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Research to turn wood waste into electricity
Published by the Communications and Development Department
12 December 2003
The Foundation for Research, Science and Technology has approved around $4.5m, to be spread over four years, for four new research projects as part of its energy supply technologies investment, starting in July 2004. The projects are investigating environmentally-friendly ways to supply energy to New Zealanders.
The Canterbury research is being done by the University’s Wood Technology Research Centre under programme leader Associate Professor Shusheng Pang of UC’s Department of Chemical and Process Engineering. Other partners in the collaboration are the University of Otago, Page Macrae Engineering, Meridian Solutions, the Selwyn Plantation Board Ltd, and Delta S Technologies.
The technology converts woody biomass, such as forest industry wastes into a gas, which then powers large turbines to produce power. The exhaust heat is further used for thermal supplies. This technique, called the biomass integrated gasification combined cycle (BIGCC) system, has numerous advantages including high efficiency (over 80%), low emission and flexibility to produce electrical and thermal energy. As the source used is from sustainable and renewable forestry waste the net carbon emission is zero over the whole tree-waste-energy chain.
To transfer this technology to New Zealand, studies are required to evaluate, improve and optimise the system. New technologies will be developed for medium-scale energy plants using radiata pine residues. Foundation Reference Group Chair George Hooper says the successful programmes responded well to what the Foundation was seeking.
“The projects selected brought together strong research teams with good user connections and partnerships,” he said.
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