Development of innovative systems for wood ash utilization
Abstract
In recent years, the energetic utilisation of woody biomass in heating and combined heat and power plants increased significantly in Austria. Therefore, the development of strategies for a meaningful and cost-efficient utilisation of wood ashes gains in importance. Currently, most of the ash produced during biomass combustion is disposed of in landfills. In respect of the fact that wood ash is a valuable secondary raw material with fertilising and liming as well as useful mechanical properties, the present situation is very dissatisfying. The goal of the collective research and development project is, based on the knowledge gained from prior R&D-projects, the development and optimisation of ecologially meaningful, practicable and cost-efficient utilisation strategies for wood ash. The main focus of the research and development activities is on the utilisation of wood ash on short rotation coppice plantations, in the composting process and in the construction of forest and paved roads as well as on the research on wood ash application technologies in forests. Besides the performance of lab-scale and practical field tests the complete process chain (ash removal, ash treatment, ash handling, ash storage, ash transport and ash utilisation) of all utilisation strategies investigated within the scope of this porject will be evaluated ecologically and economically. This way, new applicable ash utilisation strategies will be developed and framework conditions for respective utilisation guidelines can be prepared. In 2007, about 295,000 t of wood ash were produced in Austrian biomass heating and combined heat and power plants. Approximately 170,000 t were disposed of in landfills. Assuming average disposal costs of 100 €/t (the disposal costs range from 70 to 200 €/t in Austria), the annual disposal costs to be paid by the operators of biomass combustion plants amount to 17 million € per year. Provided that the project is successful, it is expected that due to the development of new utilisation technologies the main amount of wood ash produced can be used in an economically and ecologically reasonable way. The project focusses purposely on the development of different ash utilisation technologies in order to offer reasonable ash utilisation options for different local framework conditions. The reasonable use of wood ash as a secondary raw material for different applications leads to a significant economic advantage for the industry and a relevant benefit for the national economy. In the medium term the operators of biomass combustion plants expect that based on the results of this project the costs for the utilsation or disposal of wood ash can be reduced by at least 50%. Therefore, given the currently high annual costs for ash disposal, the industry is very interested in the successful implementation of this project.
Publikationen
Project staff
Karl Stampfer
Univ.Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Dr.nat.techn. Karl Stampfer
karl.stampfer@boku.ac.at
Tel: +43 1 47654-91001, 91501, 91511
BOKU Project Leader
01.12.2009 - 31.01.2014
Walter Wenzel
Univ.Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Dr.nat.techn. Walter Wenzel
walter.wenzel@boku.ac.at
Tel: +43 1 47654-91143, 91161
Sub Projectleader
01.12.2009 - 31.01.2014
Eva Oburger
Priv.-Doz. Dipl.-Ing. Dr. Eva Oburger
eva.oburger@boku.ac.at
Tel: +43 1 47654-91163
Project Staff
01.12.2009 - 31.01.2014
BOKU partners
External partners
Chamber of Agriculture, Styria
none
partner
BIOS Bioenergiesysteme GmbH
none
partner
Österreichische Bundesforste AG, Unternehmensleitung
none
partner
Fachverband der Holzindustrie Österreichs
none
partner
Bioenergy 2020+ GmbH
none
partner