ENEREED - Energy from reeds

In order to investigate the utilisation possibilities, a series of tests are being carried out in the reed belt of Lake Neusiedl, at existing plants and in the research partners' technical centre.

With a total of 18,000 hectares, Lake Neusiedl has the largest closed reed belt in Central Europe. This results in a considerable potential of 84,000 tonnes of biomass on Austrian territory alone, which has hardly been utilised to date. The ENEREED project is investigating possibilities for the energy recovery of old reeds in the areas of industry, biomass heating (power) plants and small biomass boiler plants (see Figure 2). Research into the utilisation possibilities is being carried out through a series of tests in the reed belt, in the plants of the cooperation partners and in the research partners' technical centre.

The existing harvesting technology is being scientifically monitored by the research partner TB Dr Beckmann and the Burgenland University of Applied Sciences in several series of tests with different machines in the reed belt, with the specific harvest quantities being determined using GPS tracking. To optimise the supply chain for the various end consumers, shredding tests are being carried out with different types of machines and the respective transport costs to the consumer are being evaluated.

The fuel properties of reeds are being analysed at the technical centre of the University of Applied Sciences Burgenland in Pinkafeld. Reed pellets are produced from the harvested raw material, which are then burnt in a wood chip/pellet boiler. By measuring gaseous and particulate emissions, both the possibilities and the limits of using reeds in small boilers can be demonstrated.

The use of reeds in fluidised bed gasification is being investigated by the research partner TU Vienna in a pilot plant. A series of tests will also be carried out with different reed/wood chip mixtures in a commercially available 3 MW wood chip boiler, as used for municipal heat supply.
Tests on the industrial use of reeds in the cement industry are being carried out at the Mannersdorf cement works. In a short-term and a long-term test, the effects on both process stability and product quality are analysed.

Based on the test series, the entire utilisation chain (harvesting technology, fuel logistics, processing and energy recovery) is considered and subjected to a holistic evaluation according to ecological, economic and technical criteria (see Figure 3). The implementation concept created on the basis of the holistic evaluation is intended to enable and promote the utilisation of this regional energy resource.
 

Conference papers and scientific publications

Beckmann, G., Krail, J. "Harvesting technologies for reeds in Austria" (presentation + contribution to the conference proceedings): Reed as a Renewable Resource 2013, 14 - 16 February, Greifswald (De).

Gold, D., Krail, J., Plank, H. "Influences of conditioning and additives on pellet production process" (presentation + contribution in the conference proceedings): World Sustainable Energy Days (WSEDnext) 2013, 27 - 28 February 2013, Wels.

Kitzler, H., Pfeifer, C., Hofbauer, H., 2011, "Gasification of Reed in a 100 kW Dual Fluidised Bed Steam Gasifier", in: Proceedings of the 19th European Biomass Conference, June 6-10 2011, Berlin, Germany.

Kitzler, H., Pfeifer, C., Hofbauer, H., 2011 "Gasification of Reed in a 100 kW Dual Fluidised Bed Steam Gasifier", at: International Conference on Polygeneration Strategies (ICPS11), 30 August - 1 September 2011, Vienna, Austria

Kitzler H., "Thermo-chemical utilisation of reeds for industrial applications", at: Workshop for Sustainable water management and wetland restoration in settlements of continental-arid Central Asia, November 28, 2011, Bolzano, Italy

Kitzler, H., Pfeifer, C., Hofbauer, H., 2011, "Characterising and Using of Reed Feedstock for Energetic Utilization by Steam Gasification", at: 10th International Conference on Circulating Fluidised Bed Technology (CFB10), May 1-5, 2011, Sunriver Oregon, United States of America.

Kitzler H., Pfeifer C., Hofbauer H., 2012, "Thermal Utilisation of Reed in a 3 MW District Heating Plant", at: 3rd International Conference on Environmental Science and Development, January 5-7, 2012, Hong Kong, China, in: APCBEE Procedia, Elsevier, ISSN: 2212-6708, pp 145-150.

Kitzler, H., Pfeifer C., Hofbauer H., "Combustion of Reeds in a 3 MW District Heating Plant", International Journal of Environment Science and Development, Vol. 3, No. 4, pp. 407-411, June 2012, IACSIT Publishing, ISSN: 2010-0264

Krail, J., Ragossnig, A., Wartha C., Plank, H. Brooks, L., 2011, "R&D Project ENEREED - Sustainable Energy Conversion from Reed.": World Sustainable Energy Days 2010, 03 - 05 March 2010, Wels.

Krail, J., Ragossnig, A., Wartha C., Plank, H. Ladinig, E., 2011, "R&D Project ENEREED - Sustainable Energy Conversion from Reed.": Central European Biomass Conference 2011, 26 - 29 January 2011, Graz.

Krail, J., Kitzler, H., Plank, H., Pfeifer, C., "Combustion of reed biomass in small and medium scale plants - Overview of laboratory and field test results.": 4th Central European Biomass Conference, 15 - 18 January 2014, Graz (submission approved as poster contribution).

Krail, J., "ENEREED - Sustainable Energy Conversion from Reed Biomass": Science Brunch Bioenergie Plus - Wege für Ressourceneffizienz und Klimaschutz, 18 January 2012, Vienna.

Krail, J., Plank, H., Ragossnig, A., Kitzler, H., Pfeifer C., Hofbauer H., Beckmann, G. "ENEREED - Sustainable ENErgy Conversion from REED Biomass - Overview of laboratory and field test results" (presentation + article in the conference proceedings): Reed as a Renewable Resource 2013, 14 - 16 February, Greifswald (De).

Plank, H., Krail, J. "Energy conversion of reed and wood in domestic wood-chip boilers": The Spring Biofuel Congress 2013, April 25-27, 2013, St. Petersburg (Ru).

Plank, H., Krail, J., Rath, W. "Energy conversion of reed and wood in domestic wood-chip boilers" (presentation + contribution in the conference proceedings): World Sustainable Energy Days (WSEDnext) 2013, 27 - 28 February 2013, Wels.

Ragossnig, A., Plank, R., Ehrenberg, C. "CO2- Grenzvermeidungskosten alternativer Brennstoffe in der Zementindustrie" (presentation + contribution in the conference proceedings): Depotech 2012, 6 - 9 November 2012, Leoben.

Rixrath, D., Wartha, C., Krail, J. "Economic and ecological evaluation of different supply chains for energy conversion from reed": 4th Central European Biomass Conference, 15 - 18 January 2014, Graz.

Rixrath, D., Wartha, C., Krail, J., Pausch, E. "Life Cycle Assessment of Energy Conversion from Reed" (lecture + contribution in the conference proceedings): Reed as a Renewable Resource 2013, 14 - 16 February, Greifswald (De).

Master theses

Gold, D., "Untersuchung der Auswirkungen von Materialkonditionierung und Pelletierhilfsmitteln auf den Pellets- Produktionsprozess", Master thesis at the study programme Energy and Environmental Management, University of Applied Sciences Burgenland GmbH, 2013.

Herr, G., "Ökonomische Bewertung der energetischen Verwertung von Schilf aus dem Raum Neusiedler See", Master thesis at the study programme Sustainable Energy Systems, University of Applied Sciences Burgenland GmbH, 2012.

Ladinig, E., "Alternative input materials in the cement industry", Master's thesis in the Energy and Environmental Management programme, University of Applied Sciences Burgenland GmbH, 2011.

Pausch, E., "Ökologische Bewertung der energetischen Verwertung von Schilf aus dem Raum Neusiedler See", Master's thesis in the Building Technology and Facility Management programme, University of Applied Sciences Burgenland GmbH, 2013.

Plank, H., "Konzeption eines Kesselprüfstandes für feste Biomassebrennstoffe", Master's thesis in the Energy and Environmental Management programme, University of Applied Sciences Burgenland GmbH, 2011.

Plank, R., "CO2 avoidance costs when using reeds as an alternative fuel in the Austrian cement industry", Master's thesis at the Energy and Environmental Management degree programme, University of Applied Sciences Burgenland GmbH.

Articles in mass media

ENEREED - Sustainable Energy Conversion from Reed Biomass. - BioenergyPlus. Paths for resource efficiency and climate protection. Climate + Energy Fund information brochure, 2012.

Project: Generating energy from reeds. - Courier, 15 April 2012.

Energy grows on the steppe lake. - Standard "Research Special", 23 January 2013.

The treasure in Lake Neusiedl. - Kronen Zeitung "Die grüne Krone - Das Journal für Nachhaltigkeit", 18 June 2014.

Final report

Krail, J., Rixrath, D., Plank, H., Ragossnig, A., Wartha C., Kitzler, H., Pfeifer, C., Hofbauer, H. Beckmann G., "ENEREED - Sustainable Energy Conversion from Reed" project report. 2013.