General Information JOULE/THERMIE Programme

Contacts
Summary Information



To find similar Items, click on a keyword below:
Biological Conversion : Chemical Conversion : Electricity : Liquid Biofuels and Biogas : Solid Biofuels : Thermochemical Conversion

THERMIE

THERMIE is the Demonstration Component of JOULE/THERMIE. It covers all demonstration activities as well as other activities such as strategy, dissemination, preparatory, accompanying and support measures, concerted actions and technology stimulation for SMEs. It provides a continuity to the previous (1990-1994) programme, also called THERMIE. In view of the challenges which the European Union (EU) is facing today, the European Community is pursuing some fundamental objectives by promoting energy technologies through the THERMIE Programme:

• ensuring lasting and reliable energy services at affordable costs and conditions
• reducing energy consumption
• reducing the environmental impact of the production and use of energy, in particular carbon dioxide emissions
• strengthening the technological basis of the energy industry

THERMIE also aims to contribute to the achievement of other important EU objectives such as reinforcing the competitiveness of the EU industry (especially of SMEs) with benefits for the economy, employment and export potential, improving economic and social cohesion and contributing to co-operation with Third Countries (in Central and Eastern Europe, the former Soviet Union, the Mediterranean region, Latin America, Southeast Asia, Africa and non-EU industrialised nations). THERMIE's objectives are:

• to improve energy efficiency, in both demand and supply sectors
• to promote a wider utilisation of renewable energy sources
• to encourage a cleaner use of coal and other solid fuels
• to optimise the exploitation of the EU's oil and gas resources

---

JOULE III (DG XII) programme

Introduction
The JOULE III (DG XII) programme runs from 1994 to 1998 in parallel with the FAIR programme, both part of the Fourth RTD Framework Programme. The official name is the Specific programme for research and technological development, including demonstration in the field of non-nuclear energy. It includes as topic 3.5, Energy from Biomass and Wastes. JOULE III runs in parallel with a companion programme, THERMIE (DG XVII). This has a similar scope, covering renewable energy in all forms as well as energy efficiency, energy strategy and advanced use of fossil fuels. In general THERMIE projects cover larger demonstration projects, with themes closer to the market place, while JOULE covers those technologies still requiring development based on research. As indicated here, and in the series of items covering individual contracts, the emphasis has been on thermal conversion. This can be compared with the emphasis on biomass production seen in the FAIR projects supported by DG VI and the emphasis on biological conversion seen in some of the projects supported by DG XII.

The objective of adding these items to the NF-2000 database is to enable the user to obtain a complete overview of the biomass energy-related projects and hence place the FAIR DG XII funded projects falling in the non-food area, within the overall context of policy. This is of particular interest in view of the recent emphasis placed on renewable energy in the recent White Paper and the planning of the Fifth RTD Framework Programme, which should be resolved this year.

Information
The material presented here is derived from two publications, both available from the JOULE office. These are:

Non-Nuclear Energy JOULE III - Project synopses 1995 - 96 (EUR 17356 EN)

Non-Nuclear Energy JOULE III - List of Biomass Projects 1995 - 1997

These cover the earlier calls and hence the lists are not complete. Further information will be added as it becomes available. It is anticipated that around 50 projects will be funded by the time all contract negotiations are finalised, with an average funding of around 1 m ECU each.

Biomass content
The emphasis within the biomass and waste area of the JOULE programme is on thermochemical conversion of solid biomass, together with considerations of complete biomass to energy systems. Activities cover gasification, combustion and pyrolysis (20%). In this last area the EU has played an important role for almost a decade, having supported earlier work in previous programmer (biomass energy and the JOULE programme of the third Framework programme).

Many of the projects have industrial partners, with consortia averaging 6 members, with an average project budget of around 1.7 m ECU, with the EU contributing about 60% of the total costs on average.

Work on gasification focuses on feedstock flexibility and related operational problems, gas cleaning for small to medium combined heat and power systems, use in gas turbines and increased hydrogen content and novel approaches (direct firing, slagging gasifier and novel fixed bed gasifiers).

In combustion there are two main areas of research:

• combined use of biomass with fossil fuels and/or waste in combustion power plants (fouling, slagging, corrosion and environmental points - including ash utilisation specific to biomass use, as well as reburning technology).
• small scale furnaces (improvement of environmental performance, especially with regard to NOx emissions and efficiency, while increasing fuel flexibility).

R&D on flash pyrolysis technologies for optimised bio-oil production and use in boilers and engines are the main topics supported in this part of the programme, with some work on novel concepts, such as aqueous pyrolysis.