Transport biofuels in Ireland Bernard Rice

Medium-term transport biofuel options Pure plant oil (rape-seed oil in modified engines)Pure plant oil (rape-seed oil in modified engines) Biodiesel from vegetable oils, animal fatsBiodiesel from vegetable oils, animal fats Ethanol from sugar/starchEthanol from sugar/starch Biogas from animal manures, other organic wastes, energy crops (to CNG standardBiogas from animal manures, other organic wastes, energy crops (to CNG standard for vehicle use)

Alternative fuels for I.C. engines What defines a good fuel? How does the fuel affect engine performance? What aspects of engine performance does it affect?

Important fuel properties Calorific valueCalorific value Combustion properties (Cetane, octane)Combustion properties (Cetane, octane) ViscosityViscosity Lubricating properties of fuelLubricating properties of fuel Effects on engine oilEffects on engine oil Low-temperature behaviourLow-temperature behaviour Emissions - particulates, NOx, CO, HC etcEmissions - particulates, NOx, CO, HC etc Other environmental issuesOther environmental issues Storage stabilityStorage stability

Pure plant oil Four plants in Ireland Few quality problems Good demand from hauliers But limited uptake due to: Rape-seed price and supply Oil price fluctuations Lack of acceptance by most car makers Need to modify engine

Engine modification for veg oil

Draft DIN Oil quality for engine use Suspended solids(<24 mg/kg)Suspended solids(<24 mg/kg) Water content(< 0.075%)Water content(< 0.075%) Acid value(<2.0 mg KOH/g)Acid value(<2.0 mg KOH/g) P content(<12 mg/kg)P content(<12 mg/kg) Ash content(<0.01%)Ash content(<0.01%) Oxidation stability(<6 hours)Oxidation stability(<6 hours)

Uses of pure plant oil Rape-seed oil only (no other oil)Rape-seed oil only (no other oil) Up to 100% blends in suitably modified enginesUp to 100% blends in suitably modified engines Use of <50% blends in unmodified engines practiced, but not recommended by anyoneUse of <50% blends in unmodified engines practiced, but not recommended by anyone No acceptance by vehicle industryNo acceptance by vehicle industry

Biogreen pure plant oil crushing/filtering unit

Glanbia plant, Gorey

Fuel economy with biodiesel in routine work Vehicle FuelDistance travelledFuel economy Vehicle FuelDistance travelledFuel economy (km) (km/l) (km) (km/l) Peugeot % biodiesel 5, % Mineral 16, Isuzu Trooper100% biodiesel 7, % Mineral 8, % reduction with biodiesel 2% reduction with biodiesel

Biodiesel  Green Biofuels Ireland, New Ross –Capacity 30M litres/year –One year in operation –Producing high quality biodiesel –Three other small producers from RVO  Other developers on hold

Feedstocks Rape-seed oilRape-seed oil Beef tallowBeef tallow Recovered veg oilRecovered veg oil GREEN BIOFUELS biodiesel plant, New RossCapacity 30 million litres/annum

Pure plant oil vs biodiesel Biodiesel Some acceptance by vehicle industry Wider feedstock range No engine mods needed More expensive process Pure plant oil Smaller scale Lower start-up capital More local involvement No official acceptance by vehicle industry

Ethanol Carbery Milk Processors – 10,000 t/year from whey Cooley Clearpower – excess capacity for potable alcohol Two more projects under study

2. BIO-ETHANOL from starch/sugar Fuel extender/octane booster for petrol engines Current Irish possibilities Produce from cereals or beet Produce from cereals or beet Add 5% to petrol (no engine mods) Add 5% to petrol (no engine mods) Replace MTBE or leadReplace MTBE or lead Add up to 80% in FFV enginesAdd up to 80% in FFV engines

Outline of multi-feedstock ethanol plant Distillation Fermentation Preparation

Ethanol yields From wheatFrom wheat –350 litres per tonne –3000 litres per ha From sugar beetFrom sugar beet –90 litres per tonne –4500 litres per ha

Ethanol from wheat, beet For 2% substitution 15,300 ha beet or 23,000 ha wheat –Needs Large scale Excise relief Investor/promoter interest Involvement of feedstock suppliers, oil importers

Wheat-ethanol plant proposal, Waterford

The Irish cereals market  Future threatened by  Low and fluctuating prices  Fall in cattle numbers?  Declining poultry industry?  Threats to pig industry? Ethanol plant needed to sustain, rather than increase cereal production

ElectricityHeat Digester Spread Boiler or CHP or CHP Biogas for transport, CHP or big boilers Animal manure (+ food wastes?) (+ energy crops?) (+ grass?) Biogas Digestate Upgrade Gas grid Fuel cell

Kraftstofferträge in kWh / ha “In the future, up to 200,000 km/ha will be attainable from biogas,with higher- yielding crops and more efficient conversion“ Biogas as vehicle fuel Neue Nutzungsmöglichkeiten, hohe Effizienz Biodiesel kWh/ha Bioethanol kWh/ha BTL (Biomass-to-Liquid) kWh/ha Biomethan kWh/ha km km km km km km-Umrechnung in Bezug auf Diesel- äquivalent: rund 10 kWh/l und 5 l/100 km

Medium-term production potential (1 st -gen biofuels) Diesel Pure plant oil 10-30,000 t Biodiesel40-60,000 t Petrol From whey10-15,000 t From cereals100,000 t Total~200,000 t Substitution~3%

Motor Oil Tax Relief (2007): allocations FuelNo. of producers 5-year volume (million litres) Bioethanol4306 Blended biodiesel4290 Biodiesel (captive fleets) 548 Pure plant oil321 Most is being imported

What next! Obligation system to replace excise relief National Bio-energy Action Plan

How would it work? Fuel suppliers given biofuel substitution target Certificates issued for biofuel sales Biofuel producers can sell certificates Fuel suppliers can either sell biofuels, buy certificates or pay buy-out penalty Change to a biofuel obligation system

Next-generation transport biofuels 1.Ethanol from cellulosic biomass (e.g. wood) 2. Thermo-chemical biomass conversion (BtL) 3. Biogas from manures, food wastes, energy crops, municipal/industrial sludges 4. Bio-hydrogen use in engines, fuel cells 5. Bio-refineries (fuel + other non-food products) Still in development, potential in Ireland not clear

Renewable Energy Directive By –20% of consumed energy renewable –10% of transport energy renewable National Action Plans by June 2010, to include –Sector targets –Measures to achieve targets –National policies for existing and new resources –Not a re-hash of existing schemes

Conclusions (1) We should aim to:We should aim to: –expand liquid ppo and biodiesel production to maximum agronomic extent –Promote native ethanol production from arable crops –Develop biogas production from animal manure, food wastes and energy crops –Expand cellulose crop production, initially for heat/electricity, later for liquid biofuels or bio- refineries

Conclusions (2) To achieve these targets, and to maximise home production of biofuels, we need:To achieve these targets, and to maximise home production of biofuels, we need: –Long-term policies and support programmes to reassure farmers and investors –Transport biofuel supports sensitive to the needs of small-scale producers