Bioenergy

Bioenergy, that is energy from plant and animal material, has enormous potential both in the UK and globally. IT Power offers multi-disciplinary services to assist in the identification and implementation of all bioenergy opportunities.
Our project experience ranges from design of small scale heat and power generation schemes to technological and environmental due diligence assessments of multi-megawatt power stations and advice on supply options for co-firing in the UK’s largest power station. 
IT Power offers a complete range of services in bioenergy including:

• Project Identification and Feasibility Studies
• Resource and Supply Assessments
• Technology Evaluation
• Equipment Specification
• Due diligence services for investors
• Statutory Consents Including Planning and IPPC
• Contract Preparation
• Tender Assessments
• Project Management
• Regional Strategies for Market Stimulation
• Clean Development Mechanism

Case studies

•  In 2006 IT Power provided due diligence studies on three proposed biomass electricity plants in China.  IT Power’s studies assessed fuel supply, plant technology, regulatory and environmental approvals, staff capabilities for operation and maintenance and construction schedules.  The viability of the projects as CDM project was assessed.
• In 2004 IT Power carried out a biomass fuel analysis on behalf of a potential buyer of a portfolio of five biomass power plants.   IT Power analysed the past, current and likely future availability of fuel sources for each power plant.  The power plant range in size between 10 and 39 MW and use a variety of fuels including chicken and horse litter, straw, meat and bone meal and wood chips.  Availability, costs, threats to availability and technical issues relating to their use were all included in the study.
• In 2008 IT Power  provided an assessment of worldwide opportunities for biomass fuel supply to a UK coal fired power station.  The aim of the study was to enable it to meet its co-firing targets from sustainable sources at a reasonable cost.  
  Key priorities for the company are:
  • Sustainability of source
  • Supply chain certainty
  • Risk mitigation, including financial, political and reputation risks

  Supplies ideally should be scalable so that volumes can be easily increased inline with the future increased capacity.  IT Power reviewed the existing supply of biomass and then identifed improvements over the current supply strategy.

• IT Power was the UK partner of EARTH, an European wide project.  The EARTH project developed training courses and training infrastructure for installers of three renewable energy technologies for heat production:
  • Solar water heating (SWH),
  • Ground-source heat pumps (GSHP), and
  • Biomass energy.

  The work commenced with a survey and review of relevant training programmes and frameworks in participating countries (UK, Greece, Slovenia, Bulgaria, Lithuania, Germany, Austria, Finland and Spain).  Training programmes were then developed within the existing national vocational training frameworks in each country.  Pilot courses were carried out to test the training programmes.  Assistance was provided to training organisations, including training of trainers and pilot courses were audited to defined quality standards.

Within the UK IT Power worked with the Centre for Alternative Technology in Wales and BPEC to run the first biomass heating installers course.

• In 2003, as part of a renewable energy study for the Isla de la Juventud in Cuba, IT Power investigated the technical, economic and financial viability of biomass gasification plants as fossil fuel replacements for electricity generation and heat production. A 3.6 MW gasifier plant to produce power on the island and 4 small individual units for the provision of heat to local industries were recommended. These will be the first diesel-biomass hybrid installations in Cuba.
• A renewable energy feasibility study for the Borough of Hinkley and Bosworth, Leicestershire was carried out by IT Power in Spring 2003. The study focused on how renewable energy technologies and specifically biomass could contribute to rural economic development and farm diversification. It provided the Borough Council with a qualitative and quantitative summary of the most feasible opportunities for developing renewable energy technologies. IT Power is now working on developing one of the options identified.
• In conjunction with Land Use Consultants, IT Power developed a draft Sustainable Energy Strategy for the East Midlands and provided input to the review of Regional Planning Guidance, including guidance on the broad locations that may be suitable for renewable energy technologies, including biomass.
• In China IT Power worked on energy issues of the Yunnan Environment Development Programme (YEDP). YEDP was a grant programme funded by the Department for International Development (DFID) of the British Government with the aim of promoting environmentally sustainable development and poverty alleviation in Yunnan province. IT Power was a sub-contractor to Scott Wilson and developed pilot biomass projects in the Yunnan region to highlight the opportunities for utilising the biomass resource more efficiently to meet local development needs.
• In 2000 IT Power won a contract from the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development of Uganda (MEMD) to act as a Transaction Advisor for the Kakira Cogeneration Project. In conjunction with Power Planning Associates, advice was provided to MEMD on the purchase of electricity generated from biomass. The bagasse based Kakira Cogeneration project was proposed to export between 7 MW and 14 MW to the local utility. Assessment of the technical, financial and economic aspects and implications of the project from the perspective of all the stakeholders was carried out. This was done with a view to giving advice on the extent of governmental and GEF support which the project deserved.
• IT Power reviewed the technical and economic feasibility of a Wood-Waste Fuelled Co-Generation Power Plant for a Lumber Mill at Bela in South East Cameroon. The study included: projected waste wood volumes; cost/benefit analysis with diesel; environmental analysis; identification of required plant and equipment.