Publications Best Practice Projects Yearbook 1997-2000

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The Best Practice Projects Yearbook, published in 2002, is one of a number of publications, supported by the European Commision, that highlight the potential for innovative non-nuclear energy technologies to become widely used within the EU. Co-finance for this extensive study was provided under contract NNE5/2000/126 by the Directorate-General for Energy and Transport.

The book has two main sections. The first (fairly short) part consists of a general section in which an overview of the renewable energy situation in the EU and in Norway is provided. The second part consists of a series of case studies which highlight a selection of renewable energy projects that may be regarded as examples of 'good practice' in the various emerging RE technologies. As such it covers all the main RE sectors:

• biomass and energy from wastes and residues
• mini-hydro
• photovoltaics
• solar thermal, and geothermal.

The main aim of this publication is to disseminate information on the best examples of implementation of renewable energy technologies duirng the period of 1997 to 2000. This has resulted in a catlogue of 147 case studies, for each of which the description, location, main technical and economic data are prsented. In addition the potential for replication is analysed, and contact details for obtaining further information provided.

Biomass (in the widest sense, being residues and wastes) is shown to provide the greatest proportion of renewable energy in all member States. In fact biomass, averaging 62% throughout the EU, is the only resource (excluding hydro-electricity) that reaches a percentage expressed in double figures in any Member State, other than the 14% contribution of wind in Denmark and a 20% contribution of geothermal energy in Italy.

Wood represents the main primary renewable energy resource throughout Europe, accounting for 58% of the total. Over the last decade use for the production of electricity has increased by 9% a year, as compared to 2% per annum for heat, reaching 17.3 TWh in 1999. However, the figures for heat should be regarded as lower than actual, due to the large, unrecorded use of 'collected' wood for home heating. The share of waste that is incinerated varies greatly from over 50% in Denmark, to zero in Greece and Ireland, with an EU-wide average of 14%. The main countries using waste for power also include Germany, France, Italy and the Netherlands. The information concerning biomethanisation, appears slightly misleading where it refers to the UK production of biogas, closely following the report of 3000 methanisation plant in operation. In fact the contribution by the UK of 39% of the 2,300 ktoe of biogas produced comes almost exclusively from landfilling of waste. Otherwise a much smaller contribution is made from liquid biofuels (ethanol in France and Spain, with small amounts in Sweden), while France is also the major producer of biodiesel, followed by Germany, Italy, Austria and Belgium. These figures are reflected in the 37 case studies presented in the biomass energy section, where most concern combustion or other thermal conversion systems. Almost all are based on direct combustion. It is perhaps unfortunate that the exception (ARBRE in the UK), reported as running in year 2000 has yet to produce sustainable output.

Contacts

Participant

• Information Officer / ECN - Energy Research Centre of the Netherlands ECN Policy Studies / NETHERLANDS
• Information Officer / ECOTEC Research and Consulting Ltd UNITED KINGDOM
• Per Finden / Institute for Energy Technology NORWAY