Time for Biomass

The Polish Chamber of Biomass Program


It is high time to start thinking about the near future, when there will be a dramatic downfall in fossil fuel sources, especially when more than 85% of the worlds energy demand is satisfied this way. During one year, people use energy, from sources, that needed more than 500 thousand years to develop, and the demand is constantly growing. According to forecasts for 2035 it will double. By that time all known oil pools will be nearly empty.

 

It is impossible to imagine life without food and energy. Our civilization would not be able to exist in present condition without electricity and heating, and it is still not too late to implement crucial changes. Enormous energy shortages during the last years made the specialists aware of the importance of diversified energy source, and best of all, used from the renewable energy plants. This way, a new branch of human activity is being created, that will ensure energetic security and provide employment.

 

Poland is on a privileged position, because it has a great biomass energy potential. Other sources of alternative energy (such as: wind, water, sun) are also very important, but all together they provide only few percent of this potential. By the year 2010, according to the UE directive 2001/77/WE, over 7,5% of electricity should be utilized from the renewable sources (which is about 2,5 times more than nowadays). Therefore it is time to start thinking seriously about the biomass, which is a fuel known for centuries (combustible wood), as well as other „substances of a plant or animal origin” that biodegrade.

 

Goals of the Polish Chamber of Biomass


Appeals and directives are useless, without the drive and effort of many institutions and companies, which would simply profit from it. That is why the Polish Chamber of Biomass was established. The goal is to enhance profitability of energetic agriculture, and biomass processing, as well as ensure higher safety of energy supply chain. It is crucial to make it less expensive than the fossil-fuel sourced energy, which is very often transferred long distances. New technologies of biomass utilization for energetic purpose have to be developed. It will also help to protect environment, especially against harmful effects of CO2 (carbon dioxide) emission which causes the greenhouse effect. Our goal is also to activate local communities and to fight unemployment, especially in small towns and in agricultural areas.

 

Who are the members of the Polish Chamber of Biomass?


The Chamber associates economic entities that want to find their business in production of renewable energy. Those are the producers of biomass fuels, which include more and more popular pellet production, biomass energy utilization systems, and distributors of liquid fuels. A large group of members is represented by installing companies from Poland. They are most effective propagators of changing the every day usage fuel type. Other institutions are also associated, working for better utilization of biomass, headed by Polish Biomass Association POLBIOM, which is a non-governmental organization and a member of European Biomass Association in Brussels. In this group of members there are also numerous scientific institutes, supplying the Chamber with merit and organizational support. It is essential to mention: Institute of Agricultural Building, Mechanization and Electrification from Warsaw, Institute of Heating and Sanitary Technology from Radom, Wood Technology Institute from Poznan and the Chamber Institute of Chemical Coal Transformation in Zabrze.

 

What is the Chamber dealing with?


Under the legal authorization, the Polish Chamber of biomass deals with lobbying favorable resolutions for alternative energy sources in the legislative as well as fiscal and economical matter. It is a long range task. Nevertheless, it is impossible to overestimate the importance of the issue.

 

More recent works concentrate in a few main task-groups: Enhancement of development of pellet market in Poland is a very important, because until now the whole ecological effect was transferred abroad. The conscience of consumers, that the renewable energy is half less expensive that furnance oil and gas is relatively low. It is submitted to change.

 

The biggest energy resources are not lying in the process of biomass burning, but in an oxygen-free fermentation. There is also a share for organic wastes here, which are utilized non-productively nowadays. This also has to change. Obtained bio-gas will supply electricity and heat. This will cause, that many villages and small town would become energetically self-sufficient. In Germany there are already more than 2500 small biothermal-electric power stations.

 

Karol Teliga "400 TKB" program intends to exchange more than half a million of coal - fired furnance, for far more efficient, modern biomass ones. It implies a large scale ecological and economic effect. Unfortunately, without governmental support it will be difficult to enhance this process. The Chamber will strive for such support.

 

Preparations to implement the ability to trade CO2 emission capacity are currently under way. EU will introduce these solutions in 2005, followed by the rest of the world, which became possible after Russia joining the Kyoto Protocol. Poland may gain lot from these kinds of transactions, but also a lot has to be done. Investment projects with the biomass usage are in this process crucial. The Chamber is imposing preparation for this implementation.

 

Increase in utilization of ecological fuel such as biomass, needs certification. This system will be prepared by the scientific institutes, cooperating with the Chamber (Poznan, Radom, Zabrze), but the production of biomass has to be accelerated. A system of biomass contractation from “energy farms” should become one of the crucial specialties of the polish agriculture. The Chamber will coordinate works on putting to life unions of producers and organizations receiving biomass throughout energetic sector. It is not an easy process, but it is also the only way to optimally utilize agricultural resources.

 

Finally, it is essential to mention, that the Chamber organizes fairs and exhibitions, as well as courses for members. It also propagates utilization of newest technologies. Nevertheless, these are routine tasks, which cannot distract attention from basic problems to solve.

 

How to replace, at least partially, fossil fuels with the renewable ones?


It's time to think about the consequences in nearest future, when the fossil fuel sources will shorten dramatically… Polish Chamber of Biomass - http://www.biomasa.org.pl/

November 2004

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