renewable energy technologies - long term research in - europa

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Renewable EnergyTechnologiesLong Term Research in the 6th Framework Programme 2002 I 2006

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Ren

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22399

ISSN 1018-5593

This brochure provides an overview of research and development in the field ofrenewable energy, describing the current state of the art and the results achieved inEU-funded research projects under the Thematic Programme ‘Sustainable EnergySystems’ of the 6th Framework Programme 2002-2006. The projects, which have beencompiled into four research areas - photovoltaics, biomass, other renewable energysources and connection to the grid and socio-economic tools and concepts forenergy strategy – are summarised giving the scientific and technical objectives andachievements od each, plus contact details for the participating organisations.

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European Commission

EUR 22399 – Renewable Energy Technologies – Long Term Research in the 6th Framework Programme 2002 I 2006

Luxembourg: Office for official Publications of the European Commities

2007 – 160 pp. – 21.0 x 29.7 cm

ISBN 92-79-02889-8ISSN 1018-5593

Renewable EnergyTechnologiesLong Term Research in the

6th Framework Programme 2002 I 2006

2007 EUR 22399

Directorate-General for ResearchSustainable Energy Systems

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ISBN 92-79-02889-8ISSN 1018-5593

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Table of Contents

Foreword......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 5

Photovoltaics........................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 7

Thin Film Technologies .......................................................................................................................................................................................................... 8

New and Emerging Concepts ....................................................................................................................................................................................... 20

Wafer-Based Silicon ................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 30

Pre-normative Research and Co-ordination Activities............................................................................................................... 36

Biomass.............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 41

Biofuels for Transport............................................................................................................................................................................................................. 42

Energy from Crops...................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 46

Gasification and H2-production................................................................................................................................................................................ 50

Biorefinery ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 64

Combustion and Cofiring .................................................................................................................................................................................................. 68

Pre-normative Research and Co-ordination Activities............................................................................................................... 74

Other Renewable Energy Sources and Connection to the Grid...................... 83

Wind .............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 84

Geothermal ........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 90

Ocean............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 98

Concentrated Solar Thermal .......................................................................................................................................................................................... 106

Connection of Renewable Energy Sources to the Grid .............................................................................................................. 118

Socio-economic Tools and Concepts for Energy Strategy.......................................... 133

Economic and Environmental Assessment of Energy Production and Consumption ...................................................................................................................................................... 134

Social Acceptability, Behavioural Changes and International Dimension related to Sustainable Energy RTD ................................................................................ 140

Annexes............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 155

List of Country Codes ................................................................................................................................................................................................. 156

List of Acronyms .................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 157

Energy Units Conversion ....................................................................................................................................................................................... 158

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The use of renewable energy sources in Europe will increase, leading to a more sustainable energymix, reduced greenhouse gas emissions and a lower dependency from oil. In pursuit of the Kyotoprotocol and the revised Lisbon strategy the European Union has set itself the ambitious goal toderive 12% of its total energy consumption from renewable energy sources by 2010.

The Framework Programmes for Research and Development (FP) of the European Union have contributedfrom their beginning to the development of renewable energy technologies. These Community actionshave a proven European added value in terms of building critical mass, strengthening excellence andexercising a catalytic effect on national activities. In combination with national activities, working atEuropean level with an adequate combination of innovation and regulatory measures has producedsubstantial results.

For example technological progress has enabled a ten-fold increase in the sizes of wind turbines,from 50 kW units to 5 MW, in 25 years and a cost reduction of more than 50% over the last 15 years.In consequence, the installed capacity has increased 16 times in the last ten years to reach 40 GW inEurope. In 2005, the world production of photovoltaic modules was 1760 MW compared to 90 MWin 1996. Over the same period, the average module price has decreased from about 10 €/W (1996)to about 3 €/W (2005).The average annual growth rate of about 35% in the past decade makesphotovoltaics one of the fastest growing energy industries.

The European technology platforms (ETPs) established in the energy field (hydrogen and fuel cells,photovoltaics, biofuels, solar thermal technologies, wind energy, smart grids, zero-emission fossilfuels power plant) have demonstrated the readiness of the research community and industry,together with other important stakeholders, such as civil society organisations, to develop a commonvision and establish specific roadmaps to achieve it. These technology platforms are already havingan influence on the European and national programmes. The platforms themselves are calling foraction at European level and a framework for the elaboration of large-scale integrated initiativesneeds to be developed for this to happen.

This brochure presents an overview on the 64 medium-to-long term research projects aiming at thedevelopment of renewable energy sources and technologies, including their connection to the gridand socio-economic research related to renewable energy sources, which were funded through the‘Sustainable Energy Systems’ programme managed by DG Research under the 6th FrameworkProgramme in the period 2002-2006.

Amongst the 64 projects presented here photovoltaics and biomass were the most important sectors,supported with 66.5 M€ and 82.5 M€ respectively, while for the other sources of renewable energysuch as wind, geothermal, solar concentrating and ocean energy 45.5 M€ were spent in total. Thesocio-economic aspects of renewable energy were also studied in projects funded to the level of 20 M€.These long-term research efforts were supplemented by short-term research and demonstrationactions in the short to medium term part of the programme, which is not included in this brochure.

The projects are grouped by energy source, i.e. photovoltaics, biomass etc. rather than fundinginstrument. This allows the reader to gain a quick and comprehensive view of the European researchactivities in each technical area. An electronic version of this brochure will be available on the web(http://ec.europa.eu/research/energy/index_en.htm) allowing easy online access to the projects.

I hope that this publication will be of interest to many, and particularly those considering furtherindustrial development of renewable energy sources and those planning to participate in FP7.

Raffaele LIBERALIDirector

Foreword

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Thin Film Technologies ................................................................................................................................................................................. 8

ATHLET......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 8

BIPV-CIS.................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 12

FLEXCELLENCE................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 14

LARCIS ......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 16

SE-POWERFOIL ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 18

New and Emerging Concepts.......................................................................................................................................................... 20

FULLSPECTRUM ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 20

HICONV ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 24

MOLYCELL ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 26

ORGAPVNET ......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 28

Wafer-Based Silicon............................................................................................................................................................................................ 30

CRYSTAL CLEAR ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 30

FOXY............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 34

Pre-normative Research and Co-ordination Activities....................................................... 36

PERFORMANCE ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 36

PV-CATAPULT ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 38

Photovoltaics

ChallengesLong-term scenarios for a sustainable globaldevelopment suggest that it should be feasible, bythe middle of this century, to provide over 80% ofelectric power by a mix of energy from renewablesources. Photovoltaics are one important optionwhich can provide a significant share of over30% of such a mix. This Integrated Project (IP) isfocused on the development, assessment andconsolidation of photovoltaic thin film technology,and on the most promising material and deviceoptions, namely cadmium-free cells and modules,based on amorphous, micro- and polycrystallinesilicon as well as on I-III-VI2-chalcopyrite compoundsemiconductors.

The overall challenge is to provide the scientificand technological basis for industrial mass pro-duction of cost-effective and highly efficient,environmentally sound and economically compliantlarge-area thin film solar cells and modules. Bydrawing on a broad basis of expertise, the entirerange of module fabrication and supportingR&D will be covered: substrates, semiconductorand contact deposition, monolithic series inter-connection, encapsulation, performance evaluationand applications. Photovoltaics have become anincreasingly important industrial sector over thepast ten years. PV is a widely accepted technologyand numerous kinds of solar modules and PVsystems are commercially available. The expansionof the production volume of PV systems will beaccompanied by considerable cost reductions.

Therefore the main challenges are:

• Significantly reducing the cost/efficiencyratio towards € 0.5/WP in the long run.

• Providing the know-how and the scientificbasis for large-area PV modules by identifyingand testing new materials and technologieswith maximum cost reduction.

• Developing the process know-how and theproduction technology, as well as the designand fabrication of specialised equipment,resulting in low costs and high yield in theproduction of large area thin film modules.

O B J E C T I V E S

ATH

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Advanced Thin Film Technologies for Cost Effective Photovoltaics

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The overall goal of this project is to provide the scientific andtechnological basis for industrial massproduction of cost-effective andhighly efficient large-area thin filmsolar modules. This includes thedevelopment of the process know-howand the production technology, as well as the design and fabricationof specialised equipment.

A successful development willestablish Europe as the leadingproducer of thin film solar modulesand maintain European leadership in photovoltaics (PV) over the longerterm. The main objectives are two-fold: development andimprovement of existing thin film PV technologies, with the goal ofincreasing the module efficiency/costratio towards a target of € 0.5/Wp,and the establishment of know-howand a scientific basis for a futuregeneration of PV modules bydeveloping new device concepts,materials and production processes.

Project StructureTo meet these challenges, existing concepts formaterials and technology will be improved andbrought to ma turity in close cooperation withindustry, and new options will be investigated formaterials and new types of solar cells to providethe scientific and technological basis for thenext generation of PV devices. Accordingly, there search activities range from basic research toindustrial implementation. This is reflected inthe division of the project into 4 horizontal(trans-disciplinary) and 2 vertical (along valuechain) sub-projects:

THIN F ILM TECHNOLOGIES

Two vertical sub-projects (SP) are oriented along the valuechain:

SP III focuses on large area, environmentally sound chalcopyrite modules with improved efficiencies;

SP IV deals with the up-scaling of silicon-based tandemcells to an industrial level.

Four horizontal sub-projects have a trans-disciplinarycharacter:

SP V will provide analysis and modelling of devices andtechnology for all other sub-project;

SP I will demonstrate higher efficiencies of lab scale cells;

SP II will focus on module aspects relevant to all thinfilm technologies;

SP VI will ensure that the performed work will have apositive impact on the environment and society.

An experienced management will help the consortiummeet its goals.

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This Integrated Project, which consists of the sixinterlinked sub-projects visualised above, coversthe area of fundamental research, technologicaldevelopment and production issues relating tothe most relevant photovoltaic thin film tech-nologies. For the first time, the research on thesetechnologies will be carried out within a jointscientific framework. Close cooperation of theresearch teams in the horizontal and verticalprojects, in combination with common workshopsand panel discussions, will guarantee a continuous

exchange and flow of know-how in both direc-tions. All sub-projects are embedded in a man-agement unit. The management controls thecompliance with the objectives, which aredefined in milestones and deliverables. It willalso coordinate all reporting required, providelegal assistance and moderate all negotiationsbetween project partners concerning relevantcommercial and scientific results. The six sub-projects contain 23 work packages altogether.

Table 1: IP sub-projects and work packages

Sub-project (SP) SP leader Work packagesWP1 CIGS on flexible substrates and for tandem solar cells

I. High Efficiency Solar Cells FZJ WP2 Advanced multi-junction Si thin film solar cellsWP3 High-efficiency poly-Si solar cellsWP4 Isolated substrates

II. Thin Film Module Technology ECNWP5 Contact technologiesWP6 EncapsulationWP7 Serial interconnection and demonstrationWP8 Process-related absorber surface modification,

wet-chemical or dry interface engineeringIII. Chalcopyrite Specific

ShellWP9 Buffer layer deposition by CBD technique

Heterojunctions WP10 Buffer layer deposition by spray techniquesWP11 Buffer layer deposition by sputter techniqueWP12 Low-cost reactive TCO sputtering from rotatable targetWP13 Large-area opticsWP14 Process studies and plasma diagnostics

IV. Thin Film Modules on glass UniNE WP15 Inline deposition of siliconWP16 Batch deposition of siliconWP 17 Module characterisationWP18 Advanced electrical and optical modelling

V. Analysis and Modelling UGENT

of thin film solar cellsof Devices and Technology WP19 Materials and device analysis

(structural, optical and electrical)WP20 Sustainability assessment

VI. Sustainability, UNN- of new developments in ATHLETTraining and Mobility NPAC WP21 Thin film implementation scenarios

WP22 Mobility and trainingManagement HMI WP23 Consortium management

Expected ResultsThe state-of-the-art for advanced thin film PVtechnology and the enhancement within theproposed project is summarised in Table 2.

ATH

LET

Advanced Thin Film Technologies for Cost Effective Photovoltaics

10 THIN F ILM TECHNOLOGIES

Table 2: Expected enhancement of the state-of-the-art

Technology State-of-the-art Substrate, process Planned enhancement in IP(efficiencies) (for Europe)

Lab cells a-Si/µc-Si 12% (Kaneka) On glass, PE-CVD 14%

11% (UniNE, FZJ) Poly Si 9% (Sanyo) On metal substrate, SPC 15% on foreign substratesCIGS low gap 19.2 % (NREL) On glass, co-evaporation

16-17% (NREL) On metal foil, co-evaporation 18% on metal foil9% on polyimide foil

CIGS wide gap 12-13% (HMI) On glass, sputtering, PVD 13-14%, advanced equipment.10% @ 60% IR transparencyfor tandem applications

CIGS tandem 7% (HMI) On glass, co-evaporation 15%Prototypes, pilot production

a-Si/µc-Si 10% (Kaneka, FZJ) On glass 30x30 cm2 (FZJ) Equipment for cost-effectiveOn glass 3738 cm2 (Kaneka) production of 10% modules

(1 m2 @ costs towards € 0.5/Wp) CIGS wide gap 10% (Sulfurcell) On glass 5x5 cm2, sputtering, 10% on 125x65 cm2

PVDCommercial product

a-Si 6-7% (Unisolar, On glass, PE-CVDSCHOTT, Kaneka,...)

CIGS low gap 10% (Shell, Würth) On glass, co-evaporation 11-12%, cost-effectiveness,environmentally sound

Project Information

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Other expected results are:

• Strategic impact: reinforcing competitivenessand solving societal problems: the aim is toimprove the cost-effectiveness of thin filmPV modules to substantially increase theircontribution to the sustainable energies supply.Europe, Japan and the US contribute thelargest share of PV production worldwide.Europe was on a level with Japan in 1997.During 2002 Japan was already responsiblefor almost 50% of global PV production.

• Reinforcing competitiveness of small andmedium-size enterprises (SME): the technologytransfer of new solar cell technologies fromthe lab to industry will help to reinforcecompeti tiveness of small and medium-sizeenterprises (Solarion, Sulfurcell). It can beassumed that results from this project willinspire the foundation of new companies.

• Innovation-related activities, exploitation anddissemination plans: international consolidatedsolar cell producers, like Shell Solar andSCHOTT Solar, are an integral part of the project.They co-operate closely with the R&D partners.The industries will exploit the results generatedwithin the project. Dissemination of the R&Dresults will occur internally and externally.

• Added value of the work at EU level: thisproject aims at decreasing the cost of PVelectricity to competitive levels by focusingon new and improved thin film technologiesand materials.

Contract number19670

Duration48 months

Contact personProf. Dr. Martha Ch. Lux-SteinerHahn-Meitner-Institut [email protected]

List of partnersApplied Films GmbH & Co. KG – DECIEMAT – ESCNRS (ENSCP) – FRECN – NLForschungszentrum Jülich GmbH – DEFree University of Berlin – DEFyzikalni ustav Akademie ved Ceske republiky – CZHahn-Meitner Institut GmbH – DEInter-university Micro-electronics Centre – BEInstitut für Zukunftsstudien undTechnologiebewertung GmbH – DESaint-Gobain Recherche – FRSchott Solar GmbH – DEShell Solar GmbH – DESolarion GmbH – DESulfurcell Solartechnik GmbH – DESwiss Federal Institute of Technology Zürich – CHUnaxis Balzers AG – LIUniversity of Gent – BEUniversity of Ljubljana – SIUniversity of Neuchâtel – CHUniversity of Northumbria at Newcastle – GBUniversity of Patras – GRZSW – DE

Websitewww.hmi.de/projects/athlet/

Project officerDavid Anderson

Statusongoing

ChallengesIn most cases, the integration of PV systemsgives a building a ’high tech’ modern appearance,since most conventional PV modules have a typicalwindow-like surface. Considering, however, that90% of the building stock is older than 10 yearsand therefore has a more or less ‘old-fashioned’appearance, it is evident that aesthetic buildingintegration of PV calls for a lot of willingnessfrom planners and creativity from architects.Many PV systems integrated into existing buildingsdo not harmonise with the building and its sur-roundings, indicating a potential for conflict withurban planners. We therefore pay special attentionto architectural and aesthetic questions. Anotherkey fact is that the market for refurbishing andmodernising old buildings is much larger thanthe market for new buildings. Therefore, there arenot only aesthetic but also important economicgrounds for accessing this market.

O B J E C T I V E S

BIP

V-C

IS

Expanding the Potential for the Integration of Photovoltaic Systems into Existing Buildings

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Building integration of PV (BIPV)often leads to a ’high-tech’ andmodern appearance of buildings,caused by the typical window-likesurface of most conventional PV modules. In many PV systemsintegrated into existing buildings, the modules do not harmonise withthe surroundings.

The objectives of this project are to identify the potential and needs for improved BIPV components andsystems, as a basis for developingmodules without a glass/window-likeappearance, to develop and investigatefaçade elements and overhead glazing, both for the ventilated and theinsulated building skin based on CIS thin-film technology, to develop PV roof tiles which have a modifiedoptical appearance for betteradaptation to the building skin, to fabricate and test prototypesaccording to relevant standards andcarry out subsequent performancetests, and to develop electricalinterconnection components suitablefor thin-film modules.

Project StructureThe project consortium consists of seven indus-trial partners, two research institutes and threeuniversities. The project comprises a very broadapproach to the building integration of CISmodules since two proposals were mergedtogether by the European Commission. The fol-lowing topics are now being developed andinvestigated within the project:

• The integration of PV into the ventilatedbuilding skin

• The integration of PV into the insulatedbuilding skin

• Roof integration with CIS roof tiles.

Furthermore, we are investigating aesthetic,technological and legal aspects of integratingPV into existing buildings, as well as developingmodule components.

As a basis for the work mentioned above, studieswere conducted into European building regulationsthat strongly influence the construction anddimensioning of the modules and often forbid theuse of what are known as standard PV modules inbuilding integration. Also European surveys onroofing elements and on mullion/transomconstructions were conducted. A market studyprovided information about market needs.

Cost-optimised junction boxes which are especiallysuited for thin film modules are being developed inthe project. A solution for the invisible connectionof modules integrated in the insulated buildingskin will also be developed. The prototypes will betested in accordance with the relevant standards.


Project InformationContract number503777

Duration48 months

Contact personDieter Geyer Zentrum für Solarenergie undWasserstoffforschung Baden-Wü[email protected]

List of partnersDresden University of Technology – DE JRC – IT Ove Arup & Partners Ltd – GBPermasteelisa Group – ITSaint Gobain Recherche – FR Shell Solar GmbH – DESwiss Sustainable Systems – CH Tyco Electronics AMP – GBWarsaw University of Technology – PL Wroclaw University of Technology – PL Würth Solar – DEZSW – DE

Websitewww.bipv-cis.info

Project officerGeorges Deschamps

Statusongoing

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Expected ResultsThe main goal of the project is to improve theacceptance of PV in architectural environments.For that purpose, the results of this project asregards modification of module appearance willbe exploited by the CIS producing partners. Thejunction box for thin film modules to be developedin the project, as well as innovative edge con-nectors, will be used by the partners in theirmodule production line: they will also be availablefor the entire thin film module industry.

Progress to Date

PV in façades

Prototypes of CIS modules with modified opticalappearance on both front and rear sides, forimproved integration into surroundings, weredeveloped and characterised.

PV in overhead glazing

A prototype of novel overhead glazing includessemi-transparent CIS modules optimised fordaylight transmission.

Interconnection

Prototypes of a small junction box especiallysuited for thin-film modules were developed.Limiting the by-pass diodes to only one per boxallows a reduction in both size and cost. It is alsopossible to use the box for parallel inter -connection of the modules.

PV and architects

A workshop on the architectural fundamentalsof BIPV was held at the Glasstec fair inDüsseldorf on 9 November 2004.

Building regulations

European surveys were conducted on buildingregulations concerning PV building integration,on architectural glass, on mullion/transom con-structions, and on roofing materials suited for PV.

ChallengesThe technical challenges of the project are, onthe one hand, to allow the module manufacturersto implement new equipment and processes intheir production lines and, on the other hand, togive the equipment manufacturers the possibilityof constructing and selling equipment for completeproduction lines producing unbreakable modulesat unbeatable cost.

Consequently, all the commercially exploitableresults of the project are foreseen as being useddirectly by the companies involved in Flexcellence:VHF-Technologies is to set up an advanced pilotproduction line for 2 MW annual capacity byend-2006, and R&R and Exitech are expected tobe able to offer standardised roll-to-roll depositionsystems and laser scribing processes by the endof the project.

The scientific challenges of the project are tomaster the different interfaces in multi-layerdevices, to develop effective light-trappingschemes for n-i-p cells on flexible substrates, andto understand the interaction between the depo-sition conditions (for different kind of depositiontechniques) and device properties.

Project structureThe project is divided into eight work packages(WP) with a minimum of three participants ineach. The composition of the WP should ensurea maximum cross-fertilisation and exchange ofthe scientific and technological know-how. Theseven R&D work packages are organised in a logicalway, starting from substrate preparation (WP 2), tocells with increased complexity (WP 3-5), to themonolithic interconnection issue (WP 6). Then,the complete modules including packaging aretested (WP 7) and finally, detailed cost assessmentsfor multi-megawatt roll-to-roll production linesare given in WP 8.

The exploitation panel is formed of representativesof the industries in order to optimise theexploitation strategy of the project.

O B J E C T I V E S

FLEX

CELL

EN

CE

Roll-to-roll Technology for the Production of High-efficiency, Low-cost, and Flexible Thin Film Silicon Photovoltaic Modules

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The Flexcellence project aims atdeveloping the equipment and theprocesses for cost-effective roll-to-roll production of high-efficiency thin film modules,involving microcrystalline (µc-Si:H)and amorphous silicon (a-Si:H).

In particular its objectives are: to achieve a final blueprint planningof a complete production line for thinfilm silicon photovoltaic modules withproduction costs lower than € 0.5/Wp;to design and test the equipmentnecessary for the realisation of such lines; to demonstrate the high-throughput manufacturingtechnique for intrinsic µc-Si:H layer(equivalent to static deposition ratehigher than 2nm/s); and finally to show that the technologydeveloped in the project is suitable for the preparation of flexible µc-Si:H/a-Si:H tandem cells andmodules which satisfy the strictestreliability tests and guarantee long-term outdoor stability.

Expected resultsAll aspects necessary for a successful implemen-tation of this novel production technology areconsidered simultaneously.

In order to achieve high efficiency µc-Si:H/a-Si:Htandem devices, effective light-trappingschemes are implemented on flexible substratesand high-efficiency solar cells and modules aredeveloped on these new surfaces. Laboratory-scale solar cells and mini-modules (10*10 cm2)with 11% and 10% efficiency respectively are tobe fabricated in order to demonstrate that tandemjunction µc-Si:H/a-Si:H can compete with currenttechnologies for electricity output par square meter.

The deposition rates of the intrinsic micro -crystalline silicon (µc-Si:H) layers need to beincreased from typically 0.1nm/s to 2nm/s: threeof the most promising techniques for high ratedeposition are being investigated: Very HighFrequency Plasma Enhanced Chemical VapourDeposition VHF-PECVD, Hot Wire ChemicalVapour Deposition HWCVD and MicrowavePlasma Enhanced Chemical Vapour DepositionMW-PECVD. A benchmarking of the differentdeposition techniques will take place and willindicate which method emerges as the mostcost-effective and could be implemented in thedifferent pilot production lines of the partners.

In parallel system aspects, going from the cells tothe modules, is being studied. The critical aspectof monolithic cell integration with minimumelectrical and optical losses will be solved byusing scribing/screen-printing techniques and newconcepts for more cost-effective encapsulationmaterials and processes will be investigated.

All the innovative results, hardware develop-ments, concepts and designs developed in theproject will lead to new systems (substratepreparation/deposition reactor/laser scriber/screen-printer) that will be integrated directlyinto the pilot production lines. They will also beused for the final blueprint of multi-megawattproduction lines that can achieve the productionof modules with production costs of less than€ 0.5/Wp.



Duration36 months

Contact personsProf. C. Ballif / Dr. V. TerrazzoniUniversity of Neuchâ[email protected]

List of partnersECN – NL Exitech – GB Fraunhofer Gesellschaft (FhG-FEP) – DERoth und Rau – DEUniversity of Barcelona – ES University of Ljubljana – SIUniversity of Neuchâtel – CHVHF- Technologies – CH

Websitewww.unine.ch/flex


Statusongoing

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Progress to date As regards the high-quality and cost-effectivesubstrates, a first generation of metal foils withinsulating layers and plastic webs with nano-textured surfaces has been developed. High-quality reflectors have already been obtained onPET and PEN (Fig 1(b)). The first devices depositedon these substrates coated by FEP have reachedefficiencies higher than 7% and 8% for a-Si:Hand µc-Si:H cells respectively (laboratory scale).Single junction a-Si:H modules (surface area:30*60cm2) with stable efficiency higher than 4%have been obtained on flat substrates on thepilot production line at VHF-Technologies.

With respect to the high-throughput manufac-turing technique, ECN and R&R are commissioninga roll-to-roll MW-PECVD deposition system andthe UBA is designing a new laboratory scaleHW-CVD reactor. On its side, UniNE has alreadydemonstrated the possibility of depositingdevice-quality intrinsic µc-Si:H layers at 1.7nm/son 35*45 cm2 substrate area.

For the series connection, two priorities arecurrently addressed by EXI and VHF: the meltinginduced by the laser scribing at the edge of thelaser line, which must be minimised, and theremoval of the ITO layer on top of the siliconthat must be further developed. On its side, theUL-FEE succeeded in developing a 2D electricalmodel which already provides information onsuitable designs for the metallic contact on VHF-Technologies’ modules.

Finally, VHF-Technologies has conducted a costsimulation for 1 Mio m2 per year capacity plantsfor different type of cell technologies on polymersubstrates. Preliminary results show that:

• The standard EVA/ETFE encapsulation materialsdominate the bill for single and tandem cells.

• The production costs could be reduced to lessthan € 0.8/Wpeak for 5% efficiency a-Si:Hmodules.

• The preliminary estimation for µc-Si:H/a-Si:Htandem cells (10% efficiency) leads to pro-duction cost lower than € 0.6/Wpeak.

ChallengesThe parallel development objectives of increasingthe production yield and efficiencies on large areasand, at the same time, reducing manufacturingcosts and material costs are not self-evident.However, these production-relevant criteria arenot independent of each other. Some challengesto be overcome in this context are:

• CIS coevaporation approach on an area of 60 x 120 cm2: to reduce absorber thickness (i.e.materials consumption) but also to increaselarge-area efficiencies above 13% at thesame time; to demonstrate high efficiencies onlarge area by 3-stage in-line CIS coevaporation.

• CIS electrodeposition approach: to demonstratehomogeneous large-area CIS depositionproviding modules with efficiencies > 10% athigh production yield; precise know-howabout the hydrodynamic flux of the reactant isnecessary to obtain high lateral homogeneitieson large areas.

• To implement a Cd-free buffer for large-areaapplication on coevaporated and electro -deposited absorbers, resulting in at least thesame module efficiencies, yield and productioncosts as for those with CdS buffer.

• To find appropriate in situ and ex situ CISgrowth control methods to be implementedin a production line for both electrodepositedand coevaporated modules.

O B J E C T I V E S

LAR

CIS

Large-area CIS-based Thin-film Solar Modules for Highly Productive Manufacturing

16

The overall objective of the project is to develop advanced manufacturingtechnologies for CIS thin film solarmodules both for the electrodepositionand coevaporation approach. The project will improve themanufacturing techniques for low-cost,stable and efficient CIS thin filmlarge-area solar modules.

This includes work on the molybdenumback contact, the buffer layer, the CIS absorber, and the quality and process control. Special emphasisis placed on the development ofcadmium-free large-area modules and of electrodeposition methods for CIS absorbers. The project willprovide a framework for theknowledge, know-how and cross- fertilisation between the groupsand technologies involved in theproject, i.e. between coevaporationand electrodeposition.

Project StructureThe consortium, 10 partners from five countries,consists of four independent industrial firms,three research institutions and three universities.Three firms are CIS module producers in thestarting phase or already in an advanced state.The fourth company is a leading European glassmanufacturer equipped to provide back-contact-coated substrates on a production level for theCIS module plants. The research institutes anduniversities offer expertise in the different andcomplementary approaches to the developmentof high-quality and low-cost CIS modules andwill enable the industrial companies to reachtheir ambitious goals.

The project work is distributed between sevenwork packages (WPs) which are generally fur-ther split into sub-WPs (see Figure 1). Two mainapproaches are investigated, aiming at the costeffective development of:

• Large-area modules based on coevaporatedCu(In,Ga)Se2 absorbers (60 x 120 cm2)

• Large-area modules based on electrodepositedCu(In,Ga)(S,Se)2 absorbers (30 x 30 cm2).

Common targets are high production yields andhigh efficiencies at reduced costs. The WPs suchas contact layers, buffer, quality/process controland technological/economic assessment provideresults and tools which support both absorberapproaches.


Figure 1: Work packages


Duration48 months

Contact personDr. Michael Powalla Zentrum für Sonnenenergie- und Wasserstoff-Forschung Baden Württemberg [email protected]

List of PartnersCNRS – FRElectricité de France – FRHahn-Meitner Institut – DESaint Gobain Recherche – FR Solibro – SEUniversity of Barcelona – ESUniversity of Uppsala – SEWürth Solar – DEZSW – DE Zürich University of Technology – CH

Websiteto be defined

Project officerGeorges Deschamps

Statusongoing

17

Expected ResultsOverall result should be to leverage theEuropean CIS technologies and to improve theircompetitiveness, both in relation to establishedPV technologies and to international markets.The cooperation and cross-fertilisation of differentinstitutes, firms and approaches are expected toresult in:

• Large-area modules manufactured bycoevaporation and applying cost-effectivemethods with efficiencies > 13.5% on 0.7 m2.

• The development of cadmium-free bufferlayers for modules on an area of up to 0.7 m2

with an efficiency > 12%.

• The development of electrodeposited low-cost CIS modules with efficiency > 10% on0.1 m2 (estimated cost < 0.8 €/Wp).

It is expected that basic investigations at universitiesand R&D institutes on, for example, stabilisation ofthe back contact, in situ and ex situ CIS processcontrol, substitution of the CdS buffer by anenvironmentally harmless and physically superioralternative, will be successfully transferred toproduction-relevant areas. Thus any resultachieved can be directly exploited within theconsortium.

Progress to DateAll activities and work packages are within thetime schedule. Very promising results have alreadybeen achieved with a novel chemical-bath-deposited Zn(S,O) buffer layer resulting in at leastthe same efficiencies as achieved by standardCdS buffers. Best cell efficiencies with this novelbuffer on inline-deposited CIS exceed 15%.

Within the first months of the project, fouradditional bilateral meetings were held betweenUB-EME and EDF/CNRS and between ZSW andCNRS/EDF in order to organise the cooperationin detail.

Figure 2: Façade integration of CIS modules: the ‘Schapfenmühle’ tower in Ulm (Germany) with 1400 frameless CIS modules of 60 x 120 cm2.

ChallengesSolar energy is the ultimate future energysource. It is a clean and sustainable source ofenergy that can provide a significant share ofour energy needs and greenhouse gas emissionreductions. At present, solar energy is muchmore expensive than conventional energy.

SE-Powerfoil aims at the development of roll-to-roll manufacturing technology for production ofhigh-efficiency flexible photovoltaic (PV) modules.These photovoltaic modules allow for easyintegration and installation leading to low-costPV systems. This is essential to create maturesubsidy-independent markets for solar electricity,cost-competitive with conventional electricitysources. The target is to develop 12% efficient PVmodules, with more than 20 years’ outdoor lifetimeand manufacturing costs below € 0.5/Wp.

Flexible PV laminates will allow versatile use ingrowth markets with € billion-size economicpotential:

• Large power markets in which the PV laminateswill substantially contribute to Europeanobjectives to establish a future dent electricitysupply system and to strengthen theEuropean industry and export position.

• Mass markets where flexible solar cell laminatesprovide cost-efficient lightweight portablepower, including, for example, personalelectronics, ICT, security, leisure, medical,military and affordable power for electrifi -cation in rural and remote regions.

O B J E C T I V E S

SE-P

OW

ERFO

IL

Development of Roll-to-roll ManufacturingTechnology for Production of High-efficiencyFlexible Photovoltaic Modules

18

SE-PowerFoil focuses on high-efficiencyflexible thin film silicon PV modules,produced in a roll-to-roll process onmetal foil. The scientific and technicalobjectives are to achieve highefficiency 12% thin film siliconlaboratory devices, the development of 10% tandem or triple- junctionlarge-area pilot line modules, and a high rate (1-3 nm/s) industrialplasma deposition technology forhigh-performance microcrystallinesilicon layer deposition.

The innovative deposition technologyin the pilot line for novel transparentconductive oxide (TCO) in a high-throughput thermal CVDdeposition process will be tested, anda prototype flexible module installedin representative outdoor monitoringstations for lifetime monitoring,demonstrating less than 2%performance decrease per year andimproved yield compared to existingPV technologies. A full economicassessment of €/kWh potential of project results will be included.

Project StructureAt the beginning of the project, a small workpackage WP 1 is devoted to detailing the specifications of the high-performance flexible PV modules and underlying systems. In WP 2 thefull efficiency potential of flexible thin film siliconPV modules is explored on a lab scale: the chal-lenge in this WP is to assemble all individually opti-mised building blocks of a micromorph deviceand drive their cooperative performance in anactual flexible module to a world class level of12% stable efficiency. The basic approach will beto pursue parallel research on the individualbuilding blocks and systematically measureprogress by integration into complete flexiblemicromorph modules.

WP 3 deals with the production cost of flexiblethin film PV modules. Focus will be on the crucialproduction steps of the applied roll-to-roll proces -sing technologies. This includes the develop ment oflarge-scale, reliable and fast homogeneous deposition technologies for the high-performancetransparent conductive oxide (TCO) windowlayer and for the active silicon layer. In WP 4,pilot line PV flexible thin film Si PV modules willbe manufactured, with an efficiency of 10%, basedon existing know-how and the (preliminary)results of the WPs 2 and 3. At the start of theproject as well as at mid-term, PV modules fromthe pilot line will be exposed to outdoor climateconditions for true power output monitoring.This work package also deals with an acceleratedlifetime assessment in accordance with to IECstandard 61646.



Duration36 months

Contact personDr. R. Schlatmann [email protected]

List of partnersCNRS – FRCVD Technologies Ltd – GBForschungszentrum Jülich – DEHelianthos b.v. – NLInstitute of Physics, Academy of Science of the Czech Republic, Prague – CZUniresearch b.v. – NLUniversity of Salford – GBUniversity of Utrecht – NL

Websitewww.se-powerfoil.project.eu


Statusongoing

19

Combination of the results of WP 2 (efficiency),WP 3 (crucial elements of production cost) andWP 4 (pilot line manufacturability, monitoredoutput and accelerated lifetime) will allow for arealistic overall economic assessment of flexiblethin film Si PV modules produced in a full production plant.

Expected Results• Highly efficient lab-scale PV module devices

• Processing technologies for the TCO, siliconand back contact layers

• L x 30 cm2 modules with 10% efficiency and20 years’ lifetime.

Detailing (WP 1) Project potential Objectives and assessment criteria

Efficiency Device potential Light management Transparent conductive oxide Top cell Bottom cell Tandem= Work package 2 Triple

Production costs Manufacturing potential Roll to roll manufacturing technique Automated and continuous process Fast deposition techniques Low costs metal subtrates

= Work package 3

Lifetime Economic potential Pilot line module manufacturing Stability and climate tests (IEC 1646) Outdoor monotoring Economic evaluation

= Work package 4

Project management Business potential Planning monitoring and control Explotation and IPR management= Work package 5 Dissemination

12%

< 05 €/Wp

> 20 year

Challenges Solar radiation is a diluted energy source: onlyapproximately 1000 Joules of energy per secondper square meter are accessible. It is clear to usthat strategies to reach the ultimate goal of amodule cost of € 1/Wp will necessarily have togo through the development of concepts capableof extracting the most of every single photonavailable. In this respect, each of the five activitiesenvisaged in this project to achieve the generalgoal has to confront its own challenges.

The multi-junction activity pursues the develop-ment of solar cells that approach 40% efficiency.To achieve this, it faces the challenge of findingmaterials with a good compromise between lat-tice matching and band-gap energy. Thethermo photovoltaic activity bases part of itssuccess on finding suitable emitters that canoperate at high temperatures and/or adapt theiremission spectra to the cell’s gap. The other partrelies on the successful recycling of photons sothat those that cannot be used effectively by thesolar cells can return to the emitter to assist inkeeping it hot.

The intermediate-band solar cell approachaddresses the challenge of proving a principle ofoperation which would see a significantimprovement in the performance of the cells.The activity devoted to the search for new moleculesengenders the challenge of identifying moleculescapable of undergoing two-photon processes:that is molecules that can absorb two low-energyphotons to produced a high-energy excitedstate or, for example, dyes that can absorb onehigh-energy photon and re-emit its energy inthe form of two photons of lower energy.

Among all of the above concepts, the multi-junction approach appears to be the most readilyavailable for commercialisation. For that, theactivity devoted specifically to speeding up itspath to market is the development of trackers,optics and manufacturing techniques that canintegrate these cells into commercial concentratorsystems.

O B J E C T I V E S

FULL

SPEC

TRU

M

Towards the Production of Cost-competitive Photovoltaic Solar Energyby Making the Most of the Solar Spectrum

20

FULLSPECTRUM is a project whoseprimary objective is to make use of the full solar spectrum to produceelectricity. The need for this researchis easily understood, for example, fromthe fact that present commercial solarcells used for terrestrial applicationsare based on single-gap semiconductorsolar cells. These cells can by no means make use of the energy of below band-gap energy photonssince these simply cannot be absorbedby the material.

The achievement of this generalobjective is pursued through fivestrategies: the development of highefficiency multi-junction solar cellsbased on III-V compounds; the development of thermophotovoltaicconverters; research intointermediate-band solar cells; the search for molecules and dyescapable of undergoing two photonprocesses; and the development of manufacturing techniques suitablefor industrialising the most promisingconcepts.

Project StructureThe Project is coordinated by Prof. AntonioLuque (Instituto de Energía Solar) assisted byProjektgesellschaft Solare Energiesysteme GmbH(PSE). The Consortium involves 19 research insti-tutions listed at the end of this text. As mentioned, to make better use of the afore -mentioned solar spectrum, the project is structuredalong five research development and innovationactivities:

• Multi-junction solar cells. This activity is led byFhG-ISE with the participation of RWE-SSP,IES-UPM, IOFFE, CEA-DTEN and PUM.

• Thermophotovoltaic converters. Headed byIOFFE and CEA-DTEN. IES-UPM and PSI arealso participating in this development.

• Intermediate-band solar cells. This activity isled by IES-UPM. The other partners directlyinvolved are UG, ICP-CSIC and UCY.

• Molecular based concepts. This activity is led byECN. The other groups involved are FhG-IAP,ICSTM, UU-Sch and Solaronix.

• Manufacturing techniques and pre-normativeresearch. This activity is led by ISOFOTON. IES-UPM, INSPIRA and JRC are also involved.

In addition, every two years, the project sponsorsa public seminar on its results and providesgrants to students worldwide to enable them toattend the seminar as part of disseminationactivities. Formal announcements are made onthe FULLSPECTRUM webpage.

NEW AND EMERGING CONCEPTS

21

Expected ResultsThe multi-junction solar cell approach pursuesthe better use of the solar spectrum by using a stack of single-gap solar cells incorporated ina concentrator system, in order to make the approach cost-effective (Fig. 1). The project,at its outset, aimed at cells with an efficiency of 35%. This result has already been achieved by FhG-ISE in the second year of the project andthe consortium now aims to achieve efficienciesas close as possible to 40%.

In the thermophotovoltaic approach the sun heatsup, through a concentrator system, a materialcalled the ‘emitter’, leading to incandescence(Fig. 2). The radiation from this emitter drives anarray of solar cells, thus producing electricity.The advantage of this approach is that, by anappropriate system of filters and back-reflectors,photons with energy above and below the solarcell band-gap can be directed back to the emitter,helping to keep it hot by recycling the energy ofthese photons that otherwise would not be con-verted optimally by the solar cells. By the conclusionof the project, it is expected that the system,made up basically of the concentrator, emitter andsolar cell array can be integrated and evaluated.

The ‘intermediate-band’ approach pursues betterexploitation of the solar spectrum by usingintermediate-band materials. These materials arecharacterised by the existence of an electronicenergy band within what otherwise would be aconventional semiconductor band-gap. Accordingto the principles of operation of this cell, the inter-mediate band allows the absorption of lowband-gap energy photons and the sub sequentproduction of enhanced photocurrent withoutvoltage degradation. The project also expects toidentify as many intermediate-band materialcandidates as possible, as well as demonstrateexperimentally the operating principles of theintermediate-band solar cell by using quantumdot solar cells as workbenches.

Figure 1: Schematic illustrating the operation of a multi-junction solar cell in a concentrator system

Fig. 2. Emitter heated up by the sun through a concentrator system.

As mentioned under the ‘molecular based concepts’heading, it is expected to find dyes and moleculescapable of undergoing two-photon processes.Dyes - or quantum dots - suitable for incorporationinto flat concentrators are also being evaluated. Flatconcentrators are essentially polymers that, byincorporating these special dyes into their structure,are capable of absorbing high-energy photons andre-emitting them as low-energy photons thatmatch the gap of the solar cells ideally. Thisemitted light is trapped within the concentratorusually by internal reflection and, if the losseswithin the concentrator are small, can onlyescape by being absorbed by the cells.

Within the manufacturing activity, it is expectedto clear the way towards commercialisation forthe most promising concepts. This is the case formulti-junction solar cells and, within this activity,it is expected to develop for example trackers withthe necessary accuracy to follow the sun at1000 suns, and ‘pick and place’ assembly techniquesto produce concentrator modules at competitiveprices, as well as draft the regulation that has toserve as the framework for the implementationof these systems.

FULL

SPEC

TRU

M

Towards the Production of Cost-Competitive Photovoltaic Solar Energyby Making the Most of the Solar Spectrum

22

Progress to dateAs far as multi-junction activity is concerned,monolithically stacked triple-junction solar cells(GaInP/GaInAs/Ge), with an efficiency exceeding35% at a concentration of 600 suns, have beenobtained. Because of their band-gap (1 eV),(GaIn)(NAs) solar cells are being researched fortheir possible implementation as the fourth cellin a four-junction monolithic stack, in order toapproach the goal of 40% efficiency. In thisregard, efficiencies of 6% have been measuredfor this cell.

The technological processes related to themechanical stacking of thin film GaAs solar cellsonto silicon as well as the mechanical stackingof a dual-junction GaInP/GaAs cell onto a GaSb cellhave also been experimentally studied. In thisrespect, it has been necessary to research the crystalgrowth of GaSb using the Czochralski method ofsufficient quality. As a result, a 6%-efficient GaSbsolar cell has been obtained when operatedbelow a GaInP/GaAs solar cell at 300 suns.

In the thermophotovoltaic activity, GaSb solarcells with 19% efficiency, for integration in athermophotovoltaic system with a tungstenemitter, have been measured. Moreover, in con-nection with the multijunction activity, thesecells show 6% efficiency when used at the back ofa GaInP/GaAs dual-junction cell in a mechanicalstacked multi-junction approach operated at300 suns. Two geometries (cylindrical and conical)have been analysed for the chamber that has tocontain the cells. The cylindrical configuration hasbeen found to be more suitable for final systemproduction.

Within the framework of research into the inter-mediate-band solar cell, test devices have beenmanufactured using quantum dots (Fig. 4). Thesedevices have demonstrated the production ofphotocurrent for sub-band-gap energy photos,and experiments have been best interpreted whena quasi-Fermi level has been associated with eachband, just as the related theory has proposed.Chalcopyrite semiconductors substituted byseveral transition metals have been identifiedrecently as plausible intermediate-band materi-al candidates. These add up to the TiGa3As4 andTiGa3P4 systems previously identified andwhose energetics as intermediate-band materialshas been studied. The analysis has revealed that


Figure 4: Atomic force microscope image of a layer of quantum dots.


Duration60 months

Contact personProf. Antonio Luque Polytechnical University of [email protected]

List of partnersCommissariat à l’Energie Atomique – FRConsejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas – ESECN – NLFraunhofer Gesellschaft (FhG-ISE) – DEFraunhofer Gesellschaft (FhG-IAP) – DEImperial College – GBIoffe Physico-Technical Institute – RUInspiria S.L. – ESIsofoton S.A – ESJRC – ITPaul Scherrer Institute – CHPhilipps University of Marburg – DEPolytechnical University of Madrid – ESProjektgesellschaft Solare Energiesysteme mbH – DERWE Space Solar Power – DESolaronix – CHUniversity of Cyprus – CY University of Glasgow – GB University of Utrecht – NL

Websitewww.fullspectrum-eu.org

Project officerGarbiñe Guiu Etxeberria

Statusongoing

23

the incorporation of Ti is characterised by figuressimilar to those of Mn in GaAs, a system in whichsuch incorporation has been found experimentallyto be possible.

As regards research into new molecules anddyes for a better use of the solar spectrum, theefficiency of some solar cells has been improvedby the application of a polymer coating containinga luminescent dye that shifts the spectrumtowards wavelengths that are better convertedinto electricity by the cells. The research on a dye-doped flat concentrator has increased itsefficiency from below 1% to over 1.7% throughthe application of better mirrors and dyes.Moreover, the use of quantum dots has alsobeen anticipated in order to increase the photo-generated current of a solar cell by spectrumshifting. Optical modelling has been developed andhas become a valuable tool in the optimisation ofthe flat concentrator.

Among the concepts above, multi-junction solarcells are closest to commercialisation. In thisregard, significant progress has been made, forexample, in aspects related to the manufacture ofthe optics, and the development of encapsulationand trackers with high pointing accuracy to operatethese cells in high-concentration systems. Up tofive new releases of advanced concentrators(primary) have been moulded (Fig. 6), improvingmoulding conditions in order to achieve thehighest possible optical efficiency. More than100 optical assemblies with these new releaseshave been encapsulated on 1mm-2--singlejunction III-V-cells Off-track angle under 0.1ºwith 95% probability for several complete dayshas been proven in first trials. As for the devel-opment of a pre-regulation for the deployment ofconcentrator systems, the consortium is partici-pating in the preparation of the IEC TC82 WG7regulation. Solar simulators for the characterisationof concentration modules are also being developed.

Thus far, results achieved comprise:

• 35.2% efficient multijunction solar cell at600 suns

• 6% efficient (GaIn)(NAs) solar cell

• 19% GaSb solar cell in thermophotovoltaicsystem

• Different configurations for the thermo -photovoltaic systems studied

• Quantum dot intermediate-band solar celltest devices operational

• Chalcopyrite substituted by several transitionmetals studied as IB materials

• Spectrum shift achieved using polymer coatingwith luminescent dyes

• Advanced compact concentrators

• Trackers of increased accuracy.

Figure 6: Computer-assisted design of an advanced concentrator.

ChallengesExisting and innovative solar concentrators wereevaluated for their properties in high-concen-tration photovoltaics. Plant types were identifiedthat fulfil the technical requirements ofhomogenous irradiation distribution with solarconcentration factors of 500 to 2000 suns andcost-effective implementation perspectives. Theconclusions were that Modified Spherical Dish(Tailored Concentrator) configurations lookmore suitable for meeting current technologyrequirements than classical Parabolic Dish solu-tions. The results shown with this design arepromising. It has been proposed to build and testa tailored concentrator for HICONPV technologywith this design.

An innovative heliostat variant was evaluatedfor its properties in high-concentration photo-voltaics, demonstrating that the proposedTorque Tube Heliostat design concept promisessignificant cost advantages over existing heliostatdesigns. This can be achieved with a much lowerconstruction height of the TTH, which reducesdrastically the wind loads on the structure andthe required specific drive power.

The aim of this tailor concentrator is to provethe real possibilities of this innovative conceptualdesign, and to see the performance of the concept

O B J E C T I V E S

HIC

ON

-PV

High Concentration PV Power System

24

The aim of this project is to develop,set up and test a new high-concentration – 1000x or more –PV system with a large-area III-V-receiver. This will be achieved by integrating two technology fields:the high concentration of the sunlightwill be obtained using technologiesexperienced in solar thermal systemslike parabolic dishes or tower systems.

The high-concentration photovoltaicreceiver is based on the III-V solar celltechnology. To deal with the highconcentration, Monolithic IntegratedModules (MIM) will be developed and will be assembled as CompactConcentrator Modules (CCM). The CCM prototypes will beimplemented at three solar testinstallations in Cologne, Almería andIsrael. The tests will be evaluated andcompared with other types of systems. The objectives of the project aredirected towards high-efficiencyconcentrating photovoltaics to reach thesystem cost goal of € 1/Wp by 2015.

under real manufacturing constraints. The proposedfinal configuration was not optimised for 1000xbut rather close, so it is necessary to take intoaccount the optimised structural heliostat concept,where the shape of the concentrator is nolonger round but rectangular. Rectangular con-centrators allow us to keep the gravity centrelower for the same aperture area. This has astrong influence on the structural design andthe final cost.

Project StructureIn this project, two ways will be explored inorder to reach a cost-effective solution: the useof existing mature concentrators and the use ofa new tailored concentrator. During development,the focus will be on significant cost reduction.Therefore, current cost-efficient concentratorsdeveloped in the area of concentrating solarthermal power plants will be used in combinationwith high-concentration PV. The concentratorsystem has to meet specifications on flux distri-bution and accuracy, safe operation and reliability.Taking advantage of the achievements inconcentrating solar thermal systems, this willreduce system costs significantly due to massproduction. Further cost reduction aspects ofthe selected concentrator system will beaddressed.

Expected ResultsThe concept of this research project focusesspecially on:

• New monolithic integrated modules withefficiencies of 20% and above.

• Module design for irradiation up to 1000 suns.

• Adaptation of already proven concentratorsconcepts that promise high quality and highreliability.



Duration36 months

Contact personValerio Fernández [email protected]

List of partnersBen Gurion University of Negev – ILCIEMAT – ESDLR – DEElectricité de France – FRFraunhofer Gesellschaft (FhG–ISE) – DEPSE GmbH – DERWE Space Solar Power GmbH – DESolúcar Energía, S.A.– ESUniversity of Malta – MT

Websitewww.hiconpv.org

Project officerRolf Ostrom

Statusongoing

25

• High cost-reduction potential due to the use ofadapted concentrators that will be produced inhigh numbers for solar thermal power plants.

The result will be a high-quality, high-concen-trating PV system prototype that promises highcost-reduction potentials compared to non-concentrating PV. This concept is unique in theworld and will be an import step for the EUtowards the most competitive and dynamicknowledge-based economy in the world in thistargeted area.

Progress to Date• An advanced heliostat concept has been

developed with small low-cost ganged units: thishas the potential to reduce the concentrator costto below € 500/kW of capacity.

• A spherical concentrator has been proposedfor small systems with up to 5 m of focal length.With a central and a peripheral reflector, thiswill be able to provide flux profiles whichseem appropriate for PV arrays. It is an on-axis-design with two-axis tracking that provideseven power levels over the whole year.Drawings have been presented.

• An industrial dish concentrator design hasbeen prepared. The concentrator is composed ofhexagonal spherical-curved low-cost mirrorfacets. Prototype components are in preparation.

• IMs have been delivered for the prototypemodules. A prototype CCM has been fabricatedand successfully tested at the solar furnace.Several MIM modules and CCM prototypeshave been prepared and delivered to the testfacilities. Tests have been performed at thebig-dish Petal facility at Ben GurionUniversity and at the DLR solar furnace. A test set-up has been developed for the PSAsolar furnace for solar flashing of prototypecells by means of a mechanical shutter and ahigh-speed control and data acquisition system.CCM interconnection schemes have beenstudied and the inverter design has beenoptimised for the high currents and the modularconcept.

ChallengesTo reach MOLYCELL goals, the following pointsare addressed in parallel:

• Design and synthesis of new materials toovercome the large mismatch between theabsorption characteristics of currently availablepolymer materials and the solar spectrum, andalso to improve the relatively slow chargetransport properties of organic materials.

• Development of two device concepts toimprove efficiencies: the ‘all-organic’ solarcells concept and the nanocrystalline metaloxides/organic hybrid solar cells concept.

All-organic solar cells

Devices are based on donor-acceptor bulk hetero-junction built by blending two organic materialsserving as electron donor (hole semiconductor,low band-gap polymers) and electron acceptor(n-type conductor, here soluble C60 derivative) in the form of a homogeneous blend and sandwichingthe organic matrix between two electrodes. One ofthese electrodes is transparent and the other isusually an opaque metal electrode. In additionto the incorporation of polymers with improvedlight harvesting and charge transport properties,two concepts are developed to improve efficiencies:

• An innovative junction concept based on theorientation of polar molecules

• A multi-junction bulk donor-acceptor hetero-junction concept.

Nanocrystalline metal oxides/organichybrid solar cells

Devices are based upon solid-state hetero-junctionsbetween nanocrystalline metal oxides andmolecular/polymeric hole conductors. Twostrategies are addressed for light absorption: thesensitisation of the hetero-junction with moleculardyes, employing transparent organic hole transportmaterials and the use of polymeric hole conductorshaving the additional functionality of visiblelight absorption.

O B J E C T I V E S

MO

LYC

ELL

Molecular Orientation, Low Band-gap and New Hybrid Device Concepts for the Improvement of Flexible Organic Solar Cells

26

Molycell aims at demonstrating thetechnical feasibility of organic solarcells. The project has targeted twodifferent technologies: hybridorganic/inorganic solar cells and bulkhetero-junction organic solar cells.

Project StructureThe project is managed as a series of six linkedwork packages, covering a large field of researchfrom the development of new materials to theircharacterisation, the elaboration of solar cellsand their evaluation.

WP 1: Design, Synthesis and Basic ChemicalAnalysis of Novel Organic Hole Conductors: theobjective of reducing the band-gap of conjugatedpolymers to 1.8 eV in a first stage and then to 1.6 eVhave been achieved through the development ofefficient synthetic strategies. The charge carriermobilities of these polymers are in line withexpectations, and hole mobilities above 10-4 cm2/V.Shave been demonstrated.

WP 2: Metal Oxide Development: new low-temperature processes for the deposition ofmesoporous nanocrystalline metal oxide filmson flexible substrates have been developed forthe elaboration of solid-state nanocrystallinemetal oxide/organic hybrid solar cells. Due toaccelerated recombination of injected electrons,the efficiencies of cells built on these filmsremain low compared to benchmark devices, andfurther studies should reveal the exact origin ofthis behaviour.

To overcome this difficulty, an alternative strategybased on the elaboration of cells on flexible Ti foils has been developed, leading to an invertedstructure which shows highly promising initialresults. Alternative methodologies for the fabri-cation of mesoporous nanocrystalline metaloxide films have also been studied. Amongthese, evaluation of mesoporous films made bysupramolecular templating has led to promisingresults and a novel approach has been developedin which the porous metal oxide layer is replacedby a blend of TiO2 nanorods with a conjugatedpolymer.

WP 3: Advanced Characterization and Modelling:a detailed understanding of the fundamentalproperties and behaviour of the novel materialsdeveloped in WP 1 and WP 2 is necessary to checktheir mutual compatibility and suitability forimproved solar cell energy conversion efficiency.



Duration30 months

Contact personsStéphane GuillerezCommissariat à l’Energie [email protected]

List of PartnersCommissariat à l’Energie Atomique – FR ECN – NL Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne – CH Fraunhofer Gesellschaft (FhG-ISE) – DEImperial College – GB Inter-university Microelectronic Centre – BEJ. Heyrovsky Institute of Physical Chemistry – CZ Johannes Kepler University of Linz – AT Konarka Austria – AT Konarka Technology AG – CHSiemens – DEUniversity of Ege – TR University of Vilnius – LT

Websitehttp://www-molycell.cea.fr/

Project OfficerGarbiñe Guiu Etxeberria

Statusongoing

27

For that, quantitative models of device functionhave been developed and validated by a range ofexperimental data, leading to:

• Identification of parameters limiting deviceperformances.

• Identification of specific design improvements.

• Prediction of optimum device efficienciesachievable with each device concept.

WP 4: All-Organic Device Development: basedon the donor-acceptor bulk hetero-junctionconcept, two innovative principles are exploredin parallel and low band-gap polymers issued fromWP 1 are tested. The two innovative principlesexplored are one based on a junction induced bythe orientation of polar molecules, and onebased on a multi-junction bulk donor-acceptorhetero-junction concept. Proofs of conceptstudies for the innovative devices are now inprogress. First two-terminal multi-junction solarcells, in particular, were shown with near doublingof the open-circuit voltage as compared to thesingle-junction device. A prototype device with a certified efficiency of 4% on 1 cm2 glass substratehas been realised, and an efficiency of 3% on10 cm2 flexible substrate has also beendemonstrated.

WP 5: Metal Oxide/Organic Hybrid DeviceDevelopment: solid-state metal oxide/organicsolar cells on glass and flexible substrates havebeen developed following two distinct routesand employing an optically transparent organichole conductor or an organic material thatserves the functions of both hole transport andlight absorption. Using different organic orinorganic dyes, in combination with a transparentmolecular hole conductor, efficiencies of over4% have been reached.

WP 6: Device Evaluation/Cost Assessment: an initialevaluation of device processing and stability formetal oxide/organic and all organic devices hasbeen carried out, leading to the identification ofcritical stress factors. A definition of the speci-fications requested for a 4% flexible solar cell (5%on glass substrate) has also been established.

Expected ResultsThe results expected at the end of the projectwith one or both devices concepts are:

• Certified 5% solar to electric energy conversionefficiency under Standard Test Conditions(AM1.5 simulated sunlight, 100 mW/cm2, 25°C)for a 1 cm2 cell on glass substrate.

• Certified 4% solar to electric energy conversionefficiency under Standard Test Conditions(AM1.5 simulated sunlight, 100 mW/cm2, 25°C)for a 1 cm2 cell on flexible substrate.

• Fabrication methodologies compatible withlarge-scale reel-to-reel production on flexiblesubstrates.

• 3000 hours of stable operation under indoorconditions, defined in consultation with end-users, with a roadmap for establishing thestability required for outdoor operation.

• Fabrication from non-toxic materials.

Materials and fabrication costs determined to be consistent with projected productioncosts < € 1/Wp.

ChallengesOne can observe a strongly growing R&D effortin the domain of solar cells based on organiclayers. This progress is essentially based on theintroduction of nano-structured material systemsto enhance the photovoltaic performance ofthese devices. The growing interest is fuelled bythe potentially very low cost of organic solar cells,thanks to the low cost of the involved substrates,the low cost of the active materials of the solarcell, the low energy input for the actual solarcell/module process and, last but not least, theasset of flexibility.

In addition, the ease of up-scalability of therequired application technologies lowers thethreshold for new players to enter this field.These efforts have resulted in the creation oftechnologies which are approaching the stage offirst industrialisation initiatives. These industrialactivities target in the first instance the marketof consumer applications where energy autonomycan be ensured by integrating these flexiblesolar cells with a large variety of surfaces.

O B J E C T I V E S

OR

GA

PV

NE

T

Coordination Action Towards Stable and Low-cost Organic Solar Cell Technologiesand their Application

28

The goal is the establishment of a common understanding for futureinvestments and strategies concerningorganic photovoltaics by allowingcloser relations between the variousorganisations of scientific andtechnological cooperation in the twolargest organic solar cell communitiesin Europe; by facilitating the transferof results from European research tothe European PV industry, and by fostering measurementstandards and prediction of theperformance of organic PV cells and modules. Other objectives are todisseminate results to the wholesector by means of various tools suchas an OrgaPvNet website andidentification of technology gaps anddetermination of requirements forsustainable future growth. The resultwill be an integrated vision in theform of a European OrganicPhotovoltaics Technology Roadmap.

In order to have a real impact on the PV market,additional progress is needed at the level ofefficiency, stability and application technologiesto allow the exploitation of these solar celltechno logies for power generation on a larger scale.The OrgaPvNet coordination action consortiumaims to foster the progress needed on theseissues by integrating a number of leading insti-tutions in association with the main industrialplayers in this field.


WP6 Network Management

Project coordinator

IMEC

ExpertGroup 6

Analysis of socio -economical impact of OSC

technology Expert group Leader Geert Palmers (3E)

ExpertGroup 5

Technology for large volume production

Expert group Leader

Christoph Brabec

(Konarka A.)

ExpertGroup 4

Stability & Sealing

Expert group Leader

Andreas Hinsch

(FHG/ISE)

Expert Group 1

Materials and Cell Development

Expert group Leader

Jef Poortmans (IMEC)

1 Project ManagerDr. Laurence Lutsen (IMEC)

&2 Scientific Coordinators

Prof. Dr. Michael Grätzel (EPFL) Prof. Dr. Serdar Sariciftci (JKU Linz)

ExpertGroup 3

Cell & Modules performances

Expert group Leader

Jan Kroon (ECN)

ExpertGroup2

Cell characteriza -tion and modelling

Expert group Leader

James Durrant (ICL)

Reporting

Dissemination

Exploitation

Auditors

Advisory Board

EU Networks, Industrials,

Interest Groups

European

Commission

17 R&D Partners from 15 different European and Associated Countries

who are also National Representatives of the PV Community

4 Innovative European SMEs Partners +

+

1 industrial Partner

Coordination Committee

1 Project Manager (PM), 2 Scientific Coordinators

(SC) and 6 Expert Group Leaders (EG) Leaders

Project Structure


Duration30 months

Contact personDr. Laurence Lutsen Inter-university Microelectronics [email protected]

List of partners3E nv – BEBar-Ilan University – ILCNRS – FRCommissariat à l’Energie Atomique – FRConsiglio Nationale Ricerche Milano – ITECN – NLFraunhofer Gesellschaft (FhG-ISE) – DEGreatcell Solar S.A – CHHahn-Meitner-Institute Berlin GmbH – DE Imperial College – GBInstitute Català d’Investigacio Quimica – ESInter-university Microelectronics Centre – BEIVF Industrial R&D Corporation – SEJ. Heyrovsky Institute of Physical Chemistry – CZKonarka Technologies Austria – ATMerck – GBEcole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne – CH Solaronix S.A – CHUniversity of Ege – TRJohannes Kepler University of Linz – AT University of Patras – GR University of Vilnius – LT

Websitenot yet available

Project OfficerGarbiñe Guiu Etxeberria

Statusongoing

29

Expected ResultsWe believe that a Coordination Action is anappropriate vehicle by which the isolated com-petences that exist around Europe in this fieldcan be integrated, structured and organised. In this way a powerful Organic PhotovoltaicPlatform will be created that can sustain theleading R&D position of Europe within thisdomain and, in the end, strengthen Europeancompetitiveness in a sector which is of highstrategic relevance in ensuring a sustainableenergy supply.

Key actions to reach the above-mentionedobjectives are:

• To promote interaction between scientists

• To take advantage of the previous experienceof research groups

• To join forces to maximise the synergybetween individual skills, thus obtaining thebest achievable global results

• To provide an appropriate communicationchannel between academic groups, SMEs andindustrials.

OrgaPvNet will contribute to this by:

• The exchange of information during theworkshops organised by the network

• Scientific exchanges between partners byresearch visits by scientists and studentgrants

• The setting-up of a web-based database con-taining news, resources, project results,reports, links, seminars, training courses, jobopportunities, grants

• Elaboration of a ‘Who is Who’ guide to theorganic photovoltaic field

• Elaboration of the European OrganicPhotovoltaic Roadmap: identification ofscientific priority areas and formulation ofresearch and development strategies.

Input

WP1

Coordination and

Information Exchange

Platform

WP3

Socio-economic and

Policy study

Workshops,

Symposia

Expert groups

Meetings

Website/

E -tools

Scientific personnel

exchange activities

Who is

Who guide

Contacts with other

EU and non-EU

Networks, projects

Advisory Board

EU Networks,

Industrials,

Interest Groups

WP4

Synergy with the National

PV programs

WP2 (a-e)

Techno-economic

study

WP5

Organic Photovoltaic Roadmap

State of the Art Report Comparison Study with Asia & U.S

Input

ChallengesThere is a rapidly increasing awareness andurgency concerning the transition to a sustainableenergy supply. The greenhouse effect and alsodependence on energy imports, local air pollutionand unavailability of energy for poor people areseen as major problems to be addressed ambi-tiously and immediately. For the longer term, thedepletion of fossil fuel reserves needs to befaced. Solar energy can play a key role in solvingall these problems, but still has a very smallimpact today. By far the most important barrierto large-scale use of solar energy is the currentprice of systems. Therefore CrystalClear tries to lowerthe direct fabrication costs of PV modules, while atthe same time improving the environmental profile.

Key activities for achieving this are:

• Strongly reducing the consumption ofexpensive materials (especially silicon, butalso others), as well as introducing the use ofcheaper materials.

• Increasing the electricity output of solarmodules.

• Developing highly automated, high-throughput,low-cost manufacturing processes.

• Screening materials, processes and productsin relation to sustainability and suitability forlarge-scale use.

Project StructureTo reach these goals, CrystalClear is organised ineight sub-projects (SPs), five of which deal witha specific part of the production chain. In addition,one sub-project (SP 6) covers all sustainabilityaspects, while SP 7 focuses on integration.Finally, SP 0 is devoted to management of thislarge consortium and to communication with the ECproject officers and contracting departments. Thesub-projects are divided in different work packages,in which the actual research is being carried out.

O B J E C T I V E S

CRYS

TALC

LEAR

Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaics: Low-cost, Highly Efficient and Reliable Modules

30

The integrated CrystalClear project is a research and development projectdedicated primarily to cost reductionof solar (photovoltaic, PV) modules,which form the heart of any solarenergy system and which account for some 60% of the turnkey price ofroof-top installations. The objective of the CrystalClear project is to enablea price reduction to a level of € 3.0-3.5/Wp, which roughlycorresponds to electricity generationcosts of 15-40 eurocents per kWh,depending on location in the EU.

At the same time, CrystalClear aims to improve the environmental qualityof solar modules by the reduction of material consumption, replacementof materials, and design for recycling.Last but not least CrystalClear wantsto enhance the applicability of solarmodules by tailoring to customerneeds and improving product lifetimeand reliability.

Sub-project 1: Feedstock

Of the five sub-projects dealing with the differentsteps of the value chain, SP 1 is dedicated to thesubject of the so-called feedstock, the high-puritysilicon from which solar cells are made. For solarcells (as well as for microelectronic chips) a highgrade of silicon is required. It is customary tospeak of solar-grade silicon. The production ofthis high-purity silicon requires advancedequipment, is expensive and energy-intensive.SP 1 aims at testing alternative manufacturingmethods for high-purity silicon that are underdevelopment. In addition to this, SP 1 aims atgaining better scientific understanding andpractical know-how on solar-grade silicon.

Sub-project 2: Wafers

Once high-purity (solar-grade) silicon has beenobtained, it has to be brought into a form suitablefor solar cells. CrystalClear is about crystallinesilicon in the form of wafers. SP 2 focuses on thetwo crucial steps required to turn feedstock intowafers: ingot crystallisation and wafer sawing.First, emphasis will be on achieving a higherproductivity of the crystallisation equipment(the furnaces), by applying larger crucibles andbetter use of the capacity, which will lead to anincrease of ingot weight by about 80%. Second,the utilisation of ingot material will be increaseddramatically by different improvements of thesawing process. Next to an increase in wafer size(from standard size of 125 x 125 mm2 to 200 x200 mm2), the wafer thickness will be decreasedfrom about 300 µm to 150 µm or even less. In addition to the work on ingots and sawing orcutting, research will be done on an alternativemethod of wafer formation, namely ribbongrowth (EFG, Edge-defined Film-fed Growth,and RGS, Ribbon Growth on Substrate).

WAFER-BASED S IL ICONMulticrystalline silicon blocks.

© RE

C

31

Sub-project 3: Thin film

Another research line pursued in the project isthe use of so-called thin-film ‘wafer-equivalents’(SP 3). In this case, a thin (typically 10-20 m)high-quality silicon layer is deposited onto a cheap substrate such as low-grade silicon orceramic material. If well designed, the cell pro -perties determined by the thin active layer canbe very good, while the costs may be reduced,both because of the small amount of high-gradesilicon used and because no sawing is needed.The work in this sub-project is aimed at achievingefficiencies comparable to those of solar cellsbased on cut wafers or ribbons, but at lowermanufacturing costs.

Sub-project 4: Cells

Solar cell manufacturing is a key issue in costreduction strategies for PV. By enhancing cellefficiency, using thin (< 200 µm) and large (> 150 x 150 mm2) silicon wafers, processinglow-cost material, increasing process quality,yield and throughput, and implementing celldesigns to allow for low-cost module assembly(such as back-contact schemes), a substantialdecrease of production costs per watt peak canbe achieved. The different work packages in SP 4deal with each of these topics.

Sub-project 5: Modules

The research and development efforts of sub-projects 1 to 4, from silicon feedstock to finishedcells, come together in SP5 which deals with thefinal ‘product’ of CrystalClear: the solar module.This sub-project aims at developing advancedmodule concepts and corresponding highly auto-mated and fast module assembly technologies,which should of course be fully matched withthe cells developed in SP 4. The research isspecifically targeted at advanced cell intercon-nection schemes for large and thin wafers andfor back-contact cells, at new module materials,and at ‘single shot’ encapsulation as well as one-material concepts.

Sub-project 6: Sustainability

Although PV is based on the use of sunlight andtherefore a fully renewable energy technology,its environmental quality (sustainability) is partlydependent on energy consumption during manu-facturing and on the materials used. SP 6 coverstwo main aspects:

• Further development of module recyclingtechnology

• Analysis of the environmental impacts ofmodule manufacturing by means of the LifeCycle Assessment (LCA) method.

Sub-project 7: Integration

The CrystalClear project tackles all aspects fromthe starting materials up to the completed solarmodule. However, it is important that no oneaspect of this value chain is optimised withoutdue regard to the others or to the sustainabilityof the overall technology. SP 7 will be the focusfor this integration. Key activities concern cost calculations, internal roadmapping, com municationand a socio-economic impact study of the factorsthat will influence the exploitation of the technology.

Expected resultsCrystalClear is targeted to attain a price reductionfor grid-connected systems to a level of roughly€ 3/Wp or less, which roughly correspondsto electricity generation costs of € 0.15-0.35/kWh,depending on location. This is within the rangeof consumer electricity prices in parts of Europe,which will greatly encourage the use of solarenergy on a large scale. To assure its sustainability,CrystalClear aims to decrease the energy pay-backtime of PV systems from 3-5 years to roughly 1-2 years, depending on different locations corresponding to different levels of insolation(NW and Central Europe versus Southern Europe).

Progress to dateIn SP 1 the first tests of new silicon material(Wacker solar-grade silicon produced in a fluidisedbed reactor) have been carried out. For suchevaluation of new solar-grade silicon feedstockmaterials developed outside the CrystalClearconsortium, well-defined baseline cell manufac-turing processes have been established. Threebaselines at different partners have been used toprocess wafers from two different directionallysolidified reference ingots. These baseline solarcell results are used for comparison of the Simaterial quality of new feedstock materials.

The impurities present in normal multicrystallinesilicon (mc-Si) wafers were determined by a lite -rature study as well as by chemical analysis ofwafers and ingot samples. The effect of relevantimpurities on solar cell performance has beeninvestigated, to work towards a practical speci-fication of the so far rather vaguely definedterm, ‘solar-grade’ silicon. The experimentalapproach for this investigation was established.

In SP 2 the first super-size ingots of 80%increased weight (400-450 kg) were analysedand their electrical and mechanical quality wasfound to be very similar to the standard ingots oftoday’s production. In silicon ribbon growth by theEFG (Edge-defined Film-fed Growth) technique,two new feedstock materials have been tested andcompared to reference material. No differenceswith respect to feeding, ribbon growth andmechanical and electrical quality of the waferswere found. The use of new materials gives moreflexibility in the selection of starting silicon andless dependency on few suppliers.

The first new Ribbon-Growth-on-Substrate(RGS) wafers of regular and small thickness(down to 110 µm) were produced and processed tocells. Efficiencies obtained were 13% for regularthickness and 11% for thin wafers. The lattercorresponds to a record low silicon consumptionof 3.3 grams per watt-peak.

In SP 3 of CrystalClear, three approaches towafer-equivalents are being pursued:

• free-standing thin films produced by lift-offof thin silicon films from a wafer

• epitaxial wafer equivalents, a sole silicon epitaxyon low-cost silicon substrates

CRYS

TALC

LEAR

Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaics:Low-cost, Highly Efficient and Reliable Modules

32

• recrystallised silicon layers on mechanicallysupporting substrates.

Significant progress was achieved with the SiCintermediate layers that are needed to allowrecrystallisation of high-quality layers on a low-quality substrate: they are now conductive andmechanically stable. High-speed Zone MeltingRecrystallisation (ZMR) to recrystallise siliconlayers was done up to 400 mm/min. Cells ofhigh-speed layers showed a comparatively largedetrimental effect of the high scanning speedon layers which were epitaxially thickened afterZMR. Cells directly made from ZMR layers (noepitaxy) show nearly no decrease in voltage. A large-area ZMR cell (86 cm2) achieved 8.4%efficiency in a 20µm ZMR + epitaxy layer.

SP 4 aims for low-cost cell processes for thinand large solar cells resulting in high efficiency.Key research issues are new passivation processschemes for the rear side, such as dielectric layerscombined with local back-surface fields (BSFs),new cell designs and novel processes for highefficiencies. Furthermore, new BSF processes areunder development for the standard cell conceptto reduce wafer bowing.

Fundamental studies on SiNx:H passivation areperformed in CrystalClear. It has been found thatthe SiN bond density in the layer is the parameterthat determines the surface and bulk passivatingquality for layers deposited with very differentmethods.

Using laser-fired contacts with low-temperaturePECVD a-Si/SiO2 stack, an efficiency of 21.3%was reached. This is the highest efficiencyreported for non-thermal oxide rear-side passi-vation. Using a process based on screen-printedand SiNx:H as passivating layer at the rear, effi-ciencies up to 16.0% were obtained on 180 µmthin mc-Si wafers.

Solar cells on ultra-thin wafers have been preparedand reached >15% efficiency on mechanicallythinned 80-90 µm mono-crystalline silicon.Spraying has been used as diffusion source tofabricate solar cells. This process is very wellsuited for thin wafers. On standard thicknessesof about 270 µm, 17.5% efficiency has beenreached on mono-crystalline silicon. The processis now transferred to wafers of reduced thickness.

WAFER-BASED S IL ICON

Mc-Si wafers covered with PECVD SiN asthey come out of a quasi in-line PECVDsystem. Source: IMEC


Duration60 months

Contact personWim Sinke Energy Research Centre of the [email protected]

List of partnersBP Solar – ES CNRS (PHASE) – FR Deutsche Cell – DE Deutsche Solar – DE ECN – NL Fraunhofer Gesellschaft (FhG-ISE) – DEInter-university Microelectronics Centre – BEIsofoton – ES Polytechnical University of Madrid – ESPhotowatt – FR REC – NO Scanwafer – NO Shell Solar – DE Schott Solar – DEUniversity of Konstanz – DE University of Utrecht – NL

Websitewww.ipcrystalclear.info


Statusongoing

33

The introduction of thinner and larger cells isexpected to have a large impact on the yield ofmodule manufacturing. Therefore, in sub-project5, alternative interconnection technologies arebeing explored which can relieve the stressexperienced by the cell. After an evaluation, thedevelopments have focused on replacing theconventional soldering technology by the use offast- curing conductive adhesives. Modules havebeen manufactured and have entered a test phase.

The industrial introduction of back-contactedsolar cells is supported by the development ofadvanced module manufacturing concepts. Ofthe suggested novel manufacturing technologiesand concepts, module casting and roll laminationwere selected for further exploration. For rolllamination the first conceptual tests using exist-ing equipment from other fields are promisingand dedicated equipment has been installed.

In SP 6 the environmental analysis activitieswere focused mainly on current silicon, cell andmodule production technology. Together with 11 European and US photovoltaic companies,most of them partners in the CrystalClear project,an extensive effort has been made to collect LifeCycle Inventory data for production of crystal -line silicon modules. On the basis of such LCIdata the environmental impacts of PV systemscan be evaluated using a Life Cycle Assessmentapproach.

The new set of LCI data covers all processes fromsilicon feedstock production to cell and modulemanufacturing. All commercial wafer technologiesare covered, that is multi- and mono-crystallinewafers as well as ribbon technology. The collecteddata can be considered representative for thetechnology status in 2004. The data have alsobeen made available to the public domain(www.ecn.nl/solar). The energy pay-back timesof PV systems were calculated to be respectively1.6, 2.1 and 2.5 years for ribbon, multi andmono-Si technology (Southern Europe). Theseresults are considerably lower than previouslypublished estimates, and they have the great

advantage that they are now based on real production data.

In the outlook for near-future silicon technology,it was estimated that an energy pay-back timeof around one year can be achieved for multi-and ribbon silicon technology. If fluidised bedreactor technology can be applied successfully todeposit solar-grade silicon feedstock material, waferthickness can be halved and module efficiency canbe increased to 15-16%.

Modules from different project partners havebeen recycled at the pilot recycling installation.Reclaimed wafers have been successfullyreprocessed and used in a new module.

SP 7 has the role in CrystalClear of bringingtogether the activities of the other sub-projects(that have specific roles in the PV module valuechain) and of ensuring consistent focus in orderto achieve the overall project objective of deliveringsolutions offering a € 1/Wp module cost. A costmodel has been developed as a project tool toevaluate the prospective technology innovationsand to analyse benchmark cost data collectedfrom the industrial partners. The analysis hasdetailed the average module cost of the industrialpartners on the project in 2003, just prior to thestart of the CrystalClear project. Looking tofuture cost reductions by stretching the existingtechnology to limits not yet contemplated (asdefined in the roadmapping activity) couldreduce the module cost close to the project goalof € 1/Wp.

• First samples of new solar-grade silicon tested

• Super-size silicon ingots successfully grown

• Conductive silicon carbide barrier layers forwafer-equivalent substrates developed

• Secrets of silicon nitride passivation unveiled

• High-efficiency cells made on very thin siliconwafers

• Innovative method for cell interconnectiondeveloped

• Energy pay-back time of solar modulesunexpectedly short

• Crystalline silicon solar modules may beproduced at very low costs

ChallengesThe FoXy partnership will answer the need of thePV market for low-price and high-quality solargrade (SoG) Si feedstock by:

• Further developing and optimising refining,purification and crystallisation processes formetallurgical SoG-Si feedstock, as well as forrecycled n-type electronic grade Si.

• Optimising associated cell and moduleprocesses.

• Setting input criteria for metallurgical andelectronic n-type silicon to be used as rawmaterials for SoG-Si feedstock.

Transferring the technology from laboratory toindustrial pilot tests.

Project structure

O B J E C T I V E S

FOX

Y

Development of Solar-grade Silicon Feedstock for Solar Cells by Purification and Crystallisation

34

FoXy aims to develop cleaning and crystallisation processes for metallurgical SoG-Si feedstock,optimise associated cell and moduleprocesses, and set parameters for these types of feedstock.

By developing a close partnershipalong the whole value chain fromfeedstock to module production, a foundation is created for newinvestments in SoG-Si feedstockproduction and subsequentcommercial use of the materialproduced. The FoXy consortium aimsat achieving a significant costreduction (down to € 15 per kg)through more efficient cleaningprocesses for raw materials,and.securing high-volume productionof SoG-Silicon by developing recyclingtechniques for end-of-life products.

Expected results• Remove inclusions above 20 µm and reduce

the level of inclusions down to 5 µm by 80%of initial levels. The particles to be removedinclude SiC from primary silicon and recycledsilicon, Si3N4 from recycled silicon, and oxidesfrom slag treatment processes and remeltingof silicon.

• Estimates based on similar figures for refiningof aluminium show that the total cost ofelectrochemically refined SoG-Si would beless than € 10 per kg. The raw silicon will bepurified with new techniques, such as fast-casting and electrochemical treatment,reducing the cost of the final feedstockconsiderably from the present situation.

WAFER-BASED S IL ICON

Figure 1: Graphical presentation of work packages

ScanA/SUN:SOLSILC feedstock


SINTEF/ Fesil :Recycled Si

WP1: Cleaning & Refining DMR

SINTEF: Small scale purificationFesil: Pilot scale purification

Pillar:Cz

crystallisation

SINTEF:Bridgman crystallisation

(small scale)

WP3: Electrochemical refining

NTNU, SINTEF: Electrochemical

refining

Fesil :MG -Si

production


(small scale)

SINTEF: Modelling

Deutsche Solar:Bridgman crystallisation

(large scale)

Deutsche Solar: n-type purificationin pilot equipment

Deutsche Solar:Highly doped n

type waste

WP2: Cleaning & Refining HDN

WP4: Material Characterisation

SINTEF: SIMS, LECO analysis UKON: lifetimeNTNU: GD -MS, PVScan (particle analysis)UMIB: PL, EBIC, IR, SEMECN: ICP -AES, IR, lifetime analysis

P-type cell process:UKON: high efficiency baseline, ECN: industrial

baseline, Isofoton : industrial pilot

Characterisation: UKON: lifetime, IV/SPR, IR thermography, UMIB: PL, EBIC,IR, SEM.

ECN: lifetime, IV/SPR, FTIR,

N-type cell process:UKON: high efficiency baseline, ECN: industrial


Increased yield:ECN: RPECVD, belt furnace

mechanical stability, MIRHP, tube furnace gett,

WP5: Cell optimisation

WP6:Modules&Recycling

Isofoton : demo module, n-type module recycling, ECN: LCA



SINTEF/ Fesil :Recycled Si

WP1: Cleaning & Refining DMR

SINTEF: Small scale purificationFesil: Pilot scale purification

Pillar:Cz

crystallisation


(small scale)

WP3: Electrochemical refining

NTNU, SINTEF: Electrochemical

refining

Fesil :MG -Si

production


(small scale)

SINTEF: Modelling

Deutsche Solar:Bridgman crystallisation

(large scale)

Deutsche Solar: n-type purificationin pilot equipment

Deutsche Solar:Highly doped n-type waste

WP2: Cleaning & Refining HDN

WP4: Material Characterisation

SINTEF: SIMS, LECO analysis UKON: lifetimeNTNU: GD -MS, PVScan (particle analysis)UMIB: PL, EBIC, IR, SEMECN: ICP -AES, IR, lifetime analysis

P-type cell process:UKON: high efficiency baseline, ECN: industrial


Characterisation: UKON: lifetime, IV/SPR, IR thermography, UMIB: PL, EBIC,IR, SEM.

ECN: lifetime, IV/SPR, FTIR, CoRe

N-type cell process:UKON: high efficiency baseline, ECN: industrial


Increased yield:ECN: RPECVD, belt furnace gett., UKON:

mechanical stability, MIRHP, tube furnace gett,

WP5: Cell optimisation

WP6:Modules&Recycling

Isofoton : demo module, n-type module recycling, ECN: LCA

WP7: Integration &

exploitation


Duration36 months

Contact personAud Wærnes [email protected]

List of partnersDeutsche Solar – DEECN – NLFESIL – NOIsofoton – ESNorwegian University of Science and Technology – NOPillar – UA SINTEF – NOScanArc – SESunergy Investco – NLUniversity of Konstanz – DEUniversity of Milano-Bicocca – IT

Websitewww.sintef.no\foxy


Statusongoing

35

• Transfer the developed processes into industrial(pilot) lines within the project (months 30-36),and create a platform for acceptance of thenew (standardised) SoG-Si.

• Test refined material under production con-ditions.

• Set standards for SoG-Si.

• Establish a pilot plant on recycling of highlydoped n-type material.

• Optimise processes for refining of solar gradefeedstock and waste from the ingot andwafer producer.

• A lifecycle analysis on the developed processes:

• At least one of the processes will have anenergy payback time of six months. Foraverage Southern European solar irradiation,the energy payback time (EPBT) for completeinstalled PV systems ranges from 1.7 to2.7 years depending on the technology.

• Industrially produced wafers with at least16% cell efficiencies and improved yield.

All the partners will benefit from the FoXy results.After successful completion of the project, DeutscheSolar is planning to invest in a 600 ton/year vacuumrefining plant to remove n-type dopants. Thetreated material is for internal use within theSolarworld group and for external use as well.Deutsche Solar intends to deliver n-type solarsilicon wafers to international solar cell manu-facturers as a new product.

The Solsilc route will be further developed andcommercialised in parallel with the FoXy project.The Solsilc material will benefit from the newcleaning and crystallisation processes developedby FoXy. The project results will be presented atappropriate conferences and fairs.

Progress to dateThe FoXy project started on 1 January 2006 andis still in an early phase. A series of artificiallycontaminated n-type ingots has been made inorder to optimise the n-type cell process. Inaddition, small-scale refining has been carriedout with promising results.

Figure 2: Principle for refining by directional solidification (The dark colour indicates level of impurity where white is<0.01ppm and black is > 100ppm)

Liquid

Liquid Liquid

Liquid

SolidSolid Solid

Refining by directional solidificationImpuritylevel

timesolid

>100ppm

<0.01 ppm 01p p

ChallengesThe main objective of PERFORMANCE is to conductpre-normative research, to develop more reliabletest procedures and measurement methods forstandard and innovative types of PV modules, andto harmonise system performance measurementand evaluation techniques.

The project covers all relevant aspects from cellto system level and from instantaneous devicecharacterisation and system measurement tolife-time performance prediction and assessment.The limitations of current indoor and outdoorcalibration measurement technology will beinvestigated and precision will be improved,covering current technologies as well as newand advanced cell and module concepts.Methods will be developed to link measurementsof module power to module energy production.In addition, PERFORMANCE covers the developmentand validation of PV module life-time assessmentprocedures for several PV technologies, includingcrystalline silicon and thin film PV, and alsobuilding industry-integrated PV codes andstandards. All activities aim at improving thecompetitiveness of the European PV industry forboth the European and the world markets.

Project StructureFrom the demands of market players, eighttopics have been identified and transformed intoa consistent set of sub-projects.

Following this work programme, PERFORMANCEwill produce a coherent framework of measurementand modelling methodologies to create thetransparency needed for the European marketand industry. Intense involvement of allEuropean companies along the value chain willbe organised systematically through feedbackloops. These include project workshops, seminarsand the involvement of an Industry AdvisoryBoard. Project results will be fed directly intostandardisation processes on CENELEC and IEC level.

O B J E C T I V E S

PERF

ORM

ANCE

A Science Base on PV Performance for Increased Market Transparency and Customer Confidence

36

The general idea behind thePERFORMANCE project is to providethe photovoltaics (PV) communitywith tools to measure the quality of products – devices, systems andservices –, to ensure their usefulnessand reliability, and to deliver data to predict the useful lifetime of theseproducts. The project will developreliable test and calibrationprocedures for both standard and innovative types of PV modules,and will harmonise measurement andevaluation techniques for PV systems.

PERFORMANCE will cover all relevantaspects from cell to system level and from instantaneous devicecharacterisation and systemmeasurements to life-time performanceprediction and assessment.

Expected ResultsThe general idea behind the project is to provide thePV community with tools to measure the quality ofproducts – devices, systems and services –, toensure their usefulness and reliability, and todeliver data to predict the useful lifetime of theproducts. It is safe to say that the results of theeffort in this project will meet with strong interestfrom the whole PV community.

Thus, PERFORMANCE creates the platform totransfer and liaise between the scientificcommunity (the creator of the necessary know -ledge), the industry, the end-user and theimplementing bodies (the standardisation bodies)in order to meet the goals of European decision-makers (represented by the Member States andthe European Commission).

The PERFORMANCE Sub-Projects

1. Traceable performance measurementof PV devices

Set up of traceability chains of indoor modulemeasurements in test labs and in industry, adap-tation of measurement procedures for new andemerging technologies (thin film cells, multi-junction cells, back-contact silicon cells, etc.).

2. Energy delivery of photovoltaic devices

Bridge the gap between indoor STC measurementsand outdoor ‘real world’ measurements for anyplace in Europe.

PRE-NORMATIVE RESEARCH AND CO-ORDINATION ACTIV IT IES


Duration48 months

Contact PersonDr. Christian ReiseFraunhofer Institut für SolareEnergiesysteme [email protected]

List of PartnersArsenal – AT Ben Gurion University of the Negev – IL CIEMAT – ES Commissariat à l’Energie Atomique – FRConergy – DE ECN – NL Ecofys – NL EPIA – BE Fraunhofer Gesellschaft (FhG-ISE) – DEHochschule Magdeburg Stendal – DEIsofoton – ES IT Power Ltd – GBJRC – IT Meteocontrol – DEPhönix Sonnenstrom – DE Polymer Competence Centre Leoben – ATProjektgesellschaft Solare Energiesysteme – DE Scheuten Solar Systems BV – NL Schott Solar – DE Scuola Universitaria Professionale della Svizzera Italiana – CHShell Solar – DE Swedish National Testing and Research Institute – SETallinn University of Technology – EETÜV Immissionsschutz und Energiesysteme GmbH – DEUniversity of Loughborough – GBUniversity of Northumbria at Newcastle – GBWroclaw University of Technology – PL ZSW – DE

Websitewww.pv-performance.org

Project officerGarbiñe Guiu Etxeberria

Statusongoing

37

3. PV system performance evaluation

Analysis of system performance data towards anunderstanding of yields and losses, assessmentof different approaches towards `guaranteedresults´.

4. Modelling and analysis

Development of a coherent set of models of PV modules and system performance, to translatePV module data and PV component data intolong-term system performance figures.

5. Service life assessment of PV modules

Develop ageing models based on ‘real life’ stressfactors, develop new accelerated ageing proce-dures, facilitate innovation in module technology.

6. PV as a building product

Assessment of standards and performancerequirements for building integrated PV modules,suggestions for module technologies which fitinto the existing codes of the building industry.

7. & 8. Industry interaction and dissemination, Standardisation processes

Accelerate feedback loops between industry andstandardisation processes, communicate projectresults to industry, politics and users in a rapidlygrowing market. Contribute to revision of standards,initiate new standards, develop a long termvision for European standardisation.

ChallengesThe costs of PV have come down considerablyover the last decade, but must decrease further(perhaps by a factor of five to ten), by the middleof the century, in order to fulfil the promise ofsolar energy becoming a significant factor in thefuture energy supply. Fortunately, there is greatpotential for cost reduction. However, thisrequires a long-term coordinated technology andmarket development. The present learning rate ofaround 20% must be maintained alongside a long-term average growth rate of at least 20-30%.

The present market in the EU is heavily dependenton a very effective feed-in tariff system in Germany,accompanied by easy allowance for access tothe grid. It is important to develop new marketsfor sustainable growth, both in new countries andin market sectors where the value of PV is highest.Europe has a very strong research community buttime-to-market needs to be improved. Central tomarket development is the need for productsthat have a high conversion efficiency and deliverthe amount of energy expected by the systempurchasers. If there is a need for both electricity andhot water, a PV thermal system is a high-efficiencysolar system with commercial potential.

Professional investors need accurate informationon the amount of electricity that a proposedPV system will produce. The relation betweenthe power rating determined indoors with aflash tester by a manufacturer, and the energy yieldunder real operating conditions, is not unam-biguous if different technologies are compared orif thin film modules are applied.

Project StructureThe PV CAtapult consortium comprises 19 con-tractors: representatives of research institutes,universities and the PV industry. The project,coordinated by ECN, was divided into elevenwork packages that combine to give three sub-projects:

• EPIA addressed technological, marketing,socio-economic and financial issues, based ona general SWOT analysis for the European PVindustry.

• ECN brought together all the key players inR&D and the industrial PV thermal energy(PVT) field to build up a strong network.

O B J E C T I V E S

PV C

ATA

PULT

Accelerating the European PV Industry

38

The overall aim is to strengthen theposition of the European PV sector.New routes will be identified todecrease costs of PV electricity, to improve the quality of PV and PV thermal systems and to open newmarkets. A SWOT analysis will bemade for the whole PV sector coveringthe complete value chain. Innovativefinance schemes are discussed andnew market approaches are developedfor PV implementation in developingcountries, as well as in the new EUMember States and for building-related PV. The technology transferfrom research laboratories to industrywill be improved by setting up a strategic research agenda byindustry and the research community.

Roadmaps will be developed forbuilding-related PV and for PVthermal systems in order to define the path for future R&D and marketintroduction. The uncertainty in powerand energy rating will be assessed,enabling the consumer to get a betterinsight into PV systems performance.

• CREST improved module performance meas-urements and modelling, setting a basis forstandardisation.

Cross-fertilisation was used to identify linksbetween the different activities, maximising thesynergy effects and bringing together the differentstakeholders.

ResultsIt was the first time a SWOT analysis was performedfor the whole PV Sector covering the complete pro-duction chain. An in-depth analysis was performedon three main issues:

• Solar grade silicon is not available at a reasonableprice for the quantities needed.

• Thin film technologies are not taken off as expected.

• Feed-in tariffs are a very effective supportinstrument, worthwhile to apply more.

The analysis led to valuable recommendations foraction. Many of them can be taken by the PV sectoritself, with a coordinating and initiating role forEPIA, but in some cases a closer collaboration withother industrial sectors, such as the building andglass trades, is needed.

A common European industry-research visionon future R&D needs was achieved. Based onthe Vision Report of PV-TRAC, priorities forfuture technology development were set,encompassing the whole chain from materialsto systems. To permit the cost reductionsrequired for PV, a significantly higher R&Dbudget is needed from public as well as privatesources, in particular for technology transfer toindustry, systems development and non-technicalissues such as monitoring, training and standardi -sation. A budget breakdown is proposed based


SWOT

1

R&DStrategy

2

PVT

3PV&

Buildings

4

Finance issues

5

Enlarged EU

Market

6

RuralElectrification

7

Performance Measurement Modelling

8 9

Cross Fertilisation

10 Dissemination

11 Accelerating the European PV Industry

SWOT

1

R&DStrategy

2

PVT

3PV&

Buildings

4

Finance issues

5

Enlarged EU

Market

6

RuralElectrification

7 8 9

Cross Fertilisation

10Dissemination

11 Accelerating the European PV Industry

Performance Measurement Modelling


Duration26 months

Contact personHugo de MoorEnergy Research Centre of the [email protected]

List of partnersArsenal – ATCommissariat à l’Energie Atomique – FRECN – NLEcofys – NLEPIA – BEEsbensen Raadgivende Ingenioerer A/S – DKFraunhofer Gesellschaft (FhG-ISE) – DEInstitut für Solarenergieforschung GmbHHameln/Emmerthal – DEUniversity of Loughborough – GBScuola Universitaria Professionale della Svizzera Italiana – CHSolstis SARL – CHTallinn University of Technology – EETÜV Immissionsschutz und Energiesysteme GmbH – DEUniversity of Patras – GRWarsaw University of Technology – PLWirtschaft und Infrastruktur & CO Planungs KG – DEWorld Science – Technology – Trade –Business – Company SPRL – BEWroclaw University of Technology – PLZSW – DE

Websitewww.pvcatapult.org generalwww.pvtforum.org PVT

Project OfficerGeorges Deschamps

Statusterminated

39

on a concrete list of priorities, with two-thirdsdedicated to short- to-medium- term-orientedR&D and one-third for medium- to long-term.More interaction between short-term technologytransfer and long-term material science is recom -mended. Of the total budget, 40% is allocated forcrystalline silicon technology and 25% for thinfilm technology; the remainder (35%) is for systemstechnology.

To effectively and efficiently support the technologydevelopment of PV over the necessary extendedperiod, an R&D strategy must be formulated notonly in a European PV programme, but alsoimplemented in the national PV programmes ofthe Member States.

Three markets segments were explored in moredetail:

• Building related (integrated) PV

• The new EU Member States

• Rural electrification.

A roadmap has been prepared indicating possibleroutes to creating a mature European market forBIPV (Building-integrated or -related PV). As PVhas to compete with the relatively high end-userelectricity prices, it will be the first large marketsegment where PV will be competitive, given BoS(system) costs comparable with the BoS costs oflarge PV installations. It is essential that BIPVbecome a regular building product, integratingwith the building process and attractive for allactors in the value chain.

The status of the PV sector in the new MemberStates was analysed and recommendationsgiven for strengthening its presence. A positionpaper for an EU-wide feed-in tariff for PV waspublished, as an analysis has shown this to be themost effective measure for developing a sustainablemarket for PV.

An initiative based on a position paper on ruralelectrification and the UN MillenniumDevelopment Goals was established: this is theARE (Alliance for Rural Electrification). It willprovide a platform for all stakeholders. The aimis to create synergies of all the initiatives takenat the global level and to contribute to thepoverty eradication process.

A new financial model was presented based onthe creation of ESCOs (Energy Service Companies).A fund of around ? 150 million is required to meetthe needs of extending production capacities andfinancing ground-based PV power plants.

A ‘round robin’ was organised for indoor calibrationsand for outdoor power and energy ratings. The results show that for crystalline and poly -crystalline devices, substantial agreement hasbeen achieved between laboratories. Less agree -ment between laboratories has been achievedregarding thin film devices, in particular forindoor measurements, and further research isneeded. A rather surprising level of agreementhas been reached between the different outdoortest facilities, with much reduced PV technology-related problems despite their one-of-a kinddesigns.

The accuracy of several modelling methodologiesof the energy yield of photovoltaic devices hasbeen investigated by means of a questionnaire toevaluate the state-of-the-art, leading to a seriesof modelling ‘round robins’ to investigate thestrengths and weaknesses of the differentapproaches. The best case of the models, i.e. onlystatistical variations, is in the order of 2-3%deviation of the predicted energy yield with respectto measured values. Once translations from onesite to another are considered, this inaccuracy goesup to 4-6% if the precise efficiency of the moduleis known. If the modules have changed significantlyor the name-plate efficiency of the module to bemodelled deviates significantly from the input,errors in the 15% range have been observed.

PV thermal is a relatively new technology thatconverts the power of the sun not only intoelectrical but also thermal energy. A technologyand marketing roadmap has been made, basedon discussions in workshops and with relevantstakeholders. The most promising market segmentsidentified are multi-family buildings as early-market potential, domestic water and space heatingfor the medium term and, for the long term, solarcooling or industrial high-temperature applica-tions. The systems can use liquid or air to transportthe heat collected. Barriers, such as unknownlegal status, lack of financial support, productcertification and track record are identified and anaction plan has been established for all stakeholders.

41

Biofuels for Transport...................................................................................................................................................................................... 42

NILE................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 42

RENEW........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 44

Energy from Crops................................................................................................................................................................................................... 46

BIOCARD .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 46

CROPGEN ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 48

Gasification and H2-production .............................................................................................................................................. 50

AER-GAS II............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 50

BIGPOWER ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 52

BIOCELLUS ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 56

CHRISGAS ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 58

GREENFUELCELL ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 60

HYVOLUTION ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 62

Biorefinery.................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 64

BIOCOUP .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 64

BIOSYNERGY ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 66

Combustion and Cofiring......................................................................................................................................................................... 68

BIOASH ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 68

BIO-PRO .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 70

COPOWER ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 72

Pre-normative Research and Co-ordination Activities....................................................... 74

BIONORM II .......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 74

NOE-BIOENERGY ........................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 76

NETBIOCOF ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 80

Biomass

ChallengesAt this moment, there is no commercial productionof ethanol from ligno-cellulose because of eco-nomic and technical barriers. The main questionsthat remain to be solved for a successful imple-mentation of such a process are:

• How to decrease the cost of enzymatichydrolysis which may represent 30-40% ofthe production cost of ligno-cellulosic ethanol?

• Can the pentose-rich hemicelluloses be effi-ciently converted to ethanol?

• How should the process be scaled up andintegrated to minimise the energy and waterdemand?

• What quality of lignin can be obtained andhow to optimise the value of this product?

• How to obtain representative and reliabledata for cost estimation and evaluation ofenvironmental and socio-economic impacts?

• Is bioethanol from ligno-cellulose fully com-patible with internal combustion engines?

O B J E C T I V E S

NIL

E

New Improvements for Lignocellulosic Ethanol

42

NILE will design and investigate newsolutions for an efficient conversionof ligno-cellulosic feedstocks tobioethanol, especially novel enzymaticsystems and new ethanol-producingyeasts strains, and make an integrativeevaluation of the advances in a dedicated and unique pilot plant to obtain reliable data for technical,socio-economic and globalenvironmental assessments.

Project StructureTo address these various issues, the project struc-ture is mainly based on the steps of the processconverting ligno-cellulose to bioethanol, i.e.:

Therefore, the project comprises seven work pack-ages. WP 1 and WP 2 are devoted to enzymatichydrolysis and to ethanol fermentation respec-tively; WP 3, named process technology, coversthe whole process including pilot plant tests;WP 4 is focused on environmental and socio-economic impacts; WP 5 aims at evaluatingligno-cellulosic bioethanol for automotive appli-cations; and dissemination and training activitiesare grouped in WP 6.

Expected ResultsDifferent approaches will be used to improve enzy-matic hydrolysis: identification of new efficientligno-cellulose-degrading enzymes, improvementof the key enzymes (e.g. by directed evolution),creation of multifunctional enzymes, and devel-opment of an enzyme production system that iseasy to integrate.

BIOFUELS FOR TRANSPORT

Enzymeproduction

EnzymatichydrolysisPretreatment Fermentation

Distillation

Internal Combustion

Engines

Cullulases

LCB Cellulose + lignin Glucose

Hemicellulosehydrolysate

Lignin

Ethanol

Ethanol


Duration48 months

Contact personFrédéric Monot Institut Français du Pé[email protected]

List of partnersAEBIOM – BEBioAlcohol Fuel Foundation – SECentro Ricerche FIAT – ITCNRS – FRDIREVO Biotech – DEEni Tecnologie – ITEtek Etanolteknik – SEEUREC – BEGranit Recherche Développement – CHImperial College – GBInstitut Français du Pétrole – FRInstitut National de la RechercheAgronomique – FRLatvian State Institute of Wood Chemistry – LVNew University of Lisbon – PTRoal Oy – FISAF-ISIS – FRSvensk Etanolkemi – SESwiss Federal Institute of Technology Zürich – CHJohann-Wolfgang von Goethe University of Frankfurt/M – DEUniversity of Lund – SEVTT – FIWeizmann Institute of Science – IL

Websitewww.nile-bioethanol.org

Project OfficerMaria Fernandez Gutierrez

Statusongoing

43

The current intrinsic limitations on the conver-sion of fermentable sugars will be removed by:

• The construction of inhibitor-tolerant pen-tose-fermenting yeast strains.

• The selection of the best fermentation strat-egy, paying special attention to simultaneoussaccharification and fermentation.

The new enzymes and yeasts will be tested in afully integrated pilot plant facility. The pilotplant will also be used to obtain reliable data forprocess design and economic and environmentalassessments. The lignin produced will be

characterised and its suitability as a solid fuelinvestigated. A flow sheeting model will bedeveloped for studying various process configu-rations and for economic evaluation. Theethanol produced will be evaluated as a liquidfuel in terms of potential contaminants comingfrom the biomass and the process used, andfrom different levels of final product refining.

All the data that will be obtained in the frame-work of the project constitutes a prerequisite forthe reasonable design and implementation of a future demonstration unit.

ChallengesMobility in the future demands CO2-neutraltransportation means characterised by lowemissions and high energy efficiency on a ‘well-to-wheel’ basis. The gasification of biomass withsubsequent synthesis of fuels could provide asubstantial contribution to this demand. Thisproject assesses the thermochemical productionpathways and aims to support the major objec-tives of EU energy policy, notably the KyotoProtocol on the reduction of greenhouse gasesand policy on security and diversification ofenergy supply. This will include developing, testingand evaluating new biomass-based energy carriersfor individual sustainable mobility (i.e. motorvehicles):

• Use of primary energy sources with sustainableavailability

• Energy biomass-to-wheel chains with highestefficiency

• Lowest possible biomass-to-wheel emissions(pollutants and CO2)

• Potential for European technical implemen-tation at affordable cost

The conversion of ligno-cellulosic biomass viagasification into a synthesis gas offers a varietyof opportunities for the production of liquidfuels made from biomass and will lead to recom -mendations for future realisation.

Project structureA European consortium led by Volkswagen AGhas joined forces to develop, demonstrate andcomparatively assess pathways from biomass todifferent energy carriers with a single commonintermediate product: synthesis gas. The conver-sion of lingo-cellulosic biomass (wood, straw andenergy plants) via gasification into a synthesis gasoffers a variety of opportunities for the productionof fuel for transportation means.

Major vehicle manufacturers, oil companies andplant builders are working together with researchand development institutes in a four-year projectcalled RENEW to make a technical, economicand environmental assessment of productionpathways for renewable fuels.

O B J E C T I V E S

RE

NE

W

Renewable Fuels for Advanced Power Trains

44

The main objective of this project isthe development and comparativeassessment of pathways from biomassto various motor vehicle fuels with a single common intermediate product:the synthesis gas. The fuel pathwayswill be compared through Life CycleAnalysis (LCA) and a technicalanalysis. Relevant boundary conditionsfor the comparison will be defined inthe consortium, immediately afterstarting the project.

The main focus is on biomassgasification issues related to thesubsequent gas cleaning/treatment.Work will be done to determinesuitable gas compositions and requiredpurity levels of the synthesis gas withregard to synthesis of premium fuels.Apart from marketable biofuels, forwhich innovative production paths areexplored, a new type of synthetic fuel,biomass-to-liquid (BTL), will beproduced at pilot level throughFischer-Tropsch (FT) synthesis. The latter will be submitted to testsboth in current and in new internalcombustion engines.

RENEW is assessing the fuel production pathwaysshown in Fig. 1. The focus is on the gasification oflingo-cellulosic bio¬mass, the subsequent gascleaning/treatment, the deter¬mination of suitablegas composit¬ions, and the required purity levelsof the synthesis gas for fuel production. From thesynthesis gas, several fuel types can be producedwhich can easily be applied in current and futurecombustion engines. The production pathways forFischer-Tropsch diesel (FT diesel), HomogeneousCharged Compression Ignition fuel (HCCI fuel),Dimethylether/Methanol (DME) and ethanol willundergo a Life Cycle Assess¬ment (LCA), as wellas an economic and technological assessment.

BIOFUELS FOR TRANSPORT

Pathways for the production of BTL fuels

As a result of this project, a comprehensiveknowledge-base regarding BTL fuels (Biomass toLiquid) produced through gasification of ligno-cellulosic biomass will become available to relevantstakeholders in the EU, thus allowing for a moreprofound assessment of the impact of futureroad transport at the environmental, economicand social levels.

RENEW is structured in six sub-projects. The firstfour are devoted to research and develop mentof fuels and production pathways. Sub-projectfive undertakes the assessment activities and sub-project six is devoted to knowledge disseminationand training.

Expected resultsThis project is expected to provide the scientificand technological base for the transition to sus-tainable and environmentally friendly roadtransport, based on renewable fuels.


Duration48 months

Contact personJuliane Muth Volkswagen [email protected]

List of partnersAbengoa Bioenergia S.L. – ESAsociacion de Investigacion y CooperacionIndustrial de Andalucia – ESB.A.U.M. Consult GmbH – DEBiomasse-Kraftwerk Güssing GmbH & Co. KG – ATCERTH – GRChemrec AB – SEClausthaler Umwelttechnik Institut GmbH – DECRES – GRDaimlerChrysler AG – DEDeutsche BP AG – DEEC Baltic Renewable Energy Centre – PLEcotraffic ERD AB – SEElectricité de France – FRESU-services Rolf Frischknecht – CHEuropäisches Zentrum für ErneuerbareEnergie Güssing GmbH – ATForschungszentrum Karlsruhe GmbH – DEInstitut für Energetik und Umwelt GmbH – DEInstytut Technologii Nafty – PLNational University of Ireland – IEPaul Scherrer Institut – CHRenault Recherche et Innovation – FRRenewable Power TechnologiesUmwelttechnik GmbH – CHSkogsindustrins tekniska forskningsinstitut AV – SESödra Cell AB – SESyncom F&E-Beratung GmbH – DETotal – FRUET Umwelt- und Energietechnik Freiberg GmbH – DEUniversity of Lund – SEVienna University of Technology – ATVolkswagen AG – DEVolvo Technology Corporation AB – SEZSW – DE

Websitewww.renew-fuel.com

Project officerErich Naegele

Statusongoing

45

As a result of this project, a reliable knowledgebase covering a broad range of biofuels producedthrough gasification of the ligno-cellulosic bio-mass open to relevant stakeholders in the EU willbe available, thus allowing for a more profoundassessment of the impact of future road transportat the environmental, economic and social levels.

This IP will contribute to:

• Investigating and developing a broad spectrumof pathways for the production of road fuelsfrom a broad range of biomass, notably ligno-cellulosic.

• Making the technologies available for produc-tion, distribution and use of renewable fuels.

• Assessing, optimising and comparing therespective processes in detail with regard tofeasibility and application.

• Producing Fischer-Tropsch fuels on a pilotscale.

• Testing different charges of fuel throughdetailed and long-term test-bench studiesunder realistic conditions.

• Assessing the energy chains, the costs andemissions of CO2 by well-to-wheel and LCAanalysis.

• Providing the scientific and technologicalbasis needed for market decisions.

• Deducing lessons for large-scale implemen-tation and related socio-economic effects atEU level.

• Drawing strategic conclusions and derivingpractical recommendations for mastering anearly transition to an affordable and sustainabletransportation system.

• Providing the basis for achieving a cost targetof 70 eurocents/litre diesel equivalent withinthe subsequent demonstration phase of thebest selected technologies.

Based on an understanding among relevantplayers in industry, SME, agriculture, research, etc,RENEW has the vision to develop commonlyagreed strategic recommendations concerning thetechnological and market potential of differentfuels and their production technologies.

Progress to DateThe halfway mark of the project has been reachedand all activities of the project have started. Theoverall progress achieved is close to plan:

• 2500 litres of BTL fuels were producedaccording to predetermined specificationsregarding distillation cut and Cetane numberand were tested in engines at Volkswagen,DaimlerChrysler and Regienov/Renault.

• Engine tests with BTL and fuel analysisrevealed the potential for reducing emissions.Preliminary specifications for BTL fuels wereagreed on by manufacturers and VW,Daimler-Chrysler and Regienov/Renault.

• The gasification processes at several gasifiersranging from 400 kW to 7 MW were optimisedand two synthesis routes were installed forfurther testing.

• The integration of a black liquor gasificationplant at a paper mill was analysed and thebasic engineering was performed.

• The production of ethanol via the thermo-chemical pathway is being studied in detail andwork is focussed on the catalytic conversion.

• The biomass potential in EU-28 wasreviewed. Theoretical potential for BTL fuelsproduced via gasification from biomass grownon available arable land has been estimated at1.5 EJ/y for the short term perspective and atover 12 EJ/y for long term perspective (> 2040),based on energy crops. Estimating the transportenergy demand in 2040 and a 50% use ofavailable biomass for BTL fuel production, asubstantial part of the transportation energydemand could be substituted.

• Goal and scope for the LCA and an economicand technological assessment were agreed.The acquisition of necessary data from thethermochemical production pathways wascompleted in 3/2006.

• In August 2005 the 1st European SummerSchool on Renewable Motor Fuels took place atthe University of Trier’s campus in Birkenfeld,Germany. More than 120 people participated inthe three-day course dedicated to all aspects ofsecond-generation biofuels. The next EuropeanSummer School on Renewable Motor Fuels isplanned for summer 2007 in Poland.

ChallengesThe proposal aims at demonstrating the technicaland economic feasibility of a global process forexploitation of cardoon (Cynara Cardunculus L.)in energy applications. This energy crop is par-ticularly suited to the Mediterranean region,where problems of water insufficiency prevail.A combined process to produce a low-cost liquidbiofuel from seeds and energy from lingo-cellu-losic biomass is proposed. Different technologiesfor biomass energy conversion will be studiedand compared. In addition to breaking the costbarriers, new heterogeneous catalysis for liquidbiofuel production will be tested.

The main objectives are:

• Promote the use of biomass and liquid biofuelsin Mediterranean areas

• Improve:• Cynara crop• Cynara biomass valorisation• Cynara seeds valorisation

• Reduce liquid biofuel production costs:• New heterogeneous catalysis

––> Regeneration of the catalyser

• Use as an alternative fuel in fossil power plant

O B J E C T I V E S

BIO

CA

RD

Global Process to Improve Cynara CardunculusExploitation for Energy Applications

46

The use of biomass in Europe forenergy applications is growing inimportance year by year. NorthernEuropean countries have higherbiomass exploitation, with a highproduction of wood and crop residuesdue to a more appropriate climate.Mediterranean countries must findproper dry-farming methods with lowexploitation costs and targeting theuse of land set aside in recent years.In order to achieve this goal, theBIOCARD project is focused on ‘CynaraCardunculus’, commonly know as‘Cynara’, as an alternative crop forsolid and liquid biofuel production.

• Reduce emissions from fossil fuels ––> CO2

reduction costs

• Develop a heterogeneous process to producebiodiesel, offering several advantages overhomogeneous processes:• A solid catalyst can be re-used• The washing steps, reducing large water

volumes• High-quality glycerine

• New raw material for energy production

Project StructureThe project has been subdivided into six workpackages:

WP 0 Project coordination

WP 1 Energy crop management and har vesting

WP 2 Biomass valorisation for energy conversion

WP 3 Cynara seeds valorisation for energyconversion

WP 4 Overall technical and economical evaluation. Feasibility study

WP 5 Dissemination and exploitation activities

ENERGY FROM CROPS

TWO WAYS FOR WHOLE CYNARA BIOMASS VALORISATION

FIELD WHOLE CYNARA BIOMASS HARVESTING

Whole cynarabiomass bales

FIELD SEPARATIVE CYNARA BIOMASS HARVESTING

Heads LignocellulosicBiomass bales

SEPARATION STATIC PLANT

Fruits Lignocellulosicbiomass

ENERGYPLANT

OilPress-cake

THRESHING PLANT

ENERGYPLANT

FruitsWaste

biomass

OilPress-cake

Cynara Valorisation

Project InformationContract Number19829

Duration39 months

Contact personJuan Azcue SaltoTecnatom [email protected]

List of PartnersCentro de Investigation de Recursos y Consumos Energeticos – ESConsejo Superior de InvestigacionesCientificas – ESEndesa – ESExperimental Institute for the Mechanisationof Agriculture C.R.A. – ITFundacion Gaiker – ESMAN B&W – DETecnatom SA – ESPolytechnical University of Madrid – ESQueens University, Belfast – GBTechnical University of Denmark – DKUniversity of Bologna – ITVTT – FI

Websitehttp://projects.tecnatom.es/opencms/opencms/Biocard/Web

Project OfficerErich Naegele

Statusongoing

47

Expected ResultsThis project is expected to promote the use ofbiomass and liquid biofuels in Mediterraneanareas where climatic conditions are not advan-tageous, through the complete exploitation ofCynara products, giving a global solution thatcould contribute to European policies of energysupply and CO2 reduction.

The main BIOCARD objective will be coveredthrough several intermediate goals:

• Optimisation of crop conditions to yield inbiomass production

• Development of new machinery to improveseed separation from Cynara biomass

• Analyze biomass combustion alternatives:• Co-combustion in burners• Combustion in grates• Combustion in fluidised beds

• Reduce liquid biofuel production costs:• Use of Cynara seeds to produce biofuel

through traditional catalysis process• Use a new heterogeneous catalysis process

for biodiesel production

• Analyse biodiesel combustion alternatives forelectricity production:• Develop mixes of Cynara biofuel and

Cynara oil for use in large stationary dieselengines

Finally and taking account of the project results,a technical and economic assessment will bemade of the global process as an alternative totraditional fuels for electrical generation.

OIL SEEDSOIL SEEDS

CYNARA OIL LIQUID BIOFUEL

LIQUID BIOFUEL

BIOMASSBIOMASS

CYNARA

New heterogeneous catalysis

Homogeneous catalysis

Mixes characterization for stationary engine use.

Pulverised Burners tests

Grate -fired boiler tests

Fluidised bed tests.

SEEDCAKE

ASHES

ELECTRICITYNew mobile Harvesting machine

Logistic issues

Increase yield

Pre -treatments

ANIMALFEEDSTOCK

FEASIBILITY STUDY OF THE OVERALL PROCESS

Commercial mower + Static separation

Project Structur

ChallengesThe concept is based on the use of anaerobicdigestion (AD) as a means of producing methanefrom biomass, including energy crops and agri-cultural residues. The technology of biochemicalmethane generation is well established: thebreakthrough to a cost-effective and competitiveenergy supply will come from engineering andtechnical improvements to increase conversionefficiencies and from reductions in the cost ofbiomass by the introduction of integrated systems,including novel and multi-use crops and agro-wastes. The research aims to determine how thetechnology can best be applied to provide a ver-satile, low-cost carbon-neutral biofuel in anenvironmentally sound and sustainable agriculturalframework.

Project StructureThe first phase of the work identified energycrops and agro-wastes best fitted to energy pro-duction in an integrated farming environment. It considered the energy losses in production andprocessing, and used these to set net energyproduction targets as a technological goal. Therole of storage and pre-treatments to enhanceor reduce energy production is considered.Co-digestion is being evaluated as a means ofimproving energy yields from materials whichare uneconomic for biogas production.

Some agricultural residues are also being inves-tigated as potential high-yielding substrates.Innovative bioreactor designs and operation modeshave been tested to determine their suitability forenergy production from crop materials. A Europeandatabase of bio-kinetics for use in design andoperation is being established. True life-cyclecosts of biogas production are being determinedfrom large-scale trials. These will allow verificationof laboratory data and predictive models, includingdecision support systems to optimise energyproduction. The work allows for the need toachieve continuity of energy supply in an integrat-ed farming environment, and addresses broaderissues of sustainability, environmental impact andthe influence of socio-economic factors onapplication and uptake.

O B J E C T I V E S

CR

OP

GE

N

Renewable Energy from Crops and Agro-wastes

48

The overall objective is to producefrom biomass a sustainable fuel sourcethat can be integrated into theexisting energy infrastructure in themedium term, and in the longer termwill also provide a safe andeconomical means of supplying theneeds of a developing hydrogen fueleconomy.

Expected ResultsThe results will add to EU databases on bio-energy crops, give engineers the necessary toolsto further develop the technology, and providethe farming community with evidence of pro -fitable energy production without subsidy andwithin the EU’s target cost for renewable energy.The work contributes to security and diversificationof the energy supply, reduction in greenhouse gasemissions, soil amelioration and reduced waterpollution. It will also create opportunities forincreased employment in agriculture and rein-forced competitiveness in technology exports.

Progress to DateMethane potential of crops

• A range of plant species grown and sampledto provide material for Biochemical MethanePotential (BMP) assay.

• Working BMP protocol established and beingused as a basis for further development tolook at growth stages and optimum harvesttimes.

• Conditions of the test evaluated and foundto depend on a number of factors.

• Database established for different crop types.

Crop preparation and storage

• Some potential to increase methane productionby alkaline and water-based pre-treatments,and certain spoilage organisms.

• More important, poor treatment or storageconditions reduce biogas yields.

ENERGY FROM CROPS


Duration36 months

Contact personProf Charles Banks School of Civil Engineering and the Environment University of Southampton [email protected]

List of partnersCentre for Under-utilised Crops, University of Southampton – GBGreenfinch Ltd – GBInstitute for Agrobiotechnology, BOKU University – AT Institute of Applied Microbiology, BOKU University – ATConsejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas – ESMetener Ltd – FIOrganic Power Ltd – GB University of Jyväskylä – FIUniversity of Southampton – GB University of Venice – ITUniversity of Verona – ITUniversity of Wageningen – NL

Websitewww.cropgen.soton.ac.uk

Project officerPhilippe Schild

Statusongoing

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Digestion trials

Trials conducted over a range of operational loadingrates and retention times to establish kinetic datafor different crop species and agricultural wastes.

Technology innovations

• Permeating bed reactors

• Single-bed systems using grass and maizegive poor results – even with pH control:

• permeating bed with second-stage high-ratereactors gives greater potential for stableoperation and biogas production;

• may be some potential for certain croptypes, but preliminary results indicateoverall process efficiency is poorer than forsingle-phase mixed reactors.

• Plug flow reactors:

• interesting gas and acid production profile;• may have some potential for certain waste

types, and the concept could be furtherexploited for refined fuel production andbiorefinery intermediates;

• still to explore very high solids systemswith high recycle rates.

• Two-phase systems:

• treatment of post-distribution agro-wastesat thermophilic temperatures shows noadvantage in process stability or perform-ance compared to single phase controls;

• uncoupling of solids and liquids retentiontime in a first-phase mixed reactor withmaize as a substrate failed to showimprovement in rates of hydrolysis andsolids destruction.

Process modelling

• Anaerobic Digestion Model 1 (ADM1) beingused as a basis for Virtual Laboratory andDSS.

Energy models

• Database of energy inputs into the cultivationof different crop types established.

• Energy usage model developed based on typicalplant configurations and substrates.

Integrated farming systems

• Major progress in understanding the relativeimportance of factors affecting crop selectionand overall energy yield in an integrated farm-ing environment: in particular effect of biomassyield and fertiliser input requirements.

Dissemination

• Successful dissemination activities have ledto the exchange of ideas and the creation ofvaluable links with key actors and audiences.

• IWA ADSW-2005 conference: specialworkshop on AD of agricultural residues.

• Jyvasyla University Summer School 2005:Renewable Energy – biogas from energycrops and agro-wastes.

• Joint CROPGEN-IEA Bioenergy workshop2005: Energy crops and biogas – pathwaysto success?

GASIF ICATION AND H 2 -PRODUCTION

ChallengesThe main characteristic of the AER (AbsorptionEnhanced Reforming) process for the efficientand low-cost conversion of biomass is a CaO-containing bed material, a CO2 sorbent. It circu-lates between two fluidised bed reactors, takesup CO2 in the reaction zone of a steam gasifier,and releases CO2 in the combustor. As a result ofthe in situ CO2 removal, the reaction equilibriumsare shifted towards hydrogen production andthe tar concentration is reduced. Since the CO2

absorption is a highly exothermic reaction, thereleased heat is integrated directly into theendothermic gasification/reforming process. Theprinciple of the AER process is illustrated in Fig. 1,applying two fluidised bed reactors with circulatingsorbent bed material.

While biomass is gasified with steam in the firstfluidised bed reactor at 650-700°C (1 bar), theloaded absorbent material is transported –together with gasification residues – into a secondfluidised bed reactor for regeneration. This calci-nation reaction at ca. 800°C is achieved throughcombustion of biomass residuals. Additional fuelis needed, allowing the adjustment of theprocess temperature. Two gas streams areobtained, a H2-rich product gas as well as a CO2-enriched flue gas.

The requirements on appropriate CO2-sorbent bedmaterials are high: sufficient mechanical stability,suitable sorption properties, and preferably alsocatalytic activity encouraging tar removal.

Further challenges are to consider mineral-richbiomass resources like straw as fuel for gasifi -cation. Due to ash melting, leading to bed material

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The project work concentrates on the development and demonstration of a new, efficient and low-cost steamgasification process for cleanconversion of solid biomass. By in situ gas cleaning/conditioning, a product gas with a high H2 content(> 70 vol. %), high heating value (15 MJ/Nm3; due to low CO2 andnegligible N2 contents), and lowtar/alkali/sulphur concentration isgenerated. Due to the high productgas quality, it is suitable for variousapplications like CHP (Combined Heatand Power) generation, SNG (Substitute Natural Gas),hydrogen or synthesis gas production.

Besides the delivery of an improvedcatalytic CO2 sorbent bed material,the project aims to open up newbiomass potentials such as humid andmineral-rich resources. The overallgoal is the operation of the 8 MWthpower plant at Guessing in AER mode.

agglomeration, these feedstocks are difficult tohandle in fluidised bed gasifiers. In the case ofAER conditions, low gasification temperatures(< 750°C) and the CaO-containing bed materialare supposed to prevent agglomeration.

The comparable low AER gasification temperaturehas further interesting effects. The methanecontent of the raw gas increases, and tars mainlyconsist of primary and secondary tar components(like phenol and toluene) instead of poly-cycliccompounds, being problematic in subsequentprocess steps. Despite the low temperature level,the tar content is still small due to the CO2 sor-bent. Considering commercial realisation, thedownstream gas cleaning unit can be simplified,because the product gas quality is increased byimplementing in situ hot gas cleaning, therebyreducing plant complexity and costs.

Important advantages of the AER process weredemonstrated in the recent European AER-GASproject. They are briefly summarised as follows:

• Product gas with high hydrogen content (upto 80 vol. %)

• Low CO2 content

• Low tar content (< 500 mg/m3) by in situ hotgas cleaning

• In situ heat supply for endothermic biomassconversion. The following figure shows a typicalcomposition of the raw product gas and ofthe lower heating value (LHV) obtained dur-ing continuous wood gasification in the AER-FICFB gasifier.

Additional Fuel

AER Gasifier

COMBUSTION

+

CALCINATION

Steam Air

2-rich Flue Gas

H -rich Product Gas

CaO

Biomass

ABSORPTION ENHANCED REFORMING

Gaseous ProductsChemical

Loop

Regenerator

Solid Products

T = 600 – 700 °C (1 bar) T > 800 °C (1 bar)

Additional Fuel

AER Gasifier

COMBUSTION

+

CALCINATION

Steam Air

CO2-rich Flue Gas

H2 -rich Product Gas

CaO

Biomass

ABSORPTION ENHANCED REFORMING

Gaseous ProductsChemical

Loop

Regenerator

CaCO3

Solid Products

T = 600 – 700 °C (1 bar) T > 800 °C (1 bar)

Principle of AER process: Coupling of two fluidised bed reactors for the continuous production of an H2-rich gas from bio-mass. The sorbent bed material circulates between the AER gasifier (CO2 absorption) and the combustor (CO2 desorption).


Duration36 months

Contact personDr. Michael SpechtCentre for Solar Energy and HydrogenResearch (ZSW)[email protected]

List of partnersBiomasse-Kraftwerk Guessing GmbH – ATFORTH (ICE-HT) – GRInstitute for Energy Technology – NOGE Jenbacher GmbH & Co OHG – ATPaul Scherrer Institute – CHUniversity of Cyprus – CYUniversity of Stuttgart – DEVienna University of Technology – ATZSW – DE

Websitewww.aer-gas.de

Project officerMaria Fernandez Gutierrez

Statusongoing

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These results show that the product gas is notonly suitable for combined heat and power gen-eration, but also for e.g. hydrogen or substitutenatural gas (SNG) production. On one hand, theproduct gas composition can be controlled byprocess conditions (e.g. by temperature). On theother hand, it can be upgraded downstream e.g.by machination or by gas separation.

Thus, the AER process has a high potential fordecentralised efficient poly-generation of heat,power and fuel from different biomass resources.

Project StructureThe structure of the project with its five workpackages (WP) and the contributing partners. Mainoutcomes of single WPs are added to show thenetworking.

WP 1 concentrates on the delivery of a suitableCO2 sorbent bed material, a core component ofthe AER process. Natural materials (e.g. dolomite,limestone) are characterised in terms of:

• Mechanical stability

• Catalytic activity towards tar reforming

• CO2 absorption capacity during repeatedabsor ption/regeneration cycles. Pre-treatmentmethods are developed and deactivationmechanisms are investigated in order toimprove the performance of the CO2 sorbent.

WP 2 deals with the analysis of the tar formation/decomposition process in the presence of differentabsorbents in order to further reduce the tarcontent and to optimise the in situ gas cleaning.Furthermore, natural and commercial catalysts arescreened and characterised in terms of attritionand activity. Pre-selected materials are deliveredto partners in WP 3 and WP 4.

In WP 3, the multi-feedstock compatibility isinvestigated by gasification of mineral-rich bio-mass (e.g. straw) and of humid wood. Due to lowgasification temperatures and the presence ofCaO (increasing the ash melting point), agglom-eration of the bed material is not expected. The gas composition is analysed, not only withrespect to the major compounds (H2, CH4, CO,CO2), but also alkali, tar and sulphur.

Within WP 4, the 8 MWth plant at Guessing isoperated in order to prove the feasibility ofscale-up of the AER process and in order toassess the economic aspects of the process. Theexisting gas engine is modified to be operated withthe H2-rich product gas for electricity production.Recorded data will be provided for processanalysis, efficiency calculation and economicanalysis, undertaken in WP 5. As a result, theAER mode will be compared with the normalgasification mode in order to point out the marketpotential and the cost-reduction potential of thenew technology.

Expected ResultsWhereas in the former AER-GAS project the feasibility of the AER process was proven withvery good results (e.g. high product gas quality),this follow-up project concentrates on thedemonstration of the technology on an industrialscale, as well as on new aspects like multi-fuelcompatibility, material research and tar formation/removal mechanisms. Important expectedresults are listed as follows.

• Production of a raw product gas from bio-mass with low tar, sulphur and alkali content,increased H2 concentration, and high calorificvalue.

• Proof of the multi-fuel compatibility of thetechnology by using different fuels, e.g.straw, and wood with various moisture levels.

• Availability of CO2 sorbent with highmechanical and chemical cycle stability.

• Mechanically and chemically stable catalyst(preferable natural catalyst or sorbent) toenhance conversion reactions in the gasifier.

• Proof of scale-up by adaptation of the existingpower plant at Guessing (8 MWth biomassgasifier) to the AER technology; data basisfor future plant design.

• Proof of power generation from H2-rich AERproduct gas by adaptation of the existing gasengine at Guessing.

• Proof of the economic and energetic advan-tages of the innovative technology.

ChallengesThe BiGPower project aims to develop reliable,cost-effective and fuel-flexible gasificationtechnologies for high-efficiency small-to-mediumscale (1-100 MWe) power production from biomass. The project is designed to create thefundamental and technical basis for successfulindustrial follow-up developments and demonstra-tion projects aiming for commercial breakthroughby 2010-2020. This overall aim is approached bycarrying out, in a pre-competitive manner, well-focused R&D activities on the key bottlenecksof advanced biomass gasification power systems.

Project StructureThree promising European gasification technologiesin this target size range have been selected to formthe basis for the development of the second-generation processes:

• Air-blow novel fixed-bed gasifier for size rangeof 0.5-5 MWe.

• Steam gasification in a dual-fluidised-bedgasifier for 5-50 MWe.

• Air-blown pressurised fluidised-bed gasificationtechnology for 5-100 MWe.

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The BiGPower project is related to thedevelopment of second-generationhigh-efficiency biomass-to-electricitytechnologies which have the potentialto meet the targets of cost effectiveelectricity production (< € 0.05/kWhby 2015) from a wide range ofbiomass and waste fuels in size rangestypical of locally available feedstocksources (below 100 MWe).

In all biomass gasification processes, the productgas contains several types of gas contaminantswhich have to be efficiently removed beforeutilising the gas in advanced power systems. Thekey technical solutions to be developed are:

• High-temperature catalytic removal of tarsand ammonia by new catalytic methods

• Development of innovative low-cost gasfiltration and the control of different gascontaminants by sorbents (HCl and alkali/heavy metals).

Three of the most potential power productioncycle alternatives are examined and developed:

• Gas engines

• Molten carbonate fuel cells (MCFC)

• The simplified Integrated Gasification CombinedCycle (IGCC) process.

The performance and techno-economic feasibilityof these advanced gasification-to-power conceptswill be examined by carrying out case studies indifferent European regions.


Figure 1: Focus of BIGPOWER project.

53

The work plan for BiGPower is divided into sevenR&D work packages and supporting projectmanagement:

WP 1 Advanced gas cleaning

WP 2 Dual fluid-bed gasification

WP 3 Novel air-blown gasification

WP 4 Improved pressurised gasification

WP 5 Advanced gasifier engine plants

WP 6 Biomass Gasification Molten CarbonateFuel Cell system development

WP 7 Case studies and techno-economicassessment

The partners in this project are complementary intheir expertise and, clearly, the close cooperationof top research groups and innovative industrialcompanies will strongly promote the introductionof the advanced gasification technologies to theEuropean market. The three gasification tech-nologies of the project consortium represent themost promising technologies for the biomass-to-electricity markets as defined in the RES-e andCHP Directives and, together, they can cover thewhole range of potential sizes, different fuelsand applications. The cooperation of gasificationmanufacturers, gas cleaning developers, andengine and fuel cell suppliers is also a unique feature of the BiGPower project, which could nothave been realised on a national or bilateral basis.

Expected ResultsThe most economical gasification technology thatcan be realised on a small scale (below 5 MWe) isfixed-bed gasification. However, most of theavailable biomass residues in Europe do notmeet the requirements of commercial fixed-bedgasifiers. Usually the bulk density is low, the fuelis fibrous and also contains fines, which createsproblems with the gas flow in gasifiers relyingon gravity for fuel feed in the reactor. Thus, fixed-bed gasifiers can only be operated with high-quality and expensive wood chips, briquettes orpellets, which makes their use uneconomical. Thenew NOVEL-gasification technology uses forcedfuel feeding, making it possible to effectivelyutilise such biomass residues and energy crops thatcannot otherwise be used in fixed-bed gasifierswithout expensive pre-treatment.

The gasifier can be operated with a wide rangeof biomass residues (moisture content 0-55%,particle size from sawdust to large chips). Thefirst generation Novel CHP plant (2 MWe and 4MW district heat) is presently under constructionin Kokemäki, Finland. The basis of this technologywas created in previous EU projects realised in1997-2002 (by project partners VTT andCondens). The BiGPower project is aiming to createa basis for the second-generation Novel process,which can be used in advanced power cycles ofthe project and with the whole range of biomassand waste fuels.

The innovative dual fluidised-bed gasificationprocess was originally developed in Austria in thelate 1990s (by TUV and Repotec). This gasificationprocess can produce a medium-heating-valuegas without the need for expensive oxygen plant.As the product gas does not contain dilutingnitrogen, it can be utilised more easily in gasengines, fuel cells or gas turbines originallydeveloped for natural gas. This gasificationprocess also has a good potential for small-scaleproduction of hydrogen or synthetic natural gas.The first-generation dual fluid-bed process hasbeen demonstrated in Guessing, Austria (2 MWeand 5 MW district heat). The BiGPower project isaiming to create the basis for the second-generation dual fluid-bed process, which can beused in advanced power cycles of the project(gas engines, fuel cells) as well as in futureH2/CH4 production systems.

The third gasification technology of the projectteam, air-blown pressurised fluidised-bed gasifi-cation, was developed in the 1990s (by Carbonaand VTT), originally for Integrated GasificationCombined Cycle power plants and for size ranges30-150 MWe. The gasification and gas-cleaningsteps of the first-generation process were suc-cessfully demonstrated in the 20 MW pilot plantin Tampere, Finland. Presently this technology isapplied in a gas engine demonstration project inSkive, Denmark (5 MWe, 15 MW district heat). In theBiGPower project, the basis for second-generationpressurised fluidised-bed gasification will becreated for IGCC plants and large gas engineplants.

In small-scale (1-15 MWe) power production,the most potential systems are based on eitheradvanced gas engines or molten carbonate fuelcells (MCFC). The most developed state-of-the-artgas engines for the target size-range have beendeveloped in Austria (by GE Jenbacher) and,according to VTT preliminary studies, the mostpotential fuel cell system for biomass gasificationapplications has been developed in Germany (byproject partner MTU CFC Solutions). The aim ofthe BiGPower project is to study and developnew innovative power concepts integrating

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selected optimised gasification technologies withnew innovative gas engine and MCFC concepts.

In all biomass gasification processes, the productgas contains several types of gas contaminants,which have to be efficiently removed beforeutilising the gas in advanced power systems. Thehigh concentrations of tars, nitrogenous speciesand alkali-metals are typical challenges for bio-mass gasification that have created numerousoperational problems in previous gasificationplants. The project partners have already beenable to overcome this critical barrier of biomassgasification by using first-generation catalyticgas-cleaning and/or oil-scrubbing. However, thesepresent gas-cleaning methods are expensive andhave only limited utilisation potential. TheBiGPower project is aiming to develop effectiveand reliable novel gas cleaning methods which canbe realised with substantially lower investment andoperation costs and with higher availability thanthe present technology.

The simplified IGCC process based on pressurisedair-blow gasification and hot-gas filtration offersthe best potential for increasing substantially theefficiency of biomass-based electricity productionin large-scale power production. This gasificationtechnology was developed in Finland in the early1990s and successfully demonstrated in two pilotplants in ca. 20 MW fuel size-range (Tampere andVärnämo). However, the commercial break-through of BIGCC technology requires furtherdevelopment and cost reduction of the processes,which is the target of the BiGPower project.



Duration36 months

Contact personEsa Kurkela [email protected]

List of participantsBiomasse Kraftwerk Güssing – ATCarbona Oy – FICERTH – GRCondens Oy – FIHelsinki University of Technology – FIGE Jenbacher GmbH & Co KG – ATMadison Filter Ltd. – GBMEL Chemicals – GBMTU CFC Solutions GmbH – DENotra UAB – LTRepotec GmbH – ATVienna University of Technology – ATVTT – FI

Websitehttp://www.vtt.fi/proj/bigpower


Statusongoing

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In gasification applications especially, the CO slipfrom the engine can be considerable. The valuescan be in the range of thousands of ppm, whichclearly exceeds the emission standards in manyEuropean countries. Consequently, this matter canbecome a major hurdle in the commercialisationof gasification-based engine power plants.Therefore special emphasis has to be paid to thecontrol of CO, in addition to all other gaseousemissions. Furthermore, contaminated waste-water from gas scrubbers and condensers requirestreatment before it can be discarded, and it wouldbe advantageous if complete wastewater recyclingin the process could be achieved. Therefore thedevelopment of near-zero emission power plantconcepts is one of the main R&D topics in theBiGPower project.

All the technologies selected for this projecthave the required potential to meet the targetsof efficient, reliable and economically attractivepower production. In addition, these technologiescover the whole range of most potential electricityproduction capacities from 0.5 MWe up to 100MWe. Only the very small scale (kW-scale) and,on the other hand, the 500-1000 MWe conceptsare excluded from this proposed project.

Progress to Date The project started in October 2005, in accordancewith the work plan. In WP1 first new catalystmaterials have been produced by MEL, Norta,TKK and VTT and catalytic filter samples havebeen made by Madison Filter. The laboratory andbench-scale testing has also started. In WP2(Novel fixed-bed gasifier), studies on wastewater minimisation have been carried out andthe slip-stream testing of new catalysts fromWP1 has been started. In WP3, the experimentalactivities at TUV on improved fuel flexibility havebeen started by TUV and Repotec. In WP4, IGCCprocess modelling and a gas turbine survey havebeen carried out by Carbona and CERTH. In WP5and WP6, GEJ and MTU have started their activitieson optimised gas engine and fuel cell processesfor biomass gasification gas.

Slip stream catalyst testing at Kokemäki Novel gasification demonstration plant.

ChallengesEnergy from biomass needs highly efficientsmall-scale energy systems in order to achievecost-effective solutions for decentralised gener-ation. Especially in Mediterranean and southernareas and for applications without adequateheat consumers, highest efficiencies are neededdue to the fact that no revenues for heat may beachieved. Thus fuel cells are an attractive optionfor distributed generation from biomass andagricultural residues.

Due to their robustness, solid oxide fuel cells(SOFCs) are applicable above all other conceptsto the use of gaseous fuels from biomass. Theyoperate with exhaust gas temperatures between800°C and 1000°C and are able to convert notonly hydrogen but also carbon monoxide andeven hydrocarbons. But; even if the fuel gasmatches the strict requirements of SOFC mem-branes, the main challenge of the conversion ofbiogenous fuel gas is to achieve the requiredefficiency of the fuel cell system. Common bio-mass fuel cell systems with realistic boundaryconditions will hardly reach efficiencies above30%, due to the low hydrogen and methanecontent of biogenous fuel gases, which reducesthe fuel cell efficiency and the physical limitationof the cold gas efficiency of any gasificationsystem. Thus the system performance and thethermal integration of the gasification processare of particular importance.

Fuel Cells for biomass conversion therefore haveto meet at least two outstanding challenges:

• Fuel cell materials and the gas cleaning tech-nologies have to treat high dust loads of thefuel gas and pollutants like tars, alkalines andheavy metals.

• The system integration has to allow efficienciesof at least 40-50% even within a powerrange of a few tens or hundreds of kW: thiscan be realised with the TopCycle concept.

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Fuel cell systems for biomass have to meet at least two outstandingchallenges: fuel cell materials and the gas cleaning technologies have to treat the high dust loads of thefuel gas and gas pollutants like tars,alkalines and heavy metals, and thesystem integration has to allowefficiencies of at least 40-50% even within a power range of a fewtens or hundreds of kW in order toachieve the cost targets of € 0.05/kW.

The BIOCELLUS project addresses inparticular these two aims – the investigation of the pollutants’impact on the fuel cell, and thedevelopment and demonstration of an integrated fuel cell system whichmeets the special requirements ofbiofuels.

Project StructureThe BIOCELLUS project addresses in particularthese two aims. Hence the first part of the projectwill focus on the investigation of the impact ofthese pollutants on the degradation and perfor -mance characteristics of SOFC fuel cells, in orderto specify the requirements for an appropriategas cleaning system. These tests will be per-formed at four existing gasification sites, whichrepresent the most common and applicablegasification technologies. A long-term test at acommercial gasification site will demonstratethe selected gas cleaning technologies in orderto verify the specifications obtained from thegasification tests.

The results will be used for the development,installation and testing of an innovative SOFC gasi-fication concept, which will especially match theparticular requirements of fuel cell systems for theconversion of biomass feedstock. The innovativeconcept comprises heating an allothermal gasifierwith the exhaust heat of the fuel cell by means ofliquid metal heat pipes. Internal cooling of thestack and the recirculation of waste heat increasesthe system efficiency significantly. This so-calledTopCycle concept promises electrical efficiencies ofabove 50% even for small-scale systems withoutany combined processes.

Expected ResultsThe main three results of the project will be:

• The performance characteristics of SOFC mem-branes (‘polarisation curves’: cell voltage withrespect to the current density) for different gascompositions and varying operational condition.Measuring the cell voltage and its degradationunder realistic conditions is inevitably necessaryfor a reliable estimation of fuel cell efficiency,requirements for the gas conditioning systemand the economic assessment of upcomingSOFC concepts based on biomass feedstock.

• The design and demonstration of an appropriategas cleaning concept which matches thesevere requirements of SOFC systems.



Duration36 months

Contact personPD Dr.-Ing. J. KarlMunich University of [email protected]

List of partnersAristotle University of Thessaloniki – GRCOWI – DKDelft University of Technology – NLDM2 GmbH – DEECN – NLGraz University of Technology – ATHTM Reetz GmbH – DEiT consult – DEMAB Anlagenbau – ATMunich University of Technology – DENational Technical University of Athens – GRPrototech – NOSiemens – DETechnical University of Denmark – DKUniversity of Ljubljana – SIUniversity of Stuttgart – DE

Websitewww.biocellus.de

Project officerJeroen Schuppers

Statusongoing

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• The conception and demonstration of aninnovative stack and system design (internalstack cooling by means of heat pipes) thatmeets the special requirements of highly effi-cient fuel cell systems with integrated gasifi-cation of biomass and wastes. This will bemeasured and evaluated by means of adetailed cost analysis based on the chosensystem design.

Progress to DateIn order to characterise the performance of SOFCmembranes with different gas compositions andvarying operational conditions, two test rigshave been designed and built, one for planar andone for tubular SOFCs. With the help of these testrigs preliminary tests with synthetic wood gas havebeen carried out, in order to identify degra dationprocesses with gas mixtures of hydrocarbons. Aftersuccessful testing with synthetic gases, tests atthree different gasifiers have been carried out.At all gasifiers, two fixed bed and one fluidisedbed gasifier, no degradation of the membraneswas observed during short-term testing, thelongest lasting 168 hours. The testing will becontinued at one other gasifier with differenttesting parameters.

In order to make these tests at the gasifiers feasible,a gas cleaning device has been designed andbuilt which comprises desulphurisation, particleremoval and pre-reforming. The pre-reformingcan be bypassed in order to examine the effectsof higher hydrocarbons on the performance of

SOFCs. The gas cleaning device has proved itsfunctionality and reliability during testing at thedifferent gasifiers, as no degradation wasobserved during the 24-hour tests. It will be furtherimproved and adapted for long-term testing at acommercial gasification site.

An innovative stack design, which implementsthe TopCycle concept with its high efficienciesby means of heat pipes, has been conceived forplanar and for tubular fuel cells. These twodesigns achieve an effective heat transfer fromthe stack towards the gasifier on the one hand,and an isothermal temperature distributionwithin the stack which avoids carbon depositionon the other hand. The two concepts will betested by building short prototype stacks first,after which the consortium will vote for themost promising concept to be realised through a5kW stack.

Testing set-up at 168 hours testing

TopCycle Concept

ChallengesThe Kyoto Protocol addresses the need to reducethe transport sector’s dependence on oil. TheCHRISGAS project responds directly to this chal-lenge with its aim of arriving at a cost-effectiveand attractively viable solution to producing ahigh-quality syngas from the thermochemicalprocess of the gasification of biomass. This gasi-fication/synthesis route is expected to be lowerin cost than the hydrolysis/fermentation route.Cost-effective means high-energy efficiency forprocess competitiveness. This implies the high-est possible gas filtration temperature – in therange of 800 to 900°C – with, preferably anacceptable function of catalytic steam reformingto decompose methane, tar and other hydro -carbons when in the presence of certain sulphurcompounds.

The major forthcoming challenge in the projectis rebuilding and putting back into operation thelarge complex pilot unit, Växjö Värnamo BiomassGasification Centre, which has been mothballedunder a conservation programme for more thanfive years. The Centre can then be used as a plat-form for advanced research, development anddemonstration and testing of biomass gasifica-tion. It is hence being designed to include possi-bilities for gas cleaning and upgrading as well asconversion of gases to gaseous and/or liquidenergy carriers at semi-industrial level.

Another significant technical challenge is to finda solution to reducing the inert gas consump-tion and its presence in the syngas. An innova-tive piston system for feeding biomass to thegasifier is being developed within the project totackle this.

Project StructureThe hub of this project is based around the VäxjöVärnamo Biomass Gasification Centre (VVBGC)in Sweden and the use of the biomass-fuelledpressurised IGCC (integrated gasification com-bined-cycle) CHP (combined heat and power)plant in Värnamo as a pilot facility. By buildingVVBGC around this plant, gasification researchand demonstration activities can be conductedat a much lower cost than if a new R&D facilitywas to be built. This part of the project is sup-ported by the RTD and demonstration parts ofthe CHRISGAS project.

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Clean Hydrogen-rich Synthesis Gas

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The primary aim of the CHRISGASproject is to demonstrate within a five-year period an energy-efficientand cost-effective method ofproducing hydrogen-rich gases from biomass which can then be transformed into renewableautomotive fuels such as FT diesel,DME and hydrogen. This syngasprocess is based on steam/oxygen-blowngasification of biomass, followed by hot-gas cleaning to removeparticulates, and steam-reforming of tar and light hydrocarbons tofurther enhance the hydrogen yield.

The process is planned fordemonstration at Värnamo, Sweden,after modifications to the world’s firstcomplete IGCC demonstration plantfor biomass. Parallel R&D activitiescover the whole value chain frombiomass to syngas and include:feedstock biomass logistics, biomassdrying integration, pressurised fuelfeeding, gasification, hot synthesis gascharacterisation, high-temperaturefiltration/cleaning, catalytic steamreforming and shift gas catalystcharacterisation. This will all lead ontothe next phase: conversion of gas intomotor fuels (Biomass to Liquids, BTL).

The project also concentrates on research-relatednetworking, training and dissemination activities,as well as on socio-economic research on thenon-technical obstacles for penetration into themarkets of the technologies concerned.

Progress to DateAs mentioned, the key work areas of the projectare related to the activities around the Värnamopilot plant. During the first 18 months a studyproviding conceptual engineering design alter-natives (including mass and energy balances,definitions of all streams, PFD, PID, basic equip-ment specifications, etc.) has been performed, aswell as an initial risk assessment. A basic engi-neering study of the planned rebuild using anexternal engineering consultant has also beencompleted. This later part has been funded out-side the project. In addition a thorough statusreview of the existing pilot plant at Värnamo hasbeen conducted. Maintenance needs and modi-fication requirements have been identified andthis work is ongoing at the plant. In the statusreview the gasifier, feed system, ash system andgas cooling as well as auxiliary systems werechecked for function and/or quality.


Project InformationContract Number502587

Duration60 months

Contact PersonDr Sune BengtssonVäxjö Värnamo Biomass Gasification [email protected]

List of PartnersAGA-Linde – DECatator – SECIEMAT – ES Delft University of Technology – NL Foschungszentrum Jülich – DE KS Ducente – SEPall Schumacher – DEPerstorp – SERoyal Technical University – SES.E.P. Scandinavian Energy Project – SESödra – SETK Energi – DKTPS Termiska Processer AB – SE University of Bologna – IT University of Växjö – SEValutec – SEVäxjö Energi – SE Växjö Värnamo Biomass Gasification Centre – SE

Websitewww.chrisgas.com

Project OfficerPhilippe Schild

Statusongoing

59

The studies within the work area ‘Fuel Supplyand Management’ are well advanced. Themethodological approach to estimating poten-tial biomass resources has been developed, anddata concerning agricultural and forest residueshas been collected for Spain, France, Italy andGreece. In these evaluated countries, the poten-tial of agricultural field residues have beenfound to reach 160 million o.d.t/year and theforest residues potential 36 million o.d./t year.The required databases are ready to be usedthroughout the EU.

To investigate the influence of process/fuelparameters on steam/oxygen blown CFB gasifi-cation, a considerable number of experimentshave been carried out in atmospheric conditionsat the laboratories of two of the partners, usingcommon fuels supplied by one of the partners.These results are a very valuable base for thelarge pilot demonstration programme atVärnamo. Pilot research work has also been con-ducted, resulting in knowledge within the areaof measurement techniques and the characteri-sation of gaseous and aerosol trace componentsthat are present in the gasifier raw gas. Theexperiments in this area are aimed at using anddeveloping methods for high-temperaturemeasurement of particles without changing theoriginal aerosol.

A key process area and piece of equipment forthe CHRISGAS project is an efficient and robusthot gas filter. A design has been produced for anovel hot gas filtration unit, to be placed andtested for filtration on the laboratory gasifier atthe research premises of one of the partners. Thenovelty is related to the new type of back-pulsingsystem, as well to the application of a catalyst fortar cracking on the filter material surface.

Catalyst lifetime and degradation rate in thegasifier raw-gas atmosphere is another signifi-cantly important area within CHRISGAS. Thespecific trends of the deactivation using 20 and50 ppm of H2S in the feed have been observed inlaboratory tests, as well as the positive effect ofincreasing the temperature and O2 concentration.The analysis of the catalyst exposed to sulphurdeactivation has shown a specific decrease ofavailable Ni atoms attributed to NiS formation.An increase of the Ni0 crystal size, associatedwith the high temperature obtained during thetests with oxygen, has also been observed. A reactivation of catalyst activity takes placewhen adding oxygen to the catalyst. This is verysignificant in making the catalytic reformingprocess viable. In conjunction with the charact -erisation and activity studies on reformer catalysts,the first year of the project has indicated that thepilot plant would benefit from studies on com -mercial water gas shift catalysts. Work has thereforebeen expanded within CHRISGAS to encompasssuch water gas shift catalyst investigations.

The main dissemination activities have concen-trated on raising public awareness of the projectand of the technical possibilities of producingautomotive fuels from biomass. The productionof a flyer, a website and posters with their broadapproach, as well as project presentations atconferences in Washington DC, Moscow, Beijing,Seville, Stockholm and in several other Europeancities, have formed a major part of dissemina-tion activities. One of three planned workshopshas already taken place and a further trainingand dissemination activity is planned at theUniversity of Bologna for early September thisyear, with a summer school covering the wholescope of the CHRISGAS project.

ChallengesThe overall technical objective is to develop a tardecomposition and gas cleaning system that canbe integrated with biomass gasifiers. The resultingchallenge is to prepare a basic design for a full-scale (1-50 MWth) innovative gasifier and gastreatment system for integrated biomass gasifica-tion SOFC systems with the following expectations:

• Tar content of the gas < 10 mg tar/Nm3 gas

• Cold gas efficiency > 85% for the whole gasi-fication process

• Carbon conversion > 99%

• Minimal process waste streams and by-products so as to reduce the environmentalimpact of the waste from the gasifier and theoperational cost.

Project structureThe technical concept for this project is to designan up-scalable char bed that can be integratedinto existing gasifiers, in order to reduce tarconcentrations to a level low enough to avoidtar-related problems in a solid oxide fuel cell(SOFC) system. Indeed char has been proven to

O B J E C T I V E S

GREE

NFU

ELCE

LL

From Biomass to Electricity throughIntegrated Gasification/SOFC system

60

The project aims at developing an innovative biomass-to-electricityconcept with high electric efficiencybased on SOFC technology combinedwith a gasification process. The main objective is thus to producea gas suitable for SOFC applicationthrough reliable, up-scalable and cost-effective staged gasificationof biomass, with less environmentalproblems from stream containing tars or char.

be suitable as a catalytic agent for the reductionof tar concentration at high temperatures(900°C or higher). Two new designed up-scalablestaged gasifiers are being developed, integratingtar removal technologies based on char beds.Two different char-bed systems (with or withoutbed material) are being developed and tested on alaboratory and pilot scale. The advantages of bothdesigns will be further evaluated and compared.A specific and more fundamental task aims at betterunderstanding tar formation and its destruction inchar beds, in order to minimize the tar contentin the gas.

Moreover, the performance of an SOFC is investi-gated in relation to the presence of organic com-pounds (representing tars) and inorganic impuritiesin the feed gas, in order to determine the requiredgas specification for possible utilisation in an SOFC.According to these specifications, a complete trainof a dry gas cleaning system downstream from thegasifier will be implemented and the operationparameters will be identified. Finally a long-termtesting of two complete integrated gasification/fuelcell stack plants will be performed on woody bio-mass, for at least 100 hours each.


Units of the system with the working packages acting on the different parts

gasifier tarreduction

S and Cladsorption

particlereduction

SOFCbiomass electricity

WP2

WP3

WP5

WP6

WP8

WP7: technical, economical and ecological assessment

WP4

WP1: project co-ordination

WP9: dissemination

TKE char-bed

ECN char-bed

processevaluation

tar research

inorganicsreduction

SOFC sensitivity and proof-of-concept

GREEN FUEL CELL


Duration36 months

Contact personDr. Philippe [email protected]

List of partnersCirad – FRCommissariat à l’Energie Atomique – FRECN – NLFORCE Technology – DKInstitute of Chemical Technology – CZRisoe National Laboratory – DKTechnical University of Denmark – DKTK Energi AS – DK

Websitehttp://gfc.force.dk


Statusongoing

61

Expected results The two suggested concepts are innovative gasi-fication technologies which enable an efficientconversion of biomass into a tar-free gas. As theproduced gas is expected to be a clean gas withvery low tar content, and because an appropriatedry cleaning system will solve inorganic contam-ination, various applications can be considered,including fuel synthesis. The achievement withinthe project will be the two fuel cells coupled togasifiers for at least 100 hours each.

Progress to date During the first 18 months of the project, thework has been devoted to the following activities:

Char-bed gasification

The two different designs are in progress ofdevelopment by TKE and ECN. In both cases, coldmodels have been built and led to experimentaldata useful to the design and construction of hotlab-scale pilots which are currently being or havebeen tested. A pilot gasifier including a hot charbed has been designed and constructed at TKE.

Tar research

The activities are carried out to gain knowledgeon tar formation and destruction in char beds:

• An analytical quantitative protocol with aSPME method is under development at CEA.

• Lab-scale experiments have been conducted atDTU to characterise char in terms of residual tarrelease. A comparison with char obtained on apilot-scale pyrolysis unit at CIRAD is in progress.

• The partial oxidation mechanisms of tardestruction are being investigated at DTU.

• Axperiments are in progress at RISOE and CIRADto study tar destruction in char beds, withregards to the nature of tars and the origin ofchar. At RISOE, experiments with isotope-labelled compounds aim at determining themechanisms of irreversible binding.

Inorganics behaviour and modelling

Thermodynamic calculations were performed byCEA to evaluate the composition of syngas atequilibrium, taking into account the conditions ofgasification. For condensable species in the gas,the range of temperature where condensationoccurs is determined for each species. This is ofimportance for corrosion risks evaluation andalso for gas cleaning strategy.

Gas cleaning system

A dry gas cleaning system is currently beingdesigned in order to reduce the levels of particles,S-compounds, Cl-compounds and alkali to alevel acceptable to the SOFC. Three gas cleaningtrains (two lab-scale and one pilot-scale) are goingto be dimensioned and built. ICT has constructedthe facility and performed experiments to testthe efficiency of sorbents that will be used,mainly with regards to HCl and H2S.

SOFC vs pollutants

So far, the sensitivity of a single SOFC has beeninvestigated with respect to organic compoundswith synthetic pre-mixed gases. There was noimpact of C2H2 and C2H4, which are reformed.Toluene is reformed but induces a degradationof the cell due to carbon deposition. Naphtalenecreates a sharp and irreversible degradation. Thisdegradation might be decreased or avoided byincreasing the H2O content and/or limiting themaximum allowable concentration of the organiccompounds. The facility aiming at studying theinfluence of inorganic pollutants on SOFC materialis almost ready for experiments at CEA.

ChallengesThe main challenge addressed in this project isthe expected increase in demand for hydrogenfrom renewable resources which will arise fromthe transition to the hydrogen economy.Furthermore, the project adds to the numberand diversity of routes for supply of hydrogenfrom renewable sources, giving greater securityof energy supply at the local and regional level.

Project structureThe aim of HYVOLUTION is described by the fulltitle: non-thermal production of pure hydrogenfrom biomass.

The core issue at stake is the combination of a thermophilic fermentation (also called darkfermentation) with a photoheterotrophic fermen-tation. In the first fermentation, thermophilicbacteria are used to start the bioprocess. Thisoffers two important advantages. First, ther-mophilic fermentation at >70 °C is superior interms of hydrogen yield when compared withfermentations at ambient temperatures. In ther-mophilic fermentations, glucose is converted to,on the average, 3 moles of hydrogen and 2 molesof acetate as the main by-product. In contrast,in fermentations at ambient temperatures, theaverage yield is only 1-2 moles of hydrogen permole of glucose: butyrate, propionate, ethanolor butanol are the main by-products. The second

O B J E C T I V E S

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Bacteria also like to make Hydrogen!

62

The main scientific objective is the development of a two-stagebioprocess for the cost-effectiveproduction of pure hydrogen frombiomass. Amongst the challenges arepretreatment technologies for optimalbiodegradation of energy crops andbio-residues, maximum efficiency inconversion of biomass to hydrogen,assessment of installations for optimalgas cleaning, minimal energy demandand maximal product output throughsystem integration and identificationof market opportunities for a broadfeedstock range.

The main technological objective isthe construction of prototype modulesof the plant which form the basis of a blueprint for the whole chain frombiomass to pure hydrogen. Points to be studied are prototypes of equipment for mobilisation of fermentable feedstock, reactors forthermophilic and photoheterotrophichydrogen production, devices formonitoring and control, andequipment for optimal gas cleaning.Socio-economic objectives are toincrease public awareness and societalacceptance and the identification offuture stakeholders.

advantage of the process is the production ofacetate as the main by-product in the first fermentation. Acetate is a prime substrate forphotoheterotrophic bacteria. Through the combination of thermophilic fermentation witha photoheterotrophic fermentation, complete conversion of the substrate to hydrogen and CO2

can be achieved.

HYVOLUTION is structured around this coreissue with a design aimed at closely associatingthe events in the chain from biomass to hydrogen.The work packages addressing hydrogen productionare surrounded by studies in system integration andsocietal integration in order to develop an econo -mically viable, fully sustainable process forhydrogen production (Fig. 1).

The process starts with the conversion of biomassto make a suitable feedstock for the bioprocess(WP 1). The ensuing bioprocess is optimised interms of yield and rate of hydrogen productionthrough integrating fundamental and techno-logical approaches, addressed in WP 2 and 3.Dedicated gas upgrading is developed for highefficiency in small-scale production units dealingwith fluctuating gas streams (WP 4). Productioncosts will be reduced by system integration,combining mass and energy balances (WP 5).The impact of small-scale hydrogen productionplants is addressed in socio-economic analysesperformed in WP 6.


WP 2 Thermophilic fermentation

Fermentables

to

H2

, CO2

and

organic acids

WP 3Photo -

fermentation

Organic acids

to

H2

and CO2

WP 4 Gas

upgrading

Cleaning

and quality

assessment

H2

WP 5 System integration Simulation Exergy analyses

WP 6 Societal integration Dissemination TrainingSocio -economics

WP 1 Biomass

Pretreatment

and logistics

liquid

gas

gas

WP 2 Thermophilic fermentation

Fermentables

to

H2, CO2

and

organic acids

WP 3Photo -

fermentation

Organic acids

to

H2 and CO2

WP 4 Gas

upgrading

Cleaning

and quality

assessment

H2

WP 5 System integration Simulation Exergy analysesWP 5 System integration Simulation Exergy analyses

WP 6 Societal integration Dissemination TrainingSocio- economics

WP 1 Biomass

Pretreatment

and logistics

WP 1 Biomass

Pretreatment

and logistics

liquid

gas

gas

Figure1: Structure of HYVOLUTION


Duration60 months

Contact personDr. P.A.M. ClaassenUniversity of [email protected]

List of ParticipantsAgrotechnology & Food Innovations - NLADAS - GBAir Liquide - FRA.V. Topchiev Institute of PetrochemicalSynthesis - RUAwite Bioenergie, Martin Grepmeier & ErnstMurnleitner GbR - DEBioreactors and Membrane Systems - RUEnviros Ltd - UKMiddle East Technical University - TNNational Technical University of Athens - GRProfactor Produktionsforschungs GmbH - ATProvalor BV - NLRWTH Aachen - DETechnogrow B.V. - NLUniversity of Lund - SEUniversity of Szeged - HUUniversity of Wageningen - NL Vienna University of Technology - ATWarsaw University of Technology - PLWiedemann Polska - PL

Websitewww.hyvolution.nl


Statusongoing

63

In HYVOLUTION, 10 EU countries, Turkey andRussia are represented with prominent specialistsfrom academia and industries and six Small andMedium-size Enterprises. The participants inHYVOLUTION have a complementary value inbeing biomass suppliers, end-users or stakeholdersfor developing specialist enterprises, stimulatingthe new agro-industrial development that will beneeded to make the HYVOLUTION objectives ofsmall-scale sustainable hydrogen productionfrom locally produced biomass come true.

The aim of HYVOLUTION is to deliver prototypesof the process modules which will be needed toproduce hydrogen of high quality in a bioprocesswhich is fed by multiple biomass feedstock. Toachieve this aim, a coherent set of scientific andtechnological activities is required which areinterdependent and accompanied by system andsocietal integration to ensure optimal economicsand societal implementation.

Expected resultsProduction of hydrogen from biomass at 75% of theoretical efficiency.

Introduction of crop-to-hydrogen chains in EUagricultural systems and the systematic utilisationof bio-residues in hydrogen generation.

Optimal application of thermophilic bacteriathrough an increased understanding of metabo-lism, genomics and proteomics.

Industrial application of the thermophilic pro-duction processes that will result from thedevelopment of dedicated bioreactor prototypeswith associated monitoring and control.

Dedicated, high-efficiency gas upgrading systemsdesigned to handle small and frequently changingflow rates with different compositions.

Special gas sensor systems to enable monitoringand exert control.

Modelling and simulation software of unitprocesses to produce control strategies for bio-processes.

Identification of the markets which will benefitfrom a local industry for hydrogen productionfrom biomass.

Blueprint for an industrial bioprocess for decen-tralised hydrogen production on a small scalefrom locally produced biomass.

ChallengesThe overall innovation derives from integrationof bio-feedstock procurement with existingindustries (energy, pulp and paper, food) andprocessing of upgraded biomass forms in existingmineral oil refineries. This will allow a seamlessintegration of bio-refinery co-processing productsto the end-consumer for products such as

O B J E C T I V E S

BIO

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UP

BIOCOUP Integrated Project: ‘Co-processing of Upgraded Bio-liquids in Standard Refinery Units’

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The BIOCOUP Integrated Project is aimed at developing a chain of process steps to allow a range of different biomass feedstocks to be co-fed to a conventional oil refineryto produce energy and oxygenatedchemicals. The overall objective is to respond to the increasing demandfor biofuels with a new innovativeprocessing route that may becomeindustrial after 2010.

transport fuels and chemicals, and thus providean important stimulus to biomass acceptance andfurther technological development of biomassproduction routes.

BIOREFINERY


Duration60 months

Contact personYrjo Solantausta VTT [email protected]

List of partnersAlbemarle – NLAlma Consulting Group – FRArkema – FRBiomass Technology Group – NL Boreskov Institute of Catalysis – RUChimar – GRCNRS – FR Helsinki University of Technology – FIInstitute of Wood Chemistry – DE Metabolic Explorer – FRShell Global Solutions – NL Slovenian Institute of Chemistry – SI STFI-Packforsk – SEUhde Hochdrucktechnik GmbH – DEUniversity of Groningen – NLUniversity of Twente – NL VTT – FI

Websiteto be defined

Project OfficerMaria Fernandez Gutierrez

Statusongoing

65

Project StructureThe structure of the project reflects the differentsteps of the BIOCOUP processing route depictedin the diagram below:

The project has six sub-projects, each of whichdeals with critical areas of the proposed biomassutilisation chain. The overall objectives in eachsub-project are:

• Biomass liquefaction and energy production:to reduce bio-oil production costs.

• Upgrading technologies: to develop de-oxygenation technology and scale it up toprocess development unit scale.

• Evaluation of upgraded bio-liquids in standardrefinery units: to assess the viability ofupgraded bio-liquids co-processing in astandard refinery.

• Conversion to chemicals: to identify optimalrecovery and fractionation strategies andtechnologies for the production of discretetarget compounds from bio-liquids.

• Scenario and life cycle analysis: to outline alow-risk, low-cost development path for themost promising bio-refinery chain(s), a pathbased on stage-wise validation, demonstrationand implementation.

• Transversal activities: to optimise the impactof the project by a structured managementof the project and the coordination of thestandardisation, exploitation and disseminationactivities.

Expected Results

Objectives Main results

Fractionation and liquefaction of the biomass Processes to produce bio-oils from viable biomass feedstocks to be used in subsequentde-oxygenation process

De-oxygenation of bio-oils De-oxygenation processes

Co-refining of intermediates in existing plants Co-refining processes

Produce bio-fuels by co-refining Bio-fuels

Produce chemicals from biomass Bio-based raw materials for chemicals

Chemicals

Conversion of intermediates to valuable Processes for bio-transformation products by bio-chemical processes of intermediates

ChallengesThe use of biomass for the production of trans-portation fuels, and to a lesser extent energy, isstill more costly than the use of traditionalpetrochemical resources. The overall aim of BIO -SYNERGY is to achieve sound techno-economicprocess development of integrated co-pro ductionof chemicals, transportation fuels and energyfrom lab scale to pilot plant. This project will beinstrumental in the foreseen establishment offacilities for integrated co-production of bulkquantities of chemicals, fuels and energy from a wide range of biomass feedstocks.

The major innovations include:

• Advanced technologies for the physical/chemical fractionation of various biomassfeedstocks (pre-treated barley straw andDDGS from the pilot plant, and straw andclean wood as representatives of Europeanbiomass streams) into their components forfurther downstream processing.

• Innovative technologies for the thermo-chemical/biochemical conversion of thesefeedstocks into biomass-derived intermediateproducts (e.g. butanol, phenolic oils, furfural).

• Downstream processing of biomass-derivedintermediates into value-added chemicals andenergy carriers, using integral biomass-to-products chain design, analysis and optimi-sation.

O B J E C T I V E S

BIO

SYN

ERG

Y

Biomass for the MarketCompetitive and environmentally friendly synthesis of bioproduof secondary energy carriers through the biorefinery approach

66

BIOSYNERGY aims to use biomass for synthesis processes (transportationfuels, platform chemicals) and energyproduction (power, CHP) by theapplication of innovative, fullyintegrated and synergetic biorefineryconcepts using advanced fractionationand conversion processes, and combining biochemical andthermochemical pathways. The use of biomass for the production oftransportation fuels, and to a lesserextend energy, is still more costly thanthe use of traditional petrochemicalresources.

Project StructureThe activities within this BIOSYNERGY IP aresubdivided into nine separate but strongly inte-grated work packages, viz.:

WP 0 Management activities

WP 1 Advanced physical/chemical fractionation

WP 2 Innovative thermochemical conversion

WP 3 Advanced biochemical conversion

WP 4 Innovative chemical conversion andsynthesis

WP 5 Conceptual design of biorefinery validationpilot plant of Greencell in Salamanca

WP 6 Integral biomass-to- products chaindesign, analysis and optimisation

WP 7 Demonstration at pilot scale

WP 8 Training of personnel and knowledgedissemination

BIOREFINERY

BCyL bioethanol pilot plant of Greencell in Babilafuente(Salamanca, Spain)


Duration36 months

Contact personDrs. ing. René van ReeEnergy Research Centre of the [email protected]

List of partnersAgroindustrie Recherches et Développement – FRAgrotechnology & Food Innovations – NL Aston University – GB Biomass Technology Group – NLBiorefinery.de – DE Cepsa – ES Chimar – GR CRES – GR Delft University of Technology – NLDOW Benelux – NLECN – NLGlowny Instytut Gornictwa – PLGreencell – ES Institut Français du Pétrole – FR Joanneum Research – ATJRC – BE VTT – FI

Websitewww.biosynergy.nl

Project officerMaria Fernandez Gutierrez

Statusongoing

67

Expected ResultsThe most important results, i.e. those with greatrelevance towards meeting the EU programmegoals, are:

• Technical, socio-economic and ecologicalEuropean perspective of integrated refineryprocesses for the co-production of chemicals,transportation fuels and energy from biomassby performing integral biomass-to-productschain design, analysis and optimisation.

• Lab-scale development and pilot-scaledemonstration of biorefinery-based composingsub-processes, i.e.: physical/chemical fractio -nation processes, thermochemical conversionprocesses, biochemical conversion processes,and chemical conversion and synthesisprocesses.

• Basic design of an innovative celluloseethanol based biorefinery process in which theresidues are upgraded to added-value products(chemicals, power, CHP).

• Appropriately trained personnel in the relevantindustries, RTD institutes and universities.

• Knowledge dissemination (website, work-shops, lectures, etc.)

cts together with the production

Interrelation of the WPs and their execution as a function of project development (integrated project approach)

ChallengesThe overall aim of the project is to contribute tothe solution of open ash- and aerosol-relatedproblems in biomass combustion and biomass/coal co-firing systems. For medium- and large-scale systems these problems mainly concerndeposit formation in furnaces and boilers, aswell as corrosion, while for small-scale applica-tions fine particulate emission control is ofinterest. Moreover, health risks caused by partic-ulate emissions from biomass combustion andco-firing need to be investigated.

Some previous projects have already attemptedto investigate the basic mechanisms responsiblefor the behaviour of ash-forming elements incombustion units, and this work is being continuedwithin BIOASH. A major starting point is thusbasic research into the release of ash-formingelements from the fuel to the gas phase. Theserelease data provide the basis for developingnew codes for the simulation of aerosol anddeposit formation. An improved data basis con-cerning thermodynamic and viscosity data oftypical biomass combustion- derived ashes isneeded, however, to further advance these models.

No economically affordable and efficient fineparticle separation devices are presently avail-able for small-scale biomass combustion units:therefore, the project also focuses on the devel-opment of such a technology. Air pollutioncaused by particulate emissions affects humanhealth but it is still unclear which parameters(chemical composition, particle size) are themost relevant concerning the toxicity of theseparticles. In order to determine the toxicity of fineparticulate emissions from biomass combustionand biomass/coal co-firing plants, in vivo and invitro studies are carried out using particle samplescollected during real-scale test runs.

Project StructureThe investigations within BIOASH are based onlaboratory tests as well as test runs at pilot-scaleand real-scale biomass combustion and co-firingplants. Furthermore, theoretical mathematicalmodelling of ash, aerosol and deposit formationis applied. In this context, the results from thetest runs are used to gain substantial high-qualitydata for the calibration and validation of themodels developed. Woody biomass fuels (wood,

O B J E C T I V E S

BIO

AS

H

Ash and Aerosol Related Problems in Biomass Combustion and Co-firing

68

BIOASH focuses on solving open ash-related problems in biomasscombustion and biomass/coal co-firingsystems. BIOASH therefore aims toinvestigate the release behaviour ofash-forming compounds from biomassfuels in fixed-bed and pulverised fuelcombustion systems, and to determinemissing thermodynamic and viscositydata as a basis for investigationsconcerning aerosol and depositformation.

BIOASH also focuses on the development of advanced modelsfor a more precise prediction of aerosol and deposit formation, with respect to the release behaviourof ash-forming elements from thefuel. Furthermore, a new technologyfor cost-effective and efficientaerosol precipitation in small-scalebiomass combustion units is beingdeveloped. Another focus is on investigating the effect ofparticulate emissions from biomasscombustion and co-firing on ambientair quality and related health risks.

bark, waste wood) and straw are considered.Olive residues and sawdust are investigated forbiomass co-firing in coal-fired power stations.

Expected ResultsBIOASH will provide new insights into ash andaerosol formation during biomass combustionand biomass/coal co-firing and provide the basisfor developing improved models to predictaerosol and deposit formation in furnaces andboilers. These models should be applicable forthe design and optimisation of combustionplants but should also be used as supportingtools for optimised fuel choice and fuel blending.

A second relevant result of the project will be thedevelopment of a new aerosol precipitation techno -logy for small-scale biomass combustion units, withhigh separation efficiency at comparably low costs.

Finally, the project will provide new data concerninghealth risks caused by fine particulate emissionsfrom biomass combustion. This data, together withavailable comparable data for particulate emissionsfrom other emission sources (e.g. diesel soot),should support regional and national authorities inthe definition of emission limits.

Progress to DateOne important objective of the project is thecharacterisation of the BIOASH fuels, using bothconventional and novel methods. Wet chemicalanalyses, SEM/EDX analyses, CCSEM analyses,chemical fractionation tests as well as investiga-tions by DTG/DSC were undertaken, and thermo-dynamic equilibrium studies were carried outbased on the results of these analyses. AllBIOASH fuels were investigated and evaluatedand the analytical data was summarised in data-bases.

The release behaviour of ash-forming elementsfrom the fuels was studied under fixed-bed con-ditions and under pulverised fuel combustionconditions. The laboratory-scale tests as well asthe planned evaluation work were successfullyconcluded, providing comprehensive informationabout the release of relevant ash- and aerosol-forming elements (K, Na, S, Cl, Zn and Pb) duringcombustion.

COMBUSTION AND COFIRING


Duration36 months

Contact personProf. Dipl.-Ing. Dr. Ingwald ObernbergerGraz University of [email protected]

List of partnersECN – NLEindhoven University of Technology – NLFraunhofer Gesellschaft (FhG-ITEM) – DEGraz University of Technology – ATInstitute of Power Engineering – PLMawera Feuerungsanlagen GmbH – ATMitsui Babcock Energy Ltd. – GBStandardkessel GmbH – DETechnical University of Denmark – DKUniversity of Abo – FI


Statusongoing

69

The final aim will be to link fuel characterisationdata with models describing the release of ash-forming elements from the fuel and therebybuild up an appropriate basis for the modellingof residual ash, aerosol and deposit formationprocesses during biomass combustion and co-firing processes.

DTG/DSC studies are carried out in order to predictthe melting behaviour of Zn- and Pb-rich ashmixtures. The results of the tests have been usedto improve a thermodynamic melting model foralkali salt mixtures containing Pb and Zn. Duringthe third project year this model will be furtherimproved and will then act as an important toolfor the development of a deposit formation modelfor biomass combustion and co-firing plants.

Viscometer measurements have been performedto validate and extend the range of existingempirical correlations for calculating particleviscosities. Carefully selected synthetic samplesas well as pre-ashed fuel samples of the BIOASHfuels have been analysed. The results of thesetests have already provided valuable input formodelling tasks. Further viscosity measurementsare planned for the third project year.

Another important task of the project is todetermine the corrosion potential of ashdeposits. To do this, small pieces of superheatermaterial coated with different types of syntheticdeposits are exposed to a synthetic flue gas.Experiments are conducted at different exposuretimes (up to 3-4 months) at two different tem-peratures. The results will help to address thecorrosive potential of deposits formed duringbiomass combustion and biomass co-firing.

So far test runs at four real-scale biomass com-bustion and co-firing plants have been performed.Innovative high-temperature particle samplingdevices (new types of deposit probes as well as ahigh-temperature low-pressure impactor),developed during the first project year to pro-vide deeper insights into particle and depositformation processes, were successfully appliedduring these test runs for the first time. The con-siderable volume of data obtained (fuel and ashcompositions, data about aerosol and depositformation etc.) will be compared with the datafrom the lab-scale tests. Furthermore, the data willbe utilised as a basis for calibrating and verifyingthe models developed within the project.

A code for the simulation of aerosol formationin biomass combustion processes was alsoimproved. The comparison of modelling resultsand measurement data gained from the testruns has already proven the applicability of thiscode for aerosol formation prediction in biomasscombustion processes. Work on deposit formationmodelling has already started and will continueduring the third project year.

During the real-scale test runs aerosol emissionsamples were taken and forwarded for in vivoand in vitro studies concerning health effects of fineparticulate emissions from biomass combustion andco-firing. The results of this work will be availableat the end of the project.

Fly ash particles impacting a deposit probe

Release of Cl under fixed-bed conditions Explanations:BM1: spruce, BM2: bark, BM3: waste wood, BM6: straw

ChallengesThe production of fuels and other materialsfrom biomass, summarised as biorefineries, isexpected to grow steadily over coming years.Several of the existing technologies like biodieselor bio-alcohol production suffer from the factthat they consume considerable amounts of fossilenergies while converting only a fraction of thecarbon input into the desired product. Advancedtechnologies are necessary to overcome thisdrawback and to utilise the residues arising in theprocess. The BIO-PRO European project aims atthe development of easy and robust technologiesto convert the residues of the biorefineryprocesses to energy, thus allowing them to self-supply the required energy.

The core activity of the project is to convert newburner technologies, originally developed fornatural gas, to burn low calorific value (LCV) gasesgenerated from biomass. Within the BIO-PROproject, the flameless oxidation technology(FLOX) and the continuous air staging technology(COSTAIR) are being transferred to these newapplications. Both technologies have severalbenefits compared to conventional combustionsystems, especially the high reduction potentialin thermal NOx and CO emissions. Of particularimportance for the combustion of gases generatedfrom biomass is the improved flame stability,despite varying fuel qualities.

Project StructureBased on the waste materials derived frombiorefinery processes, two types of burners willbe developed in line with the fuel mix: biogas,fermentation residues, fibres etc. The methodologyof the work programme is as follows:

• Every development will start with the workon gas/liquid BIO-PRO burners (GL-burner):first experiments will be made on existingburner test rigs, subsequently new burnerswill be developed.

• In parallel, a pre-gasification unit will beinstalled in order to facilitate the developmentof the solid BIO-PRO burner (S-burner):develop ments in the GL-burners will be trans-ferred and adapted on this test rig.

• A new control technology will be developed,incorporating a self-diagnosis module assessing

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The project aims at developing newcombustion technologies for bio-residues. Innovative combustiontechnologies like flameless oxidation(FLOX®) and continuous air staging(COSTAIR) will be enhanced by re-burning and co-firing in order tomeet this goal. Two basic types ofBIO-PRO burners will be developed tomeet this goal, a pilot burner for gasand liquid fuels and a pilot burner forsolid fuels applying a pre-gasificationstep for the solids without gascooling. The technology to bedeveloped will be able to self-adjustto different fuel qualities (fuel moisture 10-50%). For emissionsof the investigated fuels, the upperlimit for CO will be 30 mg/m3

(currently 50 mg/m3 is typical) andNOx will be reduced by 50% (startingpoint for dry wood chips in availablecombustion systems = 210 mg/m3).

the fuel quality and an adoptive control loop on-line. This will first be applied to the GL-burners and then transferred to the S-burners.

This methodology will be used to develop a firstand a second generation of prototype burners.The second generation will be equipped with thecontrol system. A GL- and an S-burner of thissecond-generation prototype will be tested onindustrial appliances.

Expected ResultsThe prototypes of the new burners will bebrought to pre-commercialisation level (twopilot scale burners and operation guidelines).The accompanying socio-economic assessmentwill assess the economic viability of the newtechnology (life-cycle assessment) on the onehand, and will show promising markets for asubsequent dissemination of the technology onthe other (dissemination strategy). A successfuldevelopment and application of the technologyis expected to have the following impact:

• Increased use of bio-residues, increasing theutilisation of biomass in Europe by up to 50%(basis 54.175 toe in 1998): this will reduceCO2 emissions by 46 Mio t/a (basis: energyconsumption 1998).

• Improved European competitiveness in theglobal market, accounting for up to 15,000new jobs.

• NOx emissions from biomass combustion sys-tems will be reduced within 10 years byapprox. 76,500 t/a (basis: biomass consump-tion 1998).


Figure 1: NOx and CO emissions for LCV gases (mix ture ofmethane/flue gases) with different calorific values


Duration36 months

Contact personDr. Roland BergerUniversity of [email protected]

List of partnersDelft University of Technology - NLFoster Wheeler - FIFoundation of Appropriate Technology andSocial Ecology - CHGas-Wärme-Institut - DEInstitut Energetiky - PLTPS Termiska Processer AB - SEUniversity of Stuttgart - DEUniversity of Ulster - GBWS Wärmeprozesstechnik - DE

Websitewww.eu-projects.de/bio-pro


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Progress to DateGL-burner development – FLOX technology

The development of a FLOX burner adapted toLCV gases and bio-liquids is carried out at theFoundation of Appropriate Technology andSocial Ecology in Switzerland. The investigationsare conducted with a 20 kW FLOX combustorprovided by WS Wärme pro zess technik. The testswith combustion air temperatures of 300°C andhigher have shown that a stable and completecombustion can be achieved with LCV gasesabove 2.1 MJ/Nm3

High emission of nitrogen oxides originatedfrom fuel nitrogen will doubtless occur whensolid biofuels, e. g. residues of flour or oil mills,are burned. Therefore, further investigationsconcentrate on possible measures for NOx emis-sion reduction for the solid burner system. Afirst approach is to provide a reduction zonedownstream from the pre-gasification zone.First tests regarding NOx reduction potentialwere car ried out in a double-staged combustionchamber with a FLOX combustor using methaneas fuel. The tests have shown that the proposedreduction measure can re duce the NOx emissionsby 40%.

S-burner development – FLOX technology

The S-burner development based on the FLOXtechnology is carried out at the University ofStuttgart (USTUTT). A new FLOX burner for the testfacility at USTUTT was designed and combinedwith a fixed-bed pre-gasifier that provides a hotand tar-loaded LCV gas to the burner. First testswith wood chips have shown that the burner

can be operated at a low level of excess oxygen(below 4% O2) that results in a higher efficiencyof the total system, and the emissions can besignificantly decreased. Compared to the originalburn-out zone, CO emissions are reduced by60-80% and NOx emissions by 20% respectively.Tests with other bio-residues, especially oneswith high N-content, are ongoing. For furtherNOx reduction an external flue gas recirculationwill be installed.

S-burner developmentCOSTAIR technology

Tests with an S-burner based on the COSTAIRtechnology and combined with a cyclone gasifier(BIOSWIRL) were conducted at TPS TermiskaProcesser AB. Comparative tests with the developedCOSTAIR burner and the original burner showedsimilar results in tests with three different fuels.CO emission was on the same level for bothtypes of burners, but emission of NOx was slightlylower in tests with the original burner, comparedto the COSTAIR burner. The performance of theburner was however satisfactory at this stage ofdevelopment, considering the difficultiesencountered regarding adapting the COSTAIRconcept to the Bioswirl gasifier and scaling upthe design from a laboratory scale of 30 kW to apilot scale of 1 MW.

Industrial test of 1st FLOX burner prototype

Industrial tests with a first prototype FLOX burnerwere carried out on a 1.5 MW atmospheric CFBgasifier operated by Foster Wheeler. The burnerwas tested over a period of 176 hours. The FLOXburner operated very reliably and without anyproblems over the whole test period. The COemissions in all test runs were below 15 mg/Nm3

(@ 3% O2) and the NOx emissions mostly belowthe limit value of 400 mg/Nm3 (@ 3% O2).Thermal NOx emissions are mostly eliminatedby the FLOX burner. The emitted NOx is mainlygenerated by fuel nitrogen. Further optimisationof the burner is necessary to further reduce NOx

emissions.

Figure 2: NOx and CO emissions with and without an NOx

injection

ChallengesApart from securing the supply of differentresources at the expense of fossil fuels, particu-larly biomass, there are other problems like lackof experience, economics and environmentalconsequences:

• Experience with multi-fuel use is very limitedor, in many case, confined to solving localisedenvironmental problems, even if some efforthas been made in the past at research level inthe EU by various research centres.

• The management practices of handlingmulti-fuels are less developed than in manyindustrial plants, because this may requireinvestment: without any apparent benefits,companies are not willing to make suchinvestments.

• The selection of different fuels to blend couldbe important for operational considerationsand could undermine the economics.

• Uncertainties can arise about what could beexpected, as operational problems introducehigh risk levels not acceptable to companies.

• Uncertainties associated with the cost of dif-ferent fuels could dissuade companies to usethem.

• The environmental benefits of establishing anew chain of fuel supply are still not wellunderstood.

• There is a lack of information about the synergybetween different fuels to achieve high pro-ductivity during energy production.

• The use of biomass and wastes for electricityproduction is technically possible, but efficien-cies are low compared with more traditionalsystems, especially for smaller plants: there isa need for policies to provide incentives.

• There is a lack of environmental impact studiesfor multi-fuel systems, due to a shortage ofinformation about the environmental conse-quences.

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The proposed study aims atdetermining the limits of optimisedoperation that could be beneficial in disposing of waste and promotingbiomass for energy in anenvironmentally acceptable way.Fluidised bed systems are particularlywell suited for such a co-firingoperation, because of their versatilitywith regard to fuel.

The important output of the proposedwork would be that biomass andwastes would be used in co-firingapplications, thus enhancing theprospect for wide range of availabilityof the co-fuel.

It has still to be demonstrated thatsome combinations of, for example,biomass with a certain waste couldhave specific advantages, either forthe combustor performance or for the flue gas cleaning, or for ashbehaviour. The integration of biomasswith its whole supply chain into a multi-fuel-based nationwide heatand energy supply system is alsocomprehensively investigated for Portugal, Italy and Turkey.

• The economics of the whole supply chain forenergy have yet to be demonstrated on a fullcommercial scale.

• The social acceptance of the co-firing conceptusing multi-fuels has still to be demonstrated,as there is a great need for a detailed environ-mental analysis, management and communi-cation towards local and neighbouringpopulations to control possible negativereactions.

Project StructureCOPOWER is managed according to the followingstructure created ad hoc for the project.

Steering Committee: this committee is responsiblefor the execution of the project and will assessthe progress of the project with regard to thework plan presented. The leader of the steeringcommittee, the project manager, is the coordi-nator of the project, INETI. Each organisationhas a representative on the steering committee.It is the steering committee which is responsiblefor the successful execution of the project andreports to the European Commission. It preparesthe regular technical and financial progressreports to be sent to the Commission. The coor-dinator is responsible for the transfer of fundsfrom the Commission to the partners. It is intouch with those responsible for each workpackage group to contribute their elements ofprogress reports and to ensure that each partnerexecutes its part in accordance with the targetsdefined over the time period specified.

Work Package Groups (WGs): each group com-prises by partners actively participating in thespecific work package. The leader of the workpackage is responsible for the group, under theleading guidance of a nominated Work GroupLeader. Each Work Group Leader is responsiblefor the implementation of each task of the workprogramme as set out in the proposal. Jointmeetings in the form of workshops are held toexchange the information between differentwork package groups.



Duration36 months

Contact personProf. Ibrahim [email protected]

List of partnersCarmona SA – PTChalmers University of Technology – SEENEL Produzione S.p.A. – ITHamburg-Harburg University of Technology – DEImperial College London – GBINETI – PTNew University of Lisbon – PTSabanci University – TRStadtwerke Duisburg AG – DEUniversity ‘Federico II’, Naples – IT

Websitewww.copowerproject.com


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Dissemination Manager: a special group dedicatedto the dissemination activities is set up and man-aged by a specific WG Leader. This group isresponsible for transfer of information outside theconsortium and for the implementation of thedissemination strategies, as agreed internally, tothe project partners.

Expected ResultsThe project aims:

• To provide for three countries – Portugal,Italy and Turkey – information on the potentialof biomass and non-toxic waste materialsfrom different sources for co-firing.

• To assess the fluidised bed co-firing potentialto deal with the types of fuels to be considered,evaluating the process requirements toimprove the combustion of the differentblends of fuels to be used.

• To perform a complete environmental impactassessment and LCA of the product from data tobe obtained, thus assessing the socio-economicimpact of the co-firing in large-scale powerplants.

• To collect data and provide knowledge forengineering to optimise the whole of thesupply-to-energy-production chain by cor-rectly applying the synergic combinations ofmulti-fuel use

• To assess the applicability of the proposedsystem in other EU countries as well as indeveloping countries.

Progress to DateThe project has six work packages and WP 1 hasbeen completed at the end of the first year, asplanned. WP 2 is about to finish, and WP 3 willlast until the end of the project’s combustionstudies and is hence currently ongoing. WP 4 isprogressing in accordance with the original plan.WP 5 has just started. WP6 is the coordination,which is ongoing.

ChallengesTo develop the market for solid biofuels withinthe EU, European standards are urgently needed.At the moment several ‘Technical Specifications’(or pre-standards) are available which have to beupgraded to European standards within the nextthree years. But industrial applications haveshown that there are still considerable gaps inknowledge and that additional information hasto be integrated.

Against that background, the goal of theBioNorm II project is to support the ongoingstandardisation efforts, especially for the devel-opment of improved solid biofuel specifications andrules for conformity of the products with theirspecified requirements.

To achieve this, the following aspects will beaddressed within this project in detail:

• Development of sampling and sample reduc-tion methods for further materials as well assampling plans

• Improvement of existing reference test methods

• Development of new reference test methods

• Development of rapid on-site test methods

• Development of improved quality measures,especially adapted to solid biofuels.

Additionally the results of this pre-normativework will be transferred directly into the ongoingstandardisation process to allow for the deve -lopment of improved European Standards andacceptable Technical Specifications.

Project StructureThe work packages of BioNorm II and their inter-dependencies are shown below. WP0, the projectmanagement part, has not been included in thisdiagram since it is in the nature of this work pack-age that it interacts with all other work packages.

Expected ResultsAgainst the background of the above-mentioned challenges, it is the aim of the BioNormII project to carry out pre-normative research inthe field of solid biofuels in close collaborationwith the work of CEN TC 335 ‘Solid Biofuels’.

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The development of Europeanstandards is seen as a major driver toexpand the market for and the use ofsolid biofuels. This expansion is neededto fulfil the aims defined within theEuropean Commission’s White Paperon renewable energy, the directive on ‘green’ electricity from renewableenergy and the European BiofuelDirective, as well as various politicalgoals at the national level.

As a result the European Commissionhad already given a mandate a coupleof years ago to CEN, the EuropeanStandardisation Organisation, to develop standards for solid biofuels. A Technical Committee – CEN TC 335‘Solid Biofuels’ – was founded by CENto develop such standards. Againstthis background the aim of theBioNorm II project is it to carry outpre-normative research in the field of solid biofuels, in close collaborationwith the work of CEN TC 335 “SolidBiofuels’.

Due to the wide range of standards to be devel-oped by CEN TC 335, this project will focus onaspects urgently needed by the industry toincrease the markets for solid biofuels wheresignificant pre-normative R&D effort is required.

The specific aims of the different work packagesare as follows:

WP 1 ‘Sampling, sample reduction and sample planning’

The objective of WP I is to provide essentialinformation to CEN TC 335 ‘Solid Biofuels’ aboutthree aspects of sampling of solid biofuels:

• The size and number of increments to betaken from a wider range of material-typesthan was covered in the recently completedBioNorm project.

• The most appropriate systems for reducingthose samples to test-portions.

• The best location(s) in typical productionprocesses at which to take samples, and theappropriate frequency of sampling and testing,again for a wide range of solid biofuels.

Task I.1 of WP I of BioNorm II will extend thework of the BioNorm I project on increments andsample reduction by applying broadly the samemethodology to a second selection of materialsand test methods, including solid biofuels thatare specially relevant for Southern Europe (e.g.agricultural residues from the production andprocessing of olives and grapes), as well as someothers that are of general interest across the EU(other kinds of wood chips and bark).

Task I.2 of WP I covers a subject not consideredin the recently completed BioNorm project, i.e.matching the location and frequency of samplingand testing to the variance of the materials inreal time.

WP 2 ‘Test procedures’

In several areas concerning the test methods forsolid biofuels, the European standardisationprocess cannot continue without pre-normativework. This applies to both reference test methodsand rapid tests.



Duration3 years

Contact personProf. Dr.-Ing. Martin Kaltschmitt Institut für Energie und [email protected]

List of partnersAustrian Research Institute for Chemistry and Technology – ATBruins & Kwast – NLBundesanstalt für Landtechnik – ATCentre Wallon de Recherches Agronomiques – BECIEMAT – ESComitato Termotecnico Italiano – ITCERTH – GRDanish Technological Institute – DKECN – NLElsam Kraft – DKHamburg-Harburg University of Technology – DEInstitut für Energie und Umweltforschung – DEInstitute of Process Engineering and Power Plant Technology – DEKompetenzzentrum für Nachwachsende Rohstoffe – DEKraft und Wärme aus Biomasse – ATLatvian Forestry Research Institute – LVMann Engineering GmbH – DEMarche University of Technology – ITPartner Halm80 Aps – DESparkling Projects – NLRiga University of Technology – LVRoyal Veterinary and Agricultural University – DKSwedish University of Agricultural Sciences – SESwedish National Testing and Research Institute – SEVTT – FI

Websitehttp://www.ie-leipzig.de/BioNorm/Standardisation.htm


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Reference test methods

Among the reference test methods, concepts forthe determination of impurities and for the deter-mination of bridging properties of fuels are notavailable so far. Such definitions had been includedin the business plan of CEN TC 335 ‘Solid Biofuels’,but their elaboration had to be postponed dueto the lack of suitable testing methods and therelevant basic experience. It is the objective ofTask II.1 to develop and test appropriate measuringtechnologies for both parameters.

Rapid test methods

The very successful basic research, methoddevelopment and method evaluation carried outin the recently completed BioNorm project led toa number of drafts of CEN Technical Specificationsfor the determination of chemical parameters insolid biofuels. During this pre-normative R&D work,questions arose that need to be clarified before theTechnical Specifications can be transformed intoEuropean Standards. Furthermore, additionalrapid test methods are necessary to decreaseanalyses costs and to obtain necessary informationmuch faster.

Currently, the available methods are not suffi-ciently developed for the characterisation ofbiofuels with low sulphur and low chlorine con-tent. The proposed research will improve themethods accordingly. Additionally, the methodswill be extended to apply to the determination ofbromine and iodine in biofuels. These elementsare currently completely neglected.

WP 3 ‘Quality measures procedures’

To allow for an increase of the market for solidbiofuels, a steady fulfilling of required fuel spe -cification of a defined product quality is essential.The specification of the fuel (according to astandard or specific needs defined by a certainplant) should be the result of an agreementbetween one operator and the next operatorwithin the overall supply chain. The next operatorshould be considered as the customer of theprevious one. Specifications can also be estab-lished according to anticipated market demands,whereas the specification is often a combinationof customer requirements, market demands andthe operator’s preconditions.

Against this background WP III focuses on:

• Quality planning (Task III.1)

• Quality improvement (Task III.2)

• Quality policy (Task III.3)

resulting in procedures and methodologieswhich give operators throughout the overallprovision chain valuable information about thefollowing aspects:

• Most appropriate technical and managerialquality measures.

• Most appropriate test methods for qualitycontrol of different biofuels at different posi-tions within the different supply chainsapplied.

• Most effective procedure to improve the fuelquality considering both the use of potentialsfor improvement as well as cost effects in thelight of quality improvement.

• Guidance on how to deal in practice with inter-actions of quality assurance, quality control,quality planning and quality improvement, andfurther management aspects. This shouldresult in the development of a managementtool for companies dealing with solid biofuels.

WP 4 ‘Biofuel specifications’

Biofuels are specified by some key properties, e.g.moisture content, particle size and ash content.Such key properties could be for wood pellets,e.g. the diameter, the average length includingthe degree to which this length might vary, themaximum allowed share of fines (i.e. wood powder),and the maximum ash content. But for the timebeing only aspects resulting from the fuel supplychain have been considered. This does notreflect the needs of industry fully since therequirements set by the end-use technology (i.e.the combustion or gasification unit) also haveto be taken into consideration. In small-scalecombustion units, fuel quality has a great influenceon the emission levels of combustion; it is thereforeessential to determine limit values of the propertiesfor different type of units by combustion tests.

ChallengesBioenergy has the potential to provide thelargest share of renewable energy sources inEurope. The use of bioenergy has to be increasedsignificantly if the goals of the EC on security ofsupply and environmental drivers are to be met.To allow bioenergy to reach its full potential, keybarriers must be resolved: the challenge is toidentify and address key RTD needs that canhelp overcome the barriers to the expansion ofthe bioenergy market.

Integration in bioenergy R&D, in addition to newtechnology and business concepts, is needed,and the Bioenergy NoE has to respond to thedemands of the EC and industry. The criticaltasks will be to:

• Support generation of new bioenergy oppor-tunities through improved RTD capabilities.

• Back up and influence policies and legislation.

• Enhance knowledge-sharing, education andmobility.

The mission is to create a ‘Virtual Bioenergy RTDCentre’ that exploits the capabilities of the partnersin building a thriving and successful bioenergysector in Europe.

Project StructureBioenergy NoE is a partnership of eight leadinginstitutes in bioenergy RTD from across Europeand is coordinated by VTT, Finland. In 2004-2005,activities were carried out within Work Packages(WPs): Integration Activities 1-8, Spreading ofExcellence (SEA), Jointly Executed Research (JER),and Coordination. The initial joint programme ofactivities and the integration structure wasbased on the detailed integration areas (Figure 1).

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The aim of the Bioenergy NoE is to identify and address key RTD needsthat can help overcome barriers to the expansion of bioenergy marketsin Europe. To overcome these barriers,development of the entire chain fromresource base to end-use markets has to be considered. A significantincrease in the use of bioenergycannot take place without theinvolvement of industry and, as a result, such a desired increase can be viewed in terms of businessopportunities. The primary objective is to integrate partner activities to create a ‘Virtual Bioenergy RTDCentre’ and to develop a deep anddurable integration, to be extendedbeyond the period of Communityfinancial support. Interaction with other European public R&Dinstruments will also be encouraged.

Each partner has its area of expertise and initialresponsibility coordinated within the NoE. Themapping of partners´ activities, together with thesubsequent barrier analysis and RTD goal definitionscarried out within the WPs, will provide the basis forfinal integration with JER activities.

A new WP structure was implemented in 2006.It is based on those industrial sectors in whichbio energy plays a role and future businessopportunities may be identified. The WP structurewill be built upon the initial work, JER project ini-tiatives, identified strategic drivers including keyEC directives, and identified market opportunities.The RES-E, Biofuels, Emissions Trading and Land -fill Directives are the most essential of the keydrivers and market opportunities within the area.

Expected ResultsThe expected principal result at the end of thefive-year period is an integrated R&D structure,a ‘Virtual Centre of Excellence’ that will influencethe implementation of the main EC directives andthe expansion of R&D and business opportunitiesin the bioenergy area in Europe. A considerableincrease in the use of bioenergy cannot occurwithout the participation of industry. Thereforethe intended increase has to be analysed interms of business opportunities.

The integration was initially intended to focuson the non-technical barriers. During the secondphase, the target will be to activate and carryout a JER phase and to plan the integrationstructure. During the final phase, the focus will beon executing the integration. After the mappingof partner activities and barrier analysis withRTD goals definition, integration will proceed withthe planning and establishing of JER projects.Integration will take place in practice throughcommon NoE projects, which will be fundedoutside the current NoE framework, resulting inthe preparation of integrated projects and identi -fication of market opportunities and industryneeds.


Figure 1. Structure of partnership and responsibility areasof Bioenergy NoE.

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Integration is also expected to result in wide humanmobility, researcher exchange, and education andtraining among the partners. Interaction with otherEuropean public R&D instruments, such as theERANET Bioenergy and Research Infrastructure,will be a target. European Technology Platformsfor the 7th Framework Programme are examplesof initiatives in which NoE can also have anactive role.

Progress to Date

Initial mapping of partners´ RTD activities

The mapping exercise on RTD activities of thepartners was carried out and completed in 2004,and has been since analysed and reviewed. Themapping report provides a solid foundation that willdetermine the future work of the NoE. The analysisshows that there is comprehensive coverage of allthe identified bioenergy topics with an overallhigh level of complementarity in most areas.There are clearly some areas of overlap but oftenat different scales of operation and with differentobjectives, and early integration attempts will focuson these areas. There is also an extensive range offacilities and expertise within the consortium thatpermits almost every aspect of bioenergy systemsto be studied, from fundamental science andtechnology R&D to system analysis. Detailedinformation on the capabilities and capacities ofpartners can be found on their websites, whichcan be accessed from the NoE website,www.bioenergynoe.com

Barriers to market introduction and the definition of RTD goals

Identification and analysis of barriers to bioenergyand the definition of RTD goals have been carriedout within the different WPs. A uniformapproach was created for the barrier analysis,dividing the expected barriers into the followingcategories: economics, legislation, technology,biomass supply, sustainability and social aspects.Most of the main barriers to the increase inbioenergy utilisation relate to these topics.

The Bioenergy NoE covers almost the entire fieldof bioenergy, from production to use. The barrieranalyses carried out within the WPs resulted, asexpected, in a wide variety of non-technical andtechnical barriers. The overall impression is that thenon-technical barriers dominate, and economicbarriers are the most prominent ones. However,no single barrier stands out as the most impor-tant; it is the interaction of many barriers thatimpedes the rapid expansion of bioenergy use.

Insufficient availability of low-cost biomassfeedstock has been seen as a major barrier in mostareas, except biowaste-to-energy applications.There might be competition for biomass resourcesin large-scale applications, e.g. forest industryand liquid biofuel production. Furthermore,competition for land use is discussed in terms ofenergy crops. The price structure of biomass isinfluenced by local, national and European policyissues, environmental and energy taxes as wellas supporting and legislative instruments.

As well as non-technical barriers, a large numberof technology-related barriers were identifiedwithin the different areas of bioenergy. Evenomitting the economic barriers and biomassavailability constraints, technical barriers wereconsidered critical in introducing novel productionand utilisation technology, e.g. in the area oftransportation biofuels. A whole-chain approachand demonstration were emphasised in most WPs.R&D work was suggested to overcome a widevariety of technical barriers related to individual

process steps within production and utilisationschemes.

The RTD goals identification of JER topics andproposal preparation is currently in progresswithin the WPs. The next step is to prioritise com-mon topics and proposals regarding integrationbenefits and business opportunities.

An overview ‘Bioenergy in Europe: Opportunitiesand Barriers’ was published in 2006 and can befound on the Bioenergy NoE website,www.bioenergynoe.com

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Initial recommendation of integrationactions

The technical and organisational scope for inte-gration has received a preliminary analysis. Theintegration structure based on business sectorsscenario has been proposed as the most con-structive approach. The second 18-month periodstarting in 2006 is built upon this approach. Thefinal structure of integration can be establishedonly after the RTD goals and RTD market oppor-tunities have been analysed in detail and majorcommon JER initiatives have been launched.

The NoE interaction with other European public R&Dinstruments, such as the Technology Platforms,ERANET Bioenergy, and IP projects, has beenaddressed. The NoE partners have representatives inthe Forest Industry and Biomass for RoadTransport Platforms.

A summary of the NoE activities for the first threeyears is schematically presented in Figure 3.

Spreading of Excellence

SEA has developed a communication plan thatprovides a coherent programme of internal andexternal communications targets for the life ofthe project. For the first 18 months, the targetaudience was the EC, as well as NoE partnersand researchers, in order to promote a strongcorporate identity and build a sound foundationfor future integration. After this period, the targetaudience will be expanded to include othergovern mental organisations across Europe, theEuropean bioenergy industry and bioenergyresearch community.



Duration60 Months

Contact personKai Sipilä[email protected]

List of partners:Aston University – GBEC Baltic Renewable Energies Centre – PLECN – NLForschungszentrum Karlsruhe – DEInstitut National de la Recherche Agronomique – FRJoanneum Research Forschungsgesellschaft mbH – ATUniversity of Lund – SEVTT – FI

Websitewww.bioenergynoe.com


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A Bioenergy NoE internal newsletter has beenestablished. It is a quarterly publication and thefirst five editions have been published. A websitehas been created (www.bioenergy-noe.com),and a dedicated programme of ResearcherExchange has been launched to give everyresearcher the opportunity to exchange findings.Two annual NoE researchers´ meetings have beenorganised, the first at FZK in Karlsruhe in 2004and the second at ECN in Petten 2005. Duringthe first phase, nine joint project proposals weresubmitted to the 6th Framework Programme.

Coordination

All partners have a representative in theBioenergy NoE board which meets about fivetimes a year. A coordination team participates inthe preparation of material for the board meetings.Email, phone, and the eMeeting system havebeen the main means of communication for theteam. A password-protected document manage-ment system and web-based eMeeting platformhave been established to enhance NoEresearcher communication. A financial supportstructure has been established to catalyseresearcher exchange and mobility and jointapplication initiatives. Several researchexchange visits have been organised, and JERprojects were started in 2005.

Highlights of ResultsThe mapping of partners’ RTD activities carriedout in 2004 provides a solid foundation forfuture work. Identification and analysis of barriersto bioenergy and definition of RTD goals werecarried out in the WPs as a well-defined task andresulted in the pinpointing of a wide variety of non-technical and technical barriers. The integrationprocess has continued through the planning ofjointly executed projects. A new WP structuredriven by policy and business opportunities wasdeveloped and implemented in 2006. A commu-nication plan for internal and external targetswas developed, a Bioenergy NoE newsletter wasestablished, and a website was created. Severalresearcher exchange visits have been organised.During the first phase, nine joint project proposalswere submitted to the 6th Framework Programme.

ChallengesThe promotion of renewable energy has animportant part to play in redefining theEuropean strategy in the energy sector. Since1997, the EU has been working towards theambitious target of a 12% share of renewableenergy in gross inland consumption by 2010. In1997 the share of renewable energy was 5.4%and by 2001 it had reached 6%. Bio-energyalready provides 64% of all renewable energysources (RES) of the European Union, thus leadingthe way for a sustainable pattern of energy gen-eration. Despite the advances already gained inthe bio-energy sector, the overall developmentlags far behind the goals fixed in the WhitePaper of the European Commission. Accordingto this document, the contribution of bio-energyshould increase from 45 Mtoe in 1995 to 135Mtoe in 2010. However, it will not be possible forthe EU-15 to achieve such targets alone, due tothe scarce national biomass resources existing insome countries (e.g. the Netherlands). Today, theinclusion of ten new Member States gives theopportunity for reaching the European goals,since the new Member States bring to the EU a significant bio-energy potential.

The new Member States provide additionalpotential for the development of biomass energysuch as huge and unexploited biomass resources,surplus of agricultural production, opportunitiesfor energy crops, adoption of EU Directives anda strong agricultural lobby. However the prevailingenergy system is characterised by a presence oflarge quantities of fossil fuels available for energypurposes, which has resulted in a more or lessfully fossil fuel-based energy infrastructure. Due tothis situation, the implementation of stand-alonebiomass-based power technologies in this regionwill not be enough to provide the bio-energydemand. Consequently, biomass co-firing inalready existing coal-fired power plants is one ofthe most feasible bio-energy options.

Project StructureThe coordination activities are implementedthrough two different processes, classified aswork packages and expert groups. The workpackages (WPs) will be accomplished by allmembers of the consortium who will worktogether on specific tasks in line with their

O B J E C T I V E S

NE

TBIO

CO

F

Co-ordination Platform to Promote EuropeanCo-operation in Biomass Cofiring

80

NETBIOCOF will promote Europeancooperation between researchorganisations devoted to the research,development and application ofbiomass co-firing in new and existingpower plants. It will aim for theintegration and unification of effortsand the exchange of knowledge andexpertise between West and EastEurope to promote the developmentand uptake of innovative methods andtechnologies and expand the use ofbiomass co-firing.

A biomass co-firing expert platformand a coordination platform will beestablished in order to coordinate andassess ongoing research and todevelop suitable assessment activities,with the aim of identifying bestpractices, gaps in knowledge andbarriers to further execution, as well as proposing strategies of implementation and directions for future research.

expertise and suitability. The Expert Groups (EGs)are an advisory and active body composed ofspecialists in each biomass co-firing field who,besides accomplishing the scientific and technicalcounselling and monitoring tasks, will discuss hottopics and deliver publishable reports. The diverseactivities and tasks are divided into 7 WPs, eachassociated with a key objective.

WP 1 ‘Evaluation of current State-of-the-Art and identification of best practices’

WP 1 starts at the beginning of the project andaims to collect relevant information about currentstate-of-the-art, successful experiences andapplications of biomass co-firing in the variousrelevant areas (biomass production, pre-treatmentand supply, thermal conversion and energy use).This work package will also allow the identificationof best practices throughout the region, focusingon the potential of Central and Eastern Europeancountries for the extended implementation ofthis renewable source.

WP 2 ‘Assessment of on-going researchand identification of gaps in knowledge’

WP 2 identifies the research and developmentinst itutions and organisations throughout theregion, in order to map current activities, inparticular in the Central and Eastern Europeancountries. Additionally the work performedwithin task 32 of the IEA Bioenergy Action willbe taken into account.

WP 3 ‘Identification of barriers of implementation’

WP 3 will process the information gathered inprevious steps in order to evaluate the currentstatus of biomass co-firing at a laboratory andpractical level, and to identify technical andnon-technical barriers to its extended applicationat the European level, in particular in the Centraland Eastern European Countries (CEECs). A listof requirements for the co-firing technology forfurther application in Europe, especially in theCEECs, will be compiled.

WP 4 ‘Coordination of research and development - R&D’

WP 4 will coordinate research efforts on biomassco-firing throughout the region, in particular



Project duration24 months

Contact personDr.-Ing. Gerhard Schories Technologie Transfer Zentrum [email protected]

List of partnersBioazul – ESBiomasse Projekt GmbH – DECentre Wallon de Recherches Agronomiques – BECIEMAT – ESElsam Engineering A/S – DKEstonian Agricultural University – EEETA Renewable Energies – ITEUBIA – BEEUREC – BEInstitute for Chemical Processing of Coal – PLInstitut ‘Jozef Stefan’ – SIJoint Institute for Power and NuclearResearch ‘Sosny’ – BYKema Nederland BV – NLLandeskammer für Land- und Forstwirtschaft Steiermark – ATLithuanian Forest Research Institute – LTMB Finishing Engineering – DEScientific Engineering Center ‘Biomass’ – UASofia University of Technology – BGSwedish Agricultural University – SETechnologie Transfer Zentrum Bremerhaven – DETimisoara University of Technology – ROTNO – NLTUBITAK – TRUniversity of West Hungary – HUVTT – FI

Websitewww.netbiocof.net

Project Scientific OfficerErich Naegele

Statusongoing

81

with applications related to its extended use inthe CEECs. Among the most important activitiescovered by this work package will be the task ofidentifying and shaping European research clustersin biomass co-firing, making recommendations forfuture research and development, creating andmanaging a database platform, and organisingstaff secondments.

WP 5 ‘Proposal of strategies for implementation’

The development of this working package will bea key process in completing NETBIOCOF goals,since it will be the format by which discussionand evaluation of biomass co-firing perform-ance and suitability in targeted countries isundertaken. The outcome of this work package willbe a list of scientific, technological, legal, socio-economic and cooperation strategies to promotethe use of biomass co-firing.

WP 6 ‘Dissemination and Exploitation’

WP 6 will bring to the general public and relevantstakeholders the knowledge gathered through thecoordination of efforts, by developing a website,presentations, workshops, publications and thefinal conference.

WP 7 ‘Project management’

WP 7 is involved with the management of theproject and is responsible for all of the other workpackages.

Each expert group is led by two members (onefrom West Europe, the other from the CEECs) withvast experience in the field, who will guaranteethe complementation and fluent exchange ofknowledge between the participants.

The expert groups have been defined in line withthe process chain of biomass co-firing in thefollowing way:

EG 1: Biomass resources (Leaders SLU and EAU)

EG 2: Biomass supply and pre-treatment(Leaders: VTT and NYME)

EG 3: Biomass co-firing technologies (CIEMATand SEC)

EG 4: Energy use (Lk-Stmk and TUS)

Expected ResultsThe overall objective of NETBIOCOF is to establisha biomass co-firing expert and coordinationplatform at an integrated European level, as wellas a network of expertise that will encourageunification of efforts to develop biomass co-firing, by highlighting the future research andthe required synergies needed to make the tech-nology a reliable, safe, available and durablesource of energy.

The principal outputs expected from NETBIOCOF are:

• A better co-ordinated European research anddevelopment integrated activity in biomassco-firing

• The establishment of defined Europeanexpert groups in the biomass co-firing field

• A network website and database platform

• Clear action guidelines for future researchand development in biomass co-firing

• A set of strategies for the extended use ofbiomass co-firing to overcome the currentbarriers.

These clear outputs from the establishment ofthe NETBIOCOF network aim to have specificimpact in the European Union, as well as inother Central and Eastern European countries.

Progress to DateThe NETBIOCOF project is approximately at thehalfway stage. The tasks related to the preliminarystate-of-the-art review and mapping of currentresearch activities have been completed: theidentification of best practices and technical andnon-technical barriers is now being carried out.The consortium has produced informative projectleaflets and distributed them among its networkof contacts. The webpage has been running sincethe first month of the project, hosting a powerfulonline database which contains information onbiomass co-firing provided by the partners, aswell as the public project deliverables.

83

Wind......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 84

NIGHT WIND ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 84

POW WOW ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 86

UPWIND .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 88

Geothermal ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 90

EGS PILOT PLANT ........................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 90

ENGINE ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 92

HITI................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 94

I-GET .............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 96

Ocean..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 98

CA-OE........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 98

SEEWEC...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 100

WAVEDRAGON ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 102

WAVESSG ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 104

Concentrated Solar Thermal ............................................................................................................................................................. 106

DISTOR ........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 106

ECOSTAR ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 108

HYDROSOL II ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 110

SOLHYCARB.......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 112

SOLHYCO.................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 114

SOLREF ........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 116

Connection of Renewable Energy Sources to the Grid...................................................... 118

DERLAB ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 118

EU-DEEP.................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 120

FENIX............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 124

IRED ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 126

MORE MICROGRIDS .................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 128

SOS-PVI...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 130

Other Renewable Energy Sourcesand Connection to the Grid

ChallengesThe integration of wind power into the national orEU energy supply systems is becoming relativelymore problematic with increasing installedcapacity and production, especially due to amismatch of supply and demand of energy. Thewind energy is produced at rather random times,whereas the energy use pattern shows distinctdemand peaks during day time and office hoursand low levels during the night.

The random production of wind energy cannoteasily be accommodated on the grid by switchingon and off conventional energy suppliers, likecoal fired power plants. This would lead to anincrease of CO2 emissions, rather than thereduction of CO2 emissions which is desired.

In order to accommodate the random productionof wind energy in the grid, it is desirable thatalternative (renewable and conventional) elec-tricity producers balance out the differencebetween production of wind energy and electric-ity demand. The Night Wind project aims to storewind energy produced at night in refrigeratedwarehouses, and to release this energy duringdaytime peak hours.

The concept underlying Night Wind makes use ofexisting technology, extended with novel controlstrategies. These are needed to set the temperaturein refrigerated warehouses to a level that reflects

O B J E C T I V E S

NIG

HT

WIN

D

Storage of Wind Energy in Cold Stores

84

Night Wind addresses the followingstrategic objectives: integratingrenewable energy resources into theEuropean energy service network byproviding new facilities for energystorage, increasing the economic valueof wind energy by providing means todeliver the energy at peak demandhours, and increasing thecompetitiveness of SME Cold Storagefacilities by providing adding ‘energystorage’ as an additional service to beprovided for the European energyservice network. The overall impact isthat the project will offer a solutionto integrate wind energy with energystorage in the European electricalgrid, giving space to a further growthin the use of wind energy worldwideand a contribution to the Kyototargets at the same time.

the balance between wind energy production andactual electricity demand. This is the case for‘island operation’, with delivery of surplus energyto the grid, and also for Distributed EnergyResources (DER) where windmills are physicallylocated elsewhere than (existing) cold stores, butcontrolled in an interdependent way to supportthe European energy service network. Design ofcontrol strategies, with the help of powerfulsimulation tools, will be the main task of theNight Wind project.

Project StructureThe research stage of the project includes thefollowing topics:

• Potential, economic & trade aspects of WindPower DER + Cold Store DSM

• Design and modelling of infrastructures forisland operation of Wind Energy + Cold StoreDSM

• Control concepts and algorithms for WindEnergy + Cold Store DSM grid integration

• Quality preservation of frozen products duringminor temperature fluctuations

• Legal issues

• Demonstration and introduction outline plan.

WIND

Optimum storage / release of wind energy in line with consumption pattern


Duration24 months

Contact personS.M. van der Sluis, [email protected]

List of PartnersEssent Energy Trading – NLDutch Association of Refrigerated Warehouses – NLPartner Logistics Europe BV – NLTNO – NLRisoe National Laboratory – DKSofia University of Technology – BGSpanish National Renewable Energies Centre – ES

Websitewww.tno.nl/rci

Project OfficerStefano Puppin

Statusongoing

85

Expected Results The Night Wind project intends to bring a conceptto the demonstration stage. It starts with a kick-offmeeting, followed by a phase in which literaturewill be surveyed and a technical specificationestablished. The benefits of the concept need tobe detailed, both the benefits on a macroscopicscale from the European viewpoint of integratingRES with the energy network, and the benefits ona smaller scale for energy distributors, warehouseowners and end-users. It is furthermore necessaryto address a number of basic research topics –such as the effect of temperature fluctuations onthe quality of stored refrigerated and frozenproducts – before the idea can be demonstratedwith minimal risk.

The demonstration phase of the project shouldmark the start of a larger-scale implementation.Therefore, the project will include the preparationof an implementation outline plan, which will bebased on the preliminary experiences gained inthe demonstration, and will include input fromrepresentatives in the sectors that are directlyinvolved in the implementation: the refrigeratedwarehouse sector and the energy distributionsector.

Progress to dateProject kick-off meeting planned for September2006.

ChallengesClimate change is related to the way we generateelectricity. As part of the Kyoto effort to reducethe emissions of greenhouse gases, the EuropeanUnion has an overall target of 12% of energy(22% electricity) from renewables by 2010.

Wind energy is the fastest growing renewableenergy source in the European Union. By 2003more than 28,000 MW of wind energy capacityhad been installed in Europe (600 MW offshore).The wave resource in European waters is evenlarger: 120-190 TWh/year (offshore) and 34-46TWh/year (nearshore). Yet, despite many researchefforts from the 1970s onwards, relatively littleinstalled capacity exists, although prototypeshave been developed in many countries. Theproposed project seeks to integrate further thewind and wave energy communities to maximisethe research effort on resource assessment andto utilise expertise from wind energy short-termforecasting and wave energy resource assessmentfor optimal planning and operation of offshoreenergy technology.

While some of the project resources go intospecialised activities supporting research in thethree fields individually (wave power, short-termprediction of wind power, and offshore wakes

O B J E C T I V E S

PO

W’W

OW

Coordinating the Prediction of RenewableOffshore Energy Production

86

POW’WOW is a new project trying toharmonise approaches to wave andwind modelling offshore, helping theshort-term forecasting and wakeresearch communities by establishingvirtual laboratories, offeringspecialised workshops, and setting upexpert groups with large outreach inthe mentioned fields.

Two Virtual Laboratories, one foroffshore wake modelling, the otherone for short-term forecasting, will be set up. Two guides on bestpractices will be written, one onshort-term forecasting (bringing theexperiences of high wind penetrationcountries to those with little windpower) and one for wake modelling. In the end, this Coordination Actionwill also support preparation offurther initiatives such as a Networkof Excellence or an Integrated Project.

behind turbines and wind farms), it shall also beseen how to better integrate the long-term andshort-term prediction of offshore energyresources from a modelling standpoint.

Project StructureThe project is largely structured around threetopical work packages, for wave energy (bothlong-term and short-term), short-term predictionof wind power (both onshore and offshore:long-term prediction of wind resources is only aproblem in complex terrain, which is too dissimilarto the other activities to be included here), andwakes behind offshore turbines and wind farms.Two additional work packages deal with man-agement and dissemination activities and futurework. The dissemination in the field of short-termforecasting also includes connections to colleaguesoutside Europe.

Expected ResultsA number of workshops are envisaged in quitespecialised areas, usually leading to a documentdetailing out the progress in the field. One is across-cutting workshop with the aim of cross-fertilising the separate approaches in the offshoremeteorology community, integrating wind andwave resource modelling. Another workshop isplanned on integrating and implementing wakemodels in short-term forecasts of wind power. A third workshop is already in preparation forOctober 25, 2006, on the best practice in short-termprediction of wind power, where high-penetrationutilities can present their experiences with theday-to-day use of short-term forecasting toolsto utilities quite new to the game. The results ofthis workshop should go into a documentdetailing the best utility practice in short-termforecasting.

In the fields of wave modelling and short-termforecasting, two expert groups are being set up,for support of politics, but also for disseminationactivities outside Europe. The expert groups willalso identify potential new research topics forfunding agencies.

One problem hindering progress, especially inthe economically sensitive field of offshore windpower but also in wind power in general, is the

WIND


Duration36 months

Contact personDr. Gregor Giebel Risoe National Laboratory [email protected]

List of partnersArmines – FR Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg – DE Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche – ITEC Baltic Renewable Energy Centre – PLEnergy & meteo systems – DE INETI – PT Institute of Accelerating Systems and Applications – GRInstitut für Solare Energieversorgungstechnik – DE Risoe National Laboratory – DK Spanish Nacional Renewable Energies Centre – ES Technical University of Denmark – DK University ‘Carlos III’ Madrid – ES

Websitehttp://powwow.risoe.dk/

Project officerThierry Langlois d’Estaintot

Statusongoing

87

lack of good accessible data. This will be takencare of by the establishment of two VirtualLaboratories, one for short-term forecasting, theother one for wakes. The idea is, in part, to takesome of the cumbersome work of data acquisitionout of the research projects themselves and putit here, and in part to have common evaluationcriteria and common evaluations of the work,and being able to compare one’s own researchwith the best (and worst) in the field. This idea issomewhat modelled on two very successfulefforts, one being www.winddata.com and theother one the Anemos case studies and bench-marking process. In winddata.com, quality-checked measurement campaigns (of usuallyshort duration) have been put into a centralrepository in a common data format, so thatinstitutes that have signed up to it can downloadthe data and use it. The data spans 165,000hours from 57 sites and is used for many differentpurposes, ranging from resource assessment tostructural high-resolution measurements onactual wind turbines for load cases. The othercase to model on is the Anemos benchmarkingexercise, where in all 11 different models werefed with the same NWP data for six wind farmsin Europe. One institute (CENER) did the commonevaluation and presented the results in Londonat the EWEC conference in November 2004. Oneimportant aspect of this was the development ofa common evaluation procedure and commonevaluation criteria, led by IMM. The details of

access to data, the potential worries of the dataowners (wind turbine data and NWP) aboutmaking their data public, and the exact demandsfor publication from ViLab participants will haveto be decided on during setting-up of the ViLab.

Progress to DateCurrently, the expert groups are established, andwork goes on towards establishing the VirtualLaboratories. Also, the first workshop has beenannounced on the website (powwow.risoe.dk/BestPracticeWorkshop.htm). It will be held inconjunction with the 6th Workshop on Large-ScaleIntegration of Wind Power and TransmissionNetworks for Offshore Wind Farms in Delft (see off-shoreworkshop.org). The date is October 25, 2006.Please see the website for registration details.

ChallengesIn order to realise a significant contribution ofwind energy to the global electricity supply (e.g. 20%) in the future, very large wind turbineswith an installed power of over 10 MW each,operating as wind ‘power plants’ (often calledwind farms) of several hundreds of megawattscapacity will become necessary. Such machinesare not available yet and their design requires thehighest possible standards, encompassing completeunderstanding of external design conditions,availability of materials with extreme strength-to-mass ratios, advanced integrated control andmeasuring systems, all geared towards the highestdegree of reliability.

O B J E C T I V E S

UP

WIN

D

Finding Solutions to Design Limitations of Large Wind Turbines

88

The objectives of the UpWind projectare to achieve a state-of-the-artdesign methodology for very largewind turbines and to establish thelargest turbine dimensions that can bedesigned reliably. This will be a criticalanalysis of advances in the followingscientific disciplines, with a view tothe design of large wind turbines of>10 MW installed power.

A review will be made of rotoraerodynamics, aero-elastics, rotorstructure and materials, foundationsand support structures, controltechnology, remote sensing, conditionmonitoring, flow around wind turbineclusters, and the wind powerplant/grid interface, followed by theconception of innovative components: rotor blades structure, smart rotorblades incorporating advanceddistributed aerodynamic controlelements over the blade length, and transmission and electricconversion systems.

Project StructureAs the project includes many scientific disciplineswhich need to be integrated in order to arrive atspecific design methods, new materials, compo-nents and concepts, the project’s organisationstructure is based on work packages (WPs)which variously deal with: scientific research(eight WPs); the integration of scientific results(three WPs); and their integration into technicalsolutions (four WPs). External communicationand the dissemination of project findings areconsidered essential and therefore have beenorganised in a separate additional work package(see the figure below).

The working methods and organisation structureensure that scientific research meets industryneeds. This will be achieved by letting the inte-gration work packages guide the scientific workpackages to a certain extent.

WIND

WP Number

Work Packa

geInteg

rated desig

n and standards

Metrology

Training & education

Innovative rotorblades

Transmission/co

nversion

Smart rotorblades

Upscaling

2 Aerodynamics & aero-elastics

3 Rotor structure and materials

4 Foundations & support structures

5 Control systems

6 Remote sensing

7 Conditioning monitoring

8 Flow

9 Electrical grid

10 Management

1A.1 1A.2 1A.3 1B.1 1B.2 1B.3 1B.4

Scientific integration Technology integration


Duration60 months

Contact personPeter Hjuler Jensen, Risoe National [email protected]

List of PartnersCIEMAT – ESCouncil for the Central Laboratory of the Research Councils – GBCRES – GRDelft University of Technology – NLDet Norske Veritas, Danmark A/S – DKECN – NLElsam Kraft AS – DKGE Global Research – DEEcotecnia, SCL – ESEWEA – BEFiberblade Eolica, S.A.U. – ESFree University of Brussels (VUB) – BEFundaction Robotiker – ESGarrad Hassan & Partners Ltd. – GBGermanischer Lloyd Windenergie GmbH – DEInstitut fuer SolareEnergieversorgungstechnik – DEInstytut Podstawowych problemow TechnikiPolskiej Akademii Nauk – PLLM Glasfiber A/S – DKLohmann + Stolterfoht GmbH – DELulea University of Technology – SE National Technical University of Athens – GRQinetiq Limited – GBRamboll Danmark A/S – DKRepower Systems AG – DERisoe National Laboratory – DKRWTH Aachen – DESamtech SA – BEShell Winderenergy B.V. – NL Smart Fibres LTD – GBStichting Kenniscentrum WindturbineMaterialen en Constructies – NLTechnical University of Denmark – DKUniversity of Aalborg – DKUniversity of Edinburgh – GBUniversity of Patras – GRUniversity of Salford – GBUniversity of Stuttgart – DEUstav termomechaniky Akademie Ved Ceske Republiky – CZVestas Asia Pacific A/S – DKVTT – FI

Websitewww.upwind.eu

Project officerThierry Langlois d’Estaintot

Statusongoing

89

Expected ResultsUpWind will not develop a specific very largewind turbine demonstration unit as such, norwill it produce a specific design. UpWind will,however, develop the accurate, verified tools andsome essential component concepts the indus-try needs to design and manufacture this newbreed of turbine types. The following examplesillustrate not all but some of the most importantissues relating to new design tools.

UpWind will address the aerodynamic, aero-elastic, structural and material design aspects ofrotors. Future wind turbine rotors may have adiameter of over 150 meters. These dimensionsare such that the flow in the rotor plane is non-uniform, as a result of which the inflow mayvary considerable over the rotor blade. Full bladepitch control will no longer be sufficient. That iswhy UpWind will investigate local flow controlalong the blades, for instance by varying the localprofile shape. Without associated new controlstrategies (software), the new control elements –the hardware side of the issue – will be useless.Control strategies will be developed in a separatework package. Also critical analysis of drive traincomponents will be carried out in the search forbreakthrough solutions.

Wind turbines are highly non-linear, reactivemachines operating under stochastic externalconditions. Extreme conditions may have animpact a thousand times more demanding on, forinstance, the mechanical loading than averageconditions require. Understanding profoundlythese external conditions is of the utmostimportance in the design of a wind turbinestructure with safety margins as small as possiblein order to realise maximum cost reductions.

A similar argument applies to the response ofthe structure to external excitations. In order tomake significant progress in this field moreaccurate, linearly responding measuring sensorsand associated software are needed. Preferablythe sensors should remain stable and accurateduring a considerable part of the operationallifetime of a wind turbine. UpWind will exploremeasuring methods and will look more in detailinto new remote sensing techniques for measuringwind velocities.

Two integrating work packages are of particularimportance: ‘Integrated Design & Standards’ and‘Up-scaling’. All results from various work packageswill serve as an input to assemble an integrateddesign methodology and to provide inputs toredraft design standards, which in their turn willhave a positive impact on certification processes.The work package ‘Up-scaling’ will explore themaximum dimensions (up to an installed powerof 20 MW); the new design methodology allowsthe designers to conceive new wind turbinestructures reliably.

The work package ‘Training & Education’ will,among others, include the new findings of var-ious work packages into training and educationcurricula.

ChallengesFrom the tests performed in 2005, it appears thatthe distribution of natural permeabilities in thedeep fractured system of Soultz-type geothermalreservoirs is the leading factor in these wells’productivity/injectivity potential. Consequently,the quality of the connections developed betweenthe wells and the far-field network of naturalpermeable fractures is of major interest. The mainchallenge being both to produce maximum flowrates with minimum pumping power and to getthe most possible stable production temperatures,it will be necessary to consider carefully thefuture role of the inter-wells heat exchanger forEGS operations in the context of Soultz- typesystems.

Then, interactively with the results of the ongoinginvestigations and tests, we address the questionof the optimisation of the energetic performancesof the system (and neutralisation of the associatedrisk of micro-seismic nuisances) with an appro-priate strategy.

From a preliminary general review of the existingtechnologies that could be used to pump geo -thermal brine at temperatures higher than175ºC, it appears that the two techniques available

O B J E C T I V E S

EGS-

POW

ERPL

ANT

Enhanced Geothermal Systems: EGS PilotPlant at Soultz-sous-Forets, France

90

The Soultz project is a long-termresearch project aiming at developinga new kind of geothermal energy. The Enhanced Geothermal System(EGS) principle aims to extract theheat contained in deep-seated rock(between 3000 and 6000 m) by circulating water through a large-capacity natural geothermalreservoir/heat exchanger.

This can be created by hydraulicand/or chemical stimulation of thepermeability of natural fractures inhydrothermally active regions wheredeep rocks are permeable enough for the temperature to increase withdepth more quickly than normal, due to regional deep water convectiveloops (200ºC at about 5000 m depthat Soultz).

today on the market of conventional geothermalpractise (oil-lubricated line-shaft pumps andhydraulic drive systems) have rather severe limi-tations. For this reason, the EEIG ‘Heat Mining’project developed a programme for submersiblepumps and line-shaft pump testing.

For down-hole pumps the main problem will beto adapt their equipment to temperatures of thepumped fluid that are higher than present limits(175ºC), while for line-shaft pumps the mainproblem will be to increase the maximum settingdepth of the pumps and to check their toleranceswith regard to the linearity of the pumpingchamber.

The most challenging questions today are relatedto corrosion and scaling risks, due to the geo -thermal fluid chemical composition.

Project structureThe EEIG ‘Heat Mining’ project is in charge ofgeneral on-site management, operations andpartner coordination. Its Supervisory Board controlsa management team that includes one represen-tative of each funding member of the EEIG.Management is supported by a scientific coor -dination team and by an operations managementteam. The scientific partners and the EEIG areassociated within a Consortium Agreement, andmost of the scientific partners are also associatedwithin the framework of EHDRA (European HotDry Rock Association).

Expected resultsAt termination of the present phase it is expectedto have on-site at Soultz an operational pilotplant functioning on the basis of 70 to 100 l/s ofpermanent brine production at a temperature closeto 185ºC. It will be able to produce up to 5 MWe,a part of which will be used for pumping andservicing the peripherals (lighting, surfacepumping, cooling, etc.).

It is expected that the synthesis of operational/technical and scientific results obtained willcontribute to:

• The final selection of parameters, equipment,techniques (such as flow intensities and dis-tribution, pumping requirements, reinjection

GEOTHERMAL

5000m >200°C

#4250m

Sediments

Granite

35 to 50 Kg/s35 to 50 Kg/s

70 to 100Kg/s

1500m

GPK3

GPK2 GPK4

25MWth 25MWth

#600m

Diagram of the Soultz geothermal pilot plant(the values expressed in MWth indicate the maximumrecoverable thermal power. The electric power generationresulting from this could reach up to 5 to 6 MW, fromwhich the

Project InformationContract numberSES6-CT-2003-502 706

Duration36 months

Contact personAndré Gerard G.E.I.E. ‘Exploitation Minière de la Chaleur’[email protected]

List of partnersBundesanstalt für Geowissenschaften und Rohstoffe – DEBureau de Recherches géologiques et Minières – FRCNRS – FRDeep Heat Mining Association – CHG.E.I.E. Exploitation Minière de la Chaleur – FRGTC Kappelmeyer GmbH – DEInstitut für GeowissenschaftlicheGemeinschaftsaufgaben – DEInstitute for Energy Technology – NOMeSy Geo-Mess-Systeme GmbH – DE

Websitewww.soultz.net


Statusongoing

91

strategy, heat exchanges at surface, monitoringand maintenance techniques) essential to thefuture scientific/technical/operational pro-gramme that will use this pilot plant as a toolfor the full design of industrial plants.

• The full technical and economical design ofa prototype based on a multi-well array. Thisdesign will include (for each step of the con-struction of the prototype) a list of the relevantstrategic techniques, accompanied by a criticalreview of the state of the art in thesedomains. It will be based mostly on the resultsof the upscaling elements of the project, buta substantial effort will also be made to takeinto consideration external views coming fromother geothermal operators in the world.

Progress to dateThe platform, equipped with the deep wells andall the peripheral equipment for follow-up ofthe impact(s) of the tests, is operational.

Work on the connections of the wells on thesurrounding mountain range, together with thedevelopment of the inter-well exchange zone, hadprogressed enough for a medium-term circulationtest programme (5 months) in 2005. This provideda first evaluation of the inter-wells exchanger(s) andof the surrounding natural reservoir’s be haviour,particularly with regard to the evaluation of thefuture improvements required for efficientpumping, resistance to scaling/corrosion andwells maintenance.

As a consequence of these tests, an interactiveprogramme aiming to improve the wells’hydraulic performances has already providedthe first positive results. Two production pumpsare expected to be delivered end-2006 for morepowerful tests of the geothermal reservoir andfor a first evaluation of their performance. Mostof the surface equipment (heat exchangers coolingdevices, first heat/electricity conversion cycle)has now been specified and for a large partalready ordered.

ChallengesLarge wavelength thermal anomalies are charac-terised at the scale of Europe and within ultra-peripheric regions (Caribbean Island, Canaries)and constitute a source of energy potentiallyavailable throughout Europe. However, the useof geothermal energy is limited by the fact thatit relies on the relatively uncommon geologicalconcurrence of rocks being simultaneouslywater-bearing, hot and permeable, and lying ateconomically accessible depths. Different ways havebeen tested or are imagined for enhancing andbroadening geothermal energy reserves which canbe classified into unconventional geothermalresources, i.e. mainly enhanced geothermal systems(EGS) and supercritical reservoirs:

• Stimulating reservoirs in hot dry rock systems.

• Enlarging the extent of productive geothermalfields by enhancing/stimulating permeabilityin the vicinity of naturally permeable rocks.

• Enhancing the viability of current and potentialhydrothermal areas by stimulation technologyand improving thermodynamic cycle.

• Defining new targets and new tools for reachingsupercritical fluid systems, especially high-temperature down-hole tools and instruments.

• Improving drilling and reservoir assessmenttechnology.

• Improving exploration methods for deepgeothermal resources.

Geothermal production levels must also bedesigned to comply with resource sustainabilityconstraints. Major cost reduction must beaccomplished to achieve the objectives of the EU forthe use of renewable energies. The development ofunconventional geothermal resources may alsobe linked in an ‘unconventional’ way to otherindustrial activities such as CO2 storage orhydrogen production. In parallel, the environ-mental and social aspects of the development ofgeothermal energy are of great importance asthe image of this renewable and sustainableenergy must be improved, not only in terms ofawareness of decision-makers, but also ofacceptance by the general public.

To summarise, by exploring unconventional geo -thermal resources, research and developmentinstitutes face:

O B J E C T I V E S

EN

GIN

E

Enhanced Geothermal Innovative Network for Europe

92

The main objective of the ENhancedGeothermal Innovative Network forEurope (ENGINE) is the coordinationof the present research anddevelopment initiatives forunconventional geothermal resourcesand enhanced geothermal systems,from resource investigation andassessment through to exploitationmonitoring.

The coordination action will providean updated framework of activitiesconcerning geothermal energy in Europe and the definition of innovative concepts for theinvestigation and use ofunconventional geothermal resourcesand enhanced geothermal systems.Groups of experts will present a BestPractice Handbook. A scientific andtechnical European Reference Manual,including the information anddissemination systems developedduring these coordination activities,will be prepared.

• A scientific challenge to understand the dis-tribution of heat and permeability at depth inthe uppermost crust. High amplitude andsmall wavelength anomalies, related to localhigh conductivity layers or highly radioactivesources, may develop on the large wavelengththermal anomalies and present great interest forthe assessment of reservoirs for hot dry-rockenergy systems.

• A technological and economic challenge toimprove and render cost-efficient investiga-tion and development technology in order tomake these geothermal systems viable.

• A communication challenge to rally the supportof policy makers and investors and, in certaincases, increase the social acceptance of abroader community.

• A challenge to integrate the different, yetparallel, research paths that currently exist,namely one for investigation and resourceassessment and another for sustainableexploitation schemes, one for hot dry rocksand another for high energy systems.

Project structureThe structure of the project is based on nineworkpackages. The project management activitiesare gathered in WP 1. The Information anddissemination system of the co-ordinationaction (WP 2) objectives are:

• A working platform for exchanging generalor specialised information.

• On-line exchange and dissemination of scientificand technical know-how and practices.

• Access to a metadata base, specified data-base, open-source software and models.

• An interface with non-member institutes andthe international geothermal community.

• Development and maintenance of a regularcontact with the media.

Two main strategies will be applied in the frame-work of the co-ordination action:

• A bottom-up and federative strategy to motivatethe scientific community to face up to thescien tific and technical challenges.Workshops and conferences will be regularlyorganised to ensure a smooth and stream-lined flow of exchanges and coordination.Publications available on journals and on thewebsite are the expected deliverables ofthese work packages.GEOTHERMAL


Duration30 months

Contact personPatrick Ledru Bureau de Recherches Géologiques et Miniè[email protected]

List of partnersBureau de Recherches Géologiques et Minières – FRCERTH – GRCFG Services – FRCNRS – FRCRES – GRDeep Heat Mining Association – CHEotvos University – HUFree University of Amsterdam – NLG.E.I.E. Exploitation Minière de la Chaleur – FRGeoForschungsZentrum Potsdam – DEGeological Survey of Denmark and Greenland – DKGeologijos Ir Geografijos Institutas – LTGeoproduction Consultants – FRGeowatt AG – CHInstitute for Geothermal Research – RUInstitute for High Temperatures RussianAcademy of Science – RUInstitut für Energetik und Umwelt – DEInstituto di Geoscienze e Georisorse – ITInstituto Geológico y Minero de España – ESInstitutt for Energiteknikk – NOIslenskar Orkurannsoknir – ISJoint Stock Company ‘Intergeotherm’ – RULeibniz Institute for Applied Geosciences – DEMeSy GeoMessSysteme GmbH – DENational Centre for Scientific Research‘Demokritos’ – GRORME Jeotermal A.S. – TRPanstwowy Instytut Geologiczny – PLPhysical Institute Russian Academy of Science – RUShell International Exploration and Production B.V. – NLTNO – NLUniversity of Oradea – RO

Websitehttp://engine.brgm.fr

Pproject officerJeroen Schuppers

Statusongoing

93

• The creation of expert groups/panels incharge of defining priorities in the field ofresearch investment and strengthening thelinks with the financial and political institutions.A Best Practice Handbook and the definition ofinnovative concepts for the investigation,reservoir assessment and exploitation of geo -thermal energy will constitute the deliverablesof this work. It will include a technical andsocio-economic risk evaluation for thedevelop ment of geothermal energy in Europe.

Phase 1 – Integration

This integration of scientific and technicalknow-how and practices will provide an updatedframework of activities concerning geothermalenergy in Europe. It will cover all initiatives andbottlenecks encountered during the investigationof EGS and unconventional geothermal resources,drilling, stimulation and reservoir assessmentand exploitation, economic, environmental andsocial impacts. For each of these work packages, thecoordination work will be aimed at:

• presenting the state-of-the-art

• defining the most appropriate scientific andtechnological approaches

• identifying the main gaps, barriers andunsolved questions

• analysing how such know-how and procedurescan be transferred and bottlenecks overcome.

The economic factor and the cost-effectiveness ofeach scientific and technological approach will besystematically considered. The deliverables will main-ly consist of publications providing access to theconclusions of these integration activities and, inparticular, to the state-of-the-art.

Phase 2 – Synthesis

Four groups of experts will perform an evaluationof the best practices and innovative concepts tobe adopted on the different types of activities.Risk evaluation for the development of geothermalenergy is aimed at synthesising the main scientificand technical aspects, as well as economic andenvironmental constraints, resulting from thedifferent expert groups. Deliverables will includea Best Practice Handbook and the definition ofinnovative concepts for geothermal investigation,reservoir stimulation and assessment andexploitation.

A scientific and technical European ReferenceManual for the development of unconventionalgeothermal resources will finally present thisBest Practice Handbook and will include all pub-lications, information, metadatabases, databases

and models collected and compiled during theintegration phase of the co-ordination action.

Expected resultsThe main potential impact expected from thecoordination action is to reestablish the institu-tional and political support essential to ensurethat geothermal energy reaches its full efficiencyand profitability thresholds on a European scale.It is necessary to sensitise the geothermal-energycommunity to the task of defining innovativeresearch projects. The emergence of such projectsrequires a capitalisation of the knowledge of thedifferent actors currently playing in the geo -thermal field; this implies sharing experience,exchanging best practices and clearly identifyingthe gaps and barriers. The expected impact ofthis coordination action is that a large scientificresearch community will be mobilised that isable to promote such spin-off projects withindustrial partners.

The coordination action also intends to play a transmission role and constitute an informationexchange platform. It will provide an opportunityto integrate and synthesise all information aboutknow-how, practices, innovations and barriers atthe level of the steering committee and expertgroups. This knowledge will be disseminated andmade available through the information andpublication systems, and should increase theinterest of other potential scientific and industrialpartners. The dissemination will also contribute tothe transfer of knowledge towards those requiringmore information about the technical andsocio-economic know-how for developing thegeothermal industry, especially in Central andEastern Europe. This could speed up the exploitationof both conventional and unconventional geo -thermal resources in these countries and thuscontribute considerably to the short- and long-term goals of the EU of reducing carbon dioxideemissions by increasing the share of renewableenergy.

Progress to dateThe kick-off meetings of the steering committeeand executive group were held in Potsdam on10-11 November 2006. Further information onprogress to date can be obtained on the websitehttp://engine.brgm.fr, where access is provided tothe contents of the launching conference thatwas held in Orléans on 12-15 February 2006. A provisional schedule of workshop and conferencesis presented where partners can register andcontribute on-line.

ChallengesOver the last few decades, increasing concernshave been directed towards the world’s hydro-carbon energy usage with eventual supplyshortfalls and harmful environmental impact.Geothermal renewable energy has been consideredone of the major alternatives in the near anddistant future. Efficient use of existing geothermalfields and higher energy yields from newsources are seen as priority issues. Recently,ideas to radically improve power extraction fromgeothermal boreholes have been put forward. A ten-fold increase in power production hasbeen predicted theoretically when drilled fromthe conventional 3 km to unconventional 5 kmdepth in Icelandic geothermal regions. An ongoingproject, code-named IDDP (Iceland Deep DrillingProject), is being funded by major local powercompanies with cooperation from European andinternational societies.

For the first time, the scientific community willalso be able to study a hydrothermal reservoir atsupercritical temperatures. Supercritical fluids havehigher enthalpy than steam produced from two-phase systems. Large changes in physical pro -perties near the critical point can lead to extremelyhigh flow rates, resulting in the projected ten-foldincrease in turbine power production relative toconventional production.

The main objective of this project, and its greatestchallenge, is to develop sensors and methods toaccurately determine the existing conditions of thereservoir and fluids in situ at the base of a deepgeothermal system. As well as investigating super-critical phenomena, drilling in this environmentcan address a wide range of scientific questionsrelated to, for example, the origin of black smokersalong mid-ocean ridges and the deposit ofhydrothermal ores. Deep drilling has beenachieved previously with a world-record depthof 13 km in Kola, Russia. Drilling in geothermalareas up to supercritical temperatures has alsobeen demonstrated in Kakkonda, Japan, reaching500°C at a depth of 3.7 km. Other reports ofnear-supercritical temperatures include a wellsite in Larderello, Italy, at 400°C and Nesjavellir,Iceland, exceeding 380°C. These wells were notdesigned to utilise the extreme temperaturesand pressures for electricity production.

O B J E C T I V E S

HIT

I

High Temperature Instruments for Supercritical Geothermal ReservoirCharacterisation and Exploitation

94

The HITI project is aimed at solvingthe technological problems associatedwith the characterisation andproduction of supercritical geothermalreservoirs. This implies developingdown-hole instruments capable oftolerating temperatures over 300°C,and preferably up to 500°C, with the following functions:temperature, pressure, fluid and rockelectrical resistivity, natural gammaradiation, televiewer acoustic images,casing collar location, casing monitoring, fluid flow, chemical temperature sensing andorganic tracers. The main objective of this project, and its greatestchallenge, is to develop sensors andmethods to accurately determine the existing conditions of the reservoirand fluids in situ at the base of a deep geothermal system.

The key parameters to be measured for thermo-dynamic modelling of a reservoir and productionevaluation are well-bore fluid parameters: tem-perature (T), pressure (p) and nature (i.e. ioniccharge). First of all comes temperature and, forthis, three main types of down-hole instrumentsare being considered by HITI:

• Wireline instruments, where a cable withelectrical wires is constantly connecting thedown-hole gauge to a surface computer.

• ‘Sick line’ instruments where a metallic wireis used to lower the instrument and the datais gathered on a memory chip inside theinstrument, without real-time readout atsurface.

• Monitoring instruments where distributedtemperature sensors along a fibre optic cableare installed inside the borehole and quasi-continuous temperature profiles are obtainedduring all phases of production. In situ reservoirtemperatures might also be obtained fromNa-Li geothermo meters.

These approaches are complementary and shouldprovide a needed cross-calibration. The mostappropriate overall approach will be determinedas part of the HITI project.

Project StructureThe consortium consists of the following eightparticipants: ISOR, CNRS Montpellier, BRGM,Calidus Engineering, ALT, Oxford AppliedTechnology, GFZ Potsdam and CRES. Two dedicatedtool designers and manufacturers are included(CalEng and ALT), all SMEs working on differentinstrument types. Two research institutes willmanage additional instrument design andimplementation (BRGM and GFZ), while thethird research institute models high-pressuregeophysical environment in a dedicatedresearch laboratory (CNRS Montpellier). In situinstrument testing is achieved by one of theapplicants (ISOR), in cooperation with the relevanttool builders and technical observers mentionedabove. Technical dissemination and marketresearch is provided by two applicants (Oxatec andCRES), each specialising in different disseminationareas (one state-of-the-art electronic technology,the other geothermal market assessment).

GEOTHERMAL


Duration36 months

Contact personRagnar Asmundsson Islenskar [email protected]

List of partnersALT – LUBureau de Recherche Géologiques et Minières – FRCalidus Engineering Ltd – GBCNRS Montpellier – FR CRES – GRGeoforschungszentrum Potsdam – DE Islenskar Okurannsoknir – IS Oxford Applied Technology Ltd – GB

Websitehttp://hiti.isor.is, to be opened


Statusongoing

95

It is believed that this consortium comprises aconsistent and complimentary group of leadingcontributors in their independent fields. Highrelevance is put on tool development, wheremost of the budget and man-months are allocated.

Expected ResultsOver the past decades, a large number of advanceddown-hole instruments have been developed tomeet the demands of the oil industry. Geothermalexploration has greatly benefited from techniquesused by the much bigger oil industry and theircorrespondingly larger research and innovationspending. However, the oil industry rarelyencounters temperatures above 150°C andhardly ever approaching 250°C. The goal of HITIis to develop and build instruments and methodscapable of operating in a reliable manner at300°C and potentially above that limit. Marginaldemand for such instruments exists from the oilindustry, while the geothermal industry is notlarge enough to pay for such developments.Mechanical tools to measure high temperatureshave been used successfully, but are of less quality in the sense that the temperature resolutionis low and the measurements are relatively time-consuming.

If harnessing supercritical geothermal systemsproves successful, the demand for down-holeinstruments at temperatures envisaged by HITIwill go up dramatically. On such occasions,European companies will be able to provide bothinstruments and the experience of using high-temperature down-hole equipment.

In summary the overall industrial, societal andscientific impact of the project can be:

• Increased knowledge on the utilisation ofunconventional geothermal wells and reservoirfor electricity production.

• Actual evaluation of economic factors.

• Opening new ways to utilise environmentallyfriendly geothermal energy.

• Reinforcement of European leadership in thedesign and worldwide sale of high-temperaturedown-hole instruments.

• Better understanding of the structure anddynamics of hot to supercritical geothermalreservoirs from unprecedented in situ mea -surements and laboratory experiments.

ChallengesThe exploration of geothermal resources aims atthe detection and delineation of thermal anomaliesand the macroscopic geological structures, suchas large-scale permeability or intensely fracturedzones, which determine the productivity conditionsof the geothermal reservoir. Indeed, many geo -thermal reservoirs are associated with fracturescharacterised by high permeability, which arequite often heterogeneously distributed.Nowadays the identification of subsurface zonescharacterised by high temperatures and hightemperature gradients is not a major concern,since many methods and tools are available toestimate the temperatures at depth. The majorissue, not yet satisfactorily solved, is the detectionof fractures and high-permeability zones. Morethan 30% of exploitation wells worldwide havebeen drilled into promising targets, in terms ofrock formations at high temperature, but lackingsufficient permeability to sustain commercial pro-duction. This percentage of failures significantlyincreases for exploration wells.

The search for high-permeability zones is notlimited to geothermal exploration, but is equallyimportant for hydrocarbon exploration and thedetection of deep aquifers. However, a uniquechallenge to geothermal exploration is posed bythe rock environment of geothermal reservoirs.The salinity of geothermal fluids is usually highand temperatures are close to the liquid/steamtransition point. High temperature and fluidsalinity potentially change rock transportproperties even during production. The behaviourof rocks with increasing pressure and temperaturehas been studied by many laboratory measure-ments and seismic and magnetotelluric (MT)field tests. However, these peculiar features ofgeothermal areas have never been studied indetail until now.

O B J E C T I V E S

I-G

ET

Integrated Geophysical ExplorationTechnologies for Deep Fractured GeothermalSystems

96

The I-GET project aims at developingan innovative strategy of geophysicalexploration. This strategy integratesall the available knowledge, from rockphysics to seismic and magnetotelluric(MT) data processing and modelling,and exploits the full potential ofseismic and electromagneticexploration methods to detectpermeable zones and fluid-bearingfractures prior to drilling. The ultimate goal is to minimise themining risk by developing a methodtailor-made for geothermal reservoirs.

The proposed geothermal explorationapproach is applied in Europeangeothermal systems with differentgeological and thermodynamicreservoir characteristics: in Italy (high enthalpy, metamorphic rocks), in Iceland (high enthalpy, volcanicrocks) and in Germany and Poland(low-to-middle enthalpy, sedimentary rocks)

Project structureThe work is subdivided into seven work packages.Four main topics are identified:

• Construction of a petrophysical and geo -mechanical database obtained from laboratoryexperiments on geothermal reservoir rocksamples belonging to the various geothermalsystems under study. The elastic and electricrock properties at the reservoir condition upto the steam/liquid transition of the pore fill-ings are determined.

• Field acquisition and data processing of seismicand MT field experiments at several test sites.

• Geothermal reservoir numerical modelling.Results from (1) and (2) are integrated withthe elastic and anisotropic models and withthe reservoir engineering well-testing data, inorder to verify the presence of fluid-bearingzones inferred from seismic and magnetotelluricexperiments. Local 3D models will be built onthe basis of field data and laboratory meas-urements, in order to produce the static imageof geological structures and identify the fluid-dynamic behaviour of the fracture systemfrom available well tests.

• Validation of the methodology applied.

GEOTHERMAL


Duration36 months

Contact personsDr. Ernst Huenges Geoforschungszentrum [email protected]

List of partnersCRES – GRENEL Produzione – ITFree University of Berlin – DEGeoforschungsZentrum Potsdam – DEGeothermie Neubrandenburg – DEGeowatt AG – CHÍslenskar Orkurannsóknir – ISIstituto di Geoscienze e Georisorse – ITPolish Academy of Science – PLScientific and Technical Centre – FRUniversity of Pisa – IT

Websitewww.i-get.it


Statusongoing

97

Case studiesIn order to study the physical signature of fluid-bearing zones in geothermal systems, it isimportant to investigate various geothermalsystems showing different characteristics. Thecase studies that are analysed in this project are:

• The Travale (Italy) geothermal system, wherethe exploration targets are mainly located inmetamorphic and magmatic rocks up to4000 m depth, characterised by a high degreeof heterogeneity and anisotropy and by hightemperatures.

• The Hengill (Iceland) geothermal system,where the exploration targets are mainlylocated in volcanic centres (up to 2000 mdepth), within a rift zone characterised byboth porous and fissure-oriented anisotropicpermeability. At present, geothermal fluidsare mainly mined at a depth of about 2 km,but the ongoing Iceland Deep Drilling Project(IDDP) aims at extracting supercritical fluidsfrom a depth of about 4 km.

• Groß Schönebeck (Germany) deep sedimentaryreservoir, representative of large sedimentarybasins all over Europe with a borehole currentlyused as an in situ geothermal laboratory.

• Skierniewice (Poland), a prospective geothermalreservoir especially representative of low-enthalpy applications in Eastern and CentralEurope.

The different case studies require adaptation ofexisting techniques and methodologies.Advanced petrophysical and geophysical aspectswill be applied in the projects, and all data willbe integrated. The results will be used as inputfor static and dynamic numerical models, whichwill be verified by well data, where available, andcompared to existing reservoir models.

Expected resultsThe newly developed methodology will be a mile-stone for the future development of geothermalenergy. It will represent a fully integrated explorationmethodology able to detect favourable prospects,highlight the spatial distribution of petrophysicaland geomechanical properties and predict thefluid-dynamic behaviour within a potentialreservoir. The result can be applied in reservoirexploration of natural and/or enhanced geo -thermal systems, and in exploration of deepaquifers.

Challenges Ocean energy can in the future replace a significantpart of the fossil fuel used today if the principles forconversion can be successfully demonstratedand put into mass production. Presently only afew systems are being tested on a pre-commercialscale and providing initial practical experience.

Within the Co-ordinated Action on OceanEnergy, this new knowledge and the researchresults emerging on wave and tidal technologies aredisseminated, promoted and shared. The partnersmust agree on definitions, standards in design,costing, and be ready to present the performanceresults of the systems involved. This approach isexpected to provide comparable presentationsof different methodologies and accelerate thedevelopment of ocean energy systems.

Project StructureThe Co-ordinated Action on Ocean Energyincludes 41 partners from 15 countries. Thepartners of this co-ordination action are theleading force in the field of ocean energy, whilethe SME organisations are pioneers on the road tocommercialisation of these systems. An additional20 partners have registered as associates duringthe first year.

The project is organising five interactive work-shops over a three-year project period. Thethemes for the five workshops are:

• Numerical modelling and tank testing

• Components and power take-off

• Structural design

• Performance assessment

• Environmental impact.

O B J E C T I V E S

CA

-OE

Ocean Energy, Wave and Tidal Power

98

The main objectives of the Co-ordinated Action on Ocean Energyare to enable cooperation betweendevelopers and interested parties in the sector of ocean energy, to promote and disseminateknowledge on ocean energytechnologies, to develop a commonknowledge base for coherentdevelopment R&D policies, to bring a coordinated approach within keyareas of ocean energy R&D, and to provide a forum for thelonger-term marketing of promisingresearch deliverables.

The project also addresses issues likerevising and implementing guidelinesand standards for monitoring andpresenting the performance of oceanenergy systems, and guidelines andstandards related to safety ofstructure, personnel and electricalsystems.

The workshops provide a forum for the differentresearch organisations and the fledgling oceanenergy industry to interact and co-ordinateongoing R&D efforts in the field of wave andtidal energy on a European and internationallevel. New academic knowledge can be sharedand disseminated between all interested parties,and promising methodologies and technologiescan be transferred to the market.

Expected ResultsThe Co-ordinated Action is expected to promoteand disseminate promising methodologies andtechnologies for the conversion of ocean energyinto electricity and further generate awarenessamong a wider public.

Frequent workshops attended by the partnersinvolved, combined with exchange of personnel,are expected to generate clusters of researchgroups that will focus on research activities ofcommon interest:

• Dissemination and promotion of ocean energy

• Roadmap for ocean energy development

• Terminology definitions

• Folder on ocean energy technologies

• Establishment of an European Ocean EnergyAssociation.

The initiative to form a European Ocean EnergyAssociation has been taken to help promotedevelopment toward implementation and com-mercial exploitation.

OCEAN


Duration39 months

Contact personKim [email protected]

List of partners Aqua Energy Ltd – GBBulgarian Ship Hydrodynamics Centre – BGChalmers University of Technology – SEC.J. Day Associates – GBCRES – GRDelft University of Technology – NLDHI Water & Environment – DKEcole Centrale de Nantes – FREcofys – NLElectricité de France – FRGroupe ESIM – FRIngenioerfirma Eric Rossen – DKIHE Institute for Water Education – NLINETI – PTInstitut français de recherche pour l’exploitation de la mer – FRInstituto Superior Tecnico – PTIT Power – GBMunich University of Technology – DENational Technical University of Athens – GROcean Energy Ltd – IEOcean Power Delivery Ltd – GBPonte di Archimedes SpA – ITPowertech Labs Inc – CAQueens University Belfast – GBRamboll – DKRobert Gordon University – GBSpok Aps – DKSwedish Seabased Energy AB – SETeamwork Technology BV – NLUniversity of Aalborg – DKUniversity of Cork – IEUniversity of Edinburgh – GBUniversity of Gent – BE University of Hannover – DEUniversity of Lancaster – GBUniversity of Patras – GRUniversity of Southampton – GBUniversity of Strathclyde – GBUniversity of Uppsala – SEWave Dragon ApS – DKWave Energy Centre – PTWave Plane Production A/S – DK

Websitewww.CA-OE.org

Project officerAnna Gigantino

Statusongoing

99

Progress to Date The main objective of bringing all the partnerstogether has been successfully met. The projectkick-off meeting was held one month after theproject started in November 2004 in Copenhagen,Denmark. All partners attended the objectivesworkshop planning sessions. As an additionalchance to get to know each other, the partners wereinvited to attend a workshop on grid connectionarranged by IEA-OES, as well as a technical tour ofthe Wave Dragon experiment in Nissum Bredning.

WP 1: Numerical and experimental modelling, 4-5 April 2005

The first workshop was held at AalborgUniversity, Denmark. The topic of the workshopwas covered by a number of presentations on newmodelling techniques and examples of testingocean energy systems on different scales. Theworkshop provided the opportunity for oceanenergy developers to share expertise and help indevice modelling and testing with the universitypartners of the project.

Pre-conference workshop to the 6thEuropean Wave Energy Conference, 30 August 2005

The partners in the CA-OE project arranged a pre-conference workshop before the 6th EuropeanWave Energy Conference in order7 for them tomeet and promote the co-ordinated action with awider audience.

The initiative of forming a European OceanEnergy Association was taken following thispre-conference workshop to help promotedevelopment aimed at implementation andcommercial exploitation. The association has theweb-address: www.eu-oea.com.

WP 2: Component Technologies andPower Take-off, 1-2 November 2005

The second workshop was held in Upsala,Sweden. The topic of this workshop was coveredby a number of presentations on different powertake–off systems, such as linear generatorstransforming the oscillating forces and movementsdirectly into electricity, oil hydraulic systems asused in the Pelamis project, water turbines asused in the Wave Dragon project, and air turbinesas used in OWCs such as the Picoplant and theLimpet system. Presentations on other componentssuch as moorings ware also given and discussed.

WP 3: System design, Construction,Reliability& Safety, 29-30 March 2006

The third workshop was arranged by Ecofys inAmsterdam. The topic of this workshop was, incontrast to the previous workshops, covered in amore interactive way. Key speakers from DNVand Germanischer Lloyd were invited to theworkshop to give presentations on the newstandards drafted for ocean energy, followed bya few presentations illustrating the issues.Group work then followed, and the partnersexchanged their experiences in relation to thetopic and provided focused input on prioritiesfor further R&D.

ChallengesTo arrive at an economically efficient wave energyconverter design, and more specifically at anoptimised prototype, is a complicated task. Severalissues have to be investigated, as there is:

• A technological risk: although the technologyis proven in scale tests, it still has to beproven in full scale in real-sea conditions.

• A commercial risk: the commercialisation willbe dependent on cost-effective productionand operation. In order to overcome this,each optimisation found within this projectwill be tested for its financial viability as partof the whole outcome of this project.

• A political risk: a commercial development isdependent on political support to introducenew technologies to the market. In the caseof renewable energy systems, there is astrongly positive attitude at a European levelon promoting renewable energy systems.

Project structureThe initial work on the FO3 wave energy converterstarted in 2001, with the objective of developinga cost-effective and environmentally friendlytechnology for wave energy conversion. Initialresearch was conducted at the Department ofMathematics (University of Oslo) and at theNorwegian University of Science and Technology(NTNU) in Trondheim.

O B J E C T I V E S

SE

EW

EC

Sustainable Economically Efficient Wave Energy Converter

100

The general objective of SEEWEC is to assist in the development of a second-generation FO3 wave energyconverter through extensive use of the experience from monitoring a 1:3 laboratory rig (Buldra), the single system test station (SSTS)and a first-generation 1:1 prototype.

The project will focus on robust cost-effective solutions and design for large-scale (mass) manufacturing.The long-term objective is to be ableto produce electricity at a costcompetitive to electricity from otherrenewable sources. The first step is tobecome competitive to offshore wind.

A project group was established and key patentswere filed in 2003. Following conceptual designand theoretical modelling, the general designwas developed. A 1:20 scale model of the FO3

was tested in the wave tank of the Ocean BasinLaboratory of Sintef in Trondheim in early-2004.The scale model was tested both in operationalconditions and for survival/extreme sea conditions.The tests confirmed the production concept.

The 1:3 laboratory rig (Buldra) started sea trialsin February 2005. A single system test station(SSTS) will be monitored from spring 2006onward. The prototype full-scale first-generationdevice is planned to be launched by autumn 2007.

OCEAN

1:20 model in the wave tank with 21 point absorbers/eggsinstalled on a floating platform.

1:3 laboratory rig ‘Buldra’


Duration36 months

Contact personProf. Dr. ir. Julien De RouckUniversity of [email protected]

List of partnersABB – SEBrevik Engineering A.S. – NOChalmers University of Technology – SEFred Olsen Ltd – GBInstituto Superior Técnico – PTMarintek – NONatural Power Consultants Ltd – GBNorwegian University of Science andTechnology – NOSpiromatic NV – BEStandfast Yachts – NLUniversity of Gent – BE

Websitewww.SEEWEC.org


Statusongoing

101

All three devices are expected to be used for exten-sive monitoring and testing during the SEEWECproject. The results of these tests will provide theproject team with valuable input for the design ofthe second generation of the converter.

The SEEWEC project has been structured around11 work packages. Some work packages are initialtasks (preparing and supporting), others are syn-thesising and concluding, the final work packageexploiting and disseminating. The core work pack-ages are what can be called scientifically and tech-nologically productive.

The SEEWEC consortium involves 11 partnersfrom five EU members (Belgium, theNetherlands, Portugal, Sweden and the UK) andone associated country (Norway). As a group,the partners have relevant experience of fieldtesting, local sea conditions, material design anddevelopment, wave impacts on structures,behaviour and interference of structures in openseas, power conversion systems, manufacturingof materials and marine construction.

Expected resultsThe SEEWEC project aims at gaining extensiveknowledge to provide optimal input for themanufacture of a second generation of the waveenergy converter, to prepare for large-scaleproduction and commercial exploitation.

Prospective farm of FO3’s

ChallengesThe Wave Dragon is an offshore wave energyconverter of the overtopping type. The developmentwork is, to a large extent, built on proven techno -logies and Wave Dragon is by far the largestwave energy converter known today. Each unitwill have a rated power of 4-11 MW or more,depending on how energetic the wave climate isat the deployment site. In addition to this, WaveDragon - due to its large size - can act as afloating foundation for MW wind turbines, thusadding a very significant contribution to annualpower production at a marginal cost.

By using the overtopping principle for energyabsorption, there is no upper limit on device sizeand rated power for Wave Dragon, as opposedto technologies that rely on moving bodies etc.(like buoys, hinged bodies and oscillating watercolumns) for energy absorption.

Wave Dragon’s competitive advantage lies in itsscale and hence capital cost: only nine units arerequired to make a 100 MW power station, compared to 100-1000 units required by mosttechnologies, and the few moving parts improvereliability and reduce maintenance costs. Thedesign simply reapplies a well-proven existingtechnology that has been around for 80 years.Wave Dragon is essentially a floating hydro-electric dam.

Developers of wave energy converters face aseries of major challenges: first we have todevelop machinery that can operate and survivein this very tough environment and, secondly,we have to optimise operation and maintenance

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This project will realise the WaveDragon technology and develop itfrom the tested all-steel-built 20 kWprototype to a full-size composite-built 4-7 MW unit and, by comprehensive testing, validate itstechnical and economic feasibility.

The RTD part of the project willdevelop Wave Dragon’s energy-absorbing structure, the lowhead turbine power take-off systemand the control systems; develop cost-effective construction methodsand establish the optimal combinationof in situ cast concrete, post-stressedreinforcement and pre-stressedconcrete elements; develop a cost-effective 250-440 kW hydroturbine system; demonstrate reliableand cost-effective installationprocedures and O&M schemes; and establish the necessary basis for design codes/recommendations for offshore multi-MW devices.

systems to make wave power plants a viablesolution. Wave energy converters have to com-pete with other renewable energy technologies.It has become obvious that wave power can bemuch cheaper than, for instance, photovoltaicpower and there are good reasons to believethat in a few years it will be a serious competitorto offshore wind power.

Project structureThis project is organised in seven operative workpackages, each with clearly defined deliverables:

• Scaling-up/design – Development and designof full-size power producing unit and sub-systems

• Construction, manufacturing and deployment

• Establishment of monitoring system, operationand maintenance

• Design parameter analysis

• Power production and control strategy

• Life cycle / Environmental Impact Assessmentand socio-economic aspects

• Dissemination and exploitation

All the R&D-related work packages are coveredby this project. Work package 2 – constructionand deployment – is funded from other sources.

This project will realise the Wave Dragon technolo-gy, developing it from the tested all-steel-builtscale 1:4.5 prototype to a full-size composite-built4-7 MW unit and, by comprehensive testing,validate its technical and economic feasibility.

OCEAN

The Wave Dragon is a floating device consisting of twoparabolic arms that reflects and enlarges waves towards aramp. Wave energy is absorbed passively by overtoppingwater that is collected and short-term stored in a reservoirbehind the ramp.

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The Wave Dragon technology absorbs wave energy byovertopping water. Power is generated when water fromthe above mean water level storage reservoir is drainedback to sea through traditional hydro propeller turbines.

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Duration36 months

Contact personDr. H.C. [email protected]

List of partnersBalslev AS – DKDr. techn. Olav Olsen A/S – NOESB International Ltd – IEKössler Ges.m.b.H – ATMunich University of Technology – DENIRAS AS – DKUniversity of Aalborg – DK University of Wales Swansea – GBWarsaw University of Technology – PLWave Dragon ApS – DKWave Dragon Wales Ltd – GB

Websitewww.wavedragon.net/wavedragon_mw


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The R&D activities will:

• Develop the optimal way to construct theWave Dragon, taking into account the largephysical size, the facilities and skills availableand also the techniques required to combinesteel and reinforced concrete to make up thestructural form we require.

• Finalise the development of the power takeoffsystem consisting of simplified hydro turbines,advanced inverter technology and permanentmagnet synchronous generator technology, incombination with an advanced control systemnever tested in full scale before.

• Demonstrate that the Wave Dragon hull andreflectors can be constructed with a combi-nation of reinforced concrete and steel.

• Demonstrate the deployment of the full-scale device and document its basic hydraulicbehaviour in relatively calm water before thefinal deployment.

• Develop an operation and maintenancescheme and operate a wave energy device inMW-size using an advanced control systemand a new innovative power take-off system.

• Run an advanced test programme on thedevice in order to gain information not onlyfor the documentation of its behaviour butalso to establish scientific knowledge farbeyond the state-of-the-art today.

• Establish the socio-economic impact of WaveDragon such as job creation, life cycle assess-ment and environmental impact related to aMW-size wave energy device.

All R&D activities in this project will be carriedout in relation to a 7 MW Wave Dragon devicethat will be constructed and deployed off theSouth-West Welsh coast.

During long-term testing in a real-sea environ-ment, the Wave Dragon prototype has progressedto the point where it is now producing electricity80% of the time. This real-sea testing has alsoproven its seaworthiness, floating stability andpower production potential. Operation of thedevice in a harsh offshore environment has ledto a number of smaller component failures: allof these have been investigated and technicalsolutions have been found, thus preventing

costly (in both time and money) problems fromoccurring in the future. The work done up to nowhas confirmed that the performance predicted onthe basis of wave-tank testing and turbine modeltests will be achieved in a full-scale prototype.

This project will develop the technological basisfor a commercially viable solution to the bulkgeneration of renewable power and thus add toEurope’s ability to tackle the problems of securityof supply and greenhouse gas emissions.

Expected resultsThe quantitative objectives refer to a 24 kW/mwave climate:

• Higher energy production of each unit to atotal of 10 GWh/y, resulting in a totalimprovement of 12%; where 5% is fromimprovement by a better control system and7% is from the new power take-off system.

• A reduction in the overall installation capacitycost of 5% compared with the state-of-the-art.

• A reduction in operation and maintenancecosts of 5%.

The test programme will demonstrate theavailability, power production predictability,power production capability and medium-to long-term electricity generation costs at € 0.052/kWhin a wave climate of 24kW/m, which can befound relatively close to the coast in the majorpart of the EC Atlantic coast. In a 36kW/m waveclimate, the corresponding cost of energy will be€ 0.04/kWh

Wave Dragon marks a sig nificant breakthroughtowards commercial exploitation of the abundantenergy concentrated in ocean waves. Seagoingtrials of the Wave Dragon prototype haveproven its off shore sur vivability since March2003 and more than verified the potential forcommercial feasibility of large-scale powergene ration below the costs of off shore windpower. Wave Dragon is unique among waveenergy converters as it harnesses the energy ofwaves directly via water turbines in a one-stepconversion system and not via moving bodies or airchambers. It is housed in a very simple constructionin which, importantly, the turbines are the onlymoving parts.

Challenges The main challenge is the development of theinnovative and patented multi-stage turbine inorder to obtain a high efficiency with the lower-stage 1,5 meter head and to design a seal withlow leakage rate and minimum friction. There isalso a certain project risk involved in the designand production of prototype components forthe multi-stage turbine: these componentsoften need to be changed subsequent to the firstseries of tests. Therefore workshop testing isplanned and a contingency is also allowed forany re-design, re-production and re-testing thatmay be necessary before the final prototypecomponents are installed in the pilot plant.

Project structureIn order to carry out the project in a structuredmanner the following ten work packages areidentified:

WP 1 Development of surveillance, controland data acquisition system: this WP willbe headed by AAU, which has substantialexperience in measuring performancedata from the Wave Dragon project.

WP 2 Design, manufacturing and testing of theturbine: this WP is considered a technicaldevelopment activity and will be headedby TUM, which has substantial experiencein design, testing and verification of turbines.

WP 3 Design of generator equipment and SWdevelopment: the generator equipmentand SW development will need to be tailor-made for the project. Design and SWdevelopment work will be technicaldevelopment activities. GANZ will head theWP and be assisted by IKM with regard tolocal conditions.

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The main objective of the presentproject is to operate at full-scale onemodule of the SSG converter,including turbine, generator andcontrol system, in 19kW/m waveclimate. The full-scale technicalprototype of the SSG includes threereservoirs for capturing the oceanenergy and is constructed as a robustshoreline device.

The patented multi-reservoir conceptensures that a variety of waves areutilised for energy production,resulting in a high degree ofefficiency. The Kvitsoy municipalityhas 520 inhabitants and is one of10,000 islands in Europe where waveenergy can quickly be developed into a cost-effective energy productionalternative to existing dieselgenerators. The pilot project featuresa 10m-wide civil structure module ofthe SSG which will be completed in2006.

WP 4 Production and testing of generatorequipment.

WP 5 Installation and commissioning: NTNUwill be in charge of the WP and will beassisted by IKM for local installation ofthe turbine and generator equipment,and ultimate grid connection.

WP 6 Long-term testing: WEAS will be incharge of the day-to-day follow-up andsupervision of the pilot plant.

WP 7 Performance evaluation: AAU will head thisactivity based on its detailed experiencefrom performance evaluation and follow-up of the Danish Wave Dragon prototype.

WP 8 Innovation-related activities.

WP 9 Assessment of progress and project results:during the work with the individual WPs,progress reports will be submitted everythree months. The proposed steering com-mittee will assess the progress and resultsevery six months and, after 12 months, adesign review with decision milestone willbe held.

WP 10 Consortium management.

OCEAN


Duration32 months

Contact personLars RaunholtWave Energy [email protected]

List of partnersGanz Transelektro - HUIKM Gjerseth Elektro - NOMunich University of Technology - DEMunicipality of Kvitsoy - NONorwegian University of Science and Technology - NOUniversity of Aalborg - DKWave Energy AS - NO

Websitewww.wavessg.com

Project OfficerAnna Gigantino

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Expected resultsThe expected results of the project are to completedesign of the multi-stage turbine, generator andthe control system; prepare operation procedurefor the SSG wave energy converter includingemergency procedure, data handling and dataprocessing; perform workshop testing of themulti-stage turbine/generator and control system;and install the equipment in the SSG pilot plant.After the equipment has been installed and tested,the SSG plant will be connected to the local grid.

Detailed expected results of the project are:

• Design of a full-scale 150 kW technical proto-type of the innovative MST turbine technology(by month 12, subject to design review and a decision milestone).

• Manufacture, testing and installation of a full-scale 150 kW technical prototype of theinnovative MST turbine technology in theSSG structure (by month 22).

• Design of a full-scale 150 kW generator andcontrol system (by month 12, subject todesign review and a decision milestone).

• Measurement of performance data for theSSG wave energy converter, including thestructure, in a period of up to six months forreliability and life time assessment (by end ofproject).

• Manufacture, testing and installation of a full-scale generator and control system for gridconnection and annual production of200,000 kWh of renewable and pollution-freeelectricity, corresponding to 20,000 kWh/m(by end of project).

• Achievement of hydraulic efficiency of at least39% for the shoreline application (by end ofproject).

• A wave-to-wire efficiency of more than 25%during the test period (by end of project).

• 96% availability of plant (with regard tooperational hours).

• 85% availability of production (with regardto wave climate).

The success of the project will be measuredagainst these last five specific objectives at theend of the project.

ChallengesProcesses using steam as a working mediumrequire isothermal energy storage to reach highthermal efficiency. While the application oflatent heat concepts is an obvious solution, nocommercial storage system is available today forthe temperature range between 200°C and300°C which is relevant for solar steam genera-tion. Even experience from lab-scale latent heatstorage units is limited and not sufficient for thedesign of energy storage systems integrated in thenext generation of solar-thermal power plantsbased on Direct Solar Steam Generation. Thedominant problem is the limitation of powerresulting from the transport properties of candi-date materials for latent heat storage systems.The values for the heat conductivity of thesematerials are similar to values characteristic ofthermal insulators. Essential for the successfulimplementation of latent heat storage systemsis the development of cost-effective materialsand storage design that are able to meet thepower requirements.

Project StructureThe DISTOR project is organised in three conse -cutive phases. The initial phase provides theessential knowledge concerning materialresearch and first physical models describing thestorage systems. The boundary conditions

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Energy storage is a key issue forsuccessful market implementation ofconcentrated solar power (CSP)technology. Advanced thermal storagetechnology based on phase changematerials (PCM) has been identified tomeet the requirements of solar steamgenerating plants. Energy storagesystems using latent heat have oftenbeen proposed, but never carried outon a large scale, due to low thermalconductivity and non-efficientinternal heat exchange of salt systemsto be used as PCM.

The DISTOR approach to solving theheat transfer limitations includesseveral innovative aspects: advancedstorage materials, reflux heat transferand new design concepts. The technical targets of DISTOR to beachieved within this project are thedevelopment of innovative compositephase change materials, the identification of the mosteffective storage design for highefficient heat transfer, and proof of the storage material and storagedesign by on-sun testing of a 100 kWstorage module.

resulting from the integration of the storagesystem into a solar-thermal unit are also identified.Based on these results, lab-scale storage unitsare designed, manufactured and tested in thesecond phase. Characteristic of the DISTOR projectis the parallel research on various storage conceptsto promote the identification of the most cost-effective one. This approach results from thelimited knowledge at the beginning of the project,which was insufficient to select a single storageconcept as the most promising.

Different fundamental concepts will be investi -gated to increase the heat transfer rate. Theeffective thermal conductivity of the storagematerial is improved by adding highly conductiveexpanded graphite (EG) to the PCM. Variousmanufacturing routes for the composite materialwill also be investigated. A second approachuses an extended heat transfer area betweenstorage material and working fluid. Here, themacro-encapsulation of the PCM in containersis one option to limit the average distance forheat transfer within the storage material.Another alternative for increasing the heattransfer area is the integration of fins made ofexpanded graphite into the PCM. In the so-called‘sandwich’ concept, parallel layers of expandedgraphite are arranged vertical to the steampipes. Reflux Heat Transfer Storage representsthe third fundamental storage concept.

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Overview: Latent heat storage material and design concepts investigated in DISTOR


Duration45 months

Contact personDr. Rainer TammeDeutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt [email protected]

List of partnersCentral Laboratory of Solar Energy and New Energy Sources, Bulgarian Academy of Science – BGCIEMAT – ESCNRS – FRDefi Systèmes – FRDLR – DEEpsilon Ingénierie S.A.S. – FRFlagsol GmbH – DEFundacion INASMET – ESIberdrola Ingeniería & Consultatoria – ESSGL Technologies GmbH – DESistemas de Calor S.L. – ESSolucar Energ›a S.A. – ESWeizmann Institute of Science – IL

Websitewww.dlr.de/tt/institut/abteilungen/thermischept/DISTOR

Project officerDomenico Rossetti di Valdalbero

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Altogether four storage units will be tested inlaboratory scale to provide the basis for theevaluation of the fundamental concepts andvariants described above. The different conceptsshow a varying demand for development effort:the most mature concept will be selected for thenext storage module with increased storagecapacity and power, to be installed at the DISStest facility to gain solar operation experience.The results of the experiments will enable thecomparison of the different storage concepts.

Expected ResultsExpected achievements are the development ofa new cost-effective storage subsystem to beintegrated in DSG solar power plants, ensuringsolar electricity cost reduction, to reach thelong-term target of € 0.05/kWh. The advantages,resulting from the availability of a storage systemfor DSG parabolic trough power plants, can begrouped in several categories:

• Ability to contribute significantly to furthercost reduction of electricity production.

• Increased solar electricity production, thusreducing greenhouse gases and pollutantemissions.

• Solving grid stability problems of grid-connectedsolar power plants.

• Enabling realisation of stand-alone solar thermalplants in remote or island power parks.

• Providing the missing storage component forDSG solar power plants and helping toexploit the full potential of the advanced DSGtechnology.

• Contributing to create European technicalleader ship and expand its strong position insolar thermal power systems.

Progress to DateIn the initial phase the fundamentals needed forthe design and manufacture of the lab-scalestorage modules have been elaborated. Variousmanufacturing routes for PCM/graphite compositematerials have been examined and the influenceof production parameters has been characterised.Models describing the heat transfer for the dif-ferent storage concepts have been developed.Based on these models four different lab-scalestorage units have been designed. The manufactureof the lab-scale storage units, based on theexternal design (PCM/graphite composite), themacro-encapsulation concept and the ‘sandwich’concept, has been completed. The feasibility ofthe ‘sandwich’ concept and the macro-encapsu-lation has been demonstrated in the lab-scaleexperiments. Regarding the current results, the‘sandwich’ concept is considered to provide thebasis for cost-effective storage systems integratedinto solar-thermal power plants. The ‘sandwich’concept was selected for the design of the storageunit intended for solar operation at Almeria.

Storage segment made of PCM/graphite composite Sandwich design test module before integration of PCM

ChallengesRecognising both the environmental and climatichazards to be faced in the coming decades andthe continued depletion of the world‘s mostvaluable fossil energy resources, ConcentratingSolar Thermal Power (CSP) can provide criticalsolutions to global energy problems within arelatively short timeframe and is capable of con-tributing substantially to carbon dioxide reductionefforts. Among all the renewable technologiesavailable for large-scale power production todayand for the next few decades, CSP is the onewith the potential to make major contributions toclean energy because of its relatively conventionaltechnology and ease of scale-up.

Today’s technology of CSP systems results in theproduction cost range of 15-20 eurocents/kWh. Inthe conventional power market, it competes withmid-load power in the range of 3-4 eurocents/kWh.Sustainable market integration as predicted indifferent scenarios can only be achieved if thecost is reduced to a competitive level in the next10-15 years. Competitiveness is not only impactedby the cost of the technology itself but also by apotential rise of the price of fossil energy and bythe internalisation of associated social costssuch as carbon emissions. Therefore it is assumedthat in the medium to long-term competitivenesswill be achieved at a level of 5-7 eurocents/kWhfor dispatchable mid-load power without carbondioxide emissions.

Project StructureThe ECOSTAR roadmap for Concentrating SolarPower Tech nologies was designed to give anoverview of the existing technology conceptsand their options for technical improve ment infurther R&D activities, with the focus on costreduction to achieve cost competitiveness withfossil power generation.

In this context seven reference CSP systemshave been considered:

• Parabolic trough technology using thermaloil as the heat trans fer fluid.

• Parabolic trough technology using water/steam as the heat transfer fluid.

• Central receiver system (CRS) using moltensalt as the heat transfer system.

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The main goal of the project was the identification of the R&Dactivities necessary to achieve cost-competitiveness with fossil powergeneration. The study was conductedby leading concentrated solar powerresearch institutes in Europe.

• CRS using saturated steam as the heat transferfluid.

• CRS using atmospheric air as the heat transferfluid.

• CRS using pressurised air in combinationwith a solar hy brid gas turbine.

• Dish-engine systems using Stirling or Braytoncy cles.

The methodology is based on common assump-tions on the site, meteorological data and loadcurve. It includes the calculation of the annualelectricity production hour-by-hour, taking intoaccount the instant solar radiation, load curve,part load per formance of all components, andoperation of thermal energy storage as well asparasitic energy requirements. The reference size ofall systems is assumed to be approximately 50 MWenet. The operation mode considered for theevaluation of the impact of innovations is full-loadoperation in solar-only mode from 9 a.m. to11 p.m. This means that the plants may deliverelectricity to the grid during this time period,from zero up to their design net output, dependingon the available solar resource and/or the storagecontent.

The essential technical innovations which con -tribute significantly to the R&D-driven costreduction poten tial were collected. These data,as well as the associated cost information, weretaken from several sources: from industrialquotes as well as from recent studies on some ofthe technologies. The cost in formation about thetechnical improvements was evaluated withinthe methodology. Finally the sensitivity of theelectricity cost to innovations, mass-productionand environmental factors was determined bylevelled electricity costs (LEC).

ResultsThe most promising options for each systemwere combined to evaluate the overall costreduction potential. Figure 1 shows the costreduction potential of all seven CSP technologiesthrough technical innovations and development,as calculated using the above-mentionedmethodology. Since all cost assumptions as wellas the impact of future technical improvements



Duration15 months

Contact personProf. Dr. Robert Pitz-PaalDeutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt [email protected]

List of partnersCIEMAT – ESCNRS (IMP) – FRDLR – DE Institute for High Temperatures, RussianAcademy of Science – RUSwiss Federal Institute of Technology – CHVGB PowerTech e.V. – DEWeizmann Institute of Science – IL

WebsiteDownload final report atftp://ftp.dlr.de/ecostar


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are based on estimations, the uncertainty isaddressed by providing optimistic and pessimisticbounds on the input data for the performanceand cost model, resulting in appropriate limits forthe LEC values and cost reduction percentagespresented.

Based on the limited number of approaches sug-gested in the scope of this study, cost reductionsof 25-35% due to technical innovations andscaling up to 50 MWe are feasible for most ofthe technologies. These figures do not includeeffects of volume production or scaling up of thepower size of the plants beyond 50 MW unit size,which would result in further cost reductions.

These accumulated cost reductions can bringdown costs of electricity from today’s 12-18eurocents/kWh to 5-7 eurocents/kWh, dependingon the radiation resource. This is regarded as acompetitive cost level for dispatchable mid-loadpower without carbon dioxide emissions. About 10-15 years will be necessary for such a development,in parallel to continuous market implementation.

A general recommendation is that short andmid-term research should focus on modularcomponents like concentrators or modularreceivers. Medium and long-term developmentis needed mainly in the areas of thermal storageand the integration of larger and more efficientpower cycles. Both pathways must be followed

in order to reach the cost target. Concentrationof research or demonstration plant funding oncertain technologies should be avoided becausethis would lower the cost pressure caused bycompetition between the different technologies.

The complete ECOSTAR roadmap is availablefrom ftp://ftp.dlr.de/ecostar

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Figure 1: Bandwidth of the innovation-driven cost reduction potential for the 7 CSP systems investigated in this study,based on the LEC for the individual 50 MWe reference system and assuming a combination of selected measures foreach system

Figure 2: Potential relative reduction of LEC by innovations,scaling and series production through 2020 for the para-bolic trough/HTF system, compared to today’s LEC

ChallengesThe harnessing of the huge energy potential of solarradiation and its effective conversion to chemicalfuels such as hydrogen via the dissociation ofwater (water splitting) is a subject of primarytechnological interest. The integration of solarenergy concentration systems with systemscapable of splitting water is of immense value andimpact for energetics and economics worldwide;some consider it the most important long-termgoal in solar fuels production to cut hydrogencosts and ensure virtually zero CO2 emissions.Through the FP5 project HYDROSOL, the partici-pating research team has developed an innovativesolar reactor for the production of hydrogenfrom the splitting of steam using solar energy,constructed from special refractory ceramic thin-wall, multi-channelled (honeycomb) monolithsoptimised to absorb solar radiation, coated withhighly active oxygen ‘trapping’/water-splittingmaterials (based on doped oxides exhibitingredox behaviour).

The ‘proof-of-concept’ of the technology hasbeen demonstrated beyond any doubt in a pilotscale solar reactor designed, built and operating atthe DLR solar furnace facility in Cologne(Germany), which is continuously producing ‘solarhydrogen’. The aim of HYDROSOL-II is to developand build an optimised pilot plant (100 kWth) forsolar hydrogen production based on this novelreactor concept. The project involves further scale-up of this technology and its effective couplingwith solar platform concentration systems, inorder to exploit and demonstrate all potentialadvantages. Specific challenging problems to besolved include:

• The enhancement and optimisation of themetal oxide-ceramic support system withrespect to long-time stability under multi-cycle operation (more than 100 cycles).

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Hydrosol II aims at further scaling-upthe advanced innovative solar thermalreactor technology already developed:this consists of monolithic ceramichoneycombs coated with active redoxpair materials, an enhancement andoptimisation of the metal oxide-ceramic support system withrespect to long-time stability undermulti-cycle operation (> 100 cycles),and the development and constructionof a complete pilot dualabsorber/receiver/reactor unit in the 100 kWth scale for solar thermo-chemical splitting of water.

Effective coupling of this reactor to a solar heliostat field and a solartower platform for continuous solarhydrogen production within anoptimised pilot plant (100 kWth) willbe tested, and the technology anddesign of a solar hydrogen productionplant for mass production of solarhydrogen on a commercial scale (1 MW) with costs competitive tothat of other hydrogen productionmethods and potential forhybridisation with combined plants,including solar power generation,hydrogen storage and use, will beassessed. A reduction of productioncosts for renewable hydrogen in themid- to long-term (reduction to lessthan 12 cents/kWh(H2) in 2006 andto less than 6 cents/kWh in 2020) is expected.

• The development and construction of a com-plete pilot dual absorber/receiver/reactor unit onthe 100 kWth scale for solar thermochemicalsplitting of water.

• The effective coupling of this reactor to a solarheliostat field and a solar tower platform forcontinuous solar hydrogen production withinan optimised pilot plant (100 kWth).

Project Structure The successful realisation of the project requiresa combined effort by research centres andindustrial bodies to integrate knowledge andexpertise in reactor design, materials synthesisand advanced ceramics manufacture withexploitation of solar technologies. HYDROSOL-IIis planned as a four-year project with its mainactivities spanning the optimisation of metaloxide/ceramic support assembly, the manufactureand test operation of an integrated pilot plantfor continuous hydrogen production, and theevaluation of the technical and economicpotential of the process. An overview of thescheduled activities per partner comprises:

• APTL, JM: enhancement and optimisation ofthe metal oxide-ceramic support system withrespect to long-time stability under multi-cycle operation.

• DLR: operation of a solar mini-plant (15 kWscale) for continuous production of hydrogen(assess performance characteristics, establishprocess parameters and control procedures).

• APTL, DLR, STC: design of the 100 kWth solarpilot plant (geometry and size of pilot plant‘modular’ absorber/reactor; adaptation of the2.7 MWth central receiver and of the heliostatfield of Plataforma Solar de Almería to thespecific thermo-chemical process and alter-nating heat flux requirements).

• STC: manufacture of the integrated pilot-scaleabsorber/receiver/reactor system.

• CIEMAT, DLR: effective coupling of this reactorto a solar heliostat field and a solar tower plat-form for continuous solar hydrogen productionwithin an optimised pilot plant (100 kWth)and test operation (3 kg H2/h, to start at theend of 2007).



Contact personD. Athanasios KonstandopoulosCentre for Research and Technology [email protected]

List of partnersCERTH – GRCIEMAT – ESDLR – DEJohnson Matthey – GBStobbe Tech Ceramics – DK

Websitewww.hydrosol-project.org


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• ALL: assessment of the technology and designof a solar hydrogen production plant for massproduction of solar hydrogen on a commercialscale (1 MW) with costs competitive to thoseof other hydrogen production methods.

Expected Results The overall expected result from the project is asuccessful and efficient scale-up of a carbon-dioxide-emissions-free solar hydrogen productionprocess that will establish the basis for massproduction of solar hydrogen with the long-termtarget of a sustainable hydrogen economy.Results to be obtained through the course of theproject include:

• Long-term stable redox materials suitable forwater splitting and regeneration in multi-cycle operation (> 100 cycles).

• A complete pilot dual absorber/receiver/reactorunit in the 100 kWth scale for solar thermo-chemical splitting of water.

• Operation/control strategy for continuoussolar hydrogen production.

• Installation and test operation of the pilotreactor and all necessary peripheral compo-nents at a solar platform.

• A detailed technical and economic evaluationof the entire process and its integration infuture solar power plants.

Such sustainable, zero-emission, solar hydrogenproduction will promote economic developmentand people’s quality of life, especially in manyeconomically depressed regions of southernEurope with sufficient insolation. Evaluation of

the economic potential of the process anddetailed cost analyses indicate that technicalimprovements provide the potential to reducethe hydrogen production costs from 20 euro-cent/kWh (HHV) to less than 10 eurocent/kWh inthe long-term.

Progress to Date During the first six months of the Project, newiron-oxide-based material families, expected tofeature improved water splitting performance andbetter long-term stability, have been synthesisedin large quantities. Coating techniques are currentlyemployed for the preparation of multi-layer,multi-functional coatings on large-scale porousceramic honeycomb supports (Ø 25mm, 90 cpsi,length 15-50 mm), meeting the thermo-mechanical operation demands of solar reactors.The first solar campaign on a two-chambercontinuous solar hydrogen production reactorwith the new batches of materials is expected totake place during the summer of 2006.

ChallengesThe main scientific and technical challenges are:design and operation of high-temperature solarchemical reactors (10 kWth and 50 kWth) con-taining nano-size particulates, production oftwo valuable products (hydrogen and carbonblack) in the same reactor, and proposal for amethodology for solar reactor scaling-up based onmodelling and experimental validation. The reactorwill operate in the 1500K-2300K temperaturerange, which also poses severe material issues. Theproduction of both hydrogen-rich gas and carbonblack with desirable end-use properties is also abig challenge because the operating conditionssatisfying both specifications are likely to benarrow.

Project StructureThe project includes five main tasks.

Solar reactor design and modelling

Solar heating of natural gas cannot be achieveddirectly because hydrocarbons absorb radiationin the visible spectrum poorly. Thus, solar reactorconcepts must involve either opaque heat-transferwalls that absorb solar radiation and then heatup the gas by gas-solid convection (indirectheating) or a transparent window that permitsdirect heating of particulate material by solarradiation (particulate material can be CB). Theindirect heating concept avoids particle depositionon the window, but it requires high-temperaturematerial specifications. Both concepts will bestudied, in particular with respect to thermalresistance of materials (up to 2300K) and toparticle deposition on the optical window. Thesolar reactor design to be modelled will beselected in month 24.

O B J E C T I V E S

SO

LHY

CA

RB

Hydrogen from Solar Thermal Energy High Temperature Solar Chemical Reactor for Co-production of Hydrogen and Carbon Black from Natural Gas Cracking

112

The SOLHYCARB project addresses thedevelopment of a non-conventionalroute for potentially cost-effectivehydrogen production by concentratedsolar energy. The novel processthermally decomposes natural gas in a high-temperature solar chemicalreactor. Two products are obtained: a H2-rich gas and a high-value nano-material, carbon black (CB).

The project aims at designing,constructing, and testing innovativesolar reactors at different scales (5 to 10 kWth and 50 kWth) foroperating conditions at 1500-2300Kand 1 bar. 3 sm3/h H2 and 1 kg/h CBare expected at the 50 kWth scale. Three main scientific and technicalproblems are concerned: design andoperation of high temperature solarchemical reactors containing nano-size particulates, production oftwo valuable products (hydrogen andcarbon black) in the same reactor,proposition of a methodology for solarreactor scaling-up based on modellingand experimental validation.

Solar reactor testing and qualification

Solar reactor testing will be achieved using thepartners’ solar facilities. First, various designs ofreceiver/reactor will be tested in small scale(<10 kWth). Two different prototype-scale (5 kWthand 10 kWth) reactors based on the direct andindirect heating concepts will be developed.These reactors (in operation in month 10) will betested, and the experimental results will be criticallyanalysed in order to define, in month 24, thesolar reactor concept that leads to the highestperformances with respect to reactor thermalefficiency and maximal conversion of CH4 to H2.This analysis will be strongly linked with the heattransfer modelling and the fluid dynamic analysisrelated to the carbon deposition problem. Basedon the solar reactor concept retained in month24, the second step of the project will consist ofdesigning, constructing and testing a 50 kWth

pilot reactor (SR50). The two key milestones ofthe project are:

• Month 24: choice of the concept for SR50.

• Month 30: SR50 ready for operation and RTDactivities focusing on SR50.

Performance evaluation will include:

• Heat and mass balance (resulting in reactorthermal efficiency) in the 1500-2300K operatingtemperature range

• Determination of conversion (80% CH4 con-version is targeted)

• Measurement of produced gas composition(H2 and CxHy); CB characteristics vs. operatingtemperature

• Comparison with model predictions.



Duration48 months

Contact personGilles Flamant [email protected]

List of PartnersCERTH – GRCNRS-PROMES – FRDLR – DEN-GHY – FRPaul Scherrer Institute – CHSolucar R&D – BETIMCAL – BEVeolia Environnement CREED – FRWeizmann Institute of Science – ILZürich University of Technology – CH

WebsiteTo be created, http://www.promes.cnrs.fr

Project OfficerDomenico Rossetti di Valdalbero

Statusongoing

113

Product separation and process safety

The separation of both the carbon nano-particlesfrom the gas-solid flow and of hydrogen fromthe hydrogen-rich gas is a major issue thatdetermines the uses of the gas produced (fuelcells, low emission combustion or injection in theNG network) and the associated safety problems.Adapted filtering media will be defined andinstalled at the test facilities. Gas separationroutes will be studied as an associated unitoperation. The device for filtering the gas-CBmixture and for separating H2 will be proposedin month 18.

Characteristics and properties of carbon black

A key point of the cracking process economics isthe added value of the resultant CB. The sellingprice depends on the product nano-structureand may vary from € 0,6/kg for standard CB(used in tires) to € 2/kg and even up to € 30/kg forhigh grade conductive CB. Thus, the determinationof CB properties is a very important issue of theproject. This will include standard tests (specificsurface area, particle size, chemical analysis, etc.),and application tests in the fields of polymercomposites (rubber, plastics) and primary andsecondary batteries.

Industrial solar plant design and prospects. An industrial-scale solar plant will be designedon the basis of the reactor prototypes and theresults of product testing, reactor modelling,separation unit operation, in addition to theexisting tools for the design of solar concentra tingsystems. Typical industrial solar plant sizes of50 kWth (decentralised units) and 10/30 MWth

are targeted. The solar process economics will beassessed as a function of the uses of both products:hydrogen-rich gas and CB.

Expected ResultsThe targeted results are: methane conversionover 80%, H2 yield in the off-gas of over 75%,and CB properties equivalent to industrial products.Quantitatively, 3 sm3/h H2 and 1 kg/h CB areexpected at the 50 kWth scale. Potential impactson CO2 emission reduction and energy saving arerespectively: 14 kg CO2 eliminated and 277 MJper kg H2 produced, with respect to conventionalNG steam reforming and CB processing by standardprocesses. The expected cost of H2 for large scalesolar plants depends on the price of CB; € 14/GJfor the lowest CB grade sold at € 0.66/kg anddecreasing to € 10/GJ for CB at € 0.8/kg.

ChallengesDispatchable renewable power generation isusually associated with expensive storages oradditional back-up systems. Solar-hybrid sys-tems combine solar energy and fossil fuel andthus provide power that is reliable and, if bio-fuels are used, also 100%-sustainable at zeronet emissions. Systems based on gas turbinesare suited for cogeneration or combined cycles,making them very efficient and cost-effective.

The SOLHYCO project focuses on the developmentof a prototype solar-hybrid microturbine conver-sion system for cogeneration. The unit power levelwill be 100 kWe. The innovations in the project are:

• Development of a solar-hybrid microturbineprototype unit based on a commercial micro-turbine (see scheme in fig. 1).

• Development of a new receiver based on anew high-performance tube technology.

• Development of bio-fuel combustion systemcapable for operation with bio-diesel.

Integrating a commercial microturbine cogene -ration unit with a solar receiver system providesa solar-hybrid cogeneration system that offersa very high total efficiency of about 45% for solar-to-total power conversion, at full dispatchability.In fossil mode, the overall efficiency will be up to80%. Solar-to-electric efficiency is expected toreach 16%, which is also an excellent value forsuch a small system. Solar-hybrid cogenerationsystems of this capacity are suitable, for example,for facilities in the tourism sector (polygenerationwith power, water heating and air conditioning)and for small business parks.

To reduce the temperature gradients a ‘profiledmultilayer (PML)’ tube, consisting of threemetallic tube layers has been developed: thiscomprises a high-temperature alloy outside,copper as an intermediate layer and anotherhigh-temperature alloy layer on the inside. Thefunction of the copper, with its much higherheat conductivity, is to distribute the heat byconduction from the irradiated side to the entireinner surface. The outer layer provides the struc-tural strength, the inner layer protects the copperfrom corrosion at high temperatures. A Europeanpatent application was filed in 2004, coveringa manufacturing technology for multilayer tubesand applications like solar air receivers.

O B J E C T I V E S

SO

LHY

CO

Solar-hybrid Power and Cogeneration Plants

114

The main objective of SOLHYCO is thedevelopment of a highly efficientsolar-hybrid microturbine (SHM)system for power and heat generationwith dual solar power and fuel input.Amongst the specific technicalobjectives are for example the designand manufacture of a prototype solar-hybrid cogeneration unit bymodification of a commercial 100 kWemicroturbine and integration with aninnovative tube receiver; developmentof an innovative ‘profiled multilayertube’ receiver; a solar-hybridcombustion system for bio-diesel for100% renewable operation of the testsystem; evaluation of performance and economic data for optimisedsolar-hybrid cogeneration systems and large solar hybrid combined-cyclepower plants; and verification of thelong-term cost reduction goal of € 0.05/kWh.

Preliminary calculations for a solar receivershowed that the temperature gradient in thetube wall could be significantly reduced, as wellas the maximum temperature of the tube. Fig. 3shows the temperature distribution in standard(left) and multi-layer absorber tubes (right).

Such tubes will have particular advantages inhigh-temperature operating conditions withhigh non-uniform heat loads and make it possibleto increase the air outlet temperature range tomore than 800°C.

To further reduce net CO2 emissions, a new fuelcombustion system will be developed to permitcombustion of bio-diesel. The innovation is toallow operation with bio-fuel combustion in a widerange of fuel-to-air ratios at varying high air inlettemperatures, especially down to very low fuel-to-air ratios typical for a solar-hybrid combustor.

Project StructureThe development of the pre-commercial solar-hybrid microturbine unit follows on the successfuldevelopment of solar receiver components(REFOS) and the combination of a solarisedheli copter gas turbine with solar receivers in asolar-hybrid system test (SOLGATE). SOLHYCO isthe link between these projects and the futureexploitation of the technology, with the aim ofdeveloping a solar-hybrid system that can be mar-keted later in cogeneration appli cations withoutmajor changes. Implementing such small systemsin commercial applications will allow step-by-stepupscaling of power levels. For solar-hybrid cogen-eration systems the marketable power level is100 kWe-5 MWe, for highly efficient solar-hybridcombined-cycle plants the expected power levelwill go up to more than 50 MW. The SOLHYCOsystem will therefore be the linking elementbetween system development and market intro-duction.

The project is the work of a consortium of nineindustrial and research partners from seven coun-tries. The work is structured in eight work packages.

In WP 1, the solar receiver components aredeveloped. After the first milestone, the manu-facturing method of PML tube samples will beapproved, confirming the technique of combiningdifferent material layers to decrease the tempe -


air in

550 °C

900 °C

heat exchangerfor cogeneration

recuperator

combustor

receiver

solar energy

300 °C

air in

550°C

900°C

heat exchangerfor cogeneration

recuperator

combustor

receiver

solar energy

300°C

Pa=100kW

Figure 1: Schematic of the solar-hybrid microturbinecogeneration system


Duration42 months

Contact PersonDr. Peter Heller Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt [email protected]

List of partnersCIEMAT – ESCommissariat à l’Energie Atomique – FRDLR – DEFTF GmbH – DEGEA Technika Cieplna Sp z o.o. – PLNEAL New Energy Algeria – ALORMAT Systems Ltd. – ILSolucar R&D – ESTurbec R&D AB – SE

Websitewww.solhyco.com

Project OfficerDomenico Rossetti di Valdalbero

Statusongoing

115

rature gradient over the tubes. At the secondmilestone, the tube samples will be successfullytested and receiver design initiated. The milestonewill not be considered as accomplished if thereceiver tube sample test fails to guarantee agas delivery temperature of at least 800°C in thecompleted receiver.

WP 2 will terminate with a milestone completingdevelopment of the bio-fuel system. When thisis accomplished, all components such as theinjector, instrumentation and modified controlsystem will be in place and preparations for thehybrid bio-fuel tests will have been initiiated.

WP 3 provides for successful completion ofdevelopment of the bio-fuel system with thedelivery of a functional prototype system thatcan be transferred to future pre-commercialsystems. A test campaign under real conditionswill demonstrate the correct functioning of thebio-fuel system and the turbine control.

In WP 4, a commercial 100 kWe microturbine(TURBEC T100) will be modified and integratedwith a solar receiver to obtain a pre-commercialsolar-hybrid cogeneration system. The microturbinecontrol, combustion system and mechanical inter-faces will be modified, and an appropriate emer-gency system added. A 350 kWt receiver for thissystem will be designed and manufactured,based on the innovative PML tube technologydeveloped in WP 1.

WP 5 will provide test and evaluation results ofthe solar-hybrid microturbine unit. The systemwill be installed on the tower facility atPlataforma Solar and intensively tested in solar,fuel and hybrid mode over a 6-month period.The completion of this work package will bemarked by the last milestone of the project,providing a proven system ready for pre-commercial appli cations such as technologydemonstration plants.

In WP 6, the commercial system layout and costanalysis will be realised. The analysis will usepreviously developed tools and enhance themfor the evaluation of industrial cooling processes,driven by the hot turbine exhaust gas (cogene -ration). Then, optimised system configurationfor several applications will be established.A detailed performance analysis will be made to

obtain design point and annual energy yields.Cost data will be developed to enable determi-nation of specific system and O&M costs. Forcombined-cycle power plant, the previous studieswill be extended to power levels of 50-100 MWe.

In WP 7, a market assessment will be conducted,identifying appropriate market niches for initialcommercialisation of the solar hybrid cogenerationunit and future market potential for solar hybridpower plants (>20 MWe). This will be focused onthe Mediterranean markets. A standardisedaccounting scheme for solar-hybrid power gen-eration will be developed and a variety ofmeasures taken to improve public awareness ofthe technology.

Project coordination is covered in WP 8. Thecoordinator, together with the eight partners,will ensure the proper dedication of project fundsand efficient management of the programme.

Expected ResultsThe expected result of the SOLHYCO project is thesuccessful development and test of a completehybrid prototype cogeneration unit, with its newcomponents, for a 100% renewable operation.Based on the results of the market assessment,an exploitation plan will be developed by theconsortium for a first demonstration plant.

The SOLHYCO technology is well suited as a firststep towards the replacement of fossil fuels byrenewable ‘fuels’. The combination of solar andbiofuel sources increases the flexibility anddispatchability at zero emissions. This technologyoffers high conversion efficiencies and promisesreduced generation costs, due to the high tem-perature level. Concepts are provided for theintroduction of small cogeneration units intoinitial niche markets, and a perspective is offeredfor large combined-cycle plants based on hybridpower generation.

Progress to Date The project started recently. In the openingmonths, a project website (www.solhyco.com)has been designed and provided for public andinternal access.

ChallengesProfitability determines whether a new techno -logy has a chance to reach the market. Therefore,several modifications and improvements to thestate-of-the-art solar reformer technology (seeschematic and picture) will be introduced beforelarge-scale and commercial systems are developed.These changes will primarily apply to the catalyticsystem, the reactor optimisation and operationprocedures, and the associated optics for con-centrating the solar radiation.

Project StructureThe work proposed with SOLREF is based on theactivities undertaken in the previous SOLASYSproject, where the technical feasibility of solarreforming has been proven. Since the main partners(Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V.and The Weizmann Institute of Science) involvedin the SOLASYS project will also participate inSOLREF, the experience and know-how acquiredin SOLASYS will be applied efficiently in SOLREF,thus ensuring a significant step towards theintegration of this new technology. With thecatalysis group (JM, APTL, DLR, WIS) headed bythe industrial partner Johnson Matthey FC Ltd, itis feasible to investigate the wide spectrum ofcatalysis and coating technologies, leading tothe development of the best catalytically activeabsorber capable of solar reforming with variousfeedstocks. DLR and HyGear will develop anadvanced solar reformer. ETH will lead the thermo -chemical analysis and system modelling group.The involvement of the Italian SME SHAP and theopportunities offered byn the south of Italy forrenewable energy provide an excellent opportunityto realise the first solar reforming prototype plant,which will be pre-designed in this project, aftercompletion of the SOLREF project.

Expected ResultsThe SOLREF project is aimed at developing thesecond generation of the SOLASYS reformer. Thissecond generation reformer will attempt tosolve the problems encountered in the previousproject, SOLASYS, and will provide the necessarymodifications to advance the solar reformer tothe pre-commercial phase.

O B J E C T I V E S

SO

LRE

F

Development of a Solar Reformer for Hydrogen Production

116

The project aims at developing anadvanced 400 kWth solar reformerthat will be more cost-effective thana state-of-the-art receiver for severalapplications, such as hydrogenproduction or electricity generation.Depending on the feed source for thereforming process, CO2 emissions canbe reduced significantly (up to 40%using NG), because the requiredprocess heat for this highlyendothermic reaction is provided byconcentrated solar energy.

A further aim is to modify thecatalytic system without decreasingthe absorptivity of the ceramicabsorber so as to operate at hightemperatures (up to 1050°C) and withvarious feedstocks, and to improve theoperation of the plant.

Other objectives are to modify thetest set-up used by the SOLASYSreactor for faster start-up withsimulation of various feedstocks, to provide a sufficiently long period of testing, to develop a pre-design of a 1 MWth prototype plant, and toconduct a market study including costand system analysis of a large-scaleapplication in the Mediterranean areain solar-only mode.

For the advanced catalytically active absorber,various catalyst systems will be investigated inrespect of:

• High catalytic activity with high resistance tocoking

• Good absorption for thermal radiation

• Acceptable mechanical strength and thermalshock resistance

• High gas permeability and mixing of gases, aswell as low pressure drop

• Low costs.

The ceramic absorber will be prepared usingvarious techno logies. The best catalytically activeabsorber will be determined by competition.In parallel with fabrication, a model will bedevelo ped to simulate transport and reactionprocesses in the porous absorber, therebydetermining the steam reforming kinetics. Thesimulation will help to maximise the effective useof the catalytic coatings in the absorber system.

A new and more compact solar reformer will bedesigned and manufactured with a new flangecontaining less material, an advanced insulationconfiguration with steam protection, and animproved ceramic absorber. The nitrogen purge,which was used in the SOLASYS project, will bereplaced. A thermodynamic and thermochemicalanalysis will be performed to support the systemdesign phase – headed by ETH. The SME HyGear B.V.will provide the detailed design based on the layoutfrom DLR and will manufacture the solar reformer.

The existing solar test facility will be modified toinclude a new purge gas preparation system anda gas mixing system that permits operation of thesolar reformer with gas mixtures representativeof a variety of possible feedstocks. The newoperation strategies will be evaluated. Theresults of the test campaign will provide input tothe pre-design of the prototype plant. The test datawill be evaluated and compared with simulationtools in order to verify calculations and identifypotential problems.

In the pre-design phase, the technical specifi -cations of a 1 MWth prototype reforming plantwill be determined for a Mediterranean site. Themajor components of a solar reforming plant



Duration44 months

Contact personDr. sc. tech. Stephan MöllerDeutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt [email protected]

List of partnersCERTH – GRDLR – DEHyGear B.V. – NLJohnson Matthey Fuel Cell Ltd – GBSHAP Solar Heat and Power – ITSwiss Federal Institute of Technology – CHWeizmann Institute of Science – IL

Websitewww.solref.dlr.de


Statusongoing

117

will be analysed to assess their impact on theconceptual layout of the plant. For the upstreampart of the reforming loop, the operation withdifferent gaseous feedstocks (natural gas, weakgas, bio-gas, landfill gas), as well as concepts forgas cleaning and gas treatment will be assessed.The solar reformer can be located either on thetop of a tower or on the ground using a beam-down installation. These two concepts will becompared with a view to identifying the optimalsolar optical configuration.

For the dissemination of solar reformingtechno logy, the regions targeted first are insouthern Europe and North Africa. The potentialmarkets will be assessed. The environmental,socio-economic and institutional impacts of solarreforming technology exploitation will be assessedwith respect to sustainable development. Basedon a market analysis, a preliminary model for thecost evaluation of the main plant componentswill be provided. This model will be used in furthersystem evaluation. Detailed cost estimates for a 50 MWth commercial plant will be determined.

Progress to DateA comprehensive range of precious and basemetal-containing steam reforming catalysts hasbeen prepared by several conventional and moreadvanced methods. Their thermal durability hasbeen assessed. The absorptivity of the catalystsystem for solar radiation has also been assessed.A testing protocol has been defined and used bythe collaborating partners to collect activitydata (using several methane-rich fuels), and thishas been used to determine the final catalystchoice for SOLREF. Activity testing is continuingon the SOLREF catalyst as part of a kinetics study.The SOLREF catalyst has been scaled up and thefinal reactor foam sections coated and supplied.

In parallel, a thermochemical analysis and a systemmodel of the existing test plant at WIS have beenrealised. A steady-state system model for theWIS test plant has been implemented and tested.The model can be used to predict the results ofchanges in the system layout. A dynamic modelof the existing test plant has been developed toinvestigate the transient behaviour of the solarreforming plant: this model focuses on the tran-sient behaviour of the solar chemical receiver

during solar operation, and is a tool for imple-menting reactor controls, optimising start-up andshut-down routines and assessing the influenceof design changes on reactor dynamics

Based on the boundary conditions at WIS, the layoutof the solar reformer has been drawn up (see 3Ddrawing). Absorbed power is approx. 400 kWth, gastemperatures are approx. 450°C/900°C for inlet/outlet, and the optimal operating pressure is 10 bars.

The construction of the solar reformer wasinvestigated in three main respects:

• Advanced holding structure of the absorberdome: based on different concepts andmaterial tests, a light structure was selected.

• Vessel/front flange interaction: new conceptswere assessed for reduction of mass com-pared with the SOLASYS reformer. The ves-sel/front flange has to have sufficientstrength to resist plastic deformation while,for the window, the front flange has to be suf-ficiently even and planar.

• Inside insulation of the vessel with steamcondensation protection: different methodshave been evaluated and special constructionsolutions selected which minimise steam dif-fusion into the HT-insulation material.Furthermore, a purge gas flow throughdefined sites on the insulation can stop thediffusion of the steam-containing process gas.

A purge gas is needed for the start-up and shut-down procedures and to avoid steam condensation.CO2 could be the choice for a new design ofsolar reforming plant. Due to the specificboundary conditions at WIS, hydrogen wasselected: a small hydrogen purification line usingthe product gas was designed for this purpose.

Manufacturing commenced in June 2006.

3D drawing of the advanced SOLREF reformer

distributorinsulation

windowvessel

gas collector outletgas channel inlet

absorber intleyfront flange

extensionmain absorber outley

ChallengesSustainable development requires the use ofcleaner energy resources. The connection of newdecentralised and clean energy resources to thegrid can help reduce the environmental impact ofpower production (CO2 reduction in particular).Furthermore the introduction of new technologiescan improve the performance of the network,improve the reliability and quality of the supply,and offer a more flexible and efficient service.However the integration of these new energyresources and technologies requires an importantresearch, development and testing effort in order to:

• Make the most effective use of the new energyconcepts, including generation from renewables,‘active’ distribution networks and whereappropriate use of energy storage.

• Guarantee the highest level of reliability andquality of supply, essential in a critical infra-structure such as the power system.

As these new elements are integrated into thedistribution network, it will be necessary to uselaboratory tests to validate the new concepts foranalysis, planning, control and supervision ofelectricity supply and distribution, in order totake these new components into account in theperformance optimisation of the whole system.

O B J E C T I V E S

DE

RLA

B

A Network of Excellence of DER Laboratoriesand Pre-standardisation

118

DERlab is a Network of Excellence(NoE) of independent laboratories,working in the area of the integrationof distributed energy resources (DER)and the preparation of standards forDER. The main goal of the NoE DERlabis to support the sustainableintegration of renewable energyresources (RES) and DER in the powersupply system. Key activities focus on the development of commonrequirements across the EU withrespect to grid connection, safety,operation and communication of DERand RES, and development of qualitycriteria, as well as activitiesconcerning preparation of standards.

Integration across Europe of research and testingactivities on DER, including its integration into theelectricity grid, is needed particularly because of:

• The large number of uncoordinated researchand associated testing activities on this topic,resulting from national research programmesand standardisation activities.

• The clear need for Europe-wide solutionsthrough promotion of common standards forintegration of distributed energy resources (DER).

• The integration of the experience and facilities ofa number of excellent laboratories with impres-sive activity profiles, and the opportunities thisoffers for building a network that can claimworld leadership in testing certification and pre-standardisation activities in the area of DERtechnologies and their integration into networks.

The DERlab Network of Excellence (NoE) willprovide critical support for the development of acommon European research and developmentplatform focused on DER integration in thepower system, taking into account the needsand concerns of EU utilities and manufacturers.It will also strongly support the consistent develop-ment of DER technologies and contribute to thecreation of a European competence through highlyskilled human resources working at the leadingedge of DER technology.

Project StructureThe DERlab Joint Programme of Activities (JPA) isdivided into the following four parts, which arerequired to perform the network successfully:

JPA 1: Integration activities

This concerns all activities aiming at integration ofthe partners. In particular the following activitieshave started:

• Integration of management including legalaspects for durable integration

• Staff exchange and joint use of infrastructure

• Framework for network internal training pro-grammes and guidelines for laboratory work

• Establishment of joint electronic communi-cation infrastructure.

CONNECTION OF RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES TO THE GRID


Duration72 months

Contact personDr. Thomas DegnerInstitut für Solare [email protected]

List of partnersArsenal – AT Centro Elettrotechnico Sperimentale Italiano – ITCommissariat à l’Energie Atomique – FR Institut für Solare Energieversorgungstechnik – DEKema – NLFundacion Labein – ES Lodz University of Technology – PLNational Technical University of Athens – GR Risoe National Laboratory – DK Sofia University of Technology – BG UK DG Centre – GB

Websitehttp://der-lab.net

Project officerManuel Sánchez Jiménez

Statusongoing

119

JPA 2: Joint research programme

The objectives of the joint research programme areto contribute to the development of standards forDER, to develop common testing, certification andqualification procedures, and to develop a pan-European laboratory infrastructure for the test-ing and qualification of DER components andsystems. In order to achieve these objectives thefollowing research activities are foreseen:

• Pre-standardisation activities for DER

• Support for the development of DER testingprocedures

• Defining requirements and procedures forthe certification of DER products

• Constitution of a database of laboratoryfacilities and test capabilities

• Elaboration of requirements for laboratorydevelopment

• Exemplary realisation of joint DER test facilities.

JPA 3: Spreading of excellence

Activities to spread excellence beyond the projectconsortium include interaction with standardisationbodies, organisation of workshops, training andeducation activities, organisation of nationaland international information exchanges, aswell as regular reporting.

JPA 4: Management activities

This activity includes all activities concerning themanagement of the consortium, including opera-tions of NoE executive management, the NoEnetwork coordination committee, NoE governingboard and NoE advisory board.

Expected Results

A distributed world-class DER laboratoryfor Europe

The objective is to develop a pan-Europeanlaboratory which will be recognised as a leadinglaboratory in the field of integration of DER.This will be achieved by mutual specialisationand systematic completion of the partners’

laboratories, and by developing a common testportfolio. The test capabilities, together with thetest facilities, will establish a test environment forDER. This will enable DERlab to provide Europeantesting services for industry, utilities etc.

Support for the development of European and international standards

This will be achieved by exemplarily executingresearch activities in specific fields and by initiatingnew research activities to provide required technicalinformation and input to the standards.

The tech nical areas covered by DERlab are:

• Requirements concerning connection, safety,operation and communication of DER com-ponents.

• Requirements for the effective and economicoperation of sustainable power systems.

• Quality criteria for DER components.

Durable networking between European laboratories

DERlab aims at the long-lasting creation ofEuropean competence through the establishmentof a pan-European expert group in the area of‘new DER technologies and their integration intothe future distribution network’ consisting ofhighly skilled researchers working at the leadingedge of DER technology.

Progress to DateOne of the first common activities was theelaboration of a proposal concerning the extensionof the currently existing laboratory facilities. Theproposed research infrastructure for DER inte-gration into the European grids will enable testsat a component as well as a system level, andwill be accessible for the European researchcommunity, industry and grid operators.

Secondly DERlab internal working groups havebeen set up, working on the topic of intercon-nection requirements for DER.

Finally a legal framework for DERlab was draftedand is currently undergoing modification in linewith the different partners’ needs.

ChallengesThe widespread development of innovativeDistributed Energy Resources (DER) in Europe isfacing three major barriers:

• Technology barriers, interactions between thedistribution network and small-sized renewableand classical electricity generation solutionsmust be proven efficient and reliable enough.

• Market barriers, where new business modelsmust be designed and validated to show thatDER solutions can be profitable withinacceptable payback times, in a win-win-winsituation for different market actors.

• Regulatory barriers, where new market frame-works must be created to allow for the massivedeployment of DER units, bringing significantbenefits to society in a sustainable way.

The EU-DEEP project adopts a demand-driven,market-oriented approach to validate the rele-vance, by 2010, of a portfolio of DER technologyand business models in identified promisingsegments across Europe, thus promoting thedeployment of DER solutions.

O B J E C T I V E S

EU

-DE

EP

The Birth of a European Distributed Energy Partnethat will help the large-scale implementation of distributed ene

120

Co-ordinated by Gas de France, EU-DEEP develops methodologies to study and remove barriers to theimplementation of DER in Europe,validates DER technologies thataddress the needs of market segmentsin the commercial, residential and industrial sectors, and combinesmarket, technology and regulatoryissues into winning business modelsfor DER in Europe

Project structureEU-DEEP is based on a set of eight intertwinedtechnical development work packages. Theyinteract iteratively to produce, for five promisingmarket segments, adequate portfolios of DERtechnologies and business models:

• A set of simulation tools (market size andenergy demand typical of client behaviours) isdeveloped and used to increase the knowledgeof the market (segmentation of the Europeanmarket, ranking of segments, etc.) and select thefive promising segments that will be studied inthe project (for commercial, residential andindustrial applications) with a methodology thatcan be replicated to study other promisingsegments in the future (WP 1).

• A systemic analysis of the impacts of massiveDER deployment on grid operation is conducted(WP 2), using another set of simulation tools.Positive and negative grid impacts are detailedand quantified, together with proposals forinnovative ‘use of system’ charge allocationschemes.

• Local dynamic energy management schemesare studied (WP 3) to measure the benefits oflocal electricity trading mechanisms, and touse novel DER control technologies facilitatingmarket and grid operations. Trading rules aredefined, involving most probably some inter-mediary structures such as aggregators, tomake intrinsically costly DER solutions moreaffordable for end-users.

• Five full-scale experiments are designed,implemented and run for one year (WP 4 & 5).They aim at removing technical barriers thatcannot be addressed by simulation, validatingthe different results achieved by other WPs,and pinpointing the remaining uncertaintiesthat could slow down the massive deploymentof DER solutions by 2010. These experimentsare ‘technology-neutral’ and will involve bothrenewable and classical solutions.


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• A portfolio of innovative business models foreach of the five segments is assembled withinthe concluding optimisation work package(WP 8). These business models will show thebenefit of implementing DER/LTS systems fordifferent stakeholders (end-users, ESCOs,etc.). This work package integrates all thefindings and new knowledge produced by theproject.

• In parallel, training and dissemination tasks(WP 6 & 7) are implemented to deliver usableknowledge to players in the energy sector thatwill face DER investment options in the very nearfuture. Both tasks aim at reducing the hetero-geneity of opinions about DER, most oftenbased on a lack of a systemic approach toDER deployment.

Expected resultsThere are four classes of exploitable resultsattached to the EU-DEEP project:

• Increased knowledge about the European marketbased on sharing data amongst utilities andother partners.

• A portfolio of technologies and business modelsbased on extensive experimental evidence in fivepromising market segments (two commercial,two residential, one industrial).

• A set of methodologies that can be replicatedto study other promising segments in thesame three areas of activity.

• Training materials that will be deliveredcommercially much before the end of theresearch project, in order to support thedeployment of fast-track options and toobtain early feedback on the portfolio ofbusiness models by market end-users of theresultant knowledge.

rshiprgy resources in Europe

Progress to date The following barriers defined at the start of theproject have been nearly removed:

• The lack of European wide knowledge aboutthe market was tackled by:

• sharing commercial data between utilitycompanies and other partners of EU-DEEP;

• studying market segments both in terms ofmarket potential and energy demand features.

A new descriptive language of market featuresthat favour or hamper DER deployment hasbeen agreed.

Simulation tools for energy demand, generationand end-use have been developed. They usedetailed physical descriptions of energyexchanges for residential and commercialend-users. They allow understanding whereflexibility in the demand occurs. The intro-duction of storage functionalities andheat/electricity trading strategies is simulatedto pinpoint where and when DER solutionscan be made profitable. Aggregating suchresults allows one to draw leopard-like marketmaps for DER solutions in Europe.

So far, four out of five market segments havebeen chosen in the residential and commercialsector.

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The Birth of a European Distributed Energy Partnethat will help the large-scale implementation of distributed ene

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• Initial reluctance of grid operators to allowfor massive DER deployment has been shownto be too pessimistic under standard gridarchitecture configurations: simulation toolshave been used under the lead of TractebelEngineering – Suez to determine the DERpenetration ratio up to which grid mana -gement can be performed safely without anymajor loss of system reliability.

• A systemic understanding of massive DERdeployment has been implemented to grasp theimpact of DER on overall system costs. Presentdistribution systems can support significantlevels of DER penetration with few changes.Cost reduction could even be expected in thelong run, but old-fashioned managementtechniques must be abandoned and new controlpractices must be adopted. ‘Anti-islanding’protection must fully integrate interconnectedsystem requirements.

• DER-based solutions are put into a systemicperspective that will help stakeholders buildmeaningful comparison between competingenergy solutions. Change managementapproaches have been implemented in theprototype training curricula. Combined mar-ket description techniques and simulationtechniques will provide trainees with therules to make fair economic comparisonsbetween several energy options in a givenend-use segment. The simulation tools usedare outcomes of two critical work packages(WP 1 and WP 2), while packaged to meettraining time and cost constraints.

The following barriers have been addressed, butstill remain to be removed demonstrably by mid-2007:

• The role of regulations, and the design ofinnovative market rules, that will facilitate amore efficient deployment of DER. Work is inprogress to suggest new market rules to use DERfavourably within local approaches throughoutEurope and develop a EU framework where util-ities, end-users, manufacturers and investorsaddress the energy market issues of DER in acoherent way.


rshiprgy resources in Europe


Duration66 months

Contact personEtienne Gehain Gaz de France [email protected]

List of partnersANCO – GR AUTh – GRBowman Power Systems – GB Capitalia – IT Catholic University of Leuven – BE Centro de Nuevas Tecnologias Energeticas – ESCRES – GR Gaz de France – FR Electricity Authority of Cyprus – CYEnergoProjekt – PL EPA Attiki – GRFagrel – IT FIT – CYFondazione Eni Enrico Mattei – IT Fundacion Labein – ESHeletel – GR Iberdrola – ESInstitute for Electric Power Research – HU KAPE – PL Latvenergo – LVLaborelec – BE Lodz Region Power – PLMTU – DE National Technical University of Athens – GRRegulatory Authority for Energy – GR Riga University of Technology – LVRWE Energy – DE SAFT – FR Siemens PTD – DESiemens PSE – AT STRI – SE Technofi – FRTedom – CZTractebel – BE Transénergie – FRTUBITAK – TRUniversity of Lund – SE University of Valencia – ESVTT – FI

Websitewww.eu-deep.com

Project OfficerStefano Puppin

Statusongoing

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• The development of innovative businessapproaches that make DER solutions valuedfor their positive and dynamic contributionsto end-user demand, local energy marketsand grid management. Three routes areexplored in parallel:

• the use of the new market rules as suggestedabove;

• the valuation of electricity (both electricalenergy generated and flexible loads) sell-backto local intermediaries (aggregators) orretailers. This may lead to larger DER unitsto take advantage of sell-back opportunitieswithin pre-specified conditions;

• the interactions between DER use and gridmanagement techniques, where DER canbe favourably valued by grid operators.

• The meaningful validation of concepts, toolsand technologies must be prepared with care:the five experiments foreseen in EU-DEEP arein the design phase. Experiment locations andtechnology choices (generator and enablingconnection and control equipment) have beenmade for the commercial and residential sectors.Further work is still needed to design each ofthe one-year experiments that will generate newknowledge needed to validate the portfolio oftechnologies and business models. Inter -connection between testing sites is consideredin order to investigate the aggregation conceptsand technologies.

• Common and coherent valuation rules forDER investments and their related businessmodels remain to be developed. They involveoptimisation techniques via:

• the maximisation of the Net Present Valuefor any project, taking into account the extraadded-value linked to the managementflexibility of the investments;

• the accounting of extra impacts for gridoperators, intermediaries and the public ingeneral, involving market and grid con-straints developed in WP 1/WP 2 and WP 3.

In the first two years of research and development,the EU-DEEP players have also underestimated thecommunication and cultural barriers:

• There is still an excess number of opinionsabout the role and impacts of DistributedEnergy Resources, while, at the same time,there is a shortage of evidence about theirfuture benefits to the European economy.

• There is a need for concise, clear-cut andpractical communication about DER, in orderto fight the heterogeneity of opinions, whilestepping up the offering of evidence.

This is why increased dissemination actions willbe launched in the next three years of the projectto help stakeholders grasp better the complexityof technology and business portfolios deliveredby EU-DEEP.

ChallengesIn the last decade, the EU has been deployingsignificant amounts of Distributed EnergyResources (DER) of various technologies inresponse to the climate change challenge andthe need to enhance fuel diversity. However,conventional large-scale power plants remainthe primary source of control of the electricitysystem, assuring integrity and security of itsoperation.

Levels of DER penetration in some parts of the EUare such that this is beginning to cause operationalproblems (Denmark, Germany, Spain). This isbecause, thus far, the emphasis has been on con-necting DER to the network rather than integratingit into overall system operation. Indeed, previousand current research projects have been focusingon developing techniques to accelerate thedeployment of DER, and rightly so as this hasbeen a necessary phase in the evolution towardsa sustainable electricity supply system.

In practice, current policy of connecting DER isgenerally based on a ‘fit and forget’ approach.This policy is consistent with historic passivedistribution network operation and is known tolead to inefficient and costly investment indistribution infrastructure. Moreover under pas-sive network operation DER can only displacethe energy produced by central generation butcannot displace the capacity, as lack of control-lability of DER implies that system control andsecurity must continue to be provided by centralgeneration.

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Flexible Electricity Networks to Integrate the Expected ‘Energy Evolution’

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FENIX aims at enabling DistributedEnergy Resources (DER) to make the EU electricity supply system cost-efficient, secure and sustainablethrough aggregation into Large ScaleVirtual Power Plants (LSVPP). The development of intelligentinterfaces for commercial and gridintegration of DER into LSVPP, the development of novel networkservices and new DMS and EMSapplications to include LSVPP in system operation, and thedevelopment of new commercial andregulatory solutions to support LSVPPare other objectives. Validation will bethrough two large field tests in Spainand the UK. FENIX interacts withstakeholders through an advisorygroup.

We are now entering an era where this approachis beginning to:

• Adversely impact the deployment rates of DER

• Increase the costs of investment and operation

• Undermine integrity and security of the system.

In order to address this problem, DERs must takeover the responsibilities from large conventionalpower plants and provide the flexibility andcontrol lability necessary to support secure systemoperation. Although Transmission SystemOperators (TSOs) have historically been responsiblefor system security, integration of DER willrequire Distribution System Operators (DSOs) todevelop active network management in order toparticipate in the provision of system security.This represents a shift from traditional centralcontrol philosophy, presently used to controltypically hundreds of generators, to a new distri -buted control paradigm applicable for operationof hundreds of thousands of generators andcontrollable loads.

Motivated by the wide range of challenges asso-ciated with operating the electricity system ofthe future, leading TSOs and DSOs, manufacturersand research establishments in the EU haveformed a consortium of 19 partners to undertakea four-year project, codenamed FENIX, whose over-all aim is: to conceptualise, design and demonstratea technical architecture and commercial frameworkthat will enable DER- based systems to becomethe solution for a future cost-efficient, secureand sustainable EU electricity supply system.



Duration48 months

Contact personJose Corera [email protected]

List of partnersAreva T&D Energy Management Europe – FRECN – NLECRO SRL – ROEDF Energy Networks Ltd – GBElectricité de France – FRFree University of Amsterdam – NLFundación Labein – ESGroupment pour inventer la distributionélectrique de l’avenir – FRIberdrola SA – ESILEX Energy Consulting Ltd – GBImperial College – GBInstitut für Solare Energieversorgungstechnik – DEKorona Inzeniring DD – SINational Grid Transco – GBRed Eléctrica de España SA – ESScalAgent Distributed Technologies – FRSIEMENS AG Österreich – ATUniversity of Manchester – GBWind to Market – ESZIV PmasC SL – ES

Websitewww.fenix-project.org


Statusongoing

125

Project structure The FENIX Project is organised into six workpackages:

WP 1: System Solutions for DERIntegration and Demand Responsethrough LSVPP

In WP 1 the local functions and control capabilitiesof DER will be defined and characterised in order todesign and prototype a local intelligent FENIX unit(FENIX box), and also a FENIX LSVPP controllerbased on DEMS technology.

WP 2: Electrical and information system architecture adapted to the presence of LSVPP

In WP 2 the TSO and DSO control and informationinterfaces and their associated protocols will bedesigned, and later on prototypes of the newEMS and DMS applications incorporating theconcept of LSVPP will be developed.

WP 3: Commercial framework for oper-ation and control of power systemswith LSVPPs

In WP 3 the commercial framework for fullydecentralised network architecture will bedesigned, taking into account business modelsbased on the FENIX LSVPP architecture and theassessment of the economic impact of thisarchitecture.

WP 4: Demonstration of LSVPP concept feasibility

In WP 4 the LSVPP FENIX architecture will betested through simulations and field trials. Thehardware and software prototyped in WP 1 andWP 2 will be implemented in real facilities and realnetworks in the UK and Spain to test behaviour intwo different potential markets, the first charac-terised by a large integration of small CHP domesticunits, and the second dominated by a combinationof medium-size industrial CHP and large windfarms.

WP 5: Stakeholders Advisory Group,Dissemination and Training

In WP 5 future wide impact will be managed andthe project will be exploited through the cre-ation, on the one hand, of an effectiveStakeholder Advisory Group and, on the other,through the organisation of various workshops,conferences and training sessions.

WP 6: Project Management

In WP 6 the coordination and strategic managementof the project takes place.

Expected resultsThe following main outputs of the project will haveimmediate and direct impact on all stakeholders,including network operators, manufacturers,suppliers and aggregators as well as regulators:

• Two concrete scenarios that characteriseelectricity markets in the EU in the long termto quantify the costs and benefits of statusquo and FENIX futures.

• Design and implementation of LSVPP archi-tecture with enhanced DER capabilities toprovide system support and control.

• Design of commercial arrangements to supportsystem operation under the new highly decen-tralised network architecture.

• Enhancement of current TSO/DSO control andinformation for active network managementcompatible with the above.

• Demonstration of prototype LSVPP withDistributed Energy Management Systemscapabilities, Energy Management Systemsand Distributed Management Systems viasimulation and real field tests.

• Creation of a European Stakeholder Group toensure full exploitation of the project resultsbeyond the life of the project.

ChallengesThe increasing number of renewable energysources and distributed generators requires newstrategies for the operation and management ofthe electricity grid, in order to maintain or evento improve power supply reliability and qualityin future. Furthermore, the liberalisation of thegrids leads to new management structures inwhich the trading of energy and power isbecoming increasingly important. This trend isaccompanied by new structures for communicationand trading, leading finally to digitally controlledinteractive electricity grids.

The preparation for the transition from conven-tional to future grid management requires aninterdisciplinary approach involving research,industry, utilities and consumers, and taking intoaccount technical as well as socio-economic andregulatory issues.

There are four running and seven completedprojects supported by the European Commissionand dealing with the integration of RenewableEnergy Sources (RES) and Distributed Generation(DG). In order to concentrate efforts and maximisecritical mass, these projects were bundled into a research cluster in January 2002. This clusterrepresents more than 100 participating insti -tutions from research, industry and utility sectors,all contributing to this common activity.

The object of the IRED coordinated action (CA) isto extend existing cluster activities in such a wayas to achieve real added-value by mobilisingresearch which will be a major contribution tothe ERA. This extension will be realised by theinclusion of forthcoming projects supported byFP7, national and regional activities.

O B J E C T I V E S

IRE

D

How Can we Face the Changes in the Operation and the Management of the Electricity Grids for the Future?

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The objectives of IRed are makingstakeholders aware of the increasingimportance of RES and DG comparedto conventional centralised systems,contributing to remove technical,economical and regulatory barriers to grid connection of RES and DG, and creating a favourable environmentfor socio-economic acceptance of intermittent RES and DG gridsolutions without risks to quality or safety.

In contrast to the creation of a Network ofExcellence (NoE), this CA will be more feasiblesince research on the integration of RES and DGwill not be fragmented but structured from thevery beginning. The most important elements ofthe CA will be the following:

• The systematic exchange of information andgood practice by improving links to relevantresearch, regulatory bodies and policies andschemes on a European, national, regionaland international level.

• The setting-up of strategic actions such astransnational cooperation, the organisationand coordination of common initiatives onstandards and testing procedures, and theestablishment of common education andtraining.

• Identification of the highest priority researchtopics in the field of integration and the formation of appropriate realisation schemes.



Duration48 months

Contact personProf. Dr. Juergen Schmid Institut für SolareEnergieversorgungstechnik [email protected]

List of partnersCIDAE – ES Commissariat à l’Energie Atomique – FR ECN – NL EnerSearch AB – SE Fundacion Labein – ES Iberdrola SA – ESInstitut für Solare Energieversorgungstechnik – DE MVV Energie AG – DENational Technical University of Athens – GR Tekes National Technology Agency – FI

Websitewww.IRED-cluster.org


Statusongoing

127

Project StructureThe coordination will be implemented in thefollowing manner:

• Establishment of an expert group coveringimportant cross-cutting areas such as powerquality, etc.

• Formation of a group of contact persons fornational, regional and international policyand programme makers and for programmemanagers.

• Establishment of a comprehensive data andinformation exchange system, including therealisation of links to relevant national,regional and international electronic infor-mation systems.

• Organisation of conferences and workshopson an international and European level.

• Exchange of personnel and joint supervisionof theses and PhD work by the participatinginstitutions.

• Production, exchange and dissemination ofeducation material and good practice forhigher education.

• Organisation of regular cluster coordinationmeetings.

• Identification and integration of forthcomingrelevant projects and activities into the cluster.

The work has been divided into work packageswhich ensure that the most important elementsof the CA are covered, namely:

• Power quality and security of supply are thescientific and technological issues dealt with inthe cluster projects in WP 1, together with thebridging to the IST/ICT world which is regardedto be most important for the successfuldevelopment of RES and DG in WP 2.

• The internal communication inside the clusterprojects is organised in WP 3 laboratoryexperiments and WP 4 pilot installations,whereas communication with actors outsideEurope is managed by WP 6. WP 5 highlightsthe socio-economic and environmental issues.First steps for the future harmonisation ofnational and regional policies and programmesare coordinated by WP 7, and the setting-up

of an internet-based communication platformis realised in WP 8.

• Lastly, the overall CA project coordination isperformed in WP 9 and conferences, work-shops and exchange with experts will beorganised in WP 10.

All work packages are active during the fullrunning period of the project.

Expected ResultsBy increasing dynamic in research and thetransformation of the current electricity gridinto an interactive one, multiple benefits can beexpected such as the creation of innovativeproducts by European industry which in turn willlead to increased exports. Also, the realisation ofan (electronic) e-energy market will ensure verymuch higher flexibility in matching supply anddemand, and will thus allow a higher integrationrate of RES and DG into the electricity grid.

With regard to the substantial increase ofrenewable energy supply stated in the White Bookof the European Commission, the coordinatedaction provides the infrastructure necessary forthe realisation of the targets stated in this WhiteBook.

Finally, increased economies in the production,transmission and distribution of electricity will leadto more attractive energy prices for the benefit ofall, from industry to the private consumer.

Challenges Research within the FP5 Project MICROGRIDS(ENK5-CT-2002-00610), which focused on theoperation of a single microgrid, has successfullyinvestigated appropriate control techniques anddemonstrated the feasibility of microgrid operationthrough laboratory experiments. The proposedproject extends this work significantly, aiming toface the following challenges:

• Investigation of new microgenerators, energystorage and load controllers to provide effectiveand efficient operation of microgrids.

• Development of alternative control strategies(centralised versus decentralised control,application of next generation ICT).

• Alternative network designs (application ofmodern protection means, modern solid-stateinterfaces, operation at variable frequencies).

• Technical and commercial integration ofmulti-microgrids (interface of several micro-grids with upstream distribution managementsystems, operation of decentralised marketsfor energy and ancillary services).

• Extensive field trials of alternative controlstrategies (experimental validation of variousmicrogrid architectures in interconnected andislanded mode and during transition, testingof power electronics components and inter-faces and of alternative control strategies onactual sites).

• Standardisation of technical and commercialprotocols and hardware (standards that willallow easy installation of micro source gen-erators with plug and play capabilities).

• Impact on power system operation (quanti -fication of the benefits of microgrids regardingincrease of reliability, reduction of networklosses, environmental benefits, etc. at regional,national and EU level).

• Impact on the development of electricitynetwork infrastructures (quantification ofthe benefits of microgrids for the overall net-work reinforcement and replacement strategyof the aging EU electricity infrastructure).

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Advanced Architectures and Control Conceptsfor More Microgrids

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The operation of microgrids offersdistinct advantages to customers and utilities, i.e. improved energyefficiency, minimisation of overallenergy consumption, reducedenvironmental impact, improvement of reliability and resilience, network operational benefits, and more cost-efficient electricityinfrastructure replacement.

This project aims at the increase of penetration of microgeneration in electrical networks through the exploitation and extension of the microgrids concept, involving the investigation ofalternative microgenerator controlstrategies and alternative networkdesigns, development of new tools for multi-microgrids managementoperation (involving DistributionManagement System architectures and new software adaptation), and standardisation of technical and commercial protocols.

Project StructureThe work is organized in eight work packages:

WP A Design of micro source and load controllers for efficient integration

The main objective of this WP is to developmicrocontrollers for micro sources and loadscapable of providing more efficient voltage andfrequency control in the event of islanded ope -ration. These controllers will deal efficiently withfrequency variations during transitions frominterconnected to islanded operation. Moreover,the microcontroller software will be enhancedwith local agents, able to handle participation ofthe ‘microplayers’ in energy markets in a highlydecentralised approach.

WP B and WP C Development of Alternative Control Strategies (hierarchical vs. distributed)

The objective of this WP is to develop controlstrategies based on centralised and fully distri butedtechnologies and compare them with each other.The large opportunities provided by the wide appli-cation of next-generation ICT technologies, espe-cially communications infrastructure, will beinvestigated.

WP D Technical and CommercialIntegration of Multi-Microgrids

The integration of several microgrids in MVoperation then needs to be carefully investigatedin terms of electrical interactions, consideringthe operational and physical restrictions of theseactive cells, either in terms of normal steady-state operation or for emergency conditions.

WP E Standardisation of Technical andCommercial Protocols and Hardware

The main objective of this WP is to proposestandards that will allow easy installation of microsources with ‘plug and play’ capabilities. Researchwill deal with standardisation of interfaces betweenthe microgenerator and the distribution network.Moreover, research will consider protocols for



Duration48 months

Contact personProf. Nikos Hatziargyriou,School of Electrical & Computer Engineering, National Technical University of [email protected]

List of partnersAnco S.A. – GRABB Schweiz AG – CHARMINES – FRCentro Elettrotechnico Sperimentale Italiano – ITCRES – GREltra amba – DKEmforce B.V – NLEnergias de Portgual S.A. – PTGermanos S.A. – GRFundacion Labein – ESInstitute de Engenharia de Sistemas e Computadores do Porto – PTInstitut für Solare Energieversorgungstechnik – DEIntelligent Power Systems a division of Turbo Genset Co Ltd – GBLodz-Region Power Distribution Company – PLMVV Energie AG – DENational Technical University of Athens – GRN.V. Continuon Netbeheer – NLSiemens AG – DESMA Technologie AG – DEUniversity of Lodz – PLUniversity of Manchester – GBZIV Pmas C S.L. – ES

Websitehttp://microgrids.power.ece.ntua.gr

Project officerManuel Sanchez Jimenez

Statusongoing

129

negotiating sales and purchase of electrical energyand ancillary services, access to networks, com-municating status and control data betweencomponents of the system, and dealing withfaults and abnormal conditions, etc.

WP F Field trials on actual Microgrids

The main objective of this WP is the experimentalvalidation of various actual microgrids in differentoperating modes. In particular, operation in inter-connected and islanded mode and the transitionfrom interconnected to islanded mode and viceversa will be experimented. The centralised anddecentralised control strategies developed withinWP B will be evaluated on a number (three) ofactual microgrids. The candidate microgridsrepresent rural LV networks and industrial orcommercial networks.

WP G Evaluation of the SystemPerformance on Power System Operation

The main objective of this WP is to quantify themicrogrids’ benefits regarding power quality andsecurity of supply, reduction of losses, economicsof operation and environmental benefits at theregional, national, and European levels. To achievethis, participating utilities will provide data onrepresentative residential, commercial andindustrial feeders, like economics and reliabilityof supply. The advantages of wide deployment ofmicrogrids will be quantified using establishedand new software tools. Results will be projectedat the regional, national and if possibleEuropean levels, providing quantified data forpolicy making decisions.

WP H Impact on the Development of Electricity Infrastructures (Expansion Planning)

The overall aim of this WP is to quantify the impactof a widespread deployment of microgrids on thefuture replacement and investment strategies ofthe EU transmission and distribution infra -structures. Specific objectives of this task are to:

• Develop representative models of transmissionand distribution networks and evaluation toolsto quantify the ability of microgrids to displacetransmission and distribution network assets.

• Develop a microgrids evolution roadmap,including electricity infrastructure replacementscenarios.

• Quantify the overall benefits of microgrids intypical EU electricity systems, and developoverall business models for microgrids.

Expected Results• Experimental validation of microgrid architec-

tures in interconnected and islanded mode, aswell as during transition.

• Development and experimental validation ofalternative control concepts and algorithmsin actual microgrids.

• Development and testing of distributedgeneration and load-intelligent controllers(power electronic interfaces).

• Development and testing of storage technologysystems able to support microgrid operationduring transition to islanded mode.

• Development of advanced protection hardwareand algorithms, as well as solid-state networkcomponents of microgrids.

• Development of control and management algo-rithms for their effective operation and forinterfacing them with the upstream distributionmanagement system.

• Quantified evaluation of the microgrids’ effectson power system operation at regional, nationaland projected EU levels.

Typical microgrid

Challenges The liberalisation of the electricity market, combinedwith the international pressure to reduce CO2

emissions, has led to new architectures for futureelectricity networks with a large penetration ofdistributed energy resources, in particular fromrenewable sources. But the integration ofdistribu ted energy resources for the time beingis performed in such a way that their intermit-tency impacts strongly on the grids, and thisleads to increasing concerns in terms of powerquality and of security of supply for end-users.Reciprocally, poor power quality from the gridimpacts on the PV systems and leads to losses ofproduction: moreover this impacts on the end-user, his production, services and comfort.

Project StructureIn order to reach the objective, the work to beperformed within SoS-PVI has been divided intonine work packages. In WP 1, the precise technicaland non-technical characteristics are defined. InWP 2, the design of the inverter will be completedand all functions will be developed. In WP 3, thestorage systems will be integrated, using the bestexisting technologies. Within WP 4, a demandside management function will be developed. In

O B J E C T I V E S

SO

S-P

VI

Security of Supply PhotoVoltaic Inverter Combined UPS, Power Quality and Grid Support Functionin a Photovoltaic Inverter for Weak Low Voltage Grids

130

The purpose of this project is toprevent power quality events andnetworks weakening, by decreasingthe impact of PV generation on the grid, by providing grid support on demand via special demand sidemanagement or via injection on thegrid, using the energy provided by a storage unit included in the SoS-PVinverter.

With its unique functionalities, the SoS-PV inverter will allow PVintegration by moving away from thepresent ‘connect and forget’ situationwhere DER resources are connected tothe grid without taking care of theirimpact on it.

The second major purpose of the SoS-PV inverter project will be to protect the end-user from shortand long duration faults by virtue of its voltage regulation and UPSfunction. The UPS function is based on lithium-ion technology or onhybrid systems combining the lead-acid technology with supercaps.

WP 5, the integration and validation of the globalPV inverter will be undertaken. WP 6 is the placefor field validation of the SoS-PV inverter. In WP 7,the life cycle analysis is performed and the life cyclecost calculated. In WP 8, further functionalities ofthe SoS-PV inverter are defined, while WP 9deals with the day-to-day management of theconsortium.

Expected ResultsThe results of the project will be:

• To validate the SoS-PV inverter on five proto-types, which will then be available fordemonstration systems.

• To prove that the SoS-PV inverter is less than30% more expensive than conventional PVinverters (excepting storage components)and has a low environmental impact and highenergy efficiency, maximising PV productionin comparision to conventional PV inverters.

• To study the feasibility of additional func-tionalities e.g. for integration in virtual powerplants.

• To identify barriers to the exploitation of thefull benefits of the SoS-PV inverter.


WP1: Requirements and functional specifications

WP2: Design of multi - functional PV inverter

WP3: Integration of innovative storage systems

WP 4: Demand si de management

WP 5: Implementation and validation of the SoS - PV inverter

WP 6: Field tests and efficiency optimisation

WP 8: Further functionalities and integration in a virtual power plant

WP

7: L

ife c

ycle

cos

t an

d lif

e cy

cle

anal

ysis

WP

9: M

anag

emen

t of

the

pro

ject


Duration36 months

Contact personMarion PERRINCommissariat à l’Energie [email protected]

List of partnersCommissariat à l’Energie Atomique – FREnersys – PLMaxwell – CHSAFT – FRSkytron-Energy – DETramatechnoambiental – ES

Websitenone

Project officerDana Dutianu

Statusongoing

131

Progress to Date The first deliverable was produced: this includesa market study with collection of data on weakgrids in Europe (load profiles, grid quality) and anestimation of market potential for small-scaledistributed generation and grid stabilisation sys-tems in Europe, especially considering powerand storage capacity provided. This report alsoincludes identification of possible impact andbarriers for implementation of an SoS-PV inverter,in particular regulation issues.

From the study of the national load profiles onthe electricity network and of the irradiationcurves, it is clear that, to reach a high penetrationof PV energy, it will be necessary to delay theinjection to peak-load periods. The next figureshows the profile of real consumption (datapresented as % of simultaneity of the MV-LVtransformer), as well as simulation of the con-sumption with 10, 20 and 30% PV penetration andthe average value of the daily consumption in thethree scenarios. The load profile is representativeof a mixed urban area with households and smallbusinesses, during a winter day, in Spain.

Three types of scenarios were taken intoaccount:

• Short-term market with immediate need ofsecurity of supply for the installation

• Medium- to long-term market with flexiblepricing and variable feed-in tariffs

• Medium- to long-term market with grid supportand injection from the PV system as soon asload is 20% above daily average.

For these three markets, the PV array, inverterand storage sizes are presented below:

Scenario Short term Long term: Long term:grid support real-time

pricing

PV array size (kWp) 3 4 - 6 4 - 6

Inverter size (kW) 3 1.5 2 - 6

Storage size (kWh) 9 15 8.5

Load curve in an urban area in Spain: real, with 10 to 30% PV penetration and average on the day (NB: diagram ‘Real’, no accent)

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00:00 02:00 04:00 06:00 08:00 10:00 12:00 14:00 16:00 18:00 20:00 22:00 00:00

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Real consumption Average real

10% PV penetration Average 10% penetration

20% PV penetration Average 20% PV penetration

30% PV penetration Average 30% PV penetration

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Economic and Environmental Assessment of Energy Production and Consumption.............................................................................................................. 134

CASES ........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 134

MAXIMA.................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 136

NEEDS .......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 138

Social Acceptability, Behavioural Changes and International Dimension related to Sustainable Energy RTD............. 140

CEERES........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 140

CREATE ACCEPTANCE .............................................................................................................................................................................................................. 144

FET-EEU...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 142

LETIT ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 146

RECIPES ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 148

REMAP ........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 150

RTD4EDC .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 152

Socio-economic Tools andConcepts for Energy Strategy

ChallengesThis project intends to develop a consistent andcomprehensive picture of the full cost of energy,and to make this crucial knowledge available toall stakeholders. A complete and consistentassessment of the full cost of energy sources,which includes the external cost plus the privatecost, is of paramount importance for energy andenvironmental policy-making. Energy policy-making is concerned with both the supply sideand the demand side of energy provision. On theenergy supply side, deciding on alternativeinvestment options requires the knowledge ofthe full cost of each energy option under scrutiny.On the demand side, social welfare maximisationshould lead to the formulation of energy policiesthat steer consumers’ behaviour in a way thatwill result in the minimisation of costs imposedon society as a whole. Demand side policies canbenefit significantly from the incorporation offull energy costs in the corresponding policyformulation process.

The geographical dimension is also importantsince environmental damage from energy production crosses national borders. Moreoverthe EU enlargement process and the liberalisationof energy markets have highlighted the impor-tance of a systematic harmonisation process, inwhich cost formation mechanisms and price-setting must become transparent and reflect thetotal, real costs of energy provision across thecontinent and beyond. In turn, this requires theadoption of a common set of methods and values. Hence a consistent set of energy costsallows a better understanding of the inter-national dimensions of policy decisions in theseareas. Naturally, differences in estimates existbetween countries, sources of energy, and technology used in the generation of the energy.But the present state of knowledge is disparateand some gains can be made by clarifying whenand where particular estimates can be applied.

Moreover, costs are dynamic. The private costsand the external costs are changing with time,as technologies develop, knowledge about theimpact of energy use on the environmentincreases, and individual preferences for certainenvironmental and other values change. Perhaps,the least well and least systematically coveredarea of external cost is that related to energysecurity. Even within one country, estimates of

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The CASES project aims at compilingcoherent and detailed estimates ofboth external and internal costs ofenergy production for different energysources at the national level for theEU25 Countries and for some non-EUCountries under energy scenarios to2030. Hence, private and externalcosts are integrated within onedynamic framework, to arrive atagreed ranges of estimates fordifferent countries of the full cost of each energy source, including the external cost and the private cost. Policy options for improving the efficiency of energy use will beevaluated, taking account of full costdata. Moreover, the social and fiscalimplications of a given policy measure,especially on poor and vulnerablegroups, will be assessed. Researchfindings will be disseminated toenergy-sector producers and users and to the policy-making community.

the energy security costs of different types ofenergy remain somewhat elusive. A commonmethodology has not been applied to deriveestimates for a range of countries. Yet this is amajor area of policy debate, and key decisionsare being taken to increase energy security andreduce dependence on foreign sources. Therefore,without undertaking primary research in termsof data collection, the project devotes significantresources to applying existing models across arange of countries and arriving at a common setof estimates of the costs of energy insecurity, as defined by a common set of parameters.

Project structureThis project builds on the formidable amount ofresearch that has been done on measuring thefull costs of the use of different energy sourcessuch as fossil fuels, nuclear energy and renewableenergy sources. The internal costs, the privatecosts and the full cost are calculated andanalysed in seven inter-linked work packagesthat evaluate, compare and harmonise the system costs associated with alternative energytechnologies, covering exhaustively the wholerange of relevant production, social and environ-mental costs involved.

The project focuses on cost-benefit and multi-criteria decision analysis, and makes a set ofprojections of energy demand by energy sourceand country. To this end, it uses existing modelsfor estimating such demand and adapts them sothat they are responsive to different projectionsabout the prices that suppliers receive and theprices that users pay. These are critical to thepolicy analysis, which is investigated in fourwork packages that evaluate the effectiveness ofalternative policy instruments in internalisingsocial and environmental external costs, and thedegree of integration of these costs into policyand investment decision-making. For this activityto be of practical benefit, the assessment is carried out with energy suppliers as part of theteam, so that real-world problems of applyingthe different instruments are reflected in theevaluation. This means that the hidden costs ofimplementation of policy – the adoption of newrules and regulations by the different actors –are reflected in the analysis.

ECONOMIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT OF ENERGY PRODUCTION AND CONSUMPTION


Duration30 months

Contact personRoberto Porchia Fondazione ENI Enrico [email protected]

List of partnersCentre for European Policy Studies - BE Charles University of Prague - CZCIEMAT - ESECN - NLECON Analysis AS - NO Energy Agency of Plovdiv - BGEnergy Research Institute - CAFondazione ENI Enrico Mattei - ITFree University of Amsterdam - NLFundação COPPETEC - BRIndian Institute of Management Ahmedabad - INIstituto di Studi per l’Integrazione dei Sistemi - ITLithuanian Energy Institute - LTNational Technical University of Athens - GRObservatoire Méditerranéen de l'Energie - FRPaul Scherrer Institute - CHRisoe National Laboratory - DKStockholm Environment Institute - SESWECO Grøner as - NO TUBITAK - TRUniversity of Bath - GBUniversity of Flensburg - DEUniversity of Stuttgart - DEUniversity of Wageningen - NLUniversity of Warsaw - PLVITO – BE

Websitenot available yet


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More in detail, the policy assessment will gothrough the following steps. The comparativecost data is used to address a set of clearlydefined goals for policy analysis. The politicalanalysis investigates the comparative assessmentof investment and operational costs of differentenergy options, taking account of private costsonly and of private plus external costs. Thisassessment is dynamic and will provide theimplications of different levels of internalisationon investment decisions and on key social indicators. Moreover the political analysisincludes the impact of the use of differentmethods of decision-making on the selection ofprojects, the implications of different policies onreducing energy insecurity, now and over time,and the implications of different taxes/chargeson energy and/or emissions on the degree of internalisation and the comparative costcomparisons, now and in the future. Differentinstruments to promote renewable energysources are then compared in terms of thedegree to which they internalise the positiveexternalities associated with renewable energyuse, and the use of externality-based taxes forinternalising externalities is compared to theeffectiveness of emissions trading instruments.

The third part of the project is devoted to dissemination. Once they have been evaluatedand brought into a coherent framework, theresults of the different components of the project are of great interest to the energy sectorproducers and users, as well as the policy-makingcommunity. Dissemination consists of a set ofactivities to validate and disseminate the project

outputs. These activities range from publicationof articles in the peer-reviewed literature, projectworkshops and conferences involving key stake-holders and policy makers, seminars and thepresentation of key results at additional meetings,presentations and open discussions with energyproducers and user organisations, and the setting up of a dedicated web site for CASES.(See Diagram annexed)

Expected resultsThe expected results will feature best predictionsabout the evolution of private and external costs –including energy security cost – of major techno -logies for generating energy, from different sources,in different countries, over the next 25 years.CASES puts particular effort into the integrationof private and external costs within one dynam-ic framework, as well as into an estimation ofthe state of knowledge and the gaps that remainin cost estimation, through a full assessmentacross EU and non-EU countries. The projectintends to ensure that the adoption of externalityvaluation methods is systematically extended tonewly associated and EU candidate countries aswell as to other countries beyond the currentEU, and that the availability and quality ofdatasets are brought as close to par as possible.This approach therefore ensures that differentlocal conditions are accounted for.

A comparative cost analysis, which includessocial and environmental factors, is developedfor present and future energy generation alter-natives. In this perspective, a set of clearlydefined policy objectives is addressed using thecost data. Policy issues are explored in a dynamiccontext to provide a comparative assessment of the policy analysis across different countries.In addition the project intends to look at howmuch of the external costs each policy optioninternalises, using a broad set of variables ofinterest. The project also underlines the greatestuncertainties and indicates where futureresearch effort should be concentrated. Finallythe success of the project is assessed in terms ofthe acceptability of the estimated energy costsby the scientific and policy communities and bythe use made of these costs in a policy context.

ChallengesThe overall objectives of the MAXIMA projectwere to translate and present the ExternE(Externalities of Energy) quantification approachand ExternE estimates for power-sector externa -lities outside the scientific community, and toimprove the applicability and acceptance of theExternE methodology and results.

Project StructureIn the first step a concept for internalisation ofexternal costs of electricity production wasdeveloped, identifying optimal internalisationstrategies. External cost values as required bythe internalisation instruments were calculatedwith the impact pathway approach, based onthe latest scientific knowledge. This includedthe synthesis and comparison of existingresults on the external costs of energy in theEuropean Union, both in the EU15 and newmember states.

A principal means for disseminating and discussing the ExternE methodology andresults was the hosting of a number of workshopsat which representatives of the energy industry,NGOs and the policy-making community could meet with the ExternE team to expressreservations and make suggestions regardingmethodology, values and potential internali-sation instruments. The discussions centred on three stakeholder workshops arranged progressively. Workshop discussions were documented, with efforts to identify areas ofconsensus as well as those where agreementcould not be reached or where issues wereopen-ended. The first workshop took place inKrakow, 28 February – 1 March 2005, with participants predominantly from the newmember states of the European Union. The secondworkshop, held in Paris 10-11 May 2005,brought together participants from industry

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Quantification of externalities from electricity production has made considerable progress; however,internalisation of external costs hasnot been implemented broadly, due toa lack of information on the conceptand its application as an aid to policy.Even though the impact pathwayapproach (IPA) developed in ExternE(Externalities of Energy) is acceptedas the best way to calculate energyexternal costs, results showconsiderable uncertainties andvariations with different basicassumptions in certain areas.

The scientific task of reducinguncertainties is currently addressed in several projects; identifying theassumptions to be used for decisions,however, requires consensus withstakeholders. The main objective of this project was to translate andpresent the concept of externalities,the quantification approach and results outside the scientificcommunity. Furthermore, it was the aim to initiate a discussion of the pros and cons among representativesof the energy industry, policy-makersand NGOs in order to reach a consensuson methodology and values.

and NGOs, predominantly from WesternEurope. The third workshop, held in Brussels,14 September 2005, was oriented to participantswho had attended one of the previous work-shops, in order to build on previous discussions.A final symposium summarising results forpolicy-makers as well as other stakeholderswas held on 9 December 2005 in Brussels, andwas attended by more than 130 people fromall relevant stakeholder groups.

ResultsQuestions, concerns and comments received atthe workshops and associated exchanges withstakeholders were compiled, summarised andanalysed, together with responses from theExternE team. The overall impression was thatthose who attended the workshops valued theExternE method, and had already found it orits results useful or, especially for participantsfrom new member states, were very interestedin using ExternE or its results. The concernsand reservations expressed were less aboutshortcomings of the method or disputes aboutassumptions made, although there were someof these. Rather, questions were raised aboutthe practical applicability of the method andresults in policy-making, the representativenessof results, as well as reservations aboutuncertainty, monetisation and completenessrelative to what information was consideredimportant to the environmental policy-making process.

Many of the comments and questionsexpressed by stakeholders during the work-shops related to the use and interpretation ofExternE results in a real-world policy context,as opposed to the more technical aspects ofthe ExternE method and results. The translationbetween the ExternE method and results ‘in



Duration20 months

Contact personDr. Peter BickelUniversity of [email protected]

List of partnersAssociation pour la Recherche et le Dévelopement des Méthodes et Processus Industriels – FRCentro Elettrotecnico Sperimentale ItalianoGiacinto Motta SpA – ITElectricité de France – FREnergy for Sustainable Development Ltd – GBGlobal Legislators Organisation for a Balanced Environment – BEHELIO International – FRUniversity of Bath – GBUniversity of Hamburg – DEUniversity of Stuttgart – DE

Websitehttp://maxima.ier.uni-stuttgart.de


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the laboratory’ and policy implementation is,not surprisingly, an area of intense interest tostakeholders. Applied policy interpretation,and policy analysis in general, is outside theclassic methodology purview of the ExternEteam, but clearly important to the project’sultimate goals.

The discussions helped reveal a few areaswhere ExternE’s role could be clarified, high-lighted some points on which the ExternEmethod or results drew controversy or discomfort,and identified some topics in which participantsthought more research or effort would be useful.

It can be concluded that MAXIMA provided a better accepted scientific methodology forimplementing electricity external costs inEuropean policy, as well as a set of externalcost estimates which is broadly accepted. The results of the project are documented onthe website of the ExternE project series(www.externe.info).

Progress to Date The project is terminated.

ChallengesNEEDS entails major advancements in the currentstate of knowledge in the areas of:

• Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of energy techno -logies.

• Monetary valuation of environmental (andother) externalities associated with energyproduction, transport, conversion and use.

• Integration of LCA and externalities informationinto energy and environment policy formulationand scenario building.

• Multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA), toexamine the robustness of the proposedtechnological solutions in view of stakeholderpreferences.

Based on the current state-of-the-art, achievingsuch advancements calls for a sizeable innovationeffort in a number of research fields, including:

• The analysis of new energy technologyoptions and, in general, of renewable energytechnologies for which the current LCAknowledge is insufficient.

• The development of new and improved toolsfor the monetary valuation of externalities ofenergy, targeting major innovation at severalstages of the Impact Pathway Approach (IPA).

• The development of a consistent and robustanalytical platform allowing one to integratethe full range of information and data on LCA and external costs into a pan-European modelling framework, and to build scenariosfor future European energy system.

The full benefits of the Integrated Project will beachieved only through a dedicated effort aimedat integrating the activities taking place within eachresearch field, in line with the following scheme:

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The ultimate objective of the NEEDSIntegrated Project is to evaluate the full costs and benefits (i.e. direct + external) of energy andenvironmental policies and of futureenergy systems, both at the level of individual countries and for the enlarged EU as a whole.

In this context NEEDS refines anddevelops the externalities valuationmethodology already set up in theExternE project through an ambitiousattempt to develop, implement andtest an original framework of analysiswith the aim of assessing the long-term sustainability of energytechnology options and policies.

Project StructureThe NEEDS Integrated Project is structured as a series of Research Streams (RS), each addressinga specific area of research. Besides RS integration,the Streams can be grouped in three main ‘blocks’:

Enhancements in energy externalities

RS 1a LCA of new energy technologies

RS 1b New and improved methods to estimatethe external costs of energy conversion

RS 1c Externalities associated with theextraction and transport of energy

RS 1d Extension of the geographical coverageof the current knowledge of energyexternalities

Development of long term strategies

RS 2a Modelling internalisation strategies,including scenario building

RS 2b Energy Technology Roadmap and Stake -holder Perspectives

Input to policy making and dissemination

RS 3a Transferability and generalisation

RS 3b Dissemination/communication.



Duration48 months

Contact PersonMr Andrea Ricci Institut of Studies for the Integration of [email protected]

List of partners Ambiente Italia srl - ITAristotle University of Thessaloniki - GRArmines - FRAtomic Energy Research Institute - HUAutonomous University of Barcelona - ESCatholic University of Leuven (KUL) - BECentre for Promotion of Clean and Efficient Energy in Romania - ROCentre de Documentation de Recherche et d’experimentation sur les pollutions accidentelles des Eaux (CEDRE) - FRCentre de Developpement des Energies Renouvelables - MACentro Elettrotecnico Sperimentale Italiano - ITChalmers University of Technology - SECharles University Prague - CZCIEMAT - ESCNRS - FRConsiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche - ITCRES - GRDLR - DEEcole Polytechnique de Tunisie - TNEcole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne - CHE-CO Tech - NOEconcept AG Forschung Beratung Projektmanagement - CHElectricité de France - FRElsam A/S - DKESU-services Rolf Frischknecht - CHFondazione ENI Enrico Mattei - ITFraunhofer Gesellschaft (FHG-ISI) - DEGlobal Legislators Organisation for a BalancedEnvironment - BEHELIO - FRIcelandic New Energy Ltd - ISInstitute of Occupational Medicine - GBInstitute of Studies for the Integration of Systems (ISIS) - ITInstitut fur Energie und Umweltforschung - DEInstitut fur Umweltinformatik - DEInternational Institute for Applied Systems Analysis - ATIstituto Nazionale di Fisica della Materia - ITIstván University - HUJozef Stefan Institute - SIJRC - ESKanlo Consultants - FRLithuanian Energy Institute - LTMeteorologisk Institutt - NONew and Renewable Energy Authority - EGNational Technical University of Athens - GRObservatoire Méditerranéen de l'Energie - FRPaul Scherrer Institut - CHPROFING, s.r.o - SKRisoe National Laboratory - DKStockholm Environment Institute Tallinn Center - EESwiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich - CHTallin University of Technology - EETorino University of Technology - ITUniversity of Antwerp - BEUniversity of Bath - GBUniversity of Hamburg - DEUniversity of National and World Economy - BGUniversity of Neuchâtel - CHUniversity of Newcastle upon Tyne - GBUniversity of Paris - FRUniversity of Stuttgart - DEVITO - BEVTT - FI

Websitewww.needs-project.org

Project OfficerAnna Gigantino

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Expected ResultsThe main result of the NEEDS project will bethe provision of accurate quantitative measure -ments of the absolute values of external costsassociated with the energy cycle: these canthen be used to determine the appropriatelevel of regulation, performance standards,taxation, etc. in the policy-making process.Moreover NEEDS devotes a signi ficant amountof resources to ensuring that the adoption ofexternality valuation methods is system aticallyextended to the new EU Member States and tothe Mediterranean countries, and that theavailability and quality of datasets are broughtup to par. Also, modelling, internalisationstrategies and long-term scenarios will coverat least ten individual countries outside theborders of the EU15.

Complementary but no less important researchstreams will provide a mapping of the sensitivityof sustainability performance of the energytechno logy options, explore the stakeholder perspectives on assessed external costs, andassess the transferability of results as well asgeneralisation issues. Finally, the disseminationactivities, and in particular a series of PolicyWorkshops and Fora staged in different countriesand regions, will highlight how externalitiescould deepen the discussion of energy policyissues by interacting with a wider audiencebeyond the expert level.

Progress to Date Overall, the IP workplan has so far proceededaccording to plan, resulting in a large number ofDeliverables and Technical Papers already issued,notably including:

• A series of reports on the technical specifica-tions of future energy technologies, pavingthe way for a full LCA of these technologies.

• A report on innovative methodologies for thevaluation of externalities associated with theloss of biodiversity.

• The specification of energy models for allcountries covered by the NEEDS project.

• The identification of social criteria to be usedfor the assessment of stakeholder acceptance.

• Reports and technical papers on a variety ofinnovative issues such as:

• Air pollution from indoor sources

• Advancements in the monetary valuationof mortality

• Hydrogen as an energy carrier, and manyothers.

Challenges The Accession Treaty, on the basis of Directive2001/77/EC and 2004/8/EC, obliges the NMSgovernments to increase their renewable electricityshare from 12.5% in 1997 to 18.13% in 2010 onaverage and to actively promote co-generation.To reach this ambitious goal, these countries willhave to focus on higher utilisation of renewableenergy sources potential, large-scale integrationof renewable electricity sources (RES-E), and co-generation from renewable energy sources(RES) in energy supplies. During realisation ofthis target, the NMS may encounter difficulties ofa technical, financial, policy and socio-economicnature, characteristic of economies in transition.

A number of problems are common to all CentralEuropean NMS:

• Problem 1: Insufficient development of large-scale integration of renewable energy sourcesand co-generation in energy supplies

Such problems may arise not only from different economic and technical circumstancesin the countries of the CEE region, in compa -rison to the EU15 Member States, but can be

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The objectives are to enhance large-scale integration of renewableelectricity and co-generation withenergy supplies in Central Europeannew member states (NMS) byidentifying particular difficulties and drawbacks of the large-scaleintegration of renewable energies anddefining areas for further research.

Another objective is to increaseparticipation of the Central Europeannew member states’ energy marketparticipants in the EuropeanFramework Programmes, by buildingconsortia for further projects in theseprogrammes and providing feedback to the EU on potential partners for future consortia and interestingresearch questions.

also caused by the lack of well-establishedpolicies optimised to local conditions.Discussing and defining major NMS problemsin the field of large-scale renewable energyintegration with energy systems, and trans-lating this into potential research themes, willbe a valuable asset to elaborating a strategyfor overcoming area-specific barriers.

• Problem 2: Inadequate participation of theCE-NMS energy stakeholders in the EUFramework Programmes

Stakeholders from Central European NMSresearch centres are not adequately repre-sented in the international research commu-nity. In this way, problems occurring in thesecountriesI in the field of large-scale integra-tion of RES-E and co-generation in nationalsystems are not properly addressed.

Project StructureThe project activities and its aims are presentedin the figure below:

SOCIAL ACCEPTABIL ITY, BEHAVIOURAL CHANGES AND INTERNATIONAL DIMENSION RELATED TO SUSTAINABLE ENERGY RTD

Task

Elaborating joint methodology

Report on regional energypolicies

Seminars un CentralEuropean Countries

Report on problermsand barriers

General conference

Description of the state-of the art inenergy markets in Central European NMS

Definition of barriers for large-scaleRES-E and RES co-generation development

Definition of potential research areas and questions

Discussion on the most importantresearch problems and building consilia

Aim

Enhancement of large-scale RES-E and co-generationintegration into energy supplies in NMS

Increase of participation of energy market participantsfrom NMS in research framework programmes


Duration15 months

Contact personMaria Szweykowska-MuradinEcofys Polska [email protected]

List of PartnersEcofys - NLEcofys Polska - PLEkodoma - LVEnergy Centre Bratislava - SKEnviros - CZStockholm Environmental Institute, Tallin Centre - EE Lithuanian Energy Institute - LTRegional Environmental Centre for Centraland Eastern Europe - HUUniversity of Ljubljana - SI

Websitewww.ceeres.org

Project officerBarry Robertson

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Expected Results• Identifying problems related to large-scale

implementation of RES-E and renewable co-generation in the Central European NMS.

• Defining areas of further research under EUFramework Programmes.

• Activating energy sector’s stakeholders toparticipate in research projects.

• Creating networks for developing futurecommon projects for EU programmes.

• Creating a database of potential researchers,partners and stakeholders in future EUFramework Programmes; including researchquestions which have to be addressed infuture research.

• Providing feedback to the European Commissionabout the needs for further research.

Progress to Date

Goal

Elaborating joint methodology

Reporting on regional policiesregarding renewable electricityand co-generation

Overview report on EU tools andpolicies and a list of CE-NMS relevant projects

8 meetings of experts in the area of renewable energy and co-generation

8 Seminars in Central EuropeanNMS

Website

Database of researchers and research areas

Reporting on problems and barriers

International conference (19-20 June 2006, Warsaw, Poland)

State of progress

Finished

Finished

Finished

Finished

Finished

The website is being periodicallyupdated

Database is created, inclusion ofentries is ongoing

In preparation

In preparation

Results

Joint methodology

• 8 overview reports• 1 summary report

1 report

Expert meeting took place fromSeptember 2005 to November 2005

Seminars took place October 2005 -February 2006

www.ceeres.org

Database on project website

More information atwww.ceeres.org

ChallengesThe current understanding of social processesaffecting the (non-)acceptance of renewableenergy technologies (RES) and rational use ofenergy (RUE) is limited. Project managers oftenassume that stakeholders will adopt and adaptto the innovation without resistance. In practice,however, stakeholders such as users, NGOs orlocal public authorities might have different(and possibly conflicting) visions of the innovationand of the future world where the innovationwill apply. If these diverging views are neglected,project implementation may face severe societalresistance in the implementation phase. So thereis a need for empirically based analyticalresearch to provide a better understanding ofthe complex interactions between stakeholders.

The project CREATE ACCEPTANCE aims toimprove the conditions for RES and RUE bydeveloping a tool for assessing and promotingthe societal acceptance of the related technologies.The project builds upon a prior EC-financedresearch project, Socrobust, that aimed at developing a tool to measure the social robustnessof innovations in general. Socrobust providestechnology developers with two maps in termsof users, producers, regulation, and science. Onemap visualises the present situation; the secondmap visualises the desired future world. On thebasis of discrepancies between the two maps,the technology developer can start altering theinnovation to fit the future world or focus on creating a more enabling context for the innovation,for example through changing institutions andregulations.

Socrobust needs revision before it can be usedas a tool to assess and promote societal accept-ance of RES and RUE. More specifically, the toolneeds to be enhanced from an innovator’s toolinto a multi-stakeholder tool.

For this purpose Socrobust is:

• Critically reviewed.

• Supplemented with recent insights from relevantscientific fields such as large socio-technical systems, system innovations and participatorymethods.

• Applied to five demonstration projects coveringseveral (renewable) energy technologies in various European regions.

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The project aims at assessing a previously developed tool (Socrobust)for its suitability in contributing tosocietal acceptance of RES and RUEtechnologies by mapping its potentialand limitations. It will determine thekey elements of societal acceptance ofRES and RUE technologies by assessing(recent and past) societal acceptanceof such technologies in several Europeanregions.

The Socrobust tool platform will be enhanced as a multi-stakeholdertool by integrating knowledge gainedin the first two objectives, and bydesigning the necessary instrumentsand procedures. The multi-stakeholdertool will be validated in five selecteddemonstration projects, covering a wide range of RES and RUEtechnologies as well as various regionsof Europe. The preliminarily selecteddemonstration projects are a hydrogenproject in the Nordic countries, a biomass project in Eastern Europe,CCS in Western Europe, a wind projectin Hungary and a solar thermal projectin the Mediterranean region.

Project structureThe project is divided in five work packages:

WP 1: assessing Socrobust

WP 1 aims at critically reviewing Socrobust anddeciding which aspects need further improvementand adjustment in order to assess and promotesocietal acceptance of RES and RUE technologies.WP 1 delivers conclusions on how to modify theSocrobust tool.

WP 2: historical and recent stakeholderattitudes

WP 2 aims to do empirical research on socialprocesses shaping the (non-)application of newenergy technologies at a local/regional level. The goal is to provide a better understanding ofthese processes in specific European regions.Experiences gained from past participation andcommunication efforts are analysed in detail. On the basis of this analysis, earlier successesand failures are identified so that lessons can bedrawn from those experiences. The empiricalresults enable (together with the results fromWP 1) the development of a regional specificmulti-stakeholder tool. WP 2 delivers a compendiumof best practices for managing societal acceptanceof RES and RUE technologies in the energy sector.

WP 3: tool development

WP 3 integrates the results from WP 1 and WP 2.The result will be a new multi-stakeholder tool.Several preliminary issues have already beenidentified as important for further adjustment:

• Socrobust works well from an innovator’sperspective, but lacks the multi stakeholderperspective necessary for the present project’sfocus on societal acceptance.

• Socrobust does not provide instruments orstrategies that might help align the futurevisions of different stakeholders. One of thestrategies often mentioned in literature is earlystakeholder involvement. Another strategy isexperimenting in early niche markets.



Duration34 months

Contact personRuth MourikEnergy Research Centre of the [email protected]

List of partnersEcoinstitut - ESECN - NLHungarian Environmental Economics Centre – HUIcelandic New Energy – IS Institute for Applied Ecology – DE Institute of Renewable Energetic Ltd – PL National Consumer Research Centre – FI National Research Council on Firms and Development – ITUniversity of Salford – GBUniversity of Social Science, Toulouse – FR

Websitewww.createacceptance.net


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• Different technologies usually are in very different development stages. In some casesthe technology can still be shaped, whereasin other cases it's more about increasingacceptance for a pre-defined technology.These issues need to be addressed in themethodology.

WP 4: tool application

The multi-stakeholder tool developed in WP 3will be applied to five selected demonstrationprojects, taking into account the regional profiles.The preliminarily selected demonstration projectsare a hydrogen project in the Nordic countries, a biomass project in Eastern Europe, carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) in WesternEurope, a wind project in Hungary and a solarthermal project in the Mediterranean region. The project partners will organise a multi-stake-holder process for each of these projects. In thefinal stage, this work package will evaluate andrefine the multi-stakeholder tool after it hasbeen applied to the demonstration projects.

WP 5: project management

WP5 involves project management and dissemi-nation.

Expected resultsThe multi-stakeholder tool will become publiclyavailable to energy managers, policy makers,technology developers, intermediary energyservice providers, and other possible users afterconclusion of the project. This will occur by providing the tool and information about thetool, including a manual, on the project website.

Progress to dateThe CREATE ACCEPTANCE project started 1 February 2006 and will run for two years. For up-to-date progress and results please visithttp://www.createacceptance.net

ChallengesThe main challenge of the project is to facilitatethe participation of the NMS and ACC in the 6th Framework Programme and encourage partic-ipation in the 7th Framework Programme. The firstspecific challenge is to promote the Europeanenergy research priorities of clean energy production, distribution and use, and new energytechnologies aimed at developing and increasingthe proportion of renewable energy sources. It is also essential to make a significant contribu-tion to the international effort of ensuringsecurity of energy supply and conservation ofthe environment. The project should help insolving new MS and ACC energy problems, suchas restructuring of an energy sector formerlybased on coal, counteracting CO2 emissions andincreasing dependence on imported fossil fuels, aswell improving the efficiency of the generation,distribution and use of energy.

One of the specific objectives of the proposal is to map the activities of the research groups inthe ACC and MS working on future energytechnologies and to establish internationalexpert groups. Moreover, it is essential to organisea series of profiled regional infodays and seminarsin the new MS and ACC, together with brokerageevents for prospective newcomers to theFramework Programme. Finally there is thepreparation and dissemination of training materialsdevoted to consortium building, partner searches,proposal preparation, project management,financial and contractual aspect by project website.

Project Structure The project is divided into three work packagescomprising eight tasks. Regional infodays, linkedwith brokerage events and associated with wellestablished conferences, will be organised in thecountries concerned. The events will help potentialparticipants get off to a good start on FP7.

One of the support activities of the proposedproject, as defined in WP 1 and WP 2, is to mapresearch groups in the NMS and ACC, and identify groups of experts in the old memberstates. Consequently, the international expertgroups will have to be established by then.Moreover, three national infodays in Poland, theSlovak Republic and Romania will be organisedand a project website designed. The publication

O B J E C T I V E S

FET-

EE

U

Future Energy Technologies for Enlarged European Union

144

The main objective of the projectis to carry out activities which will

contribute to the integration of theresearch and technology developmentgroups in the new member states(NMS) and associated candidatecountries (ACC) and old memberstates in the area of future energytechnologies.

One of the general integration andstructuring objectives of the proposalis to identify the best energy-sectorresearch centres and potentialindustry and SME partners in theNMS and ACC open to new energytechnologies, to define their profiles,strengths, weakness and needs, and to identify research and industrygroups and experts in the old memberstates. The second objective is to improve knowledge in the NMSand ACC of the Framework Programmes,the participation rules and instruments,and to develop the skills needed forproject preparation and management.

of promotion material is also essential as a support activity for the project.

Expected ResultsThe strategic impact of the proposed project isat several levels. The first level is its contributionto the European Research Area by integratingand structuring energy research in the enlargedEuropean Union. This will be achieved throughthe identification of research groups working innew and advanced energy technologies in theNMS and ACC, and classification of the targetgroups. Secondly, there is the mobilisation of thehuman and material resources in the area ofnew energy technologies in the NMS and ACC,and full integration of the research communityin the field of new energy technologies in theenlarged European Union.

The second level is the scientific contribution toenergy sector transformation in the NMS andACC through decreasing the share of fossil fuelsin the total balance of energy generation andincreasing the use of renewable energy, improvingenergy efficiency and ensuring security of energysupply. This can also be done through stimulatingthe interest of research groups in the NMS andACC in such not yet widely disseminated energytechnologies as fuel cells and hydrogen.Moreover, the new concepts for reducing thecosts of RES production and exploitation will beintroduced.

The third level is the contribution to solvingenvironmental problems in Europe through thereduction of emissions of greenhouse gases andpollutants, in particular through CO2 captureand sequestration. Another expected result is toadopt fuel sources for energy generation thatare neutral for the environment.

The fourth level is the contribution to the societaland economic needs of the new members of theEU through the indication of new forms andfields of employment in the new energy techno -logies sector. A scientific contribution to theanalysis of societal acceptability for new energytechnologies is also envisaged.

Finally there is the impact on gender issues,foreseen in the participation of 15 women in themain project team.



Duration34 months

Contact PersonAndrzej SławinskiInstitute of Fundamental TechnologicalResearch Polish Academy of [email protected]

List of partnersADEME - FRAgenzia per la Promozione della RicercaEuropea - ITAustrian Research Promotion Agency - ATEnviros Consulting Ltd - GBHungarian Science and TechnologyFoundation - HUInstitute of Fundamental TechnologicalResearch Polish Academy of Sciences - PLInstitute of Power Engineering - PLInstitute of Power Studies and Design - ROLithuanian Energy Institute - LTMinistry of Higher Education, Science and Technology - SIRTD Talos Ltd - CYZvolen University of Technology - SK

Websitewww.kpk.gov.pl/fet-eeu/

Project officerBarry Robertson

Statusongoing

145

Progress to DateA database of research and industry institutions,organisations, small groups and persons actingin the area of new and advanced energy techno -logies in the NMS and ACC has been established.The main thematic sub-areas of the databaseare: hydrogen, fuel cells, photovoltaics, RES andother innovative ideas for energy generation,distribution, saving and storage. A second data-base features project experts – representativesof the Integrated Project and Network ofExcellence in the area of Priority 6.1, or projectsrealised in the framework of FP5 and FP6 in the

field of new and advanced energy technologies.Moreover NCP Poland as a member of Network‘Energy Future’ organised the scientific conference‘Sustainable Energy Systems – New directions inproduction and use of energy’ in Zakopane,Poland (12-14 October 2005) which was a goodtool for disseminating new data on technologiesamong the research community and a platformfor the exchange of ideas. The conference was asuccessful contribution to the development ofnew energy systems.

Challenges Sustainable energy uptake in Europe is notachieving the targets set either at a Communitylevel or at a level targeted by most member states(MS) or the candidate accession states (CAS). Tenyears after Rio (promoting local participation insustainable development), with policy frameworkssetting targets for renewable energy, combinedheat and power, the rational use of energy witha major focus on reducing greenhouse gas emis-sions, and with hundreds of millions in investmentat a Community, MS and CAS level, Europe isnot meeting its targets.

While macroeconomic and Community, MS andCAS policies are necessary to promote investmentin sustainable energy technologies and projects,they are not sufficient if local authorities, localcommunities, citizens, investors, developers andfinanciers are unable, for whatever reasons, to invest in and develop these projects. While researchand development and pilot projects are necessaryto set the path and the framework for investment,they are not sufficient to guarantee that keyactors will adopt them and disseminate andcommercialise them on a large scale. Developinga number of models and tools in the field of sustainable energy does not ensure their adoptionby local authorities and local actors; such toolsmust be developed specifically for local level use,and must be replicable for a wide variety of differentlocal communities throughout Europe, and notdeveloped simply as one-off projects.

One of the reasons for this is a basic lack ofunderstanding of, and familiarity with, thesetechno logies and tools at a local level. This islargely due to the fact that local authorities havenot been engaged at nearly the level thatCommunity and national leaders have in the discussions, the debates and demonstrations ofthese technologies and approaches. Secondly,specialists have dominated the scene, speaking interms and using tools that are alien and unfamiliarto local authorities, local planners, local politiciansand key local actors/stakeholders. This meansthat these approaches and technologies are oftennot understood or even known at a local level.

Finally, and most importantly, local authorities havenumerous priorities, particularly social priorities,from education to health, from public housingto public transport, from water provision to wastedisposal that have not been addressed from

O B J E C T I V E S

LETI

T

Local Clean Energy Technology Implementation

146

The main objective of LETIT has beento provide local authorities acrossEurope with a framework withinwhich they can identify and assess the sustainable energy potential of the many assets that they areresponsible for.

Local authorities own, manage and control a wealth of resources thatare not usually viewed in terms of sustainable energy, such as buildings,transport, land and waste. Such assets could potentially bedeveloped to generate or provide a demand for clean energy and, by viewing them in this way, local authorities are well positioned to initiate projects that could bringsocial, economic and environmentalbenefits to themselves and theircommunities.

a sustainable energy standpoint by those promotingsustainable energy at a Community or nationallevel. Moreover, financial and human resourcesto deal with their priorities are limited. Promotingsustainable energy in its own right, withoutdemonstrating how sustainable energy addresseskey local priorities, seems to local authorities asyet more burden for no understandable benefits.

While energy is important in each of these areas –health, education, other social services, transport,waste management, etc. – few local authoritiesand their experts see the link between these servicesand the supply and management of energy in a unified framework or approach. The tools, models,frameworks and information to make such a link, and act upon it, hardly exist. This applieseven more to sustainable energy, as it is evenmore removed, more alien, to local authoritiesand actors than conventional energy.

Indeed, until local authorities and local actors fullyengage in the process of valuing their sustainableenergy assets and integrating them into theirplans, and finally promote them in order to reducetheir own and investors’ risks in developing them,there is no chance Europe will meet its targets.

Project StructureESD was the project coordinator for a networkof national project teams in four EU memberstates (UK, Portugal, Italy and Germany) and twocandidate accession states (Poland and theCzech Republic). Each of those six country teamscomprised one technical partner, at least onelocal authority, and at least one industry, investoror project developer partner with a strong energy-technology focus. The six country teams were ledby technical partners, each of which is a companyor institute with considerable experience with



Duration25 months

Contact personHannah IsaacESD [email protected]

List of partnersASM Terni S.p.A - ITBadenova - DECityplan - CZEC Baltic Renewable Energy Centre - PLESD Ltd - GBEcoazioni - ITFraunhofer Gesellschaft (FhG-ISE) - DEInnova - ITInstitute of Mechanical Engineering - PTLabelec - PTPomeranian Centre of Technology - PL Regional Development Agency of SouthBohemia - CZUtilicom Ltd - GB

Websitehttp://letit.energyprojects.net

Project officerKomninos Diamantaras

Statusterminated

147

local government, sustainable technologies andtechnology investment.

The six country teams represented a range of geographic areas in Europe (including two candidate countries), differing sizes of localauthority, and different levels of sustainableenergy development. Each has been keen towork on the project to enable them to identifyand categorise their local energy assets, examinethe options for developing each, identify leadingor future technologies for exploiting those energyassets, and define in a systematic manner theexternalities (benefits and costs) of developing eachasset and technology, and the risks associatedwith such development. Each has been keen toundertake this assessment and then analysefuture technology investments in light of localneeds and priorities.

Expected ResultsLETIT will provide valuable support for local governments in the assessment of new energytechnologies in terms of their costs, benefits andrisks. The tools will enable any local governmentto make informed decisions about the impacts ofa technology in the local community in terms of a number of wide-ranging externalities, fromlocal emissions and greenhouse gases toemployment generation and local revenues. Theframeworks that will be designed through theLETIT project will be highly replicable and willhelp local governments across Europe evaluatelocal sustainable energy development and policy.

Its practical results are:

• A methodology, usable at a local authority level,that identifies all possible assets (housing, land,transport, water, waste, electricity and heatgeneration, etc.) that can be used to planmedium- to long-term technology investments.

• A matrix that identifies all technologies thatcould be developed to develop local sustainableenergy assets.

• A tool to assist the assessment of the benefitsand costs (externalities) of each technologyoption.

• An electronic self-help ‘toolkit’ for localauthorities to follow the LETIT methodologywithout external support.

• Wide dissemination of the results and the methodologies, frameworks and modeldeveloped during the project to as wide anaudience in Europe as possible.

Progress to Date Since the start of the project, the LETIT team hascarried out six work packages, the outputs ofwhich have been consolidated to form a singleplanning framework and toolkit. Each workpackage combined primary research, stakeholderreview and the production of practical tools thatcan be used by local authorities across Europe.The work packages covered the following areas:Stakeholder identification and engagement,asset profiling and prioritisation, technologyidentification, socio-economic review, risk assess -ment and strategic planning.

LETIT reached its technical completion in June2006, following a successful dissemination eventheld at the representation of the government ofGreater London in Brussels. The event was heldto describe the practical outputs of the project,namely the LETIT web-based toolkit and toillustrate its use by presenting:

• The experiences of local authority partners inidentifying assets they would like to use todevelop sustainable energy locally, and thebenefits of using the LETIT framework

• Practical insights into how local authoritiescan build working relationships with projectdevelopers to implement sustainable energyprojects, and the policy tools that can beused to support this activity.

The event was used to launch a consultationamongst local authority representatives based inBrussels in order to obtain feedback on thefunctionality and usefulness of the toolkit forlocal authorities in their respective countries.This consultation led to improvements that havenow been incorporated into the final product,which is available through the project website.

In addition to the toolkit and the resulting activitiesin the local authorities participating in LETIT, the team have also compiled implementationplans outlining how those partner authoritieswill continue this process beyond the lifetime ofthe LETIT project.

Challenges Existing studies dealing with renewable energy inemerging and developing countries (e.g. EREC, WEC,IEA) aim at giving a global view of the situation andpossibilities in a region of the world. The EuropeanCommission pointed out a lack of a com prehensiveand complete set of data, and there fore asked theRECIPES team to bring these data together and drawpragmatic recommendations.

A crucial starting point in this process is the'triple-win objective'. The consortium is dedicatedto finding ways to implement RES that will benefit the local socio-economic situation andthe local and global environment, and offeropportunities for European companies. Any recommendation that will not incorporate allthree aspects will not be taken into account.

Consequently, the project has the ambitious goalof bringing together the demand and supplysides of renewable energy in emerging anddeveloping countries. The only way that theproject can realise this ambition is by ensuringthat the recommendations developed are broadlyaccepted by the stakeholders involved. The parties(that could possibly be) involved in the imple-mentation of RES in emerging and developingcountries are therefore actively requested tovalidate the chosen approach and to assist inthe development of the recommendations madeduring the project. The website is one of theinstruments the project uses to inform and askfor feedback from stakeholders, the latter forinstance by means of the forum pages.

To ensure the study will result in recommendationsthat lead to an actual increase of implemented

O B J E C T I V E S

RE

CIP

ES

Renewable Energy in Emerging and Developing CoCurrent Situation, Market Potential and Recommendations for a Win-win-win for EU industry, the Environment and Local

148

The RECIPES project is a EU-fundedresearch project that aims to promotethe implementation of renewableenergy in emerging and developingcountries. Key starting point of the study is that renewable energyshould be implemented in such a way that it is beneficial to the local socio-economic situation and theenvironment. Furthermore, possibilitiesof making use of European renewableenergy technology are taken intoaccount where possible. The studyconsists of three main phases: countrystudies, modelling and analysis, andconclusions and recommendations.

renewable energy, it is essential that all the mainstakeholders are involved in developing theserecommendations. Stakeholders will be involvedin the RECIPES project by means of:

• An Advisory Board (including industry, envi-ronmental and development NGOs, policyand academic experts).

• A web forum at which the results can be dis-cussed (the project will actively stimulateparticipation).

• A workshop for the validation of projectresults and development of recommenda-tions, held in November 2006.

Project structureThe project team carries out studies at two different levels:

• Desk research on each of the 114 emerging anddeveloping countries, gathering informationregarding the current situation and technicalpotential for renewable energy options.

• In-depth case studies in a representative selec-tion of 15 countries to be carried out by localexperts and including an assessment of technicaland market potential, the environmental andsocio-economic impacts, and costs and benefitsfor EU industry of fulfilling this potential.

In a later stage, the project team will validate theresults and recommendations with relevantstakeholders.

The project approach is depicted in the figure below:



Duration24 months

Contact personEric Evrard Partners for Innovation/Vissers&[email protected]

List of partnersEBM-consult bv - NLEsenerg - PYPartners for Innovation/Emiel Hanekamp - NLPartners for Innovation/Peter Karsch - NLPartners for Innovation/Vissers&Partners - BEWolfgang Lutz - NL

Websitewww.energyrecipes.org


Statusongoing

149

Expected resultsRECIPES sheds new light on the renewable energysituation in emerging and developing countriesthrough two major innovative points:

• The first is the comprehensiveness andcomplete ness of the information: this consistsof a general set of characteristics and data onthe current energy situation in 114 emergingand developing countries. In addition, fifteencountries have been studied in detail, workingin this case with local experts. The fifteencountry case-studies provide insight into a widerange of situations and options for imple -menting renewable energy. Furthermore, abroad geographical spread has been ensuredin selecting the countries. The case-studieswere conducted in five Latin American countries(Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Peru andColombia), five African countries (SouthAfrica, Niger, Ghana, Uganda and Cameroon)and five countries in Asia (China, India,Indonesia, Thailand and the Pacific Islands).

• The second innovative point is the ‘triple-winobjective’. The RECIPES team intends to providea view of the socio-economic and environmentimpacts, and the costs and benefits for EU industry, of meeting the renewable energypotential in emerging and developing countries.

The data collection and information-gatheringby local experts, combined with the assessmentsand comparison of different countries, will leadto pragmatic recommendations facilitatingappropriate action to further the implementationof renewable energy in emerging and developingcountries.

Progress to dateThe project RECIPES started in January 2005 andends in December 2006. The data gathering phaseis now finalised:

• The project has created a database with generalinformation on 114 emerging and developingcountries.

• Local experts have finalised the collection ofdata in the 15 above-mentioned countries.

The project team is now in the process ofanalysing and validating the results obtained,and 15 technical and market potential reports arebeing completed. It is also currently assessingthe socio-economic and environmental impacts,and the export potential for EU industry.Analyses and recommendations will be madeavailable online by the end of 2006.

untries:

Socio-economic Development

Challenges Despite being neighbours and grouped around acommonly shared sea, the Mare Nostrum, theSouthern and Eastern Mediterranean countries(SEMCs) are not equally endowed with energyresources. Few of them are hydrocarbon-exportingcountries while most are energy-dependent. In addition, the SEMCs are facing rapid demo-graphic growth, rapid urbanisation and highsocio-economic development, all of which translate into new and growing needs for energyservices, related infrastructures and financingmeans, and into environmental impacts. At thesame time, all of them have a high potential forrenewable energy resources (especially wind andsolar) and also a high potential for improvingtheir energy use and efficiency, thus ensuringsecurity of supply (or savings in hydrocarbonresources for producing countries) while contri -buting to more sustainable energy developmentin the region.

However, the full potential and advantages ofthese renewable energy resources are not fullyrealisable at present in this region because of theexistence of many barriers. For these energies toachieve their market potential, policy frame-works and financial instruments are necessarythat give financiers the necessary assurance andincentives to shift investment away from carbon-emitting conventional technologies to investmentin clean energy systems. Also technology transfer,capacity building and know-how transfer are veryimportant. In this context, regional cooperationis essential and can significantly benefit the sus-tainable development of the region, while playingan important role in meeting Kyoto targets.

The REMAP research project can play an importantrole in this regard. This project will compilerenewable resource information from variousprevious projects and initiatives, in order tocompile a bigger and more comprehensive atlasfor the whole Southern and Eastern Mediterra -nean area. In addition, it will enhance the statusof sustainable energy in the Mediterranean countriesby providing a clear vision of the priorities to beaddressed in order to develop the two mostimportant and promising RE technologies in theregion – wind and CSP – and by featuring the

O B J E C T I V E S

RE

MA

P

Action Plan for High-priority RenewableEnergy Initiatives in Southern and EasternMediterranean Area

150

The objectives of the REMAP projectare to work with key stakeholders in order to achieve the following: the compilation of a solar and windenergy resource atlas for the Southernand Eastern Mediterranean area,identifying and prioritising potentialdemonstration sites for wind andconcentrated solar projects in Algeria,Tunisia, Jordan and Turkey; recordinga set of commitments to be made bymajor stakeholders to develop severalwind and concentrated solar thermalenergy projects in the region;proposing a credible financing schemefor identified priority renewabledemonstration projects in the region;elaborating an action plan for a fewwell-identified initiatives suitable forimplementation; and disseminating the results of the project to as widean audience in Europe and theMediterranean region as possible.

commitments by major stakeholders in thesecountries to advancing the development of suchprojects. The project will thus serve to encour-age decision-makers in these countries to betterdefine the best practices regarding energy andto attract investments in the RE sector.

Project StructureThe REMAP proposal is structured in terms of fivemain work programmes and related deliverables:

• State-of-the-art and synthesis of the renewableenergy Atlas for the Southern and EasternMediterranean area. The objective will be togather the existing information on potentialrenewable energy resources in the region,specifically wind and solar, and to synthesisethis information in the form of a regional atlas.

• Identification and prioritisation of potentialdemonstration sites for wind and concentratedsolar projects in the Southern and EasternMediterranean area. The countries covered bythe REMAP research project are Algeria,Tunisia, Jordan and Turkey. As far as possible,the projects to be studied will also includewater desalination applications. This WP willallow the project to identify a portfolio of themost promising wind and CSP projects in theparticipating countries. Also the need (if any)for further research/activities regarding projectidentification and design will be identified.

• Commitments on wind and concentrated solarthermal energy integration in the Southernand Eastern Mediterranean region. The workwill involve putting on record a series ofcommitments to be made by energy agencies,utilities, energy manufacturers and banks.This would be achieved through the organisa-tion of national and regional workshops, withthe participation of the major stakeholders.By the end of this WP, the stakeholders committed to the selected projects will have been identified. Also barriers (if any) to commitments by investors will be recorded,together with activities designed to addressthese barriers.



Duration24 months

Contact personDr. Houda AllalObservatoire Méditerranéen de l’[email protected]

List of partners3E - BEAcciona - ESADEME - FRDLR - DEEnergy For Sustainable Development - GBFundacion Labein - ESNERC - JOGeneral Directorate of Electrical PowerResources and Survey and DevelopmentAdministration - TRObservatoire Méditerranéen de l’Energie - FRSociété Tunisienne d’Electricité et du Gaz - TNSonelgaz - DZ

Websitewww.remap.org


Statusongoing

151

• Adapted financing schemes. A parameterisedfinancial model for the wind projects and solarthermal power stations will be developed.These models will be incorporate technologicalcharacteristics, resource characteristics andlocal economic circumstances. The modelswill give a full overview of all the importantfinancial parameters – expected turnover,expected cost levels, investment levels,depreciation and financial costs – and willprovide projected profit and loss accounts,projected balance sheets and projected cashflow statements.

For this purpose a Financing Advisory Boardwill be set up at an early stage of the project.This Board will bring together several financinginstitutions and banks at both the interna-tional (e.g. EIB, CDC, AFD, private funds, carbon funds and/or others) and the nationallevel (to be identified by local partners). The discussions will result in an overview ofwhich financing approaches are most realistic,what the particularities are of the proposedfinancing schemes (per project), what thepotential consequences are in terms of theguarantees by suppliers or others required bythe financing partners, and which risk factorsare a potential ‘no-go’ for commercial investors.

• Management action plan, exploitation anddissemination. The objectives are to ensure thebest coordination and management of theproject and to disseminate the non-confiden-tial results. A website for the project will bedeveloped and extensively used for commu-nication between partners and with potentialusers of the results. The aim will also be toelaborate an action plan for financing andimplementing wind and concentrated solarthermal projects. Further activities to beundertaken will be considered separately forCSP and wind projects and included in theaction plan. The complete results will also besynthesised in the REMAP action plan scheduledfor the end of the project. A supporting eventwill be organised at the end of the project,with the participation of the actors involvedin wind power and solar energy technologiesin the European countries and Southern andEastern Mediterranean countries.

Expected resultsThe REMAP project will provide and disseminatebetter knowledge of the wind and solar energyresources available in the Mediterranean regionand opportunities to invest in wind and CSPprojects. It will offer clear information about thepriorities set by the different countries withregard to these technologies. It will also providedecision-makers with suitable tools and infor-mation to allow them to develop adapted, targeted and effective policies in the field of windand solar project development, in accordancewith the specific needs and policies of eachcountry. It will also provide a portfolio of potentialCSP and wind power projects to be implemented.The final objective of the project is to elaboratean action plan for high-priority renewable energyinitiatives in the Southern and Eastern Mediterra -nean area. The implementation of this action planwill have a very strong impact on the develop-ment of renewable energy in the Mediterraneancountries, along with the economic, social andenvironmental implications, and a strengthenedeuro-Mediterranean cooperation in the field(transfer of know-how, transfer of technology,investments, etc.).

ChallengesThere is a clear need and political will to increasethe share of renewables worldwide. There is alsoa wealth of experience available over the pastdecade, especially with demonstration projects.Numerous (development) organisations andprogrammes are in place to stimulate the increaseof new renewable energy technologies inemerging and developing countries, at inter -national and national levels (e.g. the EU EnergyInitiative for Poverty Eradication and SustainableDevelopment EUEI, the EU Coopener programme,UNDP programmes, Inforse programmes, INCO,the Global Environmental Facility, the EuropeanPartnership and Dialogue Facility, the JREC PatientCapital Initiative, GTZ, Energy4 Development andREEEP). Some of these are focussed on improvingaccess to energy and poverty alleviation, others ondemonstration of renewable energy techno logies,capacity-building or creating the preconditionsfor renewable energy.

However, so far, the increase of renewable energyproduction in emerging and developing countriesis slow compared to developed countries.

The 2003 renewable energy volume in 115 emergingand developing countries is estimated as 95 Mtoe,large hydro excluded (Figure 1). Under presentpolicy this volume is anticipated to double in2020. Tripling of the RES volume in 2020 underthe ‘maximum scenario’ is possible, but there isstill a long way to go for all RE technologiesother than large hydro. There is a clear need forambitious targets for these technologies, sup-ported by reliable measures in order to nurturesustainable RE industry and create the situationwhere RE could make a real impact on securityof supply and imported fuel dependency.

O B J E C T I V E S

RTD

4E

DC

Renewable Energy in Emerging and Developing Countries: Which Role for European RTD&D?

152

The main objective of the RTD4EDCproject is ‘to provide recommendationsand a synthetic and accessibleinformation basis on lessons learnedregarding the implementation ofrenewable energy technologies inemerging and developing countries,the impact of RTD&D in this perspectiveand the opportunities for EU industry.’

Market growth varies significantly between individual countries and between the three continents involved (Figure 2). In Asia renewableenergy volume growth is anticipated to be high,due to ambitious domestic policy programmes.In Latin America growth is lower due to the highvolumes already in place. In Africa growth isanticipated to be high, in the context of lowenergy consumption and the consequentlygreater impact of increased RE capacity, but theoverall volume will remain very low. For poorcountries the effort to bring modern and renewableenergy to the people costs much more per energyunit produced than in more industrialised countrieswhere larger installations can be established.

Initiatives traditionally focus on technologytransfer through demonstration, capacity- buildingand networking, through various fundingmecha nisms. Which role could European RTD&Dplay in increasing the share of renewable energy technologies in emerging and developingcountries? What are the lessons learned of best and worst practices in this perspective?What could be a realistic export potential for EUindustry to emerging and developing countries,and how could RTD&D help to realise thispotential? These questions are addressed in theRTD4EDC project.


Figure 2: market growth of renewable energy volume in 15 emerging and developing countries estimated in theRECIPES project.

Figure 1: market growth of renewable energy volume inemerging and developing countries estimated in theRECIPES project.a


Duration18 months

Contact personEmiel Hanekamp Partners for Innovation [email protected]

List of partnersEsenerg - PY IT Power - INNanoEnergy - ZAPartners for Innovation BV/ Emiel Hanekamp

Websitewww.energyrecipes.org


Statusongoing

153

Project StructureA team of four experienced partners based inEurope (Partners for Innovation BV, theNetherlands) and in emerging and developingcountries (ESENERG Paraguay, NanoEnergy LtdSouth-Africa, and IT Power India Ltd) aims atproviding:

• Clear ‘recipes’ for future RTD&D activities forthe European Commission, based on a betterunderstanding of:

• The potential impact of EU RTD&D activities(relative to possible other policy options)on the share of renewables in EDCs.

• The relation of EU RTD&D activities withbest and worst practices of implementationof renewables in EDCs.

• The possibilities of EU RTD&D activities topromote EU renewables industry in EDCs.

• Increased opportunities for European renew-ables industry to export to EDCs due to:

• A better understanding of export potentialsto EDCs.

• An increased awareness of the possibilitiesfor implementing renewables in EDCs.

• RTD&D policy activities (when implemented)supporting the industries’ activities.

The project team will undertake the followingactivities to make this happen:

• General information gathering and deskresearch

• 50 in-depth interviews with experts andstakeholders

• Survey (sample of 200) for evaluation ofexport potential and effective RTD&D policies

• Assessment of the role of RTD&D activities

• Analysis of 75 best and worst practices

• Confronting, integrating and synthesising offindings

• Organisation of a workshop for validation ofresults and recommendations.

The main output of the project will include reportson the above-mentioned results and a websitefully disclosing all gathered data, informationand results. The partners will use and furtherbuild upon the results of the RECIPES projectthat calculated realistic market potentials forrenewable energy in emerging and developingcountries (www.energyrecipes.org).

Expected ResultsThe expected outcome of the project is as follows:

• A comprehensive assessment of the role of(EU) RTD&D policy, in comparison with otheroptions, to increase the implementation ofrenewable energy technologies in emergingand developing countries (WP 1).

• A profound insight into the success and failurefactors in the implementation of renewableenergy technologies in emerging and developingcountries, on the basis of an analysis of bestand worst practices and the role of RTD&D inthese practices (WP 2).

• Establishment of realistic export potentials forEU RE industry and identification of effectiveRTD&D policies to support EU RE industry inthis purpose (WP 3).

• Validation of the conclusions in interactionwith stakeholders (WP 4).

155

List of Country Codes ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 156

Energy Units Conversion........................................................................................................................................................................... 157

List of Acronyms ......................................................................................................................................................................................................... 158

Annexes

Code Country

DZ Algeria

AT Austria

BY Belarus

BE Belgium

BG Bulgaria

CA Canada

CL Chile

CN China

CY Cyprus

CZ Czech Republic

DK Denmark

EG Egypt

EE Estonia

FI Finland

FR France

DE Germany

GR Greece

HU Hungary

IS Iceland

IN India

IE Ireland

IL Israel

IT Italy

JO Jordan

KE Kenia

List of Country Codes

156

Code Country

LV Latvia

LI Liechtenstein

LT Lithuania

LU Luxembourg

MT Malta

MA Morocco

NL The Netherlands

NO Norway

PY Paraguay

PL Poland

PT Portugal

RO Romania

RU Russia

SK Slovakia

SI Slovenia

ZA South Afrika

ES Spain

SE Sweden

CH Switzerland

TH Thailand

TN Tunesia

TR Turkey

UA Ukraina

GB United Kingdom

US United States

157

Petajoule(PJ) Mtoe Gigawatthour (GWh)

Petajoule (PJ) 1 2,388.10^-2 277,8

Mtoe 41,87 1 11630

Gigawatthour (GWh) 3,6.10^-3 8,6.10^-5 1

Energy Units Conversion

158 159

Acronym Name in original language

ADEME Agence de l'Environnement et de la Maitrise de l'Energie

AEBIOM European Biomass Association

ARMINES Association pour la Recherche de le Developpement des Méthodes et Processus Industriels

CERTH Εθνικό Κέντρο Έρευνας και Tεχνολογικής Ανάπτυξης

CIEMAT Centro de Investigaciones Energeticas, Medioambientales y Tecnologicas

CIRAD Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement

CNRS Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique

CRES Κέντρο Ανανεώσιµων πηγών Ενέργειας

DLR Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt

ECN Energieonderzoek Centrum Nederland

EUBIA European Biomass Industry Association

EUREC European Renewable Energy Centres Agency

EURELECTRIC Union of the Electricity Industry

EWEA European Wind Energy Association

FORTH Ίδρυµα Tεχνολογίας και Έρευνας

INETI Instituto Nacional de Engenharia e Tecnologia Industrial

JRC Centre Commun de Recherche

RWTH Rheinisch-Westfälische Hochschule Aachen

SINTEF Stiftelsen for Industiell ok teknisk forskning ved NTH

TNO Nederlandse Organistatie voor Toegepast-Naturwetenschappelijk Onderzoek

TUBITAK Turkye Bilimsel ve Teknik Arastirma Kurumu

VITO Vlaamse Instelling for Technologisch Onderzoek

VTT Valtion Teknillinen Tutkimuskeskus

ZSW Zentrum für Solarenergie und Wasserstoffforschung Baden-Württemberg

In this synopses we have tried to print the names of participants as correctly as possible.

However, some of them are known better by their acronym which in many cases has become a sortof brand name in the research community.

Also, in order to cope with the limited space available, we had sometimes to use abbreviations.

The following list contains the acronyms and abbreviations used, and allows clear identification of each participant.

List of Acronyms

English Name

Agency of Environment and Energy

European Biomass Association

Association for Research and Development of Industrial Methodes and Processes

Centre for Research and Technology Hellas

Centre for Energy, Environment and Technological Research

French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development

National Centre of Scientific Research

Centre for Renewable Energy Sources

German Aerospace Centre

Energy Research Centre of the Netherlands

European Biomass Industry Association

European Renewable Energy Centres Agency

Union of the Electricity Industry

European Wind Energy Association

Foundation of Reseach and Technology Hellas

National Institute of Enegineering and Industrial Technology

Joint Research Centre

University of Aachen

Foundation for Scientific and Industrial Research at the Norwegian Institute of Technology

Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research

Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey

Flemish Institute for Technological Research

Technical Research Centre of Finland

Centre for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research Baden-Württemberg

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European Commission

EUR 22399 – Renewable Energy Technologies – Long Term Research in the 6th Framework Programme 2002 I 2006

Luxembourg: Office for official Publications of the European Commities

2007 – 160 pp. – 21.0 x 29.7 cm

ISBN 92-79-02889-8ISSN 1018-5593

PRO

JECT

SYN

OPS

ES

Renewable EnergyTechnologiesLong Term Research in the 6th Framework Programme 2002 I 2006

KI-N

A-2

23

99

-EN

-C

Ren

ewab

le Energ

y Techn

olo

gies 2002 I2006

■PR

OJEC

T SYN

OPSES

EUR

22399

ISSN 1018-5593

This brochure provides an overview of research and development in the field ofrenewable energy, describing the current state of the art and the results achieved inEU-funded research projects under the Thematic Programme ‘Sustainable EnergySystems’ of the 6th Framework Programme 2002-2006. The projects, which have beencompiled into four research areas - photovoltaics, biomass, other renewable energysources and connection to the grid and socio-economic tools and concepts forenergy strategy – are summarised giving the scientific and technical objectives andachievements od each, plus contact details for the participating organisations.

renewable energy technologies - long term research in - europa

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