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IntroductionThe BioPAD project is promoting the wider use of bioenergy and developing applications targeting the whole process from supplying fuel to producing energy. By using bioenergy we can unlock the potential of our local natural resources, provide jobs and stimulate our local economies, make ourselves fuel secure and reduce CO2 emissions. The project will help the development of bioenergy and improve our understanding of the links between supply and demand by looking at supply chains for a variety of bioenergy fuels, and different ways of converting these fuels into sustainable energy. Understanding the way in which bioenergy moves from fuel sources to energy provision will help to establish robust and efficient supply services which can match local demand.

This edition of the BioPAD eZine places a spotlight on the international launch of the project, which took place in County Donegal, Ireland in early October 2013. We look at some inspiring cases of how local suppliers are coming together to provide bioenergy to rural communities in Ireland and Scotland, and we highlight some of the challenges faced by producers in setting up and maintaining bioenergy production plants. In the final section, some interesting initiatives to support the development of the bioenergy sector in Donegal are explored.

If you would like to learn more about any of the initiatives highlighted in this edition, or if you would like further information on the BioPAD project, please visit http://www.biopad.eu/.

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Northern Periphery Programme Regions

Joe McHugh T.D. speaking at the BioPAD Launch The BioPAD project partners (Project led by Western Development Commission of Ireland)

The Launch

The International Project Launch of BioPAD took place in the Mount Errigal Hotel in Letterkenny, County Donegal, Ireland on Thursday 10th October 2013. The Launch was chaired by the Project Coordinator Dr. Helen McHenry of the Western Development Commission (WDC) and was also attended by all project partners (Action Renewables, Environmental Research Institute and the Finnish Forest Research Institute - METLA). A Bioenergy Workshop took place in the morning, followed by the formal launch by the Chairperson of the WDC, Mr. Paddy McGuiness and Mr. Joe McHugh, T.D. Other speakers on the day included:

Mr. Ian Brannigan, Head of Regional Development, Western Development Commission;Mr. Michael Doran, Director, Action Renewables;Mr. Robert Prinz, Researcher, The Finnish Forest Institute, METLA;Mr. Micheál Ó hÉanaigh, Director of Services, Donegal County Council;Ms. Merja Rautianinen, Technology Expert, Measurepolis;Mr. Stephen Hynes, AD Officer, Irish Bioenergy Association;Mr. John Jackson, Chairperson, Donegal Woodland Owners Society;Mr. Mikko Nivala, Researcher, The Finnish Forest Institute, METLA; and, Dr. Neil James, Researcher, Environmental Research Institute Scotland. Dr. Kenneth Boyd, Senior Research Fellow, Environmental Research Institute, Scotland.

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The BioPAD launch showcased a number of project-specific case studies which represent practical examples of how some of the overall objectives of the project, such as supporting the increased use of local renewable biofuels – local fuels for local people, can be realised.

Overviews of three of the case studies presented at the launch workshop are set out in this document.

Learning from Experience

Case Study 1: ‘Supplying Heat from Local Wood: The Cooperative Model’ - Mr. John Jackson, Donegal Woodland Owners Society Ltd.

Case Study 2: Wick District Heating Scheme: ‘Learning the hard way’ - Dr. Neil James, Environmental Research Institute, Scotland.

Case Study 3: Creed Waste Management Facility - Dr. Neil James, Environmental Research Institute, Scotland.

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+150150 members in County Donegal

+15,000acres of woodland in County Donegal

Mr. John Jackson, Chairperson of the Donegal Woodland Owners Society Ltd (DWOSL) gave a fascinating insight into how local wood suppliers can work together to deliver a sustainable bioenergy resource to a remote area.

This case study illustrates how energy can be sourced at local level and in turn used at local level, providing jobs and keeping money in the local economy.

DWOSL’s main objective is to maximise the returns to forest owners through good forest management. To date, the Society has over 150 members who between them own approximately 15,000 acres of woodland located in County Donegal. DWOSL operates at a very local level within the forestry community in Donegal. To be eligible for membership within this society, applicants must own woodland located in County Donegal. Each member owns one share in the Society, irrespective of the size of their woodland. The Society is funded through these membership fees, as well as charges for goods and services provided by the Society.

The cooperative model followed by the DWOSL operates by way of a collective processing and sale mechanism. This effectively means that the woodlands of all the members are pooled together to establish a viable and larger potential supply of timber that would be marketable to the local community. The Society has established a centralised processing unit that is available to all members which aims to produce high-quality timber and other woodland by-products for sale. This centralised processing unit uses best practice protocols which were specifically tailored to the Donegal context, following on from a study trip to Black Forest Baden-Wurttemburg in Germany. This trip afforded members the opportunity to witness and partake in training exercises in the stacking/piling of processed wood, as well as the use of processing units such as wood gasifiers .Following the trip, DWOSL invested in a similar wood gasifier, which can process wood up to 1 metre in length. This wood gasifier is currently used to supply heat to a local nursing home and plans are being made to install additional wood gas fires.

This case study is an excellent example of how local communities can harness locally produced energy resources to fuel their personal needs and local economies.

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Case Study 1: ‘Supplying Heat from Local Wood: The Cooperative Model’ - Mr. John Jackson, Donegal Woodland Owners Society Ltd.

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In another interesting case study, the often challenging experiences of communities in the development and use of bioenergy were highlighted. Dr. Neil James, researcher with the Environmental Research Institute Scotland, gave detailed presentations on the Wick District Heating Scheme for the northern Scottish town of Wick and the Creed Waste Management (Anaerobic Digestion) facility, located on the Scottish Isle of Lewis off the north-western coast of Scotland.

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In 2012 the scheme was rescued after a new provider, Ignis Energy, became involved. Noting the huge community support for the scheme, Ignis Energy acquired equipment owned by Caithness Heat and Power to re-launch the Wick District Heating Scheme. Ignis invested in a new biomass boiler and introduced heat meters in order to lower the business’ costs, and increase heat sales through adding new customers (it now supplies the adjacent “Old Pulteney” whisky distillery). Since then the scheme has gone from strength to strength and has been reported as a ‘trailblazer’ in Scotland by the Scottish Energy Minister Mr Fergus Ewing. In addition, the director of Ignis Energy, Mr Craig Ibbetson expects the scheme to expand from its existing 200 homes to 1 000 homes and to include local and civic buildings in the next few years. This scheme has contributed in alleviating fuel poverty to many of the people served by the scheme by offering them a low cost and sustainable way of securing their energy supplies, as the power supplying these homes comes entirely via wood chip from local forests.

LOCAL SUPPORT LOCAL ENERGY LOCAL benefits

The original aim of the Wick District Heating Scheme was to provide heating and hot water services to 500 homes in the town of Wick, in the north east of Scotland, and to do so in a cost effective and sustainable manner. Wick has a population of around 7 000 people and a high number of the residents in parts of the town had experienced fuel poverty in the years leading up to the establishment of this scheme. The Highland Council set up a non-for-profit company in 2004 (Caithness Heat and Power) to implement and then operate the project. The district heating scheme was intended to deliver heat and electricity using a gasification plant. This technology failed during commissioning, causing serious financial implications for the operating company. At this stage, 243 houses were connected to the new system and had to be supplied with heat generated by an oil fired boiler, which incurred much higher costs than originally budgeted for. Within four years the project had effectively stalled and the Council decided it could not continue to fund the loss making business.

Case Study 2: Wick District Heating Scheme: ‘Learning the hard way’ - Dr. Neil James, Environmental Research Institute, Scotland.

Wick District

Case Study 3: Creed Waste Management Facility - Dr. Neil James, Environmental Research Institute, Scotland.

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The Creed Waste Management Facility is an Anaerobic Digester Plant located on the Isle of Lewis, which is owned and run by Western Isles Council and was established to provide an integrated waste management facility for the chain of western islands. The facility acts as a hub for the Council’s municipal waste management service delivery, allowing it to not only meet but exceed the challenging targets for recycling and landfill diversion that have been set by the Scottish Government. It also ensures that the Western Isles is able to play its part in helping Scotland to meet the requirements of the European Landfill Directive [1999/31/EC]. At present the Integrated Waste Management Facility processes waste from the northern isles (Lewis and Harris) and the southern isles (Uists, Benbecula & Barra) as follows:

Organic waste, metal cans, glass, paper and plastics from both the northern isles; Plastics, metal cans, glass, paper, cardboard from the southern isles.

The facility uses anaerobic digestion to treat biowaste such as paper, garden and kitchen waste, which in turn generates energy from biogas to produce electricity to sell to the grid and fulfil the needs of the plant. This plant was the first in the UK to incorporate anaerobic digestion of source-separated biowaste on a commercial scale.

This case study highlighted a number of logistical issues that need to be considered in converting municipal organic waste to energy. One such issue relates to the supply of material on the islands to ensure the facility remains viable as remote and rural areas tend to produce less organic waste per person than urban dwellers.

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LOCAL SUPPORT LOCAL ENERGY LOCAL benefits

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BioPAD is led by the Western Development Commission

It is funded under the European Regional Development

Fund (ERDF) Interreg IVB Northern Periphery

Programme (NPP) . Northern

Periphery Programme Statement: “Innovatively investing

in Europe’s Northern Periphery for a sustainable and

prosperous future”.

BioPAD has partners in Scotland (Environmental

Research Institute, (ERI, ), Northern

Ireland (Action Renewables

and Finland (Finnish Forest Research Institute, Metla

www.facebook.com\BioPAD

@BioPAD_NPP

Search ‘BioPAD’

www.northernperiphery.eu

www.wdc.ie

http://www.metla.fi/

http://www.eri.ac.uk/http://www.actionrenewables.org

For more information on the BioPAD project, and for details on how you can get involved please see:

Official Website: http://www.BioPAD.eu/

Blog: www.biopadbioenergyblog.wordpress.com

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