass power generation projects in the UK.  These projects have recently won NFFO4 and SRO2 contracts.  This visit was to determine applicability of Swedish technology for these projects, with particular interest in wood fuel handling and drying.  Several UK individuals were also supported through afb-net in their visit to a number of equipment manufacturers, willow growers etc. in Sweden, Denmark and Germany.  Following from these visits, the formation of a consortia to develop machinery appropriate to the UK is being considered.

With ITABIA's assistance, contacts have been established between VTT, CRES and KOBA (Italy) for the implementation of a project in Sardina (Italy) concerned with a closed-loop energy farm, based on mature technologies.  It would be possible to replicate this project throughout Italy and in other Mediterranean countries. 

ITABIA encouraged the participation of Italian companies at an international brokerage event in Vienna in May 1997.  This event was titled ``Energy Technology for Small and Medium Enterprises" and it covered three areas: rational use of energy; renewable energies; fossil fuels.  A range of renewable energies were considered in the event, including biomass.  The event was sponsored by JOULE (DG XII) under CRAFT, a project type for small and medium sized enterprises.  The PC only became aware of this event afterwards, via ITABIA's Phase III interim report.

Novem organised two seminars at the World Sustainable Energy Trade Fair in Amsterdam in May 1997.  These were titled:

• Waste to Energy Systems for the European Market.
• Energy from Biomass and Biofuels: Current Market Initiatives.

The aim of the second seminar was to examine the recent rapid developments in the market for biomass in the Netherlands, and disseminate information on potential business opportunities.  There were a large number of speakers at the event, all from Dutch industry, with one speaker from UK industry.  Presentations covered the complete fuel supply and use chain.  The event was attended by 83 people.  Most attendants were from Dutch industry, but there were also people from Belgium, Greece, UK, Italy, Finland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Portugal and Indonesia.

ITABIA have promoted and sponsored an original project which is receiving enthusiastic support of Austrian and Italian industry.  This follows the participation of several ITABIA members in a study tour in Austria in Sept.`96, under the AFB networks.  The main aim of this project is to pursue more cost-effective routes for production of electric energy from biomass by overcoming the barriers that hinder the market penetration of two mature technologies.  These technologies are fuel cells and biomass fluidized-bed gasification.  The two systems will be coupled into a single unit via H₂ production.  This project, although supported by multinational scientific institutions, is not a strictly research or demonstration project, since it is based on proven and commercial technologies that need to be pushed for full market penetration. 

A consortium has been formed for this project.  The two main participating companies (Italian  Ansaldo CLC and the Austrian Energy & Environment AE&E) hold the basic know-how.  The know-how of fuel cells technology is held by the Ansaldo CLC, formed in 1991 as the fuel; cell branch of the Finmeccanica Group.  Moreover, CLC owns the exclusive license in Europe for production, commercialisation and service of fuel cell plants fed by natural gas.  This companies' direct industrial fuel cell product experience has been greatly increased by the work done by its engineers in manufacturing, installation, and service of such units.  Ten of these are presently operating in Europe, with more than 250,000 operation hours cumulated.  AE&E Co. is the main Austrian supplier of energy and environmental process.  The Company is located in Vienna, Graz and Linz and is employing about 2000 people in six different Countries.  The Company is strongly focused on new power generation systems as well as on high effective environmental technologies.  In the past, the experiences on fluidized-bed technology were concentrated on combustion systems for power generation.  Together with the Technical University of Vienna, the development of an internally circulating fluidized bed gasifier has been carried out successfully during the last years.  The excellent results of this process obtained from a 100 kW gasifier encouraged AE&E to make the next step to produce specified fuel gases from solid fuels, especially from biomass.  The consortium partnership is highly complementary, multinational and multidisciplinary.   In addition to the two manufacturers cited above, Universities of Vienna, L'Aquila, Strasbourg, College London and ENEA are involved with the commitment to continue the co-operation after the end of the project for future deployment and commercialisation.

CRA organised a demonstration of mobile comminution equipment on a 10ha softwood clear-cut site.  The demonstration was targeted at all those interested in disposing woody wastes, particularly for use for energy, such as forestry contractors, forest owners, municipalities, arboricultarists etc.  A large number of companies demonstrated their equipment.  Disc and drum chippers included: FARMI (Finland); Morbark (USA/The Netherlands); MENART (Belgium); Posh (Austria); TS (Germany); Lindana (Denmark); Gravely (USA/Belgium); Schliesing (Germany); Wood Pro (USA/The Netherlands); Vandaele (Belgium).  There were also hammermill chippers (Menart) and tubgrinders (Diamond, Belgium; Duratech, Belgium; Morbark).  A newly developed screw chunker (Laimet, Finland) was demonstrated by the Dutch importer DEVOBO.  A very new type of shredder was presented by a UK company (GreeMech Ltd.): this shredder had only ever been exhibited to the public at a demonstration close to the manufacturer's base in the UK.  A large catalogue was compiled and made available.  There were visitors from Belgium, Finland, UK, France, Switzerland, Germany and the Netherlands.  The demonstration had very wide publicity: it was shown on Belgian national television, with a commentary on the ways in which energy could be produced from forest residues.  There were articles in various Belgian publications, and one French forestry journal.

A seminar, exhibition and study tour was held in Wieselburg, Austria on the 18th and 19th September, titled ``Biomass district heating and small scale boilers: available know-how and technology".  The aims of the event were:

• to show EU, particularly Austrian, technology to potential developers and investors;
• to exchange information and experience amongst the small scale biomass industry sector; 
• to hold a workshop on emission regulations and fuel specifications.

There were around 50 people at this event, from 7 EU countries.  These included consultants, biomass boiler manufacturers etc. including local authorities, local development and community groups etc.  The main achievement was the transfer of information on the current technology and market status in Austria, in particular, and other EU countries.  A more detailed account is given in Section 3.

CRA are involved with a number of projects, and have used afb-net to provide contacts and information for each of these.  The projects are as follows:

• BIOPRE: Technico-economic software to optimise low and medium range wood-based heating system (< 5 MW) from harvest to hot water.
• ERBE(the regional biomass-energy agency): an opportunity for the biomass-energy development in Wallonia
• SRC-Gazel: A pilot process to generate electricity by gasifying short rotation coppice (SRC).
• Other: Study on small scale boilers and wood stoves in Europe (France, Austria, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, Czechy).

With the help of ETSU, a company based in the south-west of England, Working Woodlands, organised a Wood Fuel Fair.  This was attended by around 60 people - local woodland owners, fuel merchants, forestry contractors, and representatives from various boiler manufacturers and installers.  This event had a very informal structure, much of it was held in and around a typical woodland site and farm building.  It was a very good opportunity to promote the possibilities of using wood fuel to a select audience.  The PC invited a number of Austrian boiler manufacturers to attend.  Two of these were due to attend but due to other commitments were unable to do so.   A considerable amount of business (perhaps £50k) was agreed between some of the participants on the day.

DTI held a workshop on ``The market situation for small biomass fired boilers in Sweden and Austria", in Aarhus, Denmark, in December.  The aim of this event was to promote business opportunities to Danish boiler manufacturers.  The agenda was as follows:

• Swedish energy policy, AF Energikonsult;
• Standards for testing Swedish boilers, Sveriges Provnings;
• The market for biomass fired boilers, AF Energikonsult;
• New initiatives in the Swedish market, The Co-operation of Danish Manufacturers of Small Biomass Fired Boilers;
• The Austrian Market, DTI.

The NC was unable to report on this event in time for this report, however, the NC was expecting good attendance from relevant companies.

BLT mailed a request for company information to a large number of Austrian manufacturers of biomass boilers.  This information was used to prepare a catalogue, which is available in English and German.  This information is also included in the AFB Directory.  BLT also prepared a large package (20kg weight!) of information on Austrian manufacturers, the market in Austria, and emission regulations for small scale boilers.  This was sent to DTI in Denmark, to be used in a workshop noted above.

Participation of FNR in the Hannover Messe in April 1997 led to several new contacts with commercial attachés from Canada, Argentina, India, China and Brazil.

Two events organised by NUTEK have provided the opportunity for people from other EU countries to gain information from the advanced industry in Sweden. 

NUTEK organised a two day study tour in Sweden in October, which focused on wood fuel pellets - a rapidly growing market sector in Sweden.  Visits were made to manufacturers and users of wood fuel pellets.  The tour included visits to: a district heating plant (Hässelby, which uses 200000 ton wood pellets every year in the three 100 MW boilers; one of the biggest user of processed biofuels in the world); a pellet manufacturing plant (Forssjö Bruk, capacity of 40000 ton pellets a year); the municipality of Kil, where pellets are used in various plants (visits made to a central boiler plant (1 MW), a school boiler (200 kW) and a one-family house (15 kW)).   This tour was attended by several companies from three countries: Ekoblok BV, Netherlands (manufacture briquettes); ENECO Milieu B.v, Netherlands (manufacture pellets); FNR, Germany; CARMEN, Germany; independent consultant, Austria.  The Dutch participants were interested to gain specific information and contacts for their own businesses, while the participants from Germany and Austria were seeking to inform their R&D and promotion activities in their respective countries.

With the aim of exchanging practical experience and information from commercial and applied research projects, a two day programme of seminars and field-excursions was arranged by NUTEK in Växjö, Sweden in November.  The objective of the activities was to gather representatives from industry and municipalities and to exchange knowledge and promote business.  The programme included presentations on: the latest concepts for energy co-operation for industries, municipalities and heat/power companies; certification of Swedish forestry; news from SVEBIO (energy policy, small scale use of bioenergy; refined biofuels etc.).  Visits on the second day were hosted by the SÖDRA Group (a forest company in south Sweden) and VEAB (an energy company selling electricity and district heating to the inhabitants of Växjö Town).   Visits to forestry sites showed how bio-fuels are produced with modern technology.  There were visits to VEABs cogeneration plant, which uses the best modern energy technology, and to a small scale bioenergy plant for heat production.  Representatives from afb-net and AEBIOM (the European Biomass Association) were invited to participate in the bioenergy conference and the study-tour.  However, this event took place at a time of the year when there were many other activities: Mr Lars Sandberg, Foster Wheeler Energia Oy, Finland was the only foreign participant.