Bord Na Mona to buy Lanesboro and Shannon bridge generating stations.

SeanW

Spotted this in my local paper today: http://www.longford-leader.ie/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=2627&ArticleID=1891418

Of interest to us:

On a medium term basis, Bord na Mona aims to control one quarter of the power generation market within the next five to seven years. The company plans to burn biofuels -produced on the 250,000 acres of land that it owns around the country - as well as peat at the stations, with the aim of cutting back carbon emissions by as much as 40%.

Sounds good but I'd like to know more about how seriously they're taking biofuels, where they will be produced, how, and where will they be used.

Comments?

John_C

Is it the case that elephant grass will only burn if mixed with 60% turf? Seems a bit pointless so.

SeanW

That's the problem: the article isn't very clear. Still, 40% biofuel isn't too bad: it's a step in the right direction.

BendiBus

It was in the Business Post on Sunday

http://www.sbpost.ie/post/pages/p/story.aspx-qqqt=IRELAND-qqqm=news-qqqid=19020-qqqx=1.asp

With a more indepth feature which I haven't yet read.

http://www.sbpost.ie/post/pages/p/story.aspx-qqqt=NEWS+FEATURES-qqqm=nav-qqqid=18962-qqqx=1.asp

From the article, a quote from the BnM CEO

The prize for us would be to grow a type of biomass on our cutaway bogs. We’re the second-largest landowner in the country. We’re experimenting with various biomass, as well as miscanthus or elephant grass, fast-growing saplings, even straw.

SeanW

Read the SBP article in your link: I like the way this guy thinks.

KAGY

A couple of points
They will still be burning peat, mined from the bogs untill exhausted before planting the biomass, releasing all the carbon stored in these vast sinks.

MIlled Peat has the lowest energy denity (7.7 MJ/kg) coal is up around 25. And the highest cO2 emission value (sorry don't have it to hand).

The cynical amoung us may also note that the plant could as easily be converted to a waste incenerator, and with the peat due to be used up around Lanesboro in about 10 years, will they have the biomass bulk built up in time.

And finally, the PSO levy that we all have to pay on our esb bill is funding this CO2 machine.

piraka

KAGY wrote:

A couple of points

MIlled Peat has the lowest energy denity (7.7 MJ/kg) coal is up around 25. And the highest cO2 emission value (sorry don't have it to hand).

Emissions kg/mwh
Peat 1264.8, Oil 788, Natural gas 439.6 , Coal 854

KAGY

Thanks for that, what was your source for future reference?

BTW: Apparently the PSO levy will be reduced next year possibly to 0, as it was to cover the extra cost of generating elec from peat. However, with the spiraling oil and gas costs it is now as fesible.

piraka

It was from a ESB powerpoint presentation in 2003 (I think). I will try find the link.