( ) Matjaž Grmek, ApE

Transcription

1 Study Tour Slovenia ( ) Matjaž Grmek, ApE 1 Location We visited 3 locations: 1.1 Vransko Innovation Centre and district heating system Energetika Vransko 1.2 Biogas plant Organica nova and research centre in Bučecovci 1.3 Micro biomass district heating system in Beltinci Location of Energetika Vransko 1

2 Biogas plant in Bučecovci is the 7th Organica plant and located located somewhat in the middle of the others MDH Kovač is located in Beltinci not far from Bučecovci 2

3 2 Rationale of the study tour The study tour was linked to the partners project meeting on the previous day in Ljubljana. The site visit locations were chosen as they represent important milestones in the Slovenian RES story in the field of biomass. Two heating and one biogas plant were on the agenda, which was prepared also with the generous help of SLOBIOM, Slovenian Biomass association. The best way to learn about best practice examples and exchange experiences is to see it in person. In order to understand also the context around them two presentations from the forestry and agricultural Institute of Slovenia were given. The former presented the use and development of the forest biomass for energy purposes, the latter focused on the biogas production and use in Slovenia, mainly in the agricultural sector. Presentations were made at the Vransko Innovation Centre, which was our host for the first part a small workshop, where Slovenian bioenergy situation was presented to the partners. First Mr Marko Krajnc, general manager of the Energetika Vransko gave a presentation about the centre and district heating plant. He gave a short historical overview and then explained the technical details and operation of the plant. After the presentations and some questions answered Mr Krajnc showed us the research centre, and its installations. The main object is a furnace, which is used for testing of burn characteristics and calorific values of different materials. Other installations such as PV plant, solar thermal collectors, own developed lamp powered by a PV panel, speak of vast RES portfolio of the research centre, not focusing just on bioenergy. 3 Description of the sites 3.1 V ransko Energetika Vransko is a renewable energy success story and a good example of the local character and importance of the bioenergy. Vransko is located in the middle of the forest and has a long tradition of using wood also for energy purposes. Municipality Vransko with something more than 2500 inhabitants and forest covers 65% of its territory, which is above the Slovenian average. There is a factory of heating boilers KIV located in the town, where it all started. Not far from there also a small family company Sedeljšak of small scale wood biomass boilers is completing the picture. To make a biomass district heating was therefore a logical choice. In 2005 it was built in the industrial zone of KIV and the grid connects majority of households and all public buildings (20 bigger consumers altogether such as schools, kindergartens, health centre, municipality building etc.) of town Vransko. It was built inline with the long-term development strategy of the municipality Vransko to remove old boilers and reduce of greenhouse gas emissions use wood biomass from the surrounding area as domestic energy source in order to create new jobs and increase the employment in the local forests. The project was financially supported through governmental and GEF (Global Environment Facility Removing barriers to increased use of biomass as energy sources ) project grants as a capital stake. Owners of the biomass district heating are the municipality, industrial companies and the government (GEF). Municipality of Vransko is responsible for space heating of different public buildings which In the past used mostly old fuel oil and firewood boilers and needed to be renovated or exchanged with new ones. With building a biomass district heating system, expensive 3

4 renovation of boilers was avoided. Technical data: The total heat power of 2 biomass boilers is 3.2 MW and there is also one fuel oil boiler of 1.5 MW heat power for peak load and reserve. The total heat production is around 6.6 GWh per year and the reduction of CO2 emission is estimated at t per year. The length of heat network is 3.04 km. The heat power of connected consumers is 4.6 MW. Financial data: The total investment was about 2.2 million Euros. The wood biomass district heating system was built with more than 75% financial support of the Slovenian government. Grant (23%), supported by the Global Environment Facility GEF (23%) as a capital stake and soft loan of the Slovenian Eco-Fund (31%). The founder's share of the local community Vransko and industrial companies was about 23% 4Biomass partners at the Study Tour in Vransko, on 6 October 2011 The story got to another level in 2006 when based on the initiative of the EE and RES cluster Energetika Vransko established a research centre for renewable energy. The focus is now not only biomass but renewable energy in general. In portfolio is now also energy use of waste, solar energy and energy efficient building and constructing and of course education, and awareness raising. Mr Krajnc presenting Energetika Vransko to the 4biomass partners 4

5 Energetika Vransko PV plant and solar thermal installation on KIV Smaller of the two KIV biomass boilers at Energetika Vransko district heating 5

6 3.2 B i o g a s p l a n t V u č j a v a s Biogas plant in Bučecovci near Vučja vas is one of the latest and biggest in Slovenia. Biogas plant is owned and constructed by the group Keter Organica, which is their seventh (domestic) installation so far. The company was founded by Mr Marjan Kolar, one of the biggest farmers in Slovenia and is now become one of the leading renewable energy and in particular biogas plants developing companies in Slovenia. They sell their products and know-how also to the foreign countries. It all started when in 2004 Mr Kolar built his first biogas power plant on his farm in. he experienced quite some difficulties with its development and construction from an Austrian supplier as well as with its operation. Along the way he gathered many experience and learned a lot on how the biogas plant should be operated and built. Therefore when building the second one he decided he could do it on his own and sell the know-how also to the others rather to buy it elsewhere. This learning process is continued also in Vučja vas and it is now brought to another level. The plant is not just producing biogas, but it serves also as a research laboratory for producing various crops that would be used for biogas production and even new sort of biomass as algae. In the future also the produced heat would be used in full as a green house is going to be built part of it is already being used in a drying chamber. Biogas plant Vučja vas 6

7 3.3 Micro biomass district heating system Kovač in Beltinci This so called micro biomass district heating system is of minor size compared with the first two cases. Nevertheless it is important. It represents a very good example of what can be achieve on a micro level if there is good will and understanding. Mr Kovač is the local forest service manager and as he says he built it not for his own needs but in order to show people it can be a good solution for heating their homes and to enhance the production of wood for energy from the local forest owners, which are mainly farmers. In other words to walk what you talk. The grid its 250 m long and it provides heat for six houses with 850 m2 of heated space altogether. It was built in 2006 and has 110 kw wood chips boiler and 1800 l buffer with an inhouse built one month wood fuel storage of the capacity of 45 m3 and a yearly storage of 200 m3 in the vicinity. The total investment was EUR from which around 40% were government grants. It operates very successfully and much to the users content. Mr Kovač says that paramount for that is the guaranteed heat delivery and clear relations set and determined to the details within a written contract. It has to be a win-win situation for all parties involved. This know-how is not being kept for him but is being widespread as he is frequently asked for advice. Buffer storage and boiler room at the Kovač heating plant The importance of sustainable development and bioenergy was clearly underlined also by the mayor of municipality Beltinci dr. Gomboši and Ms Šumenjak-Sabol, the SLOBIOM president, who both joined the 4biomass group at lunch. 7

8 Mag Šumenjak-Sabol explained the Beltinci biomass story. Mayor of Beltinci welcomed the 4biomass group in Beltinci 8