[en] Biomass projects can help developing countries to protect their environment as well as to build a modem infrastructure. However, such projects present, in addition to the more typical risks associated with fossil-fuel projects, certain risks relating to the unique technologies and fuels used in such projects. Further, their location in developing countries regularly creates enhanced political and credit risk as well. Biomass power projects, like any other power project, must be financed. To be financeable, a power project should allocate risk in the most efficient way, so as to maximize return on investment. This paper examines the way in which various project documents can be structured to allocate most efficiently the technology and fuel risks unique to biomass projects, as well as the more typical risks, such as construction risk, permitting risk, expropriation risk, currency risk, country risk, sovereign risks, operating risks and credit risk. In addition, this paper summarizes the public financing sources and support that are available to assist in meeting the unique risk profiles of biomass projects. Specifically, it examines some of the principal multilateral and export credit agencies having involvement in this area. Finally, it examines potential strategies available to the developer of a biomass project for soliciting the involvement of, and negotiating with, local governments and public financing agencies. (author)

[en] The present publication presents the results of three UNIDO-sponsored case studies, each with a separate abstract, concerned with perspectives of development and utilisation of biomass energy resources in Brazil, Philippines and Romania. Emphasis is put on identifying regional biomass energy resources. Policies and strategies governing as well as barriers limiting the development and utilization of biomass energy are discussed. Innovative technologies as well as technology transfer related to biomass energy utilisation are dealt with, together with economic and environmental issues

[en] This is a conference paper. The last 20 years forestry has again begun to harvest wood fuel on a large scale, not only for use in wood burning stoves but also as chips for large-scale production of heat and electricity. Because of the deforestation in previous centuries, there has been recent concern about the present programmes in spite of their goal of substituting fossil fuels with wood. Harvesting whole trees has caused concern about possible depletion of nutrients since the larger part of the nutrients in a tree are found in branches and needles. However, this loss can be minimized by letting the trees dry on the felling ground for a few months before transportation. Recirculation of ashes from wood combustion is a way of balancing the nutrient budget. Intensive burning of wood from whole-tree harvesting should be accompanied by research on the impact on wild-life. 5 refs

[en] This conference paper discusses the role of pellets in the use of bioenergy in Sweden. Pellets (P) have many advantages: (1) P are dry and can be stored, (2) P create local jobs, (3) P burn without seriously polluting the environment, (4) P are made from domestic and renewable resources, (5) P have high energy density, (6) P fit well in an energy system adapted to nature, (6) P are an economical alternative, both on a small scale and on a large scale. Pellets are more laborious to use than oil or electricity and require about three times as much storage space as oil. The Swedish pellets manufacturers per 1997 are listed. Locally pellets are most conveniently transported as bulk cargo and delivered to a silo by means of pressurized air. Long-distance transport use train or ship. At present, pellets are most often used in large or medium-sized heat plants, but equipment exists for use from private houses and up to the size of MW. Pellets may become the most important alternative to the fossil fuels which along with electricity today are dominating the small scale market. 1 fig., 1 table

[en] Conference paper. The demand for energy in Europe at present amounts to 16 PWh. Of this, 50% is needed for heating, 27% for transportation, 23% for light, communication and power. The European Commission in 1996 proposed that the share of renewables should be doubled to 12% by 2010. It is calculated that 3/4 of the supply of renewables must be supplied by biomass. A comprehensive energy crop programme is needed to guarantee the supply. According to calculations, 77% of the bioenergy supply will be used to deliver heat. For small heating installations financial support is necessary to overcome the investment costs. It is recommended that biomass based district heating grids should be subsidized by a joint programme of the Commission and the national governments. For industrial users little or no subsidies are required. It is suggested that the members of the EU should submit to the commission regional heat concepts, ''heat from biomass'', of a certain specified content. The necessary investment should come from private investors, from public money and from the EU. Green electricity is a way to promote renewable energy resources. As a realistic target for electricity from biomass within 12 years, 80 TWh is proposed. The production of raw materials for the energy sector on set-aside land is unsuccessful because of the changing set-aside rate. Some remedial actions are proposed

[en] There is a large quantity of leftover (cut-off) branches after the trimming of fruit trees, both during in winter or during the vegetation period. In intensive production, trimming most often occurs as a combined cut, which means it is done both manually and with the help of machines. The leftover mass has to be taken care of in both cases. This paper deals with the apple tree biomass in the last 10 years expressed in tons, covering both the winter and vegetation period, and also about the possibility of using this biomass to replace fossil fuels. (author)

[en] Precommercial thinning and plantation cleaning offer opportunities for increasing the availability of wood fuel in Canada. In 1992, approximately 130 000 ha were treated with precommercial thinning or stand cleaning. Manual methods predominate in these silvicultural activities; however, at stand densities greater than 10 000 - 15 000 stems/ha, mechanized systems are more economical. Recovering this biomass for wood fuel would require changes to silvicultural systems and harvesting technology

[en] The recovery boilers of pulp mills are today the most significant producers of wood energy. The power-to-heat ratio of the power plant process, i.e., power yield, is poor in existing applications. In the study, an alternative of improving the power yield of conventional pulp mills significantly was studied by applying solutions used in power plants to a pulp mill. Extensive conversion of wood energy into electricity is possible only in the recovery boiler of the pulp mill and in a large combustion boiler of bark, wood waste and wood chips integrated to this boiler. Hence, the harvest and transports of wood raw materials, i.e. pulp wood and energy wood, are integrated, and the fraction going to cook and the energy wood fraction are separated at the pulp mill. The method guarantees competitive supply of energy wood. As a result a SELLUPOWER mill was designed, where the recovery boiler combusting black liquor and the large power plant boiler combusting energy wood are integrated to one unit and constructed to a power plant process with a high power-to-heat ratio. Necessary technical solutions, project costs and economical feasibility compared to a conventional pulp mill were determined, and the effect of different production-economical parameters was also studied. (orig.)

[en] Scottish Agricultural Colleges have recently completed an investigation into the potential of biodiesel and other uses of oilseed rape (traditional food use and specialist oils), funded by Scottish Enterprise. The study began as a result of the closure of the Glasgow crusher, which led to either the seed being transported to Liverpool at Pound 10-15/t or exported to Hamburg or Rotterdam - 50% of United Kingdom oilseed exports are out of Scotland. The advantages of Rape Methyl Ester (RME) production have already been spelt out, but the disadvantages are that the costs of production are high and the energy balance can be marginal under some circumstances. (Author)

[en] In the 1980s the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) resulted in large surpluses of main agricultural products; dealing with these surpluses consumed large parts of the Commission's and Member States' budgets. To alleviate this problem, a proposal for alternative land use is presented here: large-scale exploitation of biomass for industrial and energy uses, at the level of 600 to 800 million tonnes of oil equivalent a year. The important benefits to arise from this activity will include: job creation in rural districts, solutions to environmental problems, and technologies applicable in developing countries. (author)