EVENT Bioenergy International No 83, 7-2015 45 cornerstone for the rebuild of the tax system, shifting tax load from labour to energy and pollution. “Kreisläufe schließen” “Kreisläufe schließen” or “closing the loops” was the theme of the conference framing a very diverse set of presentations. The first day covered frameworks and current climate and energy situation on national and international level whereas day two looked at district heating utilities. All three introductory speakers, led by Johann Seitinger, emphasized the current situation with the refugee-crisis affecting Europe likely to overshadow the most important climate event in Paris– COP21. The speakers agreed that the refugeeflow arriving in Europe as we see it now is only a foretaste for what Europe should be prepared for if a climate agreement cannot be achieved and the global temperature increases far beyond the target of 2°C. Pushing for carbon tax Framed by this gloomy outlook it was heartening to experience the spirit from the oncoming speakers how they have contributed to the successes of the bioenergy sector in Austria in the last 20 years and how they aim to achieve the ambitions goal of one third of Austria’s energy end-use by biomass in 2030. Josef Plank, President of ABA, presented the association’s “Bioenergy 2030” vision highlighting that it is high time that the nation’s climate ambitions are raised. Furthermore the ABA in coalition with partners from other industrial sectors are proposing that the implementation of such ambitions are supported through the introduction of a carbon tax as part of a package of supportive measures. Robert Fischer from the Swedish Bioenergy Association, Svebio, was the first of two speakers invited from abroad to contribute with their country´s experiences to the conference. Fischer emphasized how the CO2 tax as introduced in 1991 targeting the non-ETS-sectors has contributed to a rapid decarbonisation especially of the Swedish heating sectors and how the green electricity certificate as introduced in 2003 encouraged investments in biobased-CHP in district heating and industry. Sweden has successfully reduced CO2 emissions by 30 percent from 1970-levels to 1990 and another 25 percent from 1990 levels to 2014. In fact oil based heating in homes has dropped from over 90 percent in the 1970s to about 1 percent today. The renewable energy share of energy end-use is above 50 percent since 2011 and biomass contributes 34 percent or around 130 TWh to Sweden’s energy end-use. The full carbon tax of EUR 121/tonne CO2 is applicable to all sectors from 2018, when finally the last exceptions to heavy industry are expiring. Fine removal and ash recycling Other presentations looked at the benefits of closing the material and nutrient loops with fines removal and ash recycling. Recent research points at advantages from sifting the fine particles from wood chips prior combustion and returning or keeping these in the forest. Advantages cited include reduced ash and moisture content and increased heat content of the wood chips whereas the removed fines enables a higher share of nutrient elements in the forest, and through faster decomposition processes of these particles returns nutrient elements faster into the biological nutrient cycle. Micro- and medium CHP About 2100 small- and large-scale biobased heating systems are operational in Austria, where a large share of the smaller systems are owned and operated by farmers and forest estates. Like speaker Tobias Ilg from EnergieWerk Ilg GmbH, a micro-combined heat and power (CHP) plant in Dornbirn, who told of his practical experiences with the Syncraft Engineering wood gasification micro-CHP system. One of the challenges district and local heating utilities in Austria and elsewhere in the EU face are the emission limits for medium combustion plants (MCP Directive emission limits – 1MW to 50MW). This EU directive, which came into force in May this year, was discussed and it was generally agreed that the transition periods until 2030 should allow sufficient time for upgrades to reach compliance with the new emission limits. Other highlights of this session included examples of integration of solar thermal and heat pump systems into local heating systems, which make economic sense to cover base loads throughout the warmer periods of the year, leading to higher system utilisation rates and lower per MWh costs. A fast walk-through from different manufacturers about exciting developments of wood-gasification, micro- and small CHP systems, showcasing the latest improvements in this sector highlighted by the achieved above 8 000 hours per annum system availabilities, which is crucial for industrial applications. Presentations about technical issues included leakage warning and detection systems, legionella and other hygienic threats in water and air supply systems and the importance of water quality in the pipe networks put a focus on the challenges operators are faced with. Biomass supply logistics, safety in heating plants and the importance of proper insurance of such plants as well as the directors and officers liability insurance complemented the second day of this well organized event. Congratulations and happy birthday to the Austrian Biomass Association´s 20th anniversary! Text: Robert Fischer Photos & illustration courtesy ABA BI83/5118/AS A well attended Austrian biomass conference took stock on what has been achieved and what remains to be done. US-based underground construction, surface mining, tree care, environmental and agricultural equipment manufacturer Vermeer Corporation has announced that effective November 2015, Jason Andringa will serve as the company’s President and CEO. Prior to becoming president and CEO, Andringa served as president and COO. This announcement was first made in August 2014, as part of the family-owned company’s succession planning. – I’m excited, honoured and humbled to have the opportunity to continue my family’s legacy of leadership at Vermeer into the third generation. We will continue to fulfill our promise to our customers by capitalizing on our strengths - innovative, high-quality products; entrepreneurial dealers; and the diligent practice of continuous improvement while continuing to create opportunities for growth with today’s fast-moving customer expectations in mind,” said Jason Andringa who joined Vemeer in 2005. Mary Andringa, current CEO and chair of the board, will continue the role of chair of the board. – It’s been a great honor and privilege to be CEO. I am confident in Jason and the entire team who will continue the work that’s been happening here for the last 68 years as they lead this company into a bright future,” said Mary Andringa. BI83/5116/AS Vermeer names new President and CEO
Bioenergy International no 7 December 2015
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