Within the framework of a former project on sustainable business clusters from POM WF (project has ended in May 2008), a feasibility study has been done to detect individual (e.g. photovoltaic systems) as well as cooperative energy saving opportunities (e.g. exchange of heat, exchange of biomass/biogas…) for companies located on the industrial estate Ieperleekanaal in Ypres, located in the south-west of the province of West-Flanders.
Optimization of an existing installation for biogas production (with combined heat and power installation) was detected as an interesting opportunity. The capacity of this installation could be raised, and so could the biogas production. Two other local companies were interested in this extra amount of biogas, to produce process heat in their own combined heat and power installation. Therefore, a collective biogas transportation system would be needed to form such a cluster.
Because this study was only a first screening of all possibilities, a more detailed study (including examing technical, financial and juridical aspects) was necessary before investing in such collective, expensive infrastructure. POM WF supports such a detailed feasibility study within the framework of ANSWER, together with the West-Flemish Intermunicipality (wvi), which is authorized and disposes of funding for later implementation for collective infrastructure on industrial estates.
As alternatives for a joined biogas tube, some other scenarios will be examined, such as:
- a joined low temperature district heating system for building heating or process streams (i.e. reuse of waste heat already locally available),
- purification of the produced biogas up to natural gas and injection on local natural gas network
- or producing electricity through the technique of organic Rankine cycle (ORC).
Consultancy agency ABDE Solutions was chosen for this assignment. Intenral kick off meeting was on 11th of December. From the start, 3 key businesses were involved in order to meet their needs.
On the 15th of January, the project was presented to 18 interested business representatives from Ieperleekanaal, at a local breakfast meetingcombined with a round table discussion. In January and February about 20 businesses were audited. Individual energy optimizations were detected as well as cluster opportunities (such as exchanging and transporting heat, biogas, water…). ABDE has studied and calculated the (rough) feasibility of each cluster opportunity in March.
On the 23rd of March, feedback about the technical and economical feasibility of these energy clusters was given to 19 business representatives and they were asked to engage to proceed with the detailed feasibility analysis. Results are to be expected during July and will be communicated at the beginning of September.
Map of industrial estate Ieperleekanaal in Ypres and possible trajectory for biogas transportation and sites of combined heat and power production (CHP):
