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FAIR-CT96-1747
Bamboo for Europe |
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Proposal No: | FAIR-CT96-1747 |
| Date Prepared: | March 2000, December 1998 | |
| Source: |
Final Report Executive Summary
First Annual Progress Report |
Introduction
The main aim of the project was to define and to overcome major problems and limitations to large scale introduction of bamboo within the EU. The main challenge was to work out the complete chain - from the field to the market - to conform with the requirements of industrial users in Europe.
Among the most important objectives was the need for a significant reduction in the cost of producing the plant material and the need to confirm that bamboo can be utilised within specific European markets without major process adaptation. Reduction of between 40 to 60 % of the plant production costs has been achieved by the introduction of a complete and successful production chain based on tissue culture multiplication and acclimatisation.
The European industry could only take bamboo biomass in its various production processes if no complementary investment or process adaptation are required. Test results clearly indicate that it is possible to mix bamboo fibres with wood fibres for the production of fibre boards with an improvement in panel quality. Another outcome was the development of a wastewater treatment unit utilising two bamboo species in a "constructed wetland technology", that could result both in pollution treatment and production of biomass suitable for the industrial use. A successful demonstration unit of 8 sq m has been in operation in Portugal since November 1998. This unit suggests that further studies on phytoremediation applications with bamboo would be of interest.
Activities
The total work was divided into 13 different tasks based on the original research objectives that aimed to define precisely and overcome major problems and limitations to large scale introduction of bamboo and produce the following deliverables:
The work was carried out by two contractors, both private companies involved in production and transformation, able to take the results from this project so that they will be valorised on both European and international markets. However, an emphasis was placed on the European dimension of the project, both from the production and transformation side
From the beginning it was clear that a considerable price reduction could only be obtained with the mass production of quality plants by the use of micropropagation combined with the quality methods used in European horticulture. Reduction of 40 to 60 % of the plant production cost has been achieved by the introduction of a complete and successful production chain, tissue culture multiplication and acclimatisation. The investment (750 000 Euros) in a new production facility have been realised and the unit has been operating for more than a year
A second assumption made was that the European industry would only take bamboo as a raw material for use in various production processes if no complementary investment or process adaptation were required. Test results clearly indicate that it is quite possible to mix bamboo fibres with wood fibres for the production of fibre boards with improvement of panel quality. Industrial analyses of these are on-going.
Another activity was the development of a wastewater treatment unit utilising two bamboo species in a "constructed wetland technology" allowing the treatment and reuse of urban wastewater. A successful demonstration has been in operation in Portugal since November 1998 and large scale units are now under development.
Results
The main results obtained for each objectives are as follows:
Production of bamboo fibres for the MDF industry A mix of bamboo and wood fibres for the manufacturing of medium density fibreboard (MDF) panel production gave promising results leading to excellent perspectives in term of future use. Particleboard production figures for 20 countries member of the European Panel Federation was 32 million cu m in 1998 while MDF capacity was 7 million cu m. The two smaller countries involved in the European research project, Belgium/Luxembourg and Portugal already account for 10 % of this quantity. An annual harvesting of bamboo covering only 1 % of the European production of particleboard and MDF would require approximately 50 000 ha of bamboo plantations. This exercise of looking at the potential of bamboo to fit into the wood industry in a European context is also useful for countries with a long-standing tradition in bamboo production and processing. The fact that modern wood processing companies could substitute wood partially by bamboo shows potential of this technology for rationalisation of traditional bamboo transformation.
Bamboo plant production and advantages Mass introduction of bamboo in Europe is only feasible with a significant reduction in the current costs. The objective of developing a universal technique to produce bamboo at mass scale through tissue culture has been successful including acclimatisation in the greenhouse. The various advantages such as year round production at any production scale and level, the pricing advantage combined with the logistics advantages, the rapid growth and development, are considerable compared to classical propagation methods. In all respects the objectives of this research task have been met successfully. A price reduction of 40 to 60 % has been achieved. As an ecological plant, bamboo has several advantages: renewable biomass, attractive, important role in carbon sequestration, visual or sound screens, stabilisation of road sides and verges, very efficiently water use, very simple and flexible silvicultural practices.... etc. As an agricultural resource bamboo represents a crop with high yields and various end users. As a material bamboo can be promoted as environmentally friendly (no use of pesticides, soil stabilisation) and both as wood and non-wood material, as forest produce and agricultural plant.
Wastewater treatment units Since the early 1970s, constructed wetlands have been engineered specifically for waste water and sludge treatments. In September 1990 , the European Commission supported the publication of " The European design and operation guidelines for reed bed treatment systems". It is reported that more than 1600 units are in operation in the USA and over 5000 in Europe (Denmark, Germany, Belgium, France, Austria, Poland ... etc). Many of these systems are designed with specific treatment objectives and have reported operational data that display consistent and predictable performance for meeting permit limitations. In addition, information indicates that "constructed wetlands" can be a cost effective alternative to more conventional technologies. This technology is presently applied in Europe utilising Phragmites australis. It appears that some bamboo species have the same characteristics as Phragmites but with important advantages: bamboo can be transformed to valuable industrial products and bamboo maintains green foliage all the year round. A first facility for urban wastewater treatment has been build by partner 1 and has been in operation since November 1998. The main objective is to eliminate pollution while producing biomass suitable for the industry giving an added value to the treatment system.
Utilisation of bamboo as renewable energy crop As far as renewable energy is concerned, bamboo appears to be a good biomass fuel. The physico-chemical characteristics of bamboo make it a biofuel similar to other woody fuels, with the exception of the mineral content which is higher for bamboo than for wood (2.5 % instead of 1.5 %). Bamboo is also an interesting material for the production of charcoal. The mass yield is higher (33 % on initial anhydrous mass) than for wood (29 % on initial anhydrous mass). The production of non condensable gases is also higher (26.5 % vs 18-20 %), while the tar production is lower (42 % vs 50 %). Differences in volatile matter yield and composition are also noticed. The structure of the stem of bamboo limits the outflow of gases from the solid to the surrounding environment. This favours secondary pyrolysis reactions.
Socio-economic and environmental impacts The impact of a bamboo-to-energy filiere have been evaluated. It would appear that a bamboo to energy filiere could generate at least ten times more direct jobs than a classical fossil fuel supply chain. Furthermore, the environmental impact of bamboo-to-energy is also very positive. By turning fossil fuels installation to bamboo- based energy plants, significant savings in C02 and S02 emissions can be achieved.
Summary
Objectives The main aim is to define and overcome major problems and limitations to large scale introduction of bamboo in the European Community. The specific objectives include:
Activities The objectives will be achieved through completion of the following tasks.
Results Main results of the present reporting period are as follows.
© Copyright 2006 Policy Statements
Updated
by CPL Press:
03/07/2007
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