The European Biomass to Power Conference took place on the 11th and 12th April in the Marriott Hotel Kensington, London. There were lively interactive discussions on critical issues and challenges ahead between senior executives from the European Biomass Power Industry and leading solution providers. There was a large focus on material handling solutions. bhsl Toploader was exhibited at this event.

The Delegation included a very special guest of bhsl, Mr Seung-Ho Park, the Mayor of Pohang City in Korea. As part of the expansion of its business into Korea, bhsl has been building relations with key Government figures, with the assistance of Ireland’s Ambassador to Korea, HE Eamonn McKee. Pohang City is one of the regions of Korea keen to see bhsl locate in their area and Mayor Park was visiting Ireland as part of process of encouraging us to locate there. The call on An Taoiseach was, of course, one of the highlights of the Mayor’s visit. In his remarks of welcome, an Taoiseach outlined the importance that Ireland attaches to deepening its economic ties with Korea and that he very much welcomed the relationship building between Pohang and bhsl. He also had words of praise for the progress being made by bhsl as a young Irish company building a global business and that this kind of entrepreneurial spirit was a hallmark of Ireland’s journey of national recovery. The bhsl delegation also included members of the Board and executive of the company, all of whom were introduced to An Taoiseach.

In the later part of the twentieth century, fisheries collapsed.  The once rich oyster beds reduced to just 2% of their historical size.  In summer, huge algal blooms created by high nutrient and sediment loads create wide “Dead Zones” where dissolved oxygen levels are too low to support fish and crab.

In 2008, the Chesapeake Bay Program published “Turning Chesapeake Bay Watershed Manure and Poultry Litter to Energy”, a detailed analysis of technologies with the potential to improve water quality in the region. In addition to outlining the benefits of solving the major issues of litter disposal and increasing utility costs, the paper recognised bhsl’s contribution to research and development of fluidized bed technology. Read more here…. http://www.chesapeakebay.net/content/publications/cbp_17018.pdf

The causes of the decline in the Bay’s environment, and water quality are many.  Urbanization, construction and heavy industry are implicated, as is animal agriculture. Caps have been set for nitrogen, phosphorus and sediment release into the Bay known as “Total Maximum Daily Loads” or TMDLs.  Farmers must find alternatives disposal methods to land application, or face an uncertain future.

In January 2011, a team from bhsl visited the Bay Area.  Meeting with farmers and policy makers to discuss how bhsl’s technology can aid water quality and provide new revenue streams for farmers.  As a farm based solution, and part of an integrated approach to solving the rising issues bhsl is well placed to aid the goals of both environmental groups and agriculture.  Jack O’Connor said, “I’m so reminded of the choices I faced on my own Limerick farm in the 1990’s.  Land banks are reducing everywhere and modern agriculture needs alternatives.  Phosphorus is an essential element which needs capturing rather than release to the Bay.”

Also this month, the influential Chesapeake Bay Commission, a tri-state assembly entrusted with coordinating environmental policy for the Bay, published their own report on manure to energy.  This recognizes technologies like bhsl’s provide a “Win Win Win” for the environment, sustainable agriculture and energy independence.

Read the report in full here: manure-to-energy report

Stephen Hay decided to install a biomass boiler at one of his units near Stratford-upon-Avon in Warwickshire, with a view to burning chicken litter, and he approached bhsl (Biomass Heating Solutions Ltd) to implement the installation to enable him to produce his own heat and electricity.

“Feed, chick and energy costs are our three biggest costs on farm – we can’t do much about the first two, but we can control the energy input,” he said.

The unit produces 300kWh of thermal, and 40kW of electricity, with the 500kWh boiler producing enough hot water to eliminate the need for gas, which means Mr Hay’s gas bills have dropped from £65,000 a year to nil, and his £43,000 electricity bill has halved. Mr Hay has plans to roll the system out across his entire business.

Read more: http://www.boilerguide.co.uk/poultry-farmers-investing-in-biomass

Two of the country’s largest broiler producers are leading the drive towards burning poultry litter on their farms as a way of producing sustainable, green energy horn what is currently a waste product.

Nigel Joice produces 840,000 birds at his Uphouse Farm in Norfolk, while Stephen Hay, of Hay Farms, produces broilers on 12 sites in England. Both have recently installed biomass boilers that are capable of burning chicken litter to produce hot water which is then circulated to the poultry sheds for heating.

But under current legislation, the units are limited to burning wood-chip, as poultry litter is still classified as a waste material when combusted and cannot …

read more: http://www.fwi.co.uk/Articles/01/07/2011/127615/Turning-chicken-litter-into-renewable-energy.htm

CEO Declan O’Connor remarked – “Nigel’s success tonight is a testament to his vision for sustainable poultry production and bhsl are delighted to have embarked on this journey with Nigel in 2011.”

Date: 1st December 2011

bhsl, a specialist company in materials handling, has unveiled a patented Toploader for storing and moving biomass or other agricultural and waste products.

Compared with moving floors and walking floors, the Toploader is extremely energy efficient. It is driven by two low energy kW motors, which operate via a programmable logic controller (PLC) using bhsl proprietary software. With energy savings of up to 60% and simplified maintenance due to moving parts being located overhead, the Toploader offers cost savings of up to 40% compared with conventional materials handling systems.

The Toploader can be a stand-alone unit or operated as multiple in-line units. It is equally suited to new installations or retro-fitting in existing buildings. Options include installation of CCTV, remote monitoring, intervention by the company’s technicians when needed, and customer access to the bhsl Toploader information/data screen. The lightweight system comes in 2m, 4m and 6m versions. The 4m and 6m Toploader can store materials to a maximum height of 4m. It is priced competitively with moving or walking floors but is more reliable because there is no wear and tear due to dust or moisture ingress. The Toploader is installed by bhsl technicians and carries a 12-month warranty.

The bhsl Toploader is mounted on a dual-rail track above the storage bunker. Its carriage sits on the rails and travels backwards and forwards. Mounted on the carriage and spanning the storage bunker is a blade that moves up and down. As the carriage moves forward, the blade comes down and into contact with the material in the bunker. The Toploader then collects material from the leading edge, traverses across the top of the pile and delivers the load onto a conveyor. In this way the Toploader clears the storage bunker as it goes, making refilling easy. An overhead cable management system ensures that wiring is secured and free from hazards.

The Toploader material storage bunker walls can be concrete or wood and the smooth walls prevent any material remaining in the storage bunker. Front loaders or trucks can be used to fill the bunker.

Moving floors and walking floors both typically have to expend energy to move all the material in the storage bunker to deliver a small amount to the conveyor. The Toploader overcomes the problem by removing material from the leading edge and depositing a controlled amount into the collector or conveyor, so there is no requirement to move all the material in the bunker.

bhsl contact for more information: Jeff Poulter, Tel: +353 (0) 86 0440956, Email: jeff@biomass.ie