IrBEA event to showcase the potential of biomass to decarbonise industrial heat

There is renewed interest by large industry users in exploring biomass as an industrial heat decarbonisation option.
This follows the recent publication of the Irish government’s Industrial Heating Decarbonisation Roadmap.
The government is also seeking to extend the biomass support under the Support Scheme for Renewable Heat (SSRH) to the emissions trading sector.
Later this month, the Irish Bioenergy Association (IrBEA) is organising a seminar to showcase the biomass potential and opportunity in decarbonising industrial heat.
Speaking at the event launch, Seán Finan, CEO of IrBEA said: “Our event is targeted at large industrial heat users. The objective is to provide large industry with information and updates on biomass resource availability, supply security, sustainability and environmental considerations, certification, long-term viability and on the broader benefits of adopting industrial heating biomass solutions.
"Additionally, the latest advancements in biomass technology will be outlined, showing how biomass is successfully implemented in large-scale industrial settings, driving decarbonisation, reducing emissions and costs.”
Sustainability of the biomass supply is a key consideration for users. The event will showcase existing industrial heat users who are successfully deploying biomass at scale.
Maurice Ryan, business development director at Green Belt and IrBEA president said: “Biomass is regulated under the sustainability and greenhouse gas saving criteria of the renewable energy directives and by national and EU fuel quality and emission limit values.
"Biomass from forests is complementary to sustainable forest management practices. The main objective of commercial forestry in Ireland and across Europe is to produce high quality timber for use in the construction sector, as low embodied carbon building materials.
"Production of sawlog-sized material involves practices such as thinning. The production of smaller size logs have a number of markets, including energy use, once the existing board mill and other solid wood uses have been satisfied. Forest-based biomass is a great opportunity for industrial heat decarbonisation.”
Ireland has set very ambitious 2030 targets for greenhouse gas emission reductions and climate action. In this context, cutting emissions and the displacement of fossil fuel use in industrial heat is both a significant challenge and opportunity.
Finan concluded: “IrBEA are delighted to announce that the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) are the main sponsor of the event. The seminar is being organised in partnership with Worrell Harvesting, Balcas Energy and the Wood Fuel Quality Assurance (WFQA) Scheme.
"We are very appreciative of the support of our sponsors and partners. We look forward to welcoming industrial heat users to the event and engaging with them on the potential opportunities provided by biomass to decarbonise their energy use, particularly when solid biomass represents the lowest cost decarbonisation option for heating in terms of c/kWh or €/tCO2 abated, compared to other renewable heat technologies.”