Project "AQUAREL - Aquatic resources fro green energy realisation"
Duration of the project: 17.10.12 - 31.12.14
The total budget: 775 000 EUR including grant from CBC ENPI - 697 500 EUR
Lead Partner: Oy Culmentor Ltd.
Partners:
- ANO Energy Efficiency Center (KEEC)
- Karelian Research Centre (KRC of RAS)
- OOO Vilia (Vilia Ltd.)
- Lappeenranta University of Technology
- Belomorskiy Port JSC
- Mariproduct JSC
The overall objectives:
- To develop and introduce an innovative and efficient concept for green energy production and recycling of bio-waste to fish farms and other local actors in the Karelia ENPI programme area. The concept will include both technical and economical solutions for green energy production and for needed investments
- To significantly reduce the environmental impact caused by bio waste disposal
- To initiate an ideological change in the way bio-waste is perceived amongst local entrepreneurs i.e. to view bio-waste as a valuable commodity
Specific objectives:
- To define new complementary raw materials for energy production like aquatic materials (algae and fish waste) and bio waste
- To examine the feasibility of the green energy production
- To identify integrated solutions for energy and biofuel production based on aquatic bio-resources and bio-waste
- To test integrated solutions for energy and biofuel production based on aquatic bio-resources and bio-waste
- To outline the logistical requirements and model for effective collection and handling system of bio waste
- To engage the local businesses into bio-waste recycling
- To demonstrate the developed waste collection, treatment and logistic solutions and energy production unit in Karelia ENPI programme area
- To define the frames and economical infrastructure for local fish farms and other enterprises for developing new business in the field of green energy production
- To define a funding mechanism and investment system, including both private and public instruments, to be used for realizing the investments needed for green energy production
Main Activities:
- Analyse and estimate the quantity and quality of fish production bio-waste in the area. Based on the studies, logistical solutions and models and costs of collection and transportation will be defined. All the developed solutions and findings will be tested with full scale demonstrations.
- Research how to amalgamate fish waste production and aquatic organism production for biofuel production.
- Benchmarking of the Finnish experiences from recovery of biodegradable waste materials to energy and fuel products. The possibilities of applying Finnish experiences in Karelian conditions will be studied.
- Research on the possibilities to integrate recovery of other waste materials to the utilization of fish waste in energy production.
- Research how to integrate the solutions for energy and biofuel production based on aquatic bio-resources with water purification technologies.
- Different options for the future system will be studied using life cycle assessment (LCA) and the environmental impacts will be compared to the present situation. The study will provide the information how large environmental benefits will be achieved with the new operation model and technologies.
- To define a suitable sources and bodies for rising the investment needed for setting up green energy systems on fish farms
- Study biodiesel production process and distribution logistics and define the economic plans and calculations needed for their implementations in Karelia and Finland.
- Selection of biofuel and energy production equipment and set-up for piloting.
- Investigation of financing possibilities (public and private) that the fish farms and companies interested in producing energy from bio-waste can use for purchasing the needed equipment. The project will provide recommendations based on findings of productivity and investment calculations.
- Disseminate the results of the project to local actors, fish farms, local societies etc.
Main outputs:
- Joint report of Quantity, quality and location of fish waste
- Joint report of the cost of waste collection and logistics
- Joint report and consortium approved concept of waste collection and logistic
- Survey on the process of converting fish waste and aquatic organic material into biofuel leading to definitive proposals for production
- Study on the process of converting fish waste and aquatic organic material into biofuel leading to definitive proposals for production
- Assessment of the economic potential and possibilities of utilizing marine and freshwater bio-resources (Fish farming wastes, Algae) for biofuel production
- Assessment of the environmental impacts of utilizing fish farming waste for energy and biofuel production
- Feasibility study of biofuel production
- Study on the recovery possibilities of the production residues
- Biofuel and energy production pilot for energy production
- Report on private and public funding possibilities for investments
- AQUAREL concept for utilizing marine and freshwater bio-resources for green energy production
- Electronic publication on resources assessment
- Electronic publication on resources utilization incl. benchmarking and tests results
More detailed information about the project is HERE