asked the Minister for Energy if he will make a statement on the potential of biomass as an alternative source of energy for the future and the proposed development programme for same.
Written Answers. - Biomass Development Programme.
203.
There are indications that the biomass project may prove to be one of the more promising of the various renewable sources of energy which are being considered.
A demonstration project on biomass, aided by EEC funds, has been initiated and is aimed at the annual production and conversion to electrical energy of 1,500 tonnes of wood by 1983.
The biomass project was formulated with the NBST acting as a general coordinator and involving activities by the Department of Fisheries and Forestry, the ESB, Bord na Móna and An Foras Talúntais. The project was intiated in April 1979.
If the results of the small scale project are good, a full scale project to secure a 20-40 mw generating station will be considered. The economics of using wood as a fuel become much more attractive if existing plant can be converted either to use wood alone or for dual firing with peat. Studies are being undertaken but it will be some time before these are concluded.
Apart from the foregoing special project, the possibility of using forest materials and timber waste from existing sources for electricity generation is also being examined and tests are being carried out. If these tests are successful up to 50 mw of additional power could be generated in the reasonably short term, in addition to the 20 to 40 mw, already mentioned.
These projects are part of the general programme which I am promoting to achieve a co-ordinated approach towards evaluating the potential of all renewable courses of energy including biomass. This programme has a high priority in my overall policy to achieve the most efficient use of all available enetrgy sources in the national interest.