Ireland seeks Alternative Energy Sources

Ireland is currently into serious energy development research in an effort to free itself from reliance on imported energy sources. Over the years, imported energy sources have fueled the country's growing economy. The country's dependence on imported energy currently stands at nearly 90 per cent of total energy demand. It is considered as the single biggest import item in the country's entire history. This precarious situation puts Ireland's long-term development strategy under threat. The country's need for alternative energy sources has never been sharper. It does not only need to develop those sources, it also needs to protect its environment and check its worsening air pollution caused by petroleum-powered energy generation.

With the European Union mandate seeking cuts in nitric oxide and sulfuric emissions from its member countries, green or environment-friendly energy is seen as the ultimate response to all of Ireland's development needs. Hydroelectric power has been proven effective and safe since the 1930s when the country first tried harnessing it. Development more of this kind of energy source is however needed to fully meet the growing demand. With its strategic location on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean, Ireland also stands to benefit from wave-generated energy.

Interestingly, Ireland has the capacity to become an energy-exporting nation rather than being dependent on imported energy products. Truly, because of its abundant ocean waves, wind and biomass-producing alternative energy sources, Ireland can utilize these substantial and natural energy resources to become a major supplier energy generated from these alternative sources. It is a potential income-earning industry for the country in the future. For now, the nation may need to focus on its target of producing 15 per cent of the country's total demand for electricity using the wind farms by 2010. But studies coming from the academe, research institutes and government agencies that support harnessing of ocean wave as alternative energy source, the nation is in a position to jumpstart its twin goals of accelerating economic growth and energy independence.

Ireland has tested its site for ocean wave energy technology in an area near the coast off County Galway Bay. Tagged as "Wavebob", the experimental site for ocean wave energy generation produces the greatest mass of power waves in the world, according to Dr. Peter Heffernan, Ireland's Marine Institute Chief Executive Officer. With the right and improved technology to develop the power of the ocean, the nation stands to gain the title as the top producer of ocean wave generated energy.

David Taylor, Chief Executive Officer of Sustainable Energy Initiative has likewise committed SEI's interest in the development of new technologies for the renewable energy sector. The huge potential of ocean wave energy can be harnessed to considerably lessen the country's dependence on fossil fuels.

Irish Farmers' Association President Padraig Walshe, on the other hand, said that with the shutting down of the sugar beet industry, there is an expected rise of available Irish crop land for other uses like bio-energy production. Currently, the nation's renewable energy production only accounts for not more than 2 per cent of its entire energy consumption. From the farming sector's view, growing energy crops can only be sustained if it can guarantee economic returns on investment and labour at a sustainable and secure level. As of now, it can be noted that the return from energy crops remains marginal, thus preventing the industry from fully expanding. It is thus imperative for Ireland to do more research to address these challenges.

Hermilando Aberia is an expert in social development work with at least 22 years of professional experience as either consultant or key staff member of health, community development, education and local governance projects. He has a master's degree in development management from the Asian Institute of Management. Contact Information: B21 L59 Kassel Kristina Heights, Tacloban City, Philippines Mobile: (+63) 9058664106; Website: http://www.freewebs.com/iaberia

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Nigel in Ipswich has installed solar power and a wind generator.
He also keeps chickens, pumps water from a well and recycles rain water.


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Burn Waste to Produce Energy

The human race has used wood to make fire for a very long time. It has been our main source of energy for most of our existence and we have used it to cook food and provide heating.

Use is dwindling but burning waste to produce energy has great potential as an energy source. This is particularly important when you consider the amount of waste produced in the modern world, the problems faced with disposal and the effort being put into recycling.

A Biomass Power Station works in a similar way to a coal fired power station. Waste is burned and used to heat water, the steam produced is used to turn turbines, the turbines turn generators and generate electricity. Any solid waste can be used including animal manure, woodchip, seaweed, rubbish and any other waste.

Bio-conversion is a related process where plant/animal waste is used to produce bio-fuels such as methanol or natural gas. These bio-fuels can be burned to produce power and vehicles have been developed powered by bio-fuels

Sugar can be used in a similar way because it can be fermented to make alcohol which can be burned. Alternatively, the left over sugar cane pulp can be burned and often a biomass power station provides energy for a sugar mill as well as the surrounding area.

A Biomass Power Station is planned for Portbury near Bristol which would produce 150 MW of power and this is enough to provide power for two hundred thousand homes. It will burn wood materials brought to the plant by ship from sustainable sources and will annually offset about four hundred thousand tones of carbon dioxide emissions.

Another Biomass Power Station is planned for Longannet in Scotland which will produce 20 MW from wood and waste derived fuel and provide electricity for about thirty three thousand homes. It will also offset one hundred and thirty tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions each year and prevent one hundred and thirty five tonnes of waste material being disposed in landfill sites.

Bio-fuels could help us reduce our reliance on fossil fuels and most particularly the oil used for transport which is obviously a good thing.

Some people claim that it will take a huge amount of land to grow the bio-fuels needed and this will affect our capacity to grow food. Bio-fuel powered vehicles produce similar carbon emissions to petrol driven vehicles but scientists argue that the plants growing the bio-fuel will take in the extra carbon emissions produced as they respire. Time will tell on this argument.

We should definitely take the opportunity to burn waste materials whenever we can. It is a very cheap source of fuel and would help reduce our dependence on fossil fuels. It also destroys waste and reduces the need to recycle. We collect waste anyway and have trouble with disposal.

However, growing bio-fuels could cause problems and some fuels may not always be available. Bio-fuels are burned and still produce greenhouse gases in the same way as fossil fuels.

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