Newsletter/ nawaros^® 07/02

Content

A dynamic decade - 10th anniversary of C.A.R.M.E.N.
Ernst Pelz Award 2001
Support Award for Renewable Resources 2001
Members' meeting
C.A.R.M.E.N. Symposium 2002
Successful exhibitors
C.A.R.M.E.N. in Croatia
Tax exemption for biofuels
6th Framework Programme for Research of the EU
Pellets - new ÖNORM in Austria
Funding the use of biomass
It's the maize!
Pellet plant in Regen
Farm trainees at C.A.RM.E.N.

A dynamic decade - 10th anniversary of C.A.R.M.E.N.

In Würzburg, the birthplace of the Centrales Agrar-Rohstoff-Marketing- und Entwicklungs-Netzwerk - C.A.R.M.E.N. e.V. (i.e. 'Co-Ordinating Office for Renewable Raw Materials' - C.A.R.M.E.N., registered association) more than 140 guests of honour, members, and employees met for a ceremony in the Residenz in Würzburg on the 6th July. On the initiative of the Bavarian Ministry of Food, Agriculture, and Forestry C.A.R.M.E.N. had been called into being as the Bavarian co-ordinating agency for renewable resources ten years ago on that very day in 1992. C.A.R.M.E.N. both promotes the energetic and the industrial use of biomass and meanwhile also acts as an international information platform beyond national borders.

Josef Miller, the Bavarian Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, opened the state ceremony of the tenth anniversary by a speech. He noted that renewable raw materials had become established in numerous economic fields during the past years. The credit for this also went to C.A.R.M.E.N. However, the establishment of renewable raw materials still needed to be further developed, the Minister said. An important step was the amendment of the mineral oil tax law according to which all biogenic fuels such as biodiesel, vegetable oil, bioethanol - also blended with fossil fuels - were temporarily exempt from the mineral oil tax until the 31st December 2008. By respective regulations farmers would be enabled to re-enter a market which they had reliably served for centuries.

After presenting C.A.R.M.E.N.'s development Miller honoured personalities deserving well of the association, founder members, former members of the managing committee, and deserving employees. The Ernst-Pelz-Preis (i.e. the 'Ernst Pelz Award 2001') and the Förderpreis Nachwachsende Rohstoffe 2001 (i.e. the 'Support Award for Renewable Resources 2001') were also given by the Minister of Forestry Miller during the ceremony in Würzburg.

According to the statutes the award honours "personalities who distinguish themselves by taking economic risks or by an outstanding personal commitment in order to promote domestic renewable raw materials and who feel obliged to liberal-humane values." The Ernst Pelz Award 2001 went to Anton Dingl, the former official responsible for the environmental department of the Bavarian city of Altötting and manager of the energy-saving plant there, due to his enormous personal efforts in the construction and operation of one of Bavaria's largest biomass heating stations. As Miller observed, Dingl had made a valuable contribution to the fact that biomass heating stations were nowadays more and more noticed.

Support Award for Renewable Resources 2001

The Support Award for Renewable Resources 2001 for an outstanding product on the basis of renewable raw materials was given to Audi AG, Ingolstadt. Audi AG was thus honoured for their efforts in the field of biodiesel.
The introduction of the directly injecting diesel engines in 1989 after long years of development work caused a real boom for diesel cars and was therefore instrumental in reducing the fuel consumption.
Since 1997 all series-produced Audi diesel engines have been equipped for the operation on biodiesel. Dr. Werner Mischke accepted the award for the executive board of the development department of Audi AG.
Both prizes have got a purse of 10,000 Euro each and have been annually awarded since 1992 by the Bavarian Minister of Agriculture and Forestry. The awarding of the prizes promotes the further development of biomass products and is supposed to make the general public receptive to renewable raw materials.

Members' meeting

On the 6th July, too, the members' meeting of C.A.R.M.E.N. elected Franz Kustner vice-chairman. He is the successor of Prof. Elsässer, who left the board at his own request. Kustner, member of the board since C.A.R.M.E.N. was founded, is the president of the special committee for renewable raw materials of the Bavarian farmers' association and the president of the farmers' association of the Bavarian district of Oberpfalz.
A new member of the board is Dr. Peter Deml, president of e.on Bayern AG, Regensburg. The lawyer is also the manager of e.on Vertrieb GmbH, Munich.

C.A.R.M.E.N. Symposium 2002

Under the motto "Raw Materials - Regenerative and Profitable" the tenth C.A.R.M.E.N. Symposium took place in the fortress Marienberg in Würzburg on the 8th July (see also nawaros 05/2002). More than 200 participants informed themselves on the recent developments in the field of renewable resources. On the 9th July there were industrial and energetic excursions: At the site of the company Metzeler Schaum GmbH in Memmingen 20 persons interested tested the first cold-foam mattress on the basis of vegetable oil. 65 people took part in the tour to the biomass cogeneration plant Pfaffenhofen and to the refrigeration plant of the brewery Müllerbräu, also in Pfaffenhofen.
The conference proceedings can now be ordered from C.A.R.M.E.N. for the price of 35 Euro (without shipping charges).
Information: C.A.R.M.E.N.

Successful exhibitors

From the 17th to the 21st June the 12th European Conference and Technology Exhibition on Biomass for Energy, Industry and Climate Protection took place in Amsterdam. C.A.R.M.E.N. prepared a common stand for Amsterdam in co-operation with the Bundesinitiative Bioenergie (BBE) (i.e. the 'German Federal Initiative for Bioenergy') and the Verband deutscher Biomasseheizwerke (VDBH) (i.e. the 'Association of German Biomass Heating Plants'). 16 companies and associations made use of this stand in order to present themselves to an international audience (see also nawaros® 04 and 05/2002).
In the year 2002 the conference is the largest event world-wide on the production of energy from biomass. Numerous contacts could be made - which in the case of the design engineering office Gammel from Abensberg now reach as far as Africa through representatives of the World Bank. Arthur Loibl GmbH, plants and production technology, from Straubing held promising conversations stretching from the port of Rotterdam private limited liability company to a large-scale biogas plant. Fröhling Heizkessel- und Behälter GmbH from Grieskirchen, present at the C.A.R.M.E.N. stand together with the Austrian Biomass Association, could store the sale of two boilers of 250 kW to Bulgaria and France as a great success.
C.A.R.M.E.N. employees also cultivated international contacts, for example with representatives of the Dutch ministry, gave lectures, and were in charge of work-shops.
According to the organisers, more than 1,000 visitors informed themselves on the latest technical and scientific developments on 12th European Biomass Conference in Amsterdam. All exhibitors at the C.A.R.M.E.N. stand agreed in the wish to participate also in the 13th Biomass Conference in Rome.
Information: C.A.R.M.E.N., Walter Wallrapp, tel.: +49-9421-960-300.

C.A.R.M.E.N. in Croatia

The National Croatian Forest Administration, that owns 80 per cent of the Croatian wooded area, is very interested in the increased use of energy from wood (see also nawaros® 05/2002).
C.A.R.M.E.N. employee Hubert Maierhofer travelled to Croatia from the 12th to the 14th June for a return visit and also in an advisory capacity. He paid a visit to a company for the production of raw paper and packagings, Belisce AG. The operators are very interested in the erection of a biomass-fuelled steam boiler for electricity and process steam supply.
In the city of Gospic the new building of the forest administration is planned to be heated by means of a wood chip boiler. Additionally, the school is supposed to be heated by means of a heat network.
Further information: C.A.R.M.E.N., Hubert Maierhofer, e-mail: hm@carmen-ev.de.

Tax exemption for biofuels

The tax exemption for biodiesel will be extended to all biofuels for a fixed period until the end of 2008. That was resolved by a large majority of the German Bundestag. Vegetable oil fuels, biogas, and synthetic fuels from solid biomass, bioethanol, biomethanol, and hydrogen from biomass will be exempt from the mineral oil tax.
The promotion of biofuels is supposed to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases considerably and to lower the dependence on petroleum. Farmers might open up new sources of income. According to traffic and environmental experts, biofuels should be used in optimised engines or fuel cells in the future. The German government is supposed to render an account of the market introduction of such fuels every other year.
Sources and information: Press office of the German Bundestag in the internet http://www.bundestag.de/dasparlament/2002/24/plenumundausschuesse/044.html) and Union zur Förderung von Oel- und Proteinpflanzen e.V. (UFOP) under http://www.ufop.de/2490.htm.

6th Framework Programme for Research of the EU

Up until now the research activities in the EU member states have largely been planned and realised in an isolated way. The backwardness of the EU as compared to the U.S. and Japan in the field of research and development should be reduced and the European resources be better interlinked.
On the European summit the Heads of States and Governments confirmed a concept which is supposed to make Europe the most competitive and dynamic economic region world-wide. The basis for that shall be the 6th Framework Programme for Research of the EU the regulations of which have considerably been simplified. Now, larger consortiums are planned the partners of which have got more administrative autonomy but also more responsibility and more duties. A total of 16,270 million Euro is allocated to the 6th Framework Programme for Research.

With the new programme structure three points of emphasis come into being, with a limited number of priority subjects. Part of that are novel production techniques and facilities, the special consideration of renewable energies for energy and traffic systems, and the promotion of company and innovation policy for the increase of technological capacities on the European and international level.
The opening event of the 6th Framework Programme for Research of the EU (14th to 16th November 2002) has got the motto "Research in Europe at a crossroad".
Source: ForschungsReport 1/2002, information: http://www.europapol.de.

Pellets - new ÖNORM in Austria

For the quality control of wood pellets between producer and combustion according to the ÖNORM M 7135 the new ÖNORM M 7136 (issue 2002-06-01) fixes requirements of transport and storage logistics. This standard is valid for Austria and will certainly have consequences for Germany. It is addressed to all those dealing with the transport of wood pellets HP1 "ÖNORM M 7135 geprüft".
From the contents: All delivery documents must show the labelling of the fuel "ÖNORM M 7135". Wood pellets HP1 "ÖNORM M 7135" must be stored separately from non-standard pellets; a mixing with pellets of a different diameter is inadmissible. Pellets must be stored and transported dry. Interim storage facilities, i.e. all storage places between production and storage at the consumer, must be roofed. At the end-consumer the supplier must fill in a check list which is part of the delivery documents. At least the following points have to be answered in the check list: Heating switched off? Storage space locked? Kind and estimated amount of fuel residues present in the storage space of the customer and pipe length.
The new ÖNORM can be obtained from the Österreichisches Normungsinstitut (i.e. the 'Austrian Standards Institute') in Vienna. A new standard for the requirements of the pellet storage is in preparation, the ÖNORM M 7337.
Information: Österreichisches Normungsinstitut, Heinestr. 38, A-1020 Wien.

Funding the use of biomass

C.A.R.M.E.N. compiled a survey of funding possibilities in the field of the energetic use of biomass. The survey takes funding possibilities in Germany into consideration and is available in the internet as a pdf document under http://www.carmen-ev.de --> Infos und Links.
The compilation distinguishes between national funding and funding of the German lands, funding of municipalities and funding of private offerors, especially power-supply companies.
Information: In the internet under http://www.carmen-ev.de.

It's the maize!

Teterow, situated between Rostock and Neubrandenburg in the North of Germany, is not only the geographic centre of the German land of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Hubert Loick, manager of the company FARMfill, wishes this place to become the base of the company Cornpack GmbH. In Germany they are the market leader for packagings of renewable raw materials such as maize and grain. By the generous funding of the land of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern at an investment volume of almost nine million Euro 20 jobs and training facilities can now be created on a site of 8,000 m2.

Presumably from autumn onwards, products and energy from renewable raw materials will be produced there, for example packaging fillers from maize flour, cutlery, tables, mugs and toys of "Playmais" (http://www.playmais.de). As raw materials maize and rye shall be used; it is possible to do without petroleum. For a closed raw material and product cycle a biogas plant is also planned.

The company philosophy of Hubert Loick is the development, production, and distribution of products from renewable raw materials with a high ecological acceptability during the complete product life cycle in which biogas plants are intended for the utilisation of remnants.
Sources and further information: In the internet under http://www.nordkurier.de/lokal/teterow from the 18th April 2002, WAZ from the 8th June 2002, Wirtschaftwoche under http://www.wiwo.de and Hubert Loick Verarbeitungsgesellschaft nachwachsende Rohstoffe (VNR G)mbH under http://www.farmfill.de.

Pellet plant in Regen

From the 14th to the 16th June the company Holz Schiller in Regen in Bavaria invited to the opening of their pellet plant with info days.
Apart from the exhibitions of renowned manufacturers of boilers and tanks also pellet information stands with experts were present. C.A.R.M.E.N. presented an exhibition on renewable raw materials.
The wood shavings company Blieninger from Bavarian Vilsbiburg offers a Bavarian-wide franchise partnership for their "FireStixx Premium Pellets". Holz Schiller is one of their partners.
Information: Holz Schiller, Deggendorfer Straße 41-61, 94209 Regen, Germany. Tel.: +49-9921-9421-0, fax: +49-9921-9421-31, http://www.holz-schiller.de and http://www.firestixx.de.

Farm trainees at C.A.RM.E.N.

On the 21st June 19 farm trainees and four companions (interpreters and attendants) came to the Competence Centre for Renewable Raw Materials in Straubing.
At first, Dr. Prestele from the Technologie- und Förderzentrum (TFZ) (i.e. 'Technology and Promotion Centre') gave some information on renewable resources and their significance for agriculture. By means of the exhibition in the entrance hall he explained regional materials cycles and production techniques. Subsequently, the tasks of the Bavarian co-ordinating agency C.A.R.M.E.N. were presented.

Not only starch-based compostable bags, mulch films and biros appealed greatly to the guests but also a mattress for the production of which vegetable oil was used. The trainees paid great attention to the technology and operation of biomass heating stations and the modern pellet-fuelled wood heating. There was a particular interest in the information on renewable raw materials for schools compiled by C.A.R.M.E.N. With its descriptive illustrations and colour transparencies it complemented the trainees' knowledge of German quite well.

The young people are attended to in Germany by the Bavarian Farmers' Association. They have been sent out from the Russian Ministry of Agriculture in order to take part in a project subsidised by the German Federal Ministry of Consumer Protection, Food, and Agriculture. The trainees do their six-months practical training on farms in the whole of Bavaria with parallel seminars. With many impressions in their mind, they will be leaving for Russia on the 23rd November.
Information: Berufsbildungswerk des Bayerischen Bauernverbandes, Munich, tel.: +49-89-55873-153.