NIRAS in the lead with biofuels

NIRAS’ belief in biofuels becoming an economically attractive and environmentally viable alternative to traditional fossil fuels appears to be paying off.

Progress is being made in Denmark with plans for the production of biofuels and Statoil, with its bio-95 initiative, has recently made bio-ethanol a part of the everyday lives of the Danes.

NIRAS is increasingly using its many years of experience on Danish and overseas projects to assist more clients wishing to go into production.

With rising oil prices and unrest in the Middle East, biofuels have become a competitive and more reliable alternative to oil. Among other countries in Europe, Sweden and Germany are building production plants to live up to the EU goal for 2010, where 5.75 % of all motor fuels should consist of biofuels. This goal is to ensure that the EU countries live up to the Kyoto agreement and at the same time become less dependent on oil.

In Denmark, the Government has earmarked 200 million Danish kroner for research and development of the area, in particular the so-called second-generation production plants that use straw and other products as raw materials. However, a concrete initiative to promote investment here and now in the Danish production of biofuels is still lacking.

Nevertheless, major players in the Danish industry and agriculture have seen possibilities in making their own efforts, recognising that the agricultural production of foodstuffs already exceeds requirements in Europe. And there is significant additional agricultural potential in the whole EU, which can also be of use in supplying energy.

Just now, the ground-breaking lighthouse project Bio-Energipark Tønder is about to establish a bioethanol production. Later the plan is to integrate biogas and biodiesel into the product range. At the same time, initiative groups are on the way with bioethanol and biogas production in Grenå, and Danisco is considering producing bioethanol from sugar and wheat, which would allow the sugar factory in Nakskov to work all year round. All of these have used NIRAS in their basic investigations and for feasibility studies.

For further information please contact Erik C. Wormslev, ecw@niras.dk, tel. 4810 4735, or Anne Seth Madsen, asm@niras.dk, tel. 8732 3291.