The introduction of a Wood Fuel Quality Assurance (WFQA) scheme is now at an advanced stage, good progress has been made and a launch date has been set for the Thursday 18th February 2010 at the National Bioenergy Conference 2010 in Tipperary. John O'Brien will introduce us to how the scheme will run and discuss its main objectives.
For too long we have had a stop-start industry with some fuel producers diligently storing and drying their logs correctly prior to sale and delivering them in lots to suit the customer, while a few others were selling wet Sitka without any proper preparation. To counter any possible negative perceptions, woodland owners who have invested in the production of quality, dry wood fuel now want their produce covered under a quality assurance scheme that will allow the public to buy wood-based products with full confidence.
It makes sense to have such a scheme and this will benefit all woodland owners in the long term. People who wish to sign up will pay a reasonable annual sum to the organizers and, in return, can label their produce with the quality logo telling the customer the moisture content, log/pellet/chip size, timber species used and any other relevant information. All wood fuels for sale will be independently tested by the National Standards Authority before any supplier can use the label. NSAI has published the final version of the NWA for the WFQA scheme For a copy visit http://www.nsai.ie/
While some wood chip burners can handle chip up to 35pc moisture content, storage of this material can be problematic due to internal heating and the possibility of self combustion. Log-burning stoves, which are in the majority of homes, require well-seasoned, dry timber to function properly. Burning wet fuel can have serious consequences, resulting in a buildup of tar in the chimney and poor stove performance.
If we are to create a proper market for the products from our woodlands we must ensure our customers can buy them knowing that they are buying the best available and can do so repeatedly.
The WFQA scheme objectives are:
To Instills confidence in the marketplace
Wood fuels to be achieved in a sustainable and ethical manner
WFQA to oversee the sustainable provision of wood fuel supply in Ireland
Support the delivery of product which meets and exceeds the requirements of customers
WFQA will undertake to ensure that end consumers are provided with a quality end product
Dissemination of best practice operations throughout the wood fuel supply community
WFQA will assist and support best practice in wood fuel supply in the own industries and daily work
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CER have just published its decision regarding the connection process for small renewable generators. They have decided that all renewable generators less than 5 MW (except wind) will be processed outside of group processing and will be assessed within 3 months. All non-wind renewable generators greater than 5 MW will be treated on a case-by-case basis. Below is the summary from their document - the full text can be found on the CER website below.
http://www.cer.ie/en/electricity-distribution-network-current-consultations.aspx
4.1 Summary Decisions
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Public Interest
The Commission has decided the following in relation to Public Interest:
The Commission has decided that the public interest criteria are:
Diversity of Fuel Mix
Predictability and power system support
Environmental benefits
Experimental/ Research
Therefore for a generator to be considered to be processed outside the GPA it must fulfil at least one of the above criteria.
The Commission has also decided the following:
The Commission does not have a remit for socio-economic factors and therefore are not considered as part of the criteria for public interest.
Although wind does not form part of the public interest criteria the existing arrangements relating to wind projects up to 0.5MW will be retained and will be only for the establishment of small, one off wind developments that would not otherwise be covered by the autoproducer category and will be limited to a "green field" site, that is, one where either a connection agreement does not exist or if one does where there is not already a pre-existing MEC.
The existing arrangements for micro generation will remain as is.
Network optimisation, extending the public interest to cover specific interest and competition will not form part of the public interest criteria.
Classes of Technology
The Commission has decided the following list of technology or classes of
technology exhibit public interest benefits and are therefore preapproved for processing outside the GPA:
Bioenergy
CHP
Autoproducers
Hydro
Ocean
Wave
Solar
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Details of an €85 million biomass energy plant with the potential to employ 150 people, which will be located in the west of Ireland, have been given to a Dáil sub-committee.
The Sub Committee on Job Creation through Use of Renewable Energy Resources was told by Seán Daly, of Claremorris-based Carbon Sole Industries, that plans were well advanced for the plant.
He said finding a suitable site for the venture - which would see 75-100 people involved in the building stage - was one of the difficulties facing the company. "The plant will probably be located 50 kilometres off the N17 route in the Western Corridor and we have already researched eight sites in the Mayo, Sligo, Leitrim and Roscommon area" - he said.
He said the project partners in the proposed development was a Scandinavian company - Skelleftea Kraft - which operated similar operations in Sweden.
The Irish plant, he added, would produce electricity, heat and pellets and would initially produce pellets for heating systems and electricity.
Mr Daly said the hope was if the company could get the proper site and security of supplies of wood, the plant itself could be an anchor centre for the development of green energy in the west.
His presentation and two others given to the sub-committee, had a common thread - all of the submissions said that the feed-in tariffs being paid for generating electricity were too low.
Dr Andrew Walsh, managing director of Celtic BioEnergy, said small-scale producers of energy were not being paid enough for it and this was preventing the development of the industry.
Brendan Cooney, senior executive scientist with Wexford County Council, said anaerobic digestion could handle the 132 million tonnes of slurry and sludge and create thousands of jobs.
He said plans were well advanced for opening a second anaerobic digester in Co Wexford which would use 99,000 tonnes of organic matter and generate 5MW of electricity - enough to power approximately 2,500 homes.
Patrick Berridge, who operates an anaerobic digester and alternative energy on his farm in Co Wexford, said prices being paid for green electricity were too low and far below other European countries.
Fergus Wheatley, chairman of the Sustainable Energy Association (SEA), also complained about the feed-in tariffs, which were too low and failed to stimulate the industry.
Source - The Irish Times
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