Root to Soot - International networking of market actors in the whole bio-energy chain - OPET Finland
Summary
Root to soot aimed to support networking of European wood energy equipment manufacturers across the whole wood fuel utilisation chain. The action aimed to provide information on international technology development and operation concepts to European wood energy equipment manufacturers.
The specific aims of the project were to:
Partner OPET organisations from Finland, Sweden, Hungary, Italy, Slovenia and Estonia have collected information about successful wood energy chains, from root to soot (i.e., from wood fuel production to heat and power plant technologies.) This information has been collated into 15 best practice fact sheets covering a variety of different plant sizes and different wood fuels. Individual fact sheets include an outline of project co-operation model, funding and the contact information for relevant technology suppliers.
Best practice fact sheets have been produced and are posted on the OPET Finland web site (www.tekes.fi/opet).
The fact sheets have been distributed during site visits and at different events. The best practices presentation has been supplemented by organising visits to specific sites. For example, the OPET Finland workshop "Electricity from Biomass" (May 2002) included a two-day study tour to different sized power plants (1 - 240 MW), which produce electricity from wood fuels. The site visits also presented energy wood harvesting, storing and logistics.
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| End-user area | Industry Planning issues Sustainable communities |
| Target audience | Utilities Other: Biomass equipment manufacturers |
| Technical scope | Biomass |
Context
The wood heat and electricity production chain includes many different areas of expertise and various technologies and processes; wood harvesting from forests, wood chipping or crushing, transportation, storing, handling at the plant, and combustion or gasification technology. There are several companies in different parts of the chain, with whom the bio-energy plant staff need to co-operate when building and operating plants.
The project started in May 2000 and ended in May 2002, the actual duration being 22 months. OPET Finland co-ordinated actions with partners from Austria, Estonia, Denmark, Italy, Slovakia, Slovenia, Southern Spain and Sweden.
Objectives
Objectives of the Root to soot action were to provide the European wood energy equipment manufacturers (the whole chain from root to soot, including boiler and stove manufacturers) with information on technology development operation concepts in other countries and to support networking of the European manufacturers in whole wood fuel utilisation chain, thereby:
Information dissemination on best practices for the whole chain was carried out by the production of fact sheets, site visits, international events and actors meetings, summary reports and market actors catalogues.
Process
New wood fuel procurement chains for forest residues and small-size whole trees have been developed in Finland, Sweden and in the other forest countries of Europe. Experience and information related to these concepts was disseminated to targeted groups through expert meetings, workshops and study tours. Short technical fact sheets (printed and electronic version) were produced using real projects, following monitoring of large-, medium- and small-scale wood energy production and utilisation chains (forest-transport-handling-plant-emissions).
International information exchange on best practices
Partner OPET organisations from Finland, Sweden, Hungary, Italy, Slovenia and Estonia have collected information about successful wood energy chains, from root to soot (i.e., from wood fuel production to heat and power plant technologies.) This information has been collated into 15 best practice fact sheets covering a variety of different plant sizes and different wood fuels. Individual fact sheets include an outline of project co-operation model, funding and the contact information for relevant technology suppliers.
Best practice fact sheets have been produced and are posted on the OPET Finland web site (www.tekes.fi/opet).
The fact sheets have been distributed during site visits and at different events. The best practices presentation has been supplemented by organising visits to specific sites. For example, the OPET Finland workshop "Electricity from Biomass" (May 2002) included a two-day study tour to different sized power plants (1 - 240 MW), which produce electricity from wood fuels. The site visits presented also energy wood harvesting, storing and logistics.
Networking of companies by catalogues of market actors
The wood heat and electricity production chain includes many different areas of expertise and various technologies and processes; wood harvesting from forests, wood chipping or crushing, transportation, storing, handling at the plant, and combustion or gasification technology. There are several companies in different parts of the chain, with whom the bio-energy plant staff need to co-operate when building and operating plants.
Prior to the project there were no comprehensive catalogues of market actors operating in the field. Information was collected from over 170 companies operating in different segments of the wood production and utilisation chain.
Information from Finland, Italy, Estonia, and Sweden have been collected by participating OPETs and compiled within the "European Wood Energy Actor Catalogue". The catalogue has been utilised in identifying co-operation partners, in searching for technology providers for projects, and in sourcing training. OPET Finland prepared a data collection form and model template, in which photos of essential products could be presented. The catalogue can be downloaded from the OPET Finland web site and it has been presented to international conferences and seminars, for example at the OPET stand (organised by OPET DEA) at Århus bio-energy conference in September 2002.
International events promote networking in Europe
The members of OPET network organised several business-to-business events for companies. The majority of events were study tours and workshops in foreign countries, each one tailored according to the needs of target groups, (usually SMEs). During the Bio-energy 2001 conference in Århus, Denmark, there were site visits to demonstration wood boilers using wood chips in district heating. In Slovakia, the Slovak Biomass Forum gathered over 90 bio-energy experts in Bratislava. The purpose of the workshop was to strengthen the bio-energy markets and improve the co-operation of different market actors in Slovakia, as well as to provide information about international bio-energy technologies.
International Slovak Biomass Forum 2002 in Bratislava,
organised by OPET Slovakia.
Tailored biomass tours: Finland
The role of Finland has been emphasized in bilateral co-operation, especially when searching for developed bio-energy technology and co-operation models in electricity production from biomass. Accordingly the OPET partners have invited Finnish bio-energy experts to present technologies at the market actor meetings. Many study tours have also been organised in Finland, during which it has been possible to provide participants with comprehensive information and familiarise participants with bio-energy production and use in practice.
Co-operation with Estonia, Great Britain, Germany and Austria started in 1996 and during recent years more distant countries, including China, have participated in the study tours. Finnish bio-energy experts have also visited partner countries to meet their energy experts. The results have been reported in each country's journals and travel reports and some common publications have been produced. The study tours have resulted in co-operation projects and international company contacts.
Wood energy actors group from Great Britain
visiting Finland and learning about new forest
residue bundling technology in practice.
SMEs in small-scale biomass heating benefits international co-operation
Small-scale bio-energy use is very well developed in Austria and European boiler manufacturers and other actors in the small-scale heating sector made several visits in Austria. During these study tours, the participants learned about the technologies at chip and pellet heating sites, as well as the processes involved in product testing and training of installers. Austrian technology experts and company representatives have participated in study tours to other EU countries. The experience of Austria has been especially useful in Finland, and co-operation has been realised in boiler testing, training and equipment import. A catalogue of small- and medium scale boiler manufacturers, including 113 company presentations, was published as a part of the international co-operation.
Actions
- Workshop
- Seminar
- Exhibition
- Technical Handbook
- Newsletter
- Study tours
- Fact sheets
- Market Actor Catalogues
Financial resources and partners
| European Commission | € 181,439 |
| OPETs | 82,249 |
| Total Cost | € 263,688 |
Project partners: OPET Finland, OPET Austria, OPET Estonia, OPET Denmark, OPET Italy, OPET Slovakia, OPET Slovenia, OPET South Spain and OPET Sweden.
Results
The projects collected a wide variety of best practices using wood for energy production. Best practices included wood fuel production, logistics, storage, combustion or gasification, emission control, ash recycling. The project results are published as fact sheets (2-5 pages/each) featuring information on the whole wood utilisation chain from "root to soot". Each fact sheet also includes a list of companies providing equipment for the project. Fact sheets are published in PDF format online (www.tekes.fi/opet) and have been distributed a as hard copies at relevant events. Fact sheets have been very efficient tool for disseminating new wood fuel harvesting technologies. For example, 10 additional enquiries were reported for Alholmens Kraft fact sheet from the wood harvesting technology manufacturer during the project duration.
Deliverables produced in the project:
Other performance indicators of the projects such as market actors participating in the seminars and study tours and number of persons in target audience reached are presented in the process phase in this Good Practice Result.
Lessons learned and replication potential
All the actions of the project (fact sheets, catalogues of market actors, study tours, site visits and seminars have been very successful and have resulted in further cooperation between companies and organisations. All the partners have benefited from the project by providing their expertise to others and at the same time learning from the same partners in their fields of expertise.
All the actions can easily be replicated and applied both in local level and in national level. The actions were targeted at companies operating in the field and were successful in attracting them to participate. Several companies made new contacts and realised new business possibilities.
Catalogues have been a good tool for networking companies operating in the same field and providing contacts between investors and project funding organisations. Technology transfer meetings have established new co-operation between companies in different countries and further co-operation projects are foreseen.
Special international biomass events including/excluding study tours or other co-operation in the bio-energy sector have given a good overview of the technologies available, and several contacts have been concluded as a result of the events. A computer software tools for installers and energy advisors to assist those choosing the best available wood fuel boilers for single-family houses has been evaluated by OPET Sweden.
Contact for more information
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Printed reports or other literature available
For downloading (free of charge): www.tekes.fi/opet
Other contacts
Motiva Oy
Irmeli Mikkonen
Irmeli.mikkonen@motiva.fi