The city of Birmingham has set a target of 60 %
reduction in CO2 emissions by the year 2026. The EBRI has therefore
initiated a joint collaboration with the Universities (Birmingham
Universty, Birmingham City University, Warwick University, Harper Adams
University College and Aston University) in the region West Midlands for a joint collaboration in order to achieve this goal.
Professor Andreas Hornung, Head of EBRI presented an analysis of the
challenges facing Birmingham and the region in reducing carbon
emissions to the council and regional development agency Advantage
Westmidlands (AWM). The technology developed by EBRI relates to turn
cheap ash rich biomass feedstock into vapour phase through pyrolysis
and then gasification in a Gasifier to produce clean syngas which can
be applied in number of ways. Waste from the city combined with that
from Severn Trent water would provide enough feedstock to reach the set
targets.
EBRI
also deals with the processes by which residues from biogas, waste
wood, sewage sludge and ground service materials could be used to
produce CO (for heat and power) and hydrogen. Biochar one of the
products of the process could be used in many ways such as to fertilise
agricultural lands, to recover brown fields, to store the char as such
in mines so that it could be used in the future or to co-combust along
with coal in power plants.
The
scheme provided an innovative solution to integrate the countryside
with the city centre by creating a so called ‘thermal ring’ in and
around Birmingham. The scheme would offer and cater the 580Gwh of power
(the current consumption by the council) required to make the city
green. Additionally it also offers a hydrogen grid with up to 60 tonnes
per day (relatively much cheaper production when compared to
electrolysis) and consumes 300,000 tonnes of biomass per year. The
whole proposed project offers opportunities for research, and for
scenarios to be developed by the universities’ business schools as well
as creating a research platform suitable for funding by funding bodies
such as EPSRC.
