Green Pellets news

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.

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.

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.

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.