1. Resource Study Dry Agricultural Residues Resource Study Dry Agricultural Residues Presentation by Ciarán Butler, RPS-MCOS Ltd. at Sustainable Energy Ireland Offices, Glasnevin 30 th March, 2004

2. Resource Study Dry Agricultural Residues PROJECT BRIEF Examine Straw, Poultry Litter and Spent Mushroom Compost (SMC) in terms of their energy Resource Potential Examine Straw, Poultry Litter and Spent Mushroom Compost (SMC) in terms of their energy Resource Potential – Theoretical Resource – Feasible Accessible Resource – Practical Resource Describe geographical distribution of each resource Describe geographical distribution of each resource Identify utilisation for each resource and current pathways for disposal where applicable Identify utilisation for each resource and current pathways for disposal where applicable Examine costs involved Examine costs involved Make projections for each resource to 2010 and 2020 Make projections for each resource to 2010 and 2020

3. Resource Study Dry Agricultural Residues RESOURCE DEFINITIONS Theoretical Resource - reflects the theoretical maximum resource potential that exists at current production rates. Theoretical Resource - reflects the theoretical maximum resource potential that exists at current production rates. Feasible (or accessible) Resource - considers alternative uses or disposal outlets for each resource. It could also be termed the theoretically available resource or what remains of the theoretical resource after considering alternative uses. Feasible (or accessible) Resource - considers alternative uses or disposal outlets for each resource. It could also be termed the theoretically available resource or what remains of the theoretical resource after considering alternative uses. Practical Resource - considers economy of scale and the geographical distribution of a resource. The practical resource therefore could be viewed as what could be readily achievable using current technologies and at current cost levels. Practical Resource - considers economy of scale and the geographical distribution of a resource. The practical resource therefore could be viewed as what could be readily achievable using current technologies and at current cost levels.

4. Resource Study Dry Agricultural Residues PREVIOUS WORK Total Renewable Resource in Ireland, ESBI / ETSU, 1997 Total Renewable Resource in Ireland, ESBI / ETSU, 1997 – Examined straw, poultry litter and spent mushroom compost – Included poultry slurry and anaerobic digestion – Estimated practical Electric Power output in 2000 was 38.4MW for all three residues including poultry slurry – Growth rate for poultry industry of 2.5% per annum – Projected practical power output in 2020 was 58.5MW – 50% of feasible resource could become practical resource – Most potential in Cavan / Monaghan / Meath also Cork and possibly Waterford / Wexford

5. Resource Study Dry Agricultural ResiduesSTRAWSTRAW Theoretical Straw Resource Theoretical Straw Resource – Cereal Production Figures (CSO) - 2Mt +/- 10% – Straw Yield Rates (Teagasc, UCD) – Estimated Theoretical Straw Resource in Ireland of 1.2Mt – 1.46Mtpa – CAP reform – Luxembourg Agreement : output to drop by up to 8% in period to 2012 Theoretical Straw Resource in Northern Ireland Theoretical Straw Resource in Northern Ireland – 100,000 – 150,000 tonnes per annum Straw Utilisation / Disposal Straw Utilisation / Disposal – Animal Bedding – approximately 1Mt per annum (69% – 83%) – Mushroom Compost Producers 100,000 – 120,000 tpa (8% - 9%) – Ploughed in 140,000 – 325,000 tonnes per annum (7% - 22%) – Other uses – very small, perhaps 1% or less

6. Resource Study Dry Agricultural ResiduesSTRAWSTRAW Feasible / Accessible Resource Feasible / Accessible Resource – 80,000 – 320,000 tpa depending on year (7% - 22% of total theoretical straw production) – Concentrated in Counties Wexford, Carlow, Kildare, North Co. Dublin, Louth – East Coast and East Co. Cork – High cost variability – Transportation costs are a significant issue Practical Resource Practical Resource – Assumed to be 10% of total average straw production (133,000 tpa) – Areas of Excess – Estimated Practical Energy Resource = 1.76PJ

7. Resource Study Dry Agricultural ResiduesSTRAWSTRAW The Cereal Year

8. Resource Study Dry Agricultural Residues

9. Projected Straw Resource to 2020 Practical Energy Resource: 2000 - 1.80PJ 2010 - 1.69PJ 2020 - 1.62PJSTRAWSTRAW

10. Resource Study Dry Agricultural Residues POULTRY LITTER Theoretical Poultry Litter Resource Theoretical Poultry Litter Resource – Poultry Production Figures (CSO) – 13.9 million birds (steady) – Litter production rates (Teagasc, Department Agricultural, Food and Rural Development) – Estimated Theoretical Poultry Litter Resource in Ireland of 140,000 tpa – Not affected by CAP reform – Luxembourg Agreement Theoretical Poultry Litter Resource in Northern Ireland Theoretical Poultry Litter Resource in Northern Ireland – 16.8 million birds I.e. > Republic of Ireland Poultry Litter Utilisation / Disposal Poultry Litter Utilisation / Disposal – Mushroom Compost Producers 60,000 – 100,000 tpa (43% - 71%) – Remainder is land-spread (50,000 – 80,000 tpa) – No other uses – Energy production?

11. Resource Study Dry Agricultural Residues POULTRY LITTER Feasible / Accessible Resource Feasible / Accessible Resource – 50,000 – 80,000 tpa – Concentrated in Counties Monaghan and Cavan. Other significant producers are Counties Limerick, Cork and Waterford – Depends mainly on available land-spreading area – Transportation costs are a significant issue Practical Resource Practical Resource – Assumed to be 50% of feasible resource (25,000 – 40,000 tpa) – Regions where sufficient land-spreading area is not available – Estimated Practical Energy Resource = 0.225PJ – 0.360PJ

12. Resource Study Dry Agricultural Residues

13. SPENT MUSHROOM COMPOST (SMC) Theoretical SMC Resource Theoretical SMC Resource – Mushroom Production Census (Teagasc, 1992 - 2002) – Research by Teagasc and DARDNI – Estimated Theoretical SMC Resource in Ireland of 289,000 tpa – Not affected by CAP reform Theoretical SMC Resource in Northern Ireland Theoretical SMC Resource in Northern Ireland – 64,000 tpa SMC Utilisation / Disposal SMC Utilisation / Disposal – Land-spreading (85%) – Horticulture (7%) – Dumping (5%) – Other uses e.g. gardening & domestic horticulture (3%)

14. Resource Study Dry Agricultural Residues SPENT MUSHROOM COMPOST (SMC) Feasible / Accessible Resource Feasible / Accessible Resource – 97,500 tpa – Concentrated in Counties Monaghan and Cavan. Other significant producers are Counties Mayo, Donegal and Kildare – Transportation costs are a significant issue – Depends on available land-spreading area Practical Resource Practical Resource – Estimated to be 62,000 tpa – Regions where sufficient land-spreading area is not available – Estimated Practical Energy Resource = 0.200PJ

15. Resource Study Dry Agricultural Residues

16. CONCLUSIONSCONCLUSIONS Estimated Practical Energy Resource Estimated Practical Energy Resource – Straw1.8PJ – Poultry Litter0.225PJ – 0.360PJ – SMC0.200PJ – TOTAL2.36PJ (per annum) Locations Locations – North-east Region (Poultry Litter, SMC & straw) – Cross Border Region (Poultry Litter & SMC) – East Coast and East Co. Cork (Straw) Future trends Future trends – Straw production expected to decline by approximately 8% by 2012 – Poultry Litter production expected to remain steady – SMC production expected to remain steady Appropriate Technologies Appropriate Technologies – Combustion (fluidised bed or grate) – Small scale (<5MW) – heat only – Large scale (>5MW) – Power only or CHP

17. Resource Study Dry Agricultural Residues StrawPoultry LitterSMC Theoretical Resource (tonnes per annum) 1.2M – 1.46M140,000289,000 Theoretical Resource Peta-joules per annum (PJ/annum) 16.2 – 19.71.260.928 Feasible Resource (tonnes per annum) 80,000 – 320,00050,000 – 80,00092,500 Feasible Resource Peta-joules per annum (PJ/annum) 1.13 – 4.290.450 – 0.7200.296 Practical Resource (tonnes per annum) 133,00025,000 – 40,00062,287 Practical Resource Peta-joules per annum (PJ/annum) 1.80.225 – 0.3600.199SUMMARYSUMMARY