Rainbow Bee Eater
- ECHO2 -
LOW COST RENEWABLE ENERGY FROM BIOMASS
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Since 2007 Rainbow Bee Eater has been systematically developing a revolutionary technology to improve the way communities and businesses deal with biomass wastes & energy production, while reducing their carbon footprint.
We are now proud to present our ECHO2 technology to you. ECHO2 produces low cost, base load fuel gas or electricity from organic residues such as crop and timber 'wastes' that are burned or landfilled today. It is suitable for any business or community that uses a few hundred kW of energy on a regular basis. In many cases the total cost of producing energy (gas, heat, electricity) will be well below current market prices. The economics are not reliant on subsidies or carbon tax. It produces low-cost high quality charcoal/biochar as a byproduct. ECHO2 is automated, quiet, clean and safe and is proudly developed, designed and manufactured in Australia. The first commercial demonstration modules are now available for your business or community. Government support may be available to assist customers with ‘first of a kind’ applications. |
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"Rainbow Bee Eater: ECHO2 Explained"
- ECHO2 PROCESS -
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Biomass is chopped and continuously fed into the automated process and heated in a low oxygen environment to produce commercially viable quantities of high quality Syngas and Biochar.
One slow moving part controls the process. Start up and shut down take a few minutes. The system is very quiet, requires very little power and has full data logging and remote operation capability. This is a 21st century adaptation of a technology form that has existed for thousands of years. Earlier technologies were not able to produce these clean, commercial quantities of syngas. Many biomass conversion technologies require additional expensive processes to clean the syngas before it can be used to fuel modern high efficiency engines or boilers. An important point of difference is that ECHO2 does the complete conversion to clean syngas in one simple process. In addition to the syngas, biochar is also produced as a valuable byproduct. Both are produced at low cost. The syngas is produced as required by the demand for electricity or heat. This is sometimes called ‘base load generation’. Power generated through other renewable technologies such as wind and solar rely on the wind to blow or the sun to shine. This is not the case here as electricity and heat can be generated whenever they are required. Also, unlike wind and solar, the electricity generated by ECHO2 is ‘synchronous’ which means it assists the whole electricity network to maintain stable frequency and voltage (50Hz and 230/400 volts in Australia). |
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- BIOMASS -
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ECHO2 can be tuned to handle a wide variety of sustainable biomass residues.
Worldwide, there are abundant and sustainable biomass residues that can be used to generate clean energy. Many of these residues are regarded as waste that requires disposal, often using methods that are themselves unsustainable. As one example, fields of rice and wheat are burnt after harvest in many regions of the world, resulting in severe smoke pollution. Sustainable biomass residues that ECHO2 will convert to energy include:
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- SYNGAS -
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ECHO2 produces significant quantities of syngas that is suitable to replace fossil fuels such as natural gas and LPG.
The syngas, shown burning in the video above, is a mixture of hydrogen, methane, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and nitrogen, and has an energy density of ~ 8 Mj/m3. The ECHO2 syngas is clean enough and strong enough to be used in applications that need combustible gas such as high efficiency gas engines for generation of electricity, high efficiency boilers and chillers. The syngas is not easy to compress and is intended as 'make and use' in close coupled applications. Because ECHO2 is automated and able to start up and shut down in a few minutes - it is an economic option for generating energy for either a few hours or 24 hours each day. For glasshouse operators there is an additional bonus. If the syngas is used to fire a high efficiency boiler the exhaust gas produced is an economic clean source of CO2 for use in glasshouse atmospheres, replacing LPG or other fossil sources of CO2. |
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- CHARCOAL / BIOCHAR -
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Because ECHO2 produces clean high quality syngas in significant, commercially viable quantities, the cost of biochar production is reduced to a level where biochar usage will be economic in many applications.
The charcoal / biochar produced by ECHO2 is mainly carbon and mineral ash. It is designed to be used in agriculture, horticulture, building materials, as an animal feed supplement and in many other applications. Biochar may also be used as a fuel similar to coal. Independent research indicates that use of Biochar is likely to have multiple benefits . Biochar is a potentially powerful tool for mitigating anthropogenic climate change because of its ability to capture and store carbon. The carbon in Biochar resists degradation and sequesters carbon for hundreds to thousands of years. The International Biochar Initiative reports: "Biochar enhances soils. By converting agricultural waste into a powerful soil enhancer that holds carbon and makes soils more fertile, we can boost food security, discourage deforestation and preserve cropland diversity. Research is now confirming benefits that include:
Biochar can improve almost any soil. Areas with low rainfall or nutrient-poor soils will most likely see the largest impact from addition of biochar." |
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- ECONOMICS -
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The ability of ECHO2 to produce commercial quantities of both Syngas and Biochar at low cost using low value biomass residues significantly enhances the financial outcomes.
RBE feasibility studies indicate that locations with processes that use significant quantities of LPG or natural gas, heat and/or electricity and also have low cost sustainable biomass residues nearby now have the option to:
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- ENVIRONMENT -
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ECHO2 has a beneficial footprint for the environment and for the local community.
It has very low air, water and noise emissions. It also creates local jobs. In many communities there are abundant and sustainable biomass residues regarded as 'wastes' today that are often disposed of by burning and landfill. These biomass residues are a renewable source of stored solar energy. Using sustainable biomass residues in ECHO2 such as wastes from crops, animals or timber construction is 'Carbon Negative'**. The carbon in the biomass is transformed into Syngas which replaces non renewable fossil fuels and into stable carbon structures in the Biochar which can remain sequestered in the biochar for hundreds or thousands of years. The result is a net withdrawal of CO2 from the atmosphere. ** ECHO2 is a 'carbon negative process' that removes CO2 from the atmosphere. Landfilling of biomass, like burning of fossil fuels, is a 'carbon positive' process which adds CO2 and other greenhouse gasses to the air and exacerbates global warming. Burning of biomass is a 'carbon neutral' process; the carbon captured in the biomass by photosynthesis would have eventually returned to the atmosphere through natural processes like decomposition. |
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- SUITABILITY -
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Businesses or communities that use a few hundred kilowatts of energy on a regular basis should consider ECHO2.
The following scenarios are likely to have attractive economics where cash and levelised cost (LCOE) of gas and electricity are significantly lower than current market prices.
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- LEAD TEAM -
Managing Director
Peter Burgess spent 35 years in Australian and international operational, corporate and advisory roles involving conception, feasibility, financing, design, construction, risk management and operation of large mining and manufacturing projects. Peter held senior leadership roles with Alcoa in Western Australia, Victoria and USA, served as Chair of the Federal Government and Industry Light Metals Action Agenda, on the Board of Engineers Without Borders Australia and as consultant to Alumina Ltd and CSIRO Minerals and Energy. Peter believes that Australia, especially rural and regional areas, will gain significant environmental, social and economic benefits by using safe, efficient and clean 21st century technologies for the sustainable production of renewable energy from biomass residues that are currently burnt or landfilled. Peter's career includes many examples where he has initiated or been a key player in the trialling and development and full implementation of new technologies including many environmental initiatives.
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Operations Director
Ian Stanley is a third generation farmer, who, with his sons Travis and Clint, owns and operates a 25,000 Ha wheat and sheep farm in Kalannie in the Central Wheatbelt of Western Australia. During his farming career Ian has overseen the expansion of the farm from 5,500 Ha to its present size and planted and integrated over 1.2 million oil mallee trees on the farming property. Ian has become widely recognised as a spokesperson for the integrated farm forestry industry in Australia. In 2003 he was elected as President and Chairman of the Oil Mallee Association of Australia. Ian is passionate about growing small rural communities through new industry and farming enterprises. He has been awarded both the State and National Landcare Awards for Individuals. Nominated for his work in landcare, Ian was 1 of only 80 people selected to run with the Olympic Torch in Australia for the Beijing Olympics. Ian has been a Director of the Central Wheatbelt Football League for 14 years, 9 as Chairman. Ian currently serves on the Boards of RBE, Kalannie Distillers, a local eucalyptus oil manufacturing enterprise and Fares Rural, a company investing in Australian agricultural production.
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Independent Director
Kim Horne recently retired after a 42 year career with Alcoa. His final roles were as Executive Director of Alcoa of Australia and President of Alcoa’s Global Mining group. He has held numerous board positions including leadership of the Western Australian Chamber of Mines and Energy and the Peel Development Commission. He was a non Executive Chairman of the Mitchells logistic group and the Mining Services Company HSE. He has also held numerous other board positions including with the Australian Mines and Metals Association,the WA regional Development Committee and the Esperance Ports, Sea and Land Authority. Kim is currently the Vice Chairmen of the WA Government owned electricity provider Synergy. He is vitally interested in ensuring industry’s future energy needs as a competitive advantage and in the sustainable development of regional Australia. During his long career he has been instrumental to the introduction of new technologies in the areas of both Mining efficiency and sustainability including the environmental recovery of Mined areas. This work was both within Australia and overseas where he oversaw operations in five other countries. Kim was announced a member of the Order of Australia for his services to his Industry.
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SDA Engineering Pty Ltd is an independent Australian owned engineering services provider.
The core of SDA's expertise is in power generation, tri and co-generation, diesel and gas engines, gas turbines, auxiliary systems and thermal heat recovery and plant interface design. SDA consists of mechanical, electrical and control engineers who offer engineering, design and turn-key project delivery and, in some cases, finance, own, operate and maintenance services. SDA projects have remote monitoring capability utilising SDA designed PLC and SCADA systems. SDA also has extensive experience with acoustic enclosures, which are designed and manufactured at their Melbourne fabrication facilities. Formed in 1998, SDA has an enviable reputation for service delivery that includes the design and construction of over ninety special energy projects, mainly embedded at customer premises. Many of these projects have been in operation for several years and achieve very high availability levels. Since 2010 SDA has played a key role for RBE in the ongoing development of ECHO2. |
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Rainbow Bee Eater
The Rainbow Bee Eater (merops ornatus) is a beautiful bird that survives in some of Australia’s harshest environments. Its habitat overlaps many of the areas likely to be suitable for the RBE System. RBE believes that this little bird 'exploding' from its nest is a metaphor for the rapidity with which the RBE System and similar systems could make a major contribution to the supply of renewable energy, long term carbon abatement and assisting the reversal of environmental, social and economic decline in regional Australia. Image courtesy JJ Harrison via Wikimedia Commons. |
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© Rainbow Bee Eater 2017