Biomass Gasification for Combined Heat and Power in the Chipboard Industry

This paper provides details of a feasibility study into the application of small-scale wood chip gasification-based combined heat and power (CHP). Gasification itself is not a new technology, however there has been renewed interest recently in the quest for small-scale gasification from renewable energy sources, such as biomass and wood waste. The UK Government is committed under the Kyoto Protocol and various EC regulations and recommendations to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, increasing the use of renewable energy sources and increasing energy efficiency through the use of CHP. This technology will help to achieve all three of these goals. There has been an assessment of the wood chip supply position in Ireland, based on information from Balcas, the largest timber milling company in Ireland, and the Northern Ireland Forestry Service. This study shows that there has been a 30% increase in output from Ireland’s forests over the last five years. A conservative estimate is that over the next five years the output will increase by another 60%, mainly in the North West of Ireland. Therefore, the volume of wood chips required for any proposed size of CHP unit is not expected to have any noticeable impact on the market price or availability of wood chips.