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Straw for Energy
Straw for Energy

Straw is a by-product resulting from the growing of commercial crops, primarily cereal grain. Ireland’s area under cereals amounts to almost 300,000 hectares and yielding approximately 1.1m tonnes of straw. The traditional markets for straw include, animal bedding, animal feed and chopping and plough back to increase soil carbon content. Straw has been used in other EU countries for decades as a combustion fuel for both heat and electricity production.

1 June 2010
Type
Factsheet
Anaerobic Digestion
Anaerobic Digestion

Anaerobic Digestion (AD) is the conversion of feedstock (any organic non-woody material) by micro-organisms in the absence of oxygen into biogas and digestate. It is a natural process and is well understood by mankind having been harnessed for many years.

1 June 2010
Type
Factsheet
Switchgrass
Switchgrass

Switchgrass is a perennial grass native to North America which can produce high biomass yields at low input levels. The principal markets for switchgrass are electricity and heat production.

1 June 2010
Type
Factsheet
Cereal Grains as a Boiler Fuel
Cereal Grains as a Boiler Fuel

Oats and barley are currently valued at €160 per tonne each for conventional uses as a food, in malting, or as animal feed. Given these low prices and rising energy costs, it is not surprising that the value of grain for combustion is being reexamined.

1 June 2010
Type
Factsheet