Newsletter/ nawaros®
07/03
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biomasse 2003 - C.A.R.M.E.N.-Symposium:
An Ideal Combination
The use of Biomass in Bavaria
C.A.R.M.E.N. News
Funding the Wickerwork Trade
Renewable Raw Materials Bringing about a Wind of Change
Planning Programme for Biomass Energy
Driving on Rapeseed Oil
Composting with Migros
Clearance Stopped
New Funding Rates
biomasse 2003 - C.A.R.M.E.N.-Symposium: An Ideal Combination
From June 26th to 29th, 2003, 8,000 visitors gathered information
about renewable resources and solar energy on the trade fair biomasse
2003 in Straubing. The Bavarian Minister of Agriculture and Forestry,
Josef Miller, announced the official beginning of the international trade
and consumer fair and pointed out to its diversified offer of information.
Expert discussions on biodiesel and wood pellets taking place on Sunday
were also well attended by 250 and 300 participants respectively. Numerous
visitors seized the opportunity to do a 15 km test drive with a biodiesel-powered
VW in a fuel-conserving manner. According to VW, the vehicle has got an
average consumption of 5.3 litres. Depending on the driver, the consumption
varied between 3.7 and 5.5 litres within a fixed time interval. The most
efficient fuel saver is now rewarded with a biodiesel voucher.
On Sunday, the head of the Bavarian State Chancellery, State Minister
Erwin Huber, visited the biomasse 2003: Company Award for Lopper
The minister presented the company award of biomasse GmbH to Hedi Schlottmann,
the founder of the company Lopper Kesselbau GmbH. Ms. Schlottmann received
this award for her outstanding entrepreneurial achievements with her company
that manufactures boilers for wood-fired facilities.
Each boiler was unique, manufactured according to the clients' demands.
The control engineering, developed by the company itself, safeguarded
a particularly low-emission combustion, Huber said. Within the past three
years, Lopper created 25 new jobs, now employing 50 staff members.
Biomass National League Started
Huber announced the start of the "Biomasse-Bundesliga" ('Biomass
National League'). What hides behind this idea is a contest initiated
by C.A.R.M.E.N. Its goal is to give local authorities an incentive to
use environment-friendly methods of heating with wood. Having put into
operation a biomass-fired heating station with a district heating supply
in 2001, the health resort Reit im Winkl was the winner of the preliminary
round. The operator of the heating station is the company Nahwärme
Reit im Winkl GmbH & Co. KG. Apart from the local authorities of Reit
im Winkl, almost only town citizens have got a share in this company.
The manager Andreas Heigenhauser accepted the award. With a population
of 2,255 inhabitants, Reit im Winkl has got a consumption of approximately
7,500 tons of wood. This adds up to a wood consumption of 2,810 kilograms
per year and inhabitant!
C.A.R.M.E.N. Symposium
With an attendance of about 230 participants, the eleventh C.A.R.M.E.N.
Symposium with the title "Biomass and Sun - Energy and Natural Substances"
took place in Straubing in the Joseph-von-Fraunhofer-Halle on June 26th,
2003. Meeting for the first time in Straubing, the symposium was organised
in co-operation with the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Sonnenenergie
e.V. (DGS) ('German Society for Solar Energy'), Munich (see also nawaros®
06/2003).
The Bavarian Minister of Agriculture, Josef Miller, explained
the status quo and the need for action in biomass use. Bavaria, Miller
said, had attained a very good position in the field of biomass use. The
Free State of Bavaria produced more than a quarter of the biomass that
is used for electricity generation in all Germany. Miller presented a
strategy paper on renewable resources that had been elaborated by a commission
of European biomass experts the day before.
This paper says that in the sector of "solid biomass" heat with
a share of 50% contributes most to European energy consumption. More than
half of it is used in private households. An important strategy for the
future is the positioning of solid biomass on the heat market, private
households being the first target group. He appealed to the audience to
face the challenges of the future and "to think beyond today".
The conference proceedings of the symposium are available with C.A.R.M.E.N.
at the price of 21.40 euros.
C.A.R.M.E.N. News
At the C.A.R.M.E.N. general meeting on June 28th, 2003, Klaus Bär, Metzeler Schaum GmbH, was elected into the board. He takes the position of Rudolf Miller, Preform. C.A.R.M.E.N. welcomed the company Metzeler Schaum GmbH as a new member in June.
Funding the Wickerwork Trade
The Bavarian State Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
now funds a project of the Innovations-, Technologie- und Designzentrum
des Deutschen Flechthandwerks e.V. (ITDZ) ('Centre for Innovation, Technology
and Design of the German Wickerwork Trade') in Lichtenfels. C.A.R.M.E.N.
is in charge of the project the goal of which it is to secure the long-term
raw materials supply of the wickerwork trade organised in the ITDZ. Since
neither in Germany nor abroad sufficient amounts of willows with the necessary
qualities are available, new plantations of suitable types of willows
of the species salix viminalis (common osier, Ulbricht osier, Ingeborg)
are now cultivated in Bavaria. In order to preserve and to develop these
types, a willow cultivation is projected in Lichtenfels. The raw material
requirements for the initial phase of the project are estimated at 90,000
to 100,000 willows per year.
The ITDZ is funded with 13,854 euros for the willow cultivation and obtains
another 3,912 euros for looking after the participating farmers and managing
the project.
Founded in 1993, it is the object of the ITDZ to increase the competitiveness
of the domestic wickerwork trade (with a focus on Upper Franconia). Imports
from low-salary countries being a strong competition, innovative wickerwork
products and technologies are developed and made available to the member
companies of the ITDZ. A patented technology for the production of willow
strips has already been developed, for example. These strips can be straightened,
peeled and then cut. They serve for the production of furniture items.
Contact: Innovations-, Technologie- und Designzentrum des Deutschen Flechthandwerks
e.V. (ITDZ), Schneidmühlweg 28, 96215 Lichtenfels, Germany, Tel.:
+49-9571-795135-4625, Fax: +49-9571-74589, and C.A.R.M.E.N, Dr. Bettina
Schmidt.
Renewable Raw Materials Bringing about a Wind of Change
Fibres made of hemp or flax are not only used in textile
industry. Due to their high lightweight potential, composite materials
containing plant fibres are perfect for the use in wind parks. On the
Hanover Trade Fair in April 2003, a rotor blade on the basis of renewable
raw materials was presented within the framework of "Tech Transfer".
It became clear that even durable structures such as for example safety
helmets for industry can be made of renewable resources in the future.
Such safety helmets are up to ten per cent less heavy than conventional
models and should be available on the market from 2004 onwards.
Hemp and flax fibres are also to be found in many car parts. Their use
for computer cases and office furniture is also possible. These products
can be disposed of as compost if the vegetable fibres are used in combination
with natural resins. Hat racks, seats, and interior linings are already
series-produced of fibre products. Here, fibre carpets - with binders
added - are formed into the shape wanted. Die-casting processes for producing
all kinds of forms of biological composite materials have also been developed.
They will be able to compete with plastics and to replace numerous glass
fibre products in the field of vehicle construction because they are easy
to recycle and can be composted.
According to the Fachagentur Nachwachsende Rohstoffe ('Agency for Renewable
Raw Materials'), approximately 25,000 tons of products made of natural
fibres are annually needed in the automobile industry, opening up a new
production field to farmers. This could bring about a similar boom as
the production of biodiesel brought about for the cultivation of rapeseed.
Information and sources: Fachagentur Nachwachsende Rohstoffe, Gülzow,
e-mail: info@fnr.de (http://www.fnr.de),
Salzburger Nachrichten, July 1st, 2003 (http://www.salzburg.com),
and Handelsblatt, June 30th, 2003 (http://www.handelsblatt.com).
Planning Programme for Biomass Energy
In order to make planning easier in the field of the energetic
use of biomass and to give a quick survey on planning alternatives, the
planning programme HORTEB was developed at the Institut für Technik
in Gartenbau und Landwirtschaft ('institute of technology for horticulture
and agriculture') at the University of Hanover.
HORTEB determines optimal solutions for each location and planning case.
Not only data on different wood combustibles, miscanthus, complete cereal
plants, and straw are taken into consideration but also various types
of buildings. On the basis of pre-determined or entered data, HORTEB calculates
the actual cost for heat generation, the CO2 and the energy balance.
The resulting figures are compared to the exclusive use of heating oil
or natural gas. Thus, not only CO2 savings are shown but also the economic
competitiveness of the biomass alternative. The target group for the application
of this programme are design engineering offices, energy agencies, communal
energy consultants, research institutions, and the interested public.
HORTEB was funded by the German Ministry for Consumer Protection, Food,
and Agriculture. The Fachagentur Nachwachsende Rohstoffe (FNR) ('Agency
for Renewable Raw Materials') was in charge of the project. The programme
was developed by Dr. Ruth Brökeland within the course of her dissertation.
Subsequently, HORTEB was extended and updated. Dr. Ruth Brökeland
now works as a project manager for C.A.R.M.E.N.
Information: The updated version of the HORTEB programme is available
at the Institut für Technik in Gartenbau und Landwirtschaft: http://www.itg.uni-hannover.de/software/horteb.htm
at a price of € 100.-. The download is free for registered users.
Driving on Rapeseed Oil
In the rural district of Kulmbach, the first Upper Franconian road has now been coated with RapsAsphalt (asphalt made of rapeseed oil). 17 tons of this bituminous emulsion on the basis of rapeseed oil were used on the distance from Lindau to Trebgast. On a surface of 10,000 m2, an amount of rapeseed oil was used that had been produced of one hectare of rapeseed. The yield of one square metre of a rapeseed field being needed for the production of one square metre of RapsAsphalt, this form of application offers a good sales potential to agriculture.
The innovative product was developed by the Austrian company
Vialit Asphalt Ges.m.b.H. & Co.KG. Austrian long-term experience shows
that this kind of asphalt is perfectly suitable for the surface treatment
of roads. It leads to an increase in the strength of road surfaces, reduces
the wear and tear and prolongs the life (see nawaros® 06/2002).
The Bavarian company Klaus Geuder Straßenunterhalt GmbH is also
convinced of the quality, marketing the product in Germany. The company
looks after a project that has got test drives in the regions of Feuchtwangen,
Ansbach, Simbach, and Dingolfing-Landau. The bituminous emulsion containing
four per cent of rapeseed oil is to be tested under local weather conditions
and traffic patterns. The project is funded by the Bavarian Ministry of
Agriculture and Forestry and supported by C.A.R.M.E.N.
Further information: C.A.R.M.E.N., Dr. Bettina Schmidt and Klaus Geuder,
Straßenunterhalt GmbH, Tel.: +49-9861-87791, e-mail: info@geuder-strassenmeister.de
(http://www.geuder-strassenmeister.de).
Composting with Migros
For barbecues and summer parties one-way tableware is very
popular because it avoids having to do the dishes afterwards. Waste mountains
are left, however.
The Swiss chain of retail shops Migros now offers one-way tableware and
cutlery made of renewable raw materials, manufactured by the company compost
it. Tableware made of sugar cane, reed and bamboo fibres and cutlery made
of a starch and cellulose blend are available in different shapes and
sizes. The products are heat- and moisture-resistant, suitable for the
microwave and for freezing. The can be easily disposed of as industrial
compost but with some patience also as household compost.
Sources and infos: Newsletter of the Kompostforum Schweiz, June 18th,
2003, on the internet: http://www.kompost.ch.
Further information: http://www.materbi.com,
http://www.petroplast.ch,
http://www.ibaw.org.
Clearance Stopped
The car manufacturers Audi and VW stopped the clearance
of their new diesel models for biofuel because the Euro 4 engine emission
standard etc. could be problematical for the new TDI engines. Biodiesel
blended with conventional diesel might, for example, dissolve deposits
present in the fuel system. Furthermore, it was not safeguarded, that
the Euro 4 engine emission standard could be achieved with biodiesel,
said Udo Rügheimer, company speaker of Audi AG.
Rupert Schmidt, the manager of Campa-Biodiesel GmbH, explained on the
biomass 2003 in Straubing that the amount of non-standard biodiesel qualities
in tested filling stations hat not increased despite a distinctly higher
sales volume. These results come from the Arbeitsgemeinschaft Qualitätsmanagement
e.V. (AGQM) ('Working Group Quality Management') that wants to achieve
an international standardisation of fuel and a quality improvement. Tested
filling stations receive a DIN sticker as proof of compliance with the
E DIN 5106 and a green "Q" with a golden rapeseed oil drop on
a blue ground as a control sign. Out of approximately 1,600 German filling
stations, 1,300 have already been certified, the Union zur Förderung
von Oel und Proteinpflanzen e.V. '(Union for the Promotion of Oil and
Protein Plants') informs.
Schmidt said that the admixture of biodiesel to conventional diesel was
technically unproblematic but meant a continuing dependence on mineral
oil companies. He clearly advocated biodiesel as a pure fuel. In addition
to that, this made sure that only good qualities were available on the
market, he said. In view of complying with the Euro 4 emissions standard,
he pointed out to a sensor developed by order of the biodiesel producers.
This sensor was able to detect whether the car was filled up with biodiesel
or conventional diesel and correspondingly adjusted the electronic injection
system if necessary. The automobile industry would presumably continue
to offer biodiesel packages for an extra charge, Schmidt explained.
Information: C.A.R.M.E.N. e.V., Hubert Maierhofer, and Union zu Förderung
von Oel- und Proteinpflanzen e.V. (http://www.ufop.de).
New Funding Rates
According to the Fachagentur Nachwachsende Rohstoffe (FNR)
('Agency for Renewable Raw Materials') the funding rates of the market
launch programme "Biogenic Fuels and Lubricants" were cut by
July 5th, 2003. The reason is the increased number of applications. By
cutting back the funding means by 20 per cent a financial shortage is
to be avoided. The decreased funding rates are valid for all applications
from July 5th, 2003, onwards.
Information: Fachagentur Nachwachsende Rohstoffe, Gülzow, Tel.: +49-3843-6930-0,
Fax: -102 (http://www.fnr.de)
and http://www.pflanzenoel-initiative.de.
