Green Pellets news

About 40 people from 14 different countries attended the 14 december workshop. It was held to discuss the state of development of perennial crops and to debate on how to include the bioenergy part within the new CAP reform. The workshop was organised by Aebiom within GreenPellets project, supported by LIFE + programme. More information

Workshop on perennial crops
A workshop on perennial energy crops within the reform of the Common Agriculture Policy is organised by AEBIOM within Green Pellets project. Download the invitation

Training modules on biomass combustion
In December, 4 training modules are organised to transfer the results on combustion tests and recommendations to farmers and network advisers (boilers installers…). They are organised around a boiler and include a demonstration of effective combustion and atmospheric emission improvements allowed using a combustion gas analyzer.

Coopedom project presented in Valladolid
On 18 October, the Coopedom’s wood oven and miscanthus implantation projects have been presented to the Technical Seminar on Biomass for Heating & Cooling • European Technology Platform, organised within the 6º International Bioenergy Congress 2011, Valladolid.

Two public debates on land maintenance
On 19 October, the Brière natural park and AILE organised a public debate on reed uses for heating. The General Council 44 and CARENE presented the local challenges investigated, the Brière natural park raised the environmental issues linked with reed bed maintenance and Aile talked about reed uses for heating, based on the Green pellets results.

On 12 October, the General Council 22 and AILE organised a public event, with a round-table debate on residues from maintenance of open spaces and two workshops on heaths and Green Lane maintenance.

Green Pellets final conference
The conference "The development of agrofuels industries, Opportunities and Limits" organized by AILE has just completed the project Life + Green Pellets (2009/2011). 140 people gathered for the presentation of project results on September 23 near Rennes.

Coopedom visit
70 people participated in the visit of the Coopedom drying cooperative, organised within the Green Pellet final conference. It shows the granulation unit, the biomass oven, an exposition of the biofuels produced within Green Pellets project and an exhibition on mutifuel boilers.

Download the Coopedom brochure (lien vers la brochure 4p Coopédom)

How to develop agro-pellets?

The Propellets event on the wood pellets took place on 10 and 11 May last at Nantes. The objective of these two days was for professionals in the industry pellets to exchange and to discuss about important issues in this sector.
The AILE association has presented the Green pellets’ programme, the results of combustion tests and examples of herbaceous biomass combustion. The organization EIFER (Institute of Energy Research), RAGT and “Bourgogne Pellets” have presented too their research on the agro-pellets..
This event has really helped to be meeting the various players in this industry and reflect to the development of agro-pellets.

New flyers Green Pellets

AILE was present at the salon "Bois Énergie" in Besançon

A conference on agropellets was organised at the salon "Bois Énergie" the last 24th of march. Différents speakers (RAGT....) have confirmed the growing interest for this sector.
At this ocassion, AILE has presented the "Green Pellets" programm, and the results of combustion's tests obtained during the first campaign.

End of the second campaign of combustion's tests in pilot sites

After 4 months of experimentation and about ten herbaceous biofuels tested, the second campaign of combustion's tests has finished in march. Thanks one more time to the boilers owners, fitters, distributors and manufacturers, for their availability and technical support, throughout this tests phase.
We are currently analysing and interpreting the results obtained this winter. The tests realised at the moment in CSTB's laboratory will complete these data. We will give you the results and conclusions in a few months.

Valorize the vinestocks and the vine shoots

The “Pays Saumurois” and AILE have organized an event on the valorization of vinestocks and vine shoots the 24th february in Nueil-sur-Layon (EARL Bressin).

Nearly 50 persons were presents. This event was organized in two parts :

• A presentation of the possibilities of valorization of vinestocks and vine shoots in the "Pays Saumurois" with the presentation of the results of combustion tests into the Greenpellets program

• A demonstration of shredder-collector of vine shoots with the explanations of Mr. Bressin.

The first tests show that to be used in combustion, the vinestocks and the vine shoots must be dry and with a suitable particle size.
Moreover the vinestocks must be used without roots, to avoid the presence of ash.
Finally, the boiler must be adapted to the biofuel, especially at the feeding system. Indeed, the screw feeding system seems to be too sensitive to vine shoots.
The second season of combustion (first half of 2011) will allow us to specify our conclusions.

Territorial studies
The survey about the no-food crops impact on the environment and balance of the territories will be carried out by Aile, with the support of Oxymore. This survey is realised in two territories around the cooperative farms of the Coopedom (35) and the Cavac (85). To that purpose,  discussion groups composed of different local people have been organized   in each territory. The first stage of individual meeting has already begun ; the first meeting took place in the beginning of July in Vendée (expected in the end of  summer for the Ille et Vilaine).

Harvest in Coopedom
Mid-April, 160 hectares of miscanthus were harvested by Coopédom using pneumatic silo loaders. Part of the miscanthus will be tested in boilers during the next combustion tests of the Green Pellet project. The other part will be mixed with wood pellets to feed Coopedom's furnace. Resulting yields are 4.1 t DM/ha for the first miscanthus harvest and 9.1 t DM/ha for the second. Mean humidity in miscanthus is 16%.

Second combustion test in Coopedom
On 20th and 21st may, Coopedom will run new combustion tests in its 20MW furnace. The biomass tested is a mix of miscanthus and wood, in different proportions. Bureau Veritas will monitor polluting emissions.

Beginning of territorial studies
Two students are conceptualizing the impact of growing energy crops on the two pilot territories. On each territory, they intend to assess farmer’s barriers or motivation to produce dedicated annual and perennial energy crops for solid biofuels. Later in June, they will evaluate the economic, environmental and on food production capacity impacts of growing such crops.

Combustion Steering Committee
The second Combustion Steering Committee took place on 30th April 2010. Some results of the first measurement campaign on combustion conditions and atmospheric emissions have been analysed. Synthesis and conclusions on the first campaign will be validated on 7th July. Results and recommendations will be disseminated next autumn.

First test campaign launched

Experimental herbaceous biofuels have been produced in Coopedom facilities. For the first test campaign, it was decided to produce only pellets with one component : miscanthus, switchgrass, hemp, reed, wheat straw, rape straw.
These biofuels will be test from 4th of January in CSTB laboratroy, in Nantes, in a Hargassner Agrofire boiler. Each fuel will be tested during 6 hours, first with maximum power and then at reduced power. The herbaceous biofuels will be compared to wood.
The test campaign will also be launched in pilot sites, which will run test during one month with wood and then one month with an herbaceous fuel (bulk miscanthus or various pellets)

First combustion test in Coopedom

On the 22th of October, Coopedom ran a first combustion test in its 20MW furnace. The fuel was composed of mixed miscanthus and wood. This test allowed to meter the furnace yield and the air emissions. The results will be compared to wood combustion and will be available at the end of heating campaign.

Biofuels preparation

In October 2009, Coopedom produced the different kinds of pellets that will be tested during the first trial campaign: switchgrass, miscanthus, reed, hemp, and wheat and rape seed straws. A test with miscanthus in bulk form will also be conducted.
Three samples of each biomass are sent to a laboratory in order to determinate physical characteristics and chemical composition of the biofuels and allow us to analyse the combustion and emission results.

Pick-up of by-products of common area’s maintenance

Samples of biomass from multi-use trail and sandy-moor sowing have been collected for being analysed. This will allow us to study the possibility of energetic valorisation of of common area’s maintenance by-products that have to be exported.
 

Territorial studies

The two pilot territories for the evaluation of the potential biofuel production have been chosen. In Brittany (western peninsula of France), it corresponds to the supply area of Coopedom, a forage drying cooperative and partner of the project. The territory streches to 30 km around the cooperative's drying plant.

In Loire Region (south-east of Brittany), it corresponds to the supply area of Cavac, a multipurpose cooperative which has recently invested in linen and hemp insulation material manufacturing. The territory streches to the Vendee County plus a part in Poitou Charentes

Two students will work on those territories from spring 2010.

Open day in Coopedom

The 26th septembre, Coopedom has inaugurated its new biomass furnace. The furnace has a power of 20 MW and is supplied by wood chips and miscanthus. It is designed to substitute one of the coal furances of the forage drying cooperative. A Green Pellets' stand allowed the visitors (approximately 1500) to discover the characteristics of herbaceous biofuels and to handle pellets samples.

 
The 10 multi-fuel boilers spread on the territory of the project have been selected. They include domestic, collective and industrial heating systems.

Trials protocol preparation

A student engineer in Thermal and Energy Sciences wrote the different protocols of the project: protocols for pellets quality control, lab condition of the combustion performances tests and real condition if the combustion performance tests.
These protocols have been validated in September 2009 by the Steering Committee of the project, composed of experts in combustion. They will be implemented during the whole project duration and will allow the traceability and reproductibility of the trials.