Investigations of the chemical composition of grass pellets obtained from the extensively utilized Noteć River meadows were carried out in 2008 at the Institute of Chemical Wood Technology at Poznań University of Life Sciences in accordance with the PN-92/P-50092 standard. The studies aimed to assess the chemical composition and possibilities of utilization of pellets in a power plant or boiler room of small power. The performed experiments revealed that pellets obtained from grass biomass were characterised by good parameters, comparable with pellets from straw and wood chips. Their average calorific value was determined to be at the level of 18.71 MJ/kg, heat of combustion – at 19.13 MJ/kg, ash content – 6.75% and moisture content – 7.66-7.92%. Grass pellets provide a valuable source of renewable energy and their application as fuel can, on the one hand, contribute to limiting CO2 emissions and, on the other, give farmers additional income and help them dispose of worse quality of hay. Such utilization is in agreement with the recommendations of the Polish, as well as EU Energy Policies which predict a 20% increase of renewable energy sources, as well as a 10% increase in the utilization of biofuels by 2020 (2001 Directive).
Full text available in Polish in Adobe Acrobat format:http://www.npt.up-poznan.net/tom4/zeszyt1/art_11.pdf
Grzelak M., Waliszewska B., Speak-DĽwigała A., 2010. Warto¶ć energetyczna peletu z ł±k nadnoteckich ekstensywnie użytkowanych. Nauka Przyr. Technol. 4, 1, #11.
Mieczysław Grzelak
Katedra Ł±karstwa
Uniwersytet Przyrodniczy w Poznaniu
ul. Wojska Polskiego 38/42
60-627 Poznań
Poland
e-mail: grzelak@up.poznan.pl