Title:
Ash Management at Biomass Heating Plants in Southern Germany
Author(s):
Bachmaier, H., Kuptz, D., Hartmann, H.
Document(s):
Paper
Abstract:
Little is known about how biomass heating plants in South Germany actually dispose or recycle their ashes, about the costs that are incurred and about the obstacles to a material use of the ashes from an operator's point of view. This paper summarizes survey results mapping the current situation of ash disposal in Bavaria and sheds light on a poorly researched aspect of heat and power generation from solid biomass. The high participation in the survey (32 %) shows the interest of the plant operators in ash management. With regard to the installed thermal power, the survey can be considered representative. Following main obstacles for ash recycling have been identified: Small amounts of ash per plant, uncertainty about the legal situation of ash recycling, low economic benefits due to high analytical costs and inefficient logistics, fluctuating ash quality and too high contents of Chromium VI or other heavy metals in the ashes, difficult handling of the ashes (dust), low number of ash recyclers and small market for fertilizer based on wood ashes. To reach the goal to increase the recycling rate for bottom ash the first approach in Southern Germany should focus on plants within the power range from 2.5 and 15 MW. Due to their relatively high volumes of bottom ash the costs for analyzing and transport per ton of ash should be rather low for these plants. The survey results will be used within the research project “AshUse” to develop strategies for an increased material use of biomass ashes in Bavaria.
Keywords:
district heating, recycling, solid biofuel, ashes, biobased economy
Topic:
Bioenergy Integration in Energy Systems
Subtopic:
Resource efficient bioeconomy
Event:
27th European Biomass Conference and Exhibition
Session:
5BV.3.18
Pages:
1814 - 1817
ISBN:
978-88-89407-19-6
Paper DOI:
10.5071/27thEUBCE2019-5BV.3.18
Price:
FREE
