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just a few kilometres away but quite a difference
just a few kilometres away but quite a difference
spain as we know is only a few kilometres away - but there is a such a difference in doing things as is in the example of this energy saving scheme from the observer - note the comment, that in spain approval takes months - in portugal ...years!
Algarve not bothered about green energy
3/21/2006 8:00:00 AM
Forest residues collected annually in the Algarve could provide a significant part of the production of electrical and thermal energy in the region. It is cheaper and cleaner, but nothing has yet been done to make use of this “green gold”.
Ricardo Diogo, a specialist in the sector, told the Algarve Observer that the “green energy” from the biomass coming from forest residues, in particular in the area of the Algarve “serra”, could provide at least 18% of the electrical energy needed in the region every year (2,000 Gwatts per year).
According to the calculations of this businessman, this is a regional industry which at full capacity could produce 362 Gwatts of electrical energy, create about 500 jobs and generate receipts of over 13.8 million euros per year for owners and biomass producers.
Ricardo Diogo, who is also in charge of the company ForesTech, the only one of its kind in the country for this type of energy production, concedes that little or nothing has been done to make use of this energy which comes from the forest.
In the Algarve, the only company which at present uses forest residues is Spanish and operates in Porto de Lagos, where it has a plant for removing the bark from eucalyptus.
This wood is then transported to Huelva (Spain) where the residue is used for energy production and the wood is turned into pulp for paper.
Ricardo Diogo complained that the big difference between Portugal and Spain is in the time needed to get this type of industrial company legalised: on the other side of the Guadiana, this takes no more than six months, here it takes years.
The forested area of the Algarve, some 3/5 of the land area of the region, produces about 20.9% residue from all the existing wood. Monchique is the municipality with the largest green area (58%) and Lagoa the smallest (2.6%).
The energy from biomass is ecological, the price is more reasonable (10€/thermal MW) and it can be a substitute for industrial and domestic gas (35€ or 70€/ thermal MW), fuel oil (35€/ thermal MW), electric energy (90€/ thermal MW) or coal (8€/ thermal MW), the latter being cheaper but high in pollution.
For Ricardo Diogo, the use of the thermal energy from biomass by hotels in the Algarve could reduce the cost of the energy used in boilers by up to 30%. This issue is being studied by INETI – the National Institute for Engineering, Technology and Innovation and the company ForesTech.
This company is based in the Algarve and it applied in 2004 to set up six biomass power-stations, of which four were to be in the Algarve, but so far only one (in Tavira) was approved at the beginning of the year but, according to Ricardo Diogo is still waiting for some of the formalities to be completed with what he called “the famous national technology”.
Meanwhile, the province of Andalusia (Spain) is preparing to set up a power-station which will produce 160 MW of energy coming from biomass, consisting of agro-industrial residues (e.g. olive skins).
For the businessman Ricardo Diogo, biomass should become an ecological and promising alternative for the country, given the current dependence on oil.
As an example, the specialist recalled that in 2005 forest residues were produced in Aljezur which would have provided energy for the municipality for a period of six months if it had been used in a power-station there.
The available statistics show that Portugal produces 11 million tonnes of logs and 3500 million tones of forest residues, of which 70% could be turned into energy.
The potential for electricity production amounts to 480 MW/h, an annual volume of business of 140 million euros, and the creation of 2900 direct jobs
Algarve not bothered about green energy
3/21/2006 8:00:00 AM
Forest residues collected annually in the Algarve could provide a significant part of the production of electrical and thermal energy in the region. It is cheaper and cleaner, but nothing has yet been done to make use of this “green gold”.
Ricardo Diogo, a specialist in the sector, told the Algarve Observer that the “green energy” from the biomass coming from forest residues, in particular in the area of the Algarve “serra”, could provide at least 18% of the electrical energy needed in the region every year (2,000 Gwatts per year).
According to the calculations of this businessman, this is a regional industry which at full capacity could produce 362 Gwatts of electrical energy, create about 500 jobs and generate receipts of over 13.8 million euros per year for owners and biomass producers.
Ricardo Diogo, who is also in charge of the company ForesTech, the only one of its kind in the country for this type of energy production, concedes that little or nothing has been done to make use of this energy which comes from the forest.
In the Algarve, the only company which at present uses forest residues is Spanish and operates in Porto de Lagos, where it has a plant for removing the bark from eucalyptus.
This wood is then transported to Huelva (Spain) where the residue is used for energy production and the wood is turned into pulp for paper.
Ricardo Diogo complained that the big difference between Portugal and Spain is in the time needed to get this type of industrial company legalised: on the other side of the Guadiana, this takes no more than six months, here it takes years.
The forested area of the Algarve, some 3/5 of the land area of the region, produces about 20.9% residue from all the existing wood. Monchique is the municipality with the largest green area (58%) and Lagoa the smallest (2.6%).
The energy from biomass is ecological, the price is more reasonable (10€/thermal MW) and it can be a substitute for industrial and domestic gas (35€ or 70€/ thermal MW), fuel oil (35€/ thermal MW), electric energy (90€/ thermal MW) or coal (8€/ thermal MW), the latter being cheaper but high in pollution.
For Ricardo Diogo, the use of the thermal energy from biomass by hotels in the Algarve could reduce the cost of the energy used in boilers by up to 30%. This issue is being studied by INETI – the National Institute for Engineering, Technology and Innovation and the company ForesTech.
This company is based in the Algarve and it applied in 2004 to set up six biomass power-stations, of which four were to be in the Algarve, but so far only one (in Tavira) was approved at the beginning of the year but, according to Ricardo Diogo is still waiting for some of the formalities to be completed with what he called “the famous national technology”.
Meanwhile, the province of Andalusia (Spain) is preparing to set up a power-station which will produce 160 MW of energy coming from biomass, consisting of agro-industrial residues (e.g. olive skins).
For the businessman Ricardo Diogo, biomass should become an ecological and promising alternative for the country, given the current dependence on oil.
As an example, the specialist recalled that in 2005 forest residues were produced in Aljezur which would have provided energy for the municipality for a period of six months if it had been used in a power-station there.
The available statistics show that Portugal produces 11 million tonnes of logs and 3500 million tones of forest residues, of which 70% could be turned into energy.
The potential for electricity production amounts to 480 MW/h, an annual volume of business of 140 million euros, and the creation of 2900 direct jobs
Re: just a few kilometres away but quite a difference
I respect the idea that they get energy through eco friendly methods. This is a huge step and this way we can protect the nature. I really hope that a lot of companies will produce different things only through eco friendly methods. There are some companies in London which clean different products only with the help of eco cleaning methods.