Springdale Group

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Springdale Group
Some examples of the role of technology
transfer in developing crop derived
bio-energy.
Clifford Spencer BSc. (Agric)
CHAIRMAN
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Head Office at Springdale Farm
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Mission

• To develop a global business establishing field
  production, added value processing and retail
  marketing of non food crops and their products.
  Principal markets include industrial oils, fibres
  and energy.

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The Springdale Project
Innovation in non food cropping.
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Springdale Group
Group Structure
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Production Flow
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Springdale Group
Science
Seed breeder
End User
Processor
SPRINGDALE
Farmer
Extractor
Advisors
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Technology transferareas in crop derived
bio-energy

• Crop choice for region
• Directed plant breeding
• Agronomy development
• Supply chain establishment
• Logistics (national and global supply chains)
• Development of crop energy conversion systems
• Energy distribution network
• Energy marketing and information

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Crop breeding and agronomy technology transfer

• Springdale works closely with plant breeders
• e.g. Syngenta trialling crops for Europes
  largest plant breeder, plus currently six
  specialist breeders from around the world for
  emerging non food crops (e.g. Crambe), and CNAP
  for hemp oilseed breeding.
• New country specific non-food crop variety
  breeding development now ongoing for Springdale.
• First example was Syngentas Skipper oilseed rape
  selected by Springdale in the UK some seven years
  ago for biodiesel. Now with energy as a
  significant market, oilseeds can be bred for
  different desirable characteristics. Thus
  glucosinolates in the oilseed plant can be
  enhanced rather than suppressed in these breeding
  programmes due to their undesirable effect on
  seed meals for animal feeding no longer being an
  issue when the meal is burnt. Also the dietary
  problem of erucic acid in the oil is not seen as
  an impediment in oil for biofuel. Plants can be
  bred for low level input growing environments and
  systems.
• Husbandry development through comprehensive in
  country trial and demonstration. Agronomy can
  also be different for non food uses e.g. use of
  biosolids for plant nutrition also assists
  another environmental challenge with these
  materials.

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Springdale/Syngenta Partnership
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Skipper oilseed rape multiplication(a short
variety with a specific fatty acid profile of
benefit to biodiesel manufacture)
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Springdale Crop Synergies

• Providing renewable raw materials for specific
  products for non food crop markets
• Clear identification and traceability through
  assured production including Organic
• Storage, conditioning, extraction, processing,
  and transport to the end user
• Reproducible quality

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Springdale Crop Synergies Global Crop
development
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New opportunities for non-food oilseed crop
Crambe

• Existing use as a slip agent
• New use as a biofuel
• Crambe has the highest Cetane value (burn
  ability) of any vegetable oil
• Crambe is a low input crop suitable to developing
  countries
• Crambe has an excellent environmental profile as
  a fast growing short season crop

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Springdale Crambe seed multiplication (New
Zealand)
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Springdale pioneers Crambe (desert) production in
Saudi Arabia
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Bill Rustrick of Springdale in field production
discussions in oilseed rape crop in Ethiopia
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Springdale Crambe trial site in Chile
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The role of
Springdale Renewable Energy
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• To preserve and renew
• is almost as noble as to create
• 
  

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SPRINGDALE RENEWABLE ENERGY

• Main areas of activity
• The use of straight vegetable oils in static
  engines for power generation
• 2) The use of biomass for power generation

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Springdale Renewable Energy PROJECTS

• 1) Stem Energy
• -JV with Harworth Power
• -11M project to generate 10MW from oilseeds and
  by-products using existing technology in a novel
  way (system patented). Thus the system rather
  than the technology is to be transferred to
  developing countries.
• 2) On-farm development unit
• - how do we use vegetable oils in
  reciprocating engines both technically and
  commercially?
• - what is the next step in bio-combustion?

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Springdale Renewable Energy PROJECTS (continued.)

• 3) The use of SVO
• - vegetable oils (palm, soya, rape, new non food
  crops e.g. crambe) in continuous power and heat
  generation e.g. glasshouses, hospitals
• 4) Electricity from Biomass
• -Biomass Turbines new technology particularly
  developed for use in developing countries e.g.
  equipment suitable to be containerised for use in
  remote locations.

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• Joint Venture between UK Coal Springdale
• Renewable Energy power stations (10MW) using UK
  Coal sites on ex-mines
• Minimal costs grid connection
• Existing rail/road links for seed/oil/meal
  transportation
• Site at Harworth has existing boiler/generator
  and requires only a combustor/fuel handling
  system thus keeping start up costs to a minimum

Biomass Power Generation
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• Reproduction not only on other UK ex-mine sites
  but on a worldwide template
• The system can utilise/revitalise redundant or
  underdeveloped crushing facilities in industrial
  areas of developing countries
• Ideal partner set up to biodiesel production and
  plant

Biomass Power Generation
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UK Coal HQ at Harworth
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Principle - Energy from seed

• Oil seeds crushed to separate the oil from the
  meal on site
• The oil can be used as a food oil or as transport
  fuel or in static diesel generators to produce
  electricity
• The meal will be burnt in a dedicated biomass
  conventional CHP plant to produce electricity and
  heat
• All the seed can be used for energy purposes

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Different approach

• Burn the cake, sell the oil
• Mass Energy Value
• Oil 43 54 70
• Cake 57 46 30
• Cake has 53 by real value as energy
• Combust high volume low value cake on site
• Utilise existing commodity chains as fuel supply
• Utilise known technology
• Attribute logistic costs to high value product
  (oil)

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Stem Energy Harworth Power Plant
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ON-FARM DEVELOPMENT UNIT

• OBJECTIVES
• 1. To accumulate a technical and economic
  database to assess the performance of oilseeds,
  oils and biomass in the production of electricity
  and biofuels
• 2. To be able to assess the efficiency of
  expelling, degumming, esterification and power
  generation from reciprocating engines and
  bioturbines
• 3. To be able to predict the optimal economic
  solution for power generation as fuel input and
  energy output prices change.

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Redundant farm building used as base for
bio-energy development unit
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Wet processing side
Dry processing side
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Economics of SVO in the UK

• For example, crude palm oil
• 9MW turnkey energy plant 4.4M
• Crude palm oil 39GJ/T _at_ 270/T dld
• Engine efficiency 44
• 1tonne oil 4.77MWh
• 1 MW 92/MWh
• Running hours 8000/yr
• Oil consumption 14865T/yr
• Grid connection 1M
• OM 0.5M
• Depreciation 10
• ROC 26 heat/cooling ???

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Electricity from Biomass technology options

• Boiler and steam turbine
• Gas Engines
• Gas Turbines

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Direct combustion - the Bioturbine technical
concepts

• Direct combustion - potential for highest
  efficiency / lowest cost / basic technology
• Wood is the cleanest biofuel
• Turbine inlet cooler than ash fusion temperature.
  Sub micron ash flows
• Simple and robust gas turbine with suitable small
  units now becoming available
• Resistant to deposition, erosion corrosion
• High quality exhaust heat for CHP applications

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The Barnstaple Rig

• Created microturbine combustion conditions with
  small gas turbine generator set
• Demonstrated control of wood combustion
• Biodiesel burner - start-up, accelerate wood
  combustion, control

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The Barnstaple Rig
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30KW gas turbine assemblyy
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Mini turbine from exhaust very clean after 130
hours running
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The next stepsfacility development

• Combustor for 90 wood combustion development
  to commercial system
• Gas turbine - low cost and ruggedised
• Wood feed system
• Controls for operation and safety
• Experimental programme, including wood size and
  type, other biofuels eg rape meal, endurance
  tests
• 1 million of support from UK government

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Heat Recovery Stages
Cold Flue Gas out 2.17 kg/s 1 bar 130 oC
(B) Process Mass Energy Inventory
from Heat Load
to Heat Load 382 kW(th)
Final (Cold) Gas Filter
Clean Flue Gas to Stack 2.17 kg/s
Turbine exhaust 2.17 kg/s 1.06 bar 581 oC
Combustion air in 2.12 kg/s, 1 bar, 15 oC
Secondary air (via Recuperator)
Compressor
Alternator
Turbine
Secondary air 1.99 kg/s 4.42 bar 524 oC
2.17 kg/s 4.33 bar 850 oC
to System Auxiliaries 5 kWe
Cyclone Filter
Primary air 0.13 kg/s 4.5 bar 202 oC
Combustor
System electrical efficiency 27 Overall
conversion efficiency 68
Dry Ash out 3.4 kg/hour
Auxiliary Fuel 7.74 kg/hour
Biomass Turbines Ltd. (A Springdale Group
company) Proposed 250 kWe biomass-fired CHP plant
Comminuted Wood Fuel 170 kg/hour
Primary air/ wood fuel 0.17 kg/s 4.42 bar 125 oC
Pressure Lock/ Air-Fuel Mixer
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Patent Protection to protect technology transfer

• Patent granted on direct combustion system to
  promote fragmentation of the biomass fuel
  particles
• Various European and US Patents granted on this
  system

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Significant potential in developing countries

• CHP applications
• Combating the increasing costs of imported fossil
  fuels and products
• Can site units near to fuel (crop) production
• Range of unit size - 250kWe to 15MWe
• World market

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Economics of BIOTURBINE in UK

• 1MW Turbine 700k
• Wood 20GJ/T _at_ 40/T dld
• Efficiency 23.5
• 1T wood 1.31MWh(e)
• 1T rape oil 2.55 MWh(e)
• 1MWh 92
• Running hrs 8000/yr
• Wood consumption (90) 5504T/yr
• Oil consumption (10) 313T/yr
• Fuel cost 364k/yr
• Income 736k/yr
• Gross margin 372k/yr
• Depreciation 10
• ROC 37

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http//www.springdale-group.com Springdale Crop
Synergies Ltd Springdale Farm Rudston Driffield Ea
st Yorkshire YO25 4DJ Tel [phone] Fax
01262-41101 Website www.springdale-group.com Emai
l info_at_springdale-group.com