Biotricity inks straw supply MoU for 16-MW Irish biomass plant

Sep 19, 2013 - Irish renewables firm Biotricity Ltd said yesterday it had secured the straw feedstock for its 16-MW biomass project in the Irish midlands through a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Irish Farmers' Association.

The agreement is to help meet the feedstock requirements of Biotricity’s Offaly biomass plant, which is expected to consume more than 90,000 tonnes of straw each year. The Irish firm will purchase the feedstock at a base price of EUR 30 (USD 40.5), with bonuses for reduced moisture level and an EUR-2.0 straw conditioning bonus per tonne for material conditioned by the supplier combined with a guaranteed index linked upward only price review per year.

Construction of the biomass facility is scheduled to start in the first quarter of 2014, with commercial operations planned by the end of 2015. Full-scale production at the plant will commence in 2016.

When up and running, the plant will generate some EUR 7 million in revenue to farmer suppliers, the developer estimates. Biotricity will start initial straw purchases in 2014.

The biomass power plant is seen to mitigate about 77,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions annually.

(EUR 1.0 = USD 1.351)

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