http://www.e4tech.com/reports/
Though many of the results we produce for our clients are confidential, those results we can share with the world, we gladly do. In addition we publish some non-client reports, most notably our annual Fuel Cell Industry Review.
If you have any questions about reproducing parts of our reports (e.g. graphs) and how to reference them correctly, as well as enquiries regarding the use of the E4tech logo, please contact Kalon Richfield.
The E4tech logo may not be used for any commercial purpose without our express written consent. Copyright for the reports available from this website lies with E4tech, unless otherwise stated.
Reports
Bioenergy for Sustainable Energy Access in Africa – A scoping study of the opportunities and challenges of bioenergy replication across Sub-Saharan Africa
These two reports were the results of a one year scoping study undertaken by E4tech, in collaboration with LTS International and the University of Edinburgh, to identify and evaluate barriers and opportunities for the replication of modern bioenergy in Sub-Saharan Africa.
The Executive Summary of the Handover and Project Completion report summarises our approach and also the main findings of the three key stages of the project; Literature Review and Stakeholder mapping, Technology Value Chain Prioritisation, and the Technology Country Case Studies. The published report also outlines the next steps as part of the larger Transforming Energy Access (TEA) programme. In the first stage we prioritised Anaerobic Digestion (AD), Gasification and combustion to steam turbine, from an initial list of 27 technologies based on a multi-criteria analysis. Based on this analysis, the research conducted during the second stage generated a database of existing project examples in SSA of these three technologies. Based on existing deployment we prioritised AD and gasification projects as basis for the Technology Country Case Study stage.
The Technology Country Case Study report describes research opportunities for replication of biogas that DFID-supported research could address and leverage. The analysis also identified key barriers for the replication of biogas and gasification and is based on 18 project visits (12 biogas plants and 6 gasifiers) in seven countries in East-, West- and Southern Africa. Three of the profiled biogas projects are technically and commercially successful; they suggest that viable ventures can be developed and operated in SSA under the right conditions.
The barriers experienced by biogas developers fall into the following six categories:
1. Unreliable feedstock supply
2. Costly and insufficiently adapted technology
3. Limited operator technical capacity
4. Lack of viable business models
5. Unfavourable policy and regulation
6. Limited access to manufacturer support and spare parts
1. Unreliable feedstock supply
2. Costly and insufficiently adapted technology
3. Limited operator technical capacity
4. Lack of viable business models
5. Unfavourable policy and regulation
6. Limited access to manufacturer support and spare parts
In contrast to anaerobic digestion, the developers of all six profiled gasification projects have encountered significant barriers that make replication very challenging. The four community-based plants have been mothballed due to poor commercial viability or technical problems. The fifth is dormant due to lack of feedstock, and the sixth has yet to be commissioned due to gas cleaning problems.
As barriers encountered for gasification were so wide-ranging there is no realistic opportunity for research to boost replication potential and we recommended focusing future research efforts on anaerobic digestion. Through targeted research, DFID could add impetus to the growing commercial investment in SSA’s anaerobic digestion sector. We recommended targeted research themes in each of the six identified barriers to support the replication of anaerobic digestion in SSA. Opportunities for replication of anaerobic digestion in SSA exist in particular due to the large number of agri-businesses with concentrated on-site feedstock availability, existing successful project examples to build upon, and the potential to reduce capital cost and increase productivity through innovation, therefore achieving commercial viability.
Low carbon fossil fuels sustainability risks and accounting methodology
This study for the UK Department for Transport reviews the potential sustainability impacts of low carbon fossil fuels, and develops a methodology for assessing their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This GHG assessment needs to account for where the carbon would otherwise have been destined, had it not been used to make a new fuel product. Adopting this approach, this research illustrates that lifecycle carbon impacts of alternative fossil fuels range from significantly higher, to significantly lower emissions than conventional fossil petrol and diesel. The report also identifies a range of broader sustainability risks relating to air quality impacts, encouraging the production of more wastes, and of making an inefficient use of resources, for example, through contravening the waste hierarchy. If low carbon fossil fuels are given policy support, the study suggests that robust sustainability criteria should be in place to mitigate these risks.
Research on Realising the Potential of Demand Side Response
Research was commissioned by BEIS into realising the potential of DSR to 2025 to improve the evidence base on the potential of small-scale DSR and inform policy development targeted at a smarter energy system. The research uses an evidence review (a Rapid Evidence Assessment) and country case studies, both covering four research areas: policy interventions, business strategies, DSR products and services, and consumer engagement and participation.
Ramp up of lignocellulosic ethanol in Europe to 2030
The cellulosic ethanol industry is at a critical development stage: there are technology developers who are taking stock of the lessons learnt during the development of their first plants, and several more are constructing or planning their first plant.
This report develops two deployment scenarios for the EU based on detailed bottom up assumptions on the number of technology developers, plant development timelines, plant capacity, utilisation rates, the rate at which new projects can be initiated, and takes into consideration the availability of project finance. It also considers at what cost cellulosic ethanol could be produced.
The two scenarios (which assume a favourable policy environment) see total EU production capacity for cellulosic ethanol increase from 31 million litres in 2017 to 2.75 billion litres in 2030 in the central scenario, and 3.8 billion litres in the more ambitious scenario. Depending on EU energy demand in 2030, this could equate to a 4-5.6% blend of cellulosic ethanol in gasoline, by volume, in 2030, and 0.6-0.8% of road and rail transport energy demand in 2030.
Download the report here.
