# Biomass use in hospitals

 

1. HOSPITAL IN ITALY CHOOSES SOLID BIOMASS BOILER TO HEAT THE PREMISES

In Italy, the hospitals in Borgo Val di Taro chooses solid biomass boilers to heat the premises

ECONOMIC BENEFITS…

Not only companies, pools and nurseries, but also hospitals. The use range of solid biomass boilers is growing up even more: plants that will save about 50 percent of fuels compared to using others with a payback just in 5-6 years. Not only.

ENVIRONMENT BENEFITS

When we speak about public respect the environment is a must and biomass burning emissions of CO2 means to save the environment and highly polluting dust.

https://www.uniconfort.com/en/references/biomass-in-the-hospital.html

2.      Northern Haida Gwaii Hospital warms up to biomass proposal

Haida Gwaii’s northern hospital is warming up to a greener heating system.

Graham Island Clean Heat, a private, Haida-owned company, is proposing to build and run a wood-fired biomass boiler. It would provide both space heating and hot water to the Northern Haida Gwaii Hospital and Health Centre.

The hospital currently uses an electric system. It is relatively efficient, switching to biomass means the building would use significantly less diesel-generated electricity.

“It’s a great opportunity,” said Ken Van Aalst, director of facilities maintenance, energy and environmental sustainability for Northern Health.

“We’re hoping to use this as a bit of a test case, and potentially, to use as a model for other facilities.”

While Northern Health tracks the carbon footprint of all its facilities. In this case the emissions actually fall on BC Hydro’s tab, and BC Hydro is offering a financial incentive for the hospital to make the switch.

“They want to get off that diesel power, too,” Aalst said.

https://www.haidagwaiiobserver.com/news/northern-haida-gwaii-hospital-warms-up-to-biomass-proposal/

3.      Androscoggin Valley Hospital Biomass Plant

Faced with rising fuel oil costs, AVH looked to hardwood chips as an economical energy source that would boost the local economy. SMRT evaluated the existing heating and cooling plants, conducting an energy balance to determine the appropriate biomass boiler plant size and related cost viable energy components.

The result is a biomass plant designed to save the hospital approximately $350,000 annually in heating costs. A 250-horsepower boiler requires approximately two truckloads of wood chips weekly.  The choice of hardwood chips instead of a whole tree chips reduces ash and particles.

The plant is also equipped with a particulate collection device known as an electrostatic precipitator to remove particles from the flue gas.

Project Highlights

128,500 gallons for fuel oil saved annually

$ 350,000 estimated annual heat savings

Use of hardwood chips

https://www.smrtinc.com/portfolio/casestudy/androscoggin-valley-hospital-biomass-plant/

4.      ‘Britain’s Greenest Hospital’ reaps the benefits of RHI

Wythenshawe Hospital embraces biomass

University Hospital of South Manchester (UHSM) is a major NHS acute teaching hospital trust providing specialist services at Wythenshawe Hospital and Withington Community Hospital across Greater Manchester and beyond. Wythenshawe was the first NHS hospital to install biomass boilers. Their capacity to reduce carbon emissions by 3,400 tonnes each year is one of the reasons why UHSM has staked a claim to the title ‘Britain’s Greenest Hospital’.

A real success story

  • Receiving payments from the RHI scheme has had a huge financial impact for the hospital. It’s expected that over a 20-year period the subsidy will be worth in excess of £6 million for the Trust, which will be reinvested.
  • The hospital is now receiving 2p/kWh produced, after the government doubled the tariff for large-scale biomass in April 2014.
  • Plans to add woodchip biomass consumption and gas meters to the data collection and reporting solution to monitor the cost of steam to individual buildings and parts of the hospital. Fuel cost analysis and comparisons can be then be determined.
  • Endress+Hauser is also helping UHSM to determine the fuel economy and fuel-to-steam efficiency of the biomass boilers by adding additional parameters to the data collection system.

https://www.uk.endress.com/en/endress-hauser-group/Case-studies-application-notes/rhi-biomass-energy-monitoring

5.      Christchurch hospital will soon be using biomass fuel

The decision by the Canterbury District Health Board and the Government to install two biomass fuelled boilers at Christchurch hospital to replace the existing coal fuelled boilers demonstrates the increasing growth in the use of biomass to replace coal and natural gas.

The decision provides a show of confidence in the availability of biomass fuel into the future and the capability of the biomass fuel suppliers to reliably deliver specification fuel to meet demand.

The installation of yet more biomass fuelled heat plant in Canterbury is providing the demand pull that is encouraging biomass fuel suppliers to grow their capabilities to source and supply fuel.

The growing pool of heat plant fuelled by biomass in Canterbury is also providing the critical mass necessary for having adequate levels of advisers and service providers in the region.

Government has signalled that it wants a focus on reducing greenhouse gas emissions from process heat.  It is encouraging to see that its own investment decisions are making Canterbury a role model on how 20 PJ of coal and gas could be replaced by biomass fuel by 2050. It is great to see Government ‘putting its money where its mouth is’ with regard to reducing emissions.  Such investment leadership will encourage business to also move to use more biomass energy.

https://www.nzffa.org.nz/members/nzffa-member-blogs/brian-coxs-blog/christchurch-hospital-will-soon-be-using-biomass-fuel/

6.      Biomass is part of the solution for Tasmania’s schools and hospitals

Welcomed today’s announcement that the Tasmanian government will invest $10 million over four years to replace some of the states ageing fleet of fossil fuel boilers with renewable energy solutions such as biomass.

Biomass energy generation is part of a suite of climate friendly solutions that forestry products are providing governments and businesses globally as they look to lower their carbon footprint, CEO of TFPA Nick Steel said.

We know that renewable timber products help to combat climate change. With demand growing for carbon storing timber for construction materials, the opportunity to utilise residue for energy generation is an opportunity worth embracing, said Mr. Steel.

The use of biomass energy to replace fossil fuels demonstrates forestry’s capacity to provide environmentally responsible solutions that extend beyond just timber and fibre products, Mr. Steel concluded.

https://tfpa.com.au/biomass-is-part-of-the-solution-for-tasmanias-schools-and-hospitals/

Boiler for hot water produced by solid biomass burning.

Biomass boiler for heat generation in hospitals

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VOURDOUBAS IOANNIS
VOURDOUBAS IOANNIS
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