Fundacion Comunidad Valenciana - Regio Europea - would like to install a biomass gasifier in a company that needs both outputs: energy and heat for its capacities, using rice straw.

The cultivation of rice has been closely linked toValencian Region's history. Approximately 14.000 has of the agrarian surface of the Region is occupied by rice fields.

The rice straw, as a waste material is a problem for the citizenship health, its elimination is not feasible through non-polluting means such as animal feeding due to its low digestibility. Furthermore, the transport of such a high-volume load over a long-distance is non-profitable. The elimination method traditionally applied has been the burning of the rice straw. This causes an increase in the carbon emissions level to the atmosphere, risk of forest fires and loss of a resource with great potential.

Additionally, this traditional method in a long term contributes to the degradation of soil properties, and a loss of the vegetative cover totally opposite to the traditional conviction that clean-up the soil-surface.

The objective of this initiative is the management of the agricultural wastes coming from rice cultivation that at present are burnt.To avoid the burning of those agricultural-wastes and giving them a more correct use, the project foresees to develop a methodology based on its use as biomass fuel through a gasifier equipment. This technology transforms this agricultural-waste into electricity and heat.

The proposal intends to install such biomass gasifier in a company that needs both outputs: energy and heat for its own use.

Keywords: biomass, heating systems, electricity generation, IEE2, Altener

Contact: - Beatriz Artuñedo bartunyedo@delcomval.be