Marchwood Scientific Services Ltd (MSSL) the independent Dioxin testing laboratory near Southampton has now extended its package of testing services for biodegradable wastes.

The EU Landfill Directive and corresponding UK Landfill Regulations set targets designed to divert biodegradable municipal wastes (BMW) away from landfill. These targets state that by 2010, only 75% of the 1995 quantity of BMW produced can be land filled. This figure reduces to 50% by 2013 and to 35% by 2020. In order to enable compliance with these regulations a number of incentive schemes have been devised by the UK government to encourage the re-use of these materials for energy generation.

In addition to the landfill regulations there are controls covering the production of electricity from renewable energy sources. The EU Directive 2001/77/EC came into force in October 2001 and requires that Member States ensure that a Guarantee of Origin is issued, on request, in respect of electricity produced from renewable energy sources.

The Electricity (Guarantees of Origin of Electricity produced from Renewable Energy Sources) Regulations 2003 S.I. 2003 No. 2562 implements Article 5 of the Directive and these regulations came in to force in October 2003.

OFGEM, the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets, is the designated authority that issues Renewable Energy Guarantees of Origin (REGOs) in the UK.Plants fuelled wholly or partly by biomass and/or waste need to provide, as part of the request for a REGO, the following information:

- % total quantity of electricity produced from biomass/waste
- Full details of the fuel content including calorific value
- Procedures for sorting of the fuel where relevant
- Details of the fuel suppliers

It is only the biodegradable element of the biomass and/or waste that is considered to be a renewable energy source for the purposes of the regulations.

The types of industrial process that can utilise renewable as an energy source include Energy from Waste Plants (Incinerators, Gasification and Pyrolysis units) and Cement Kilns and MSSL can assist all of these operators with the necessary testing programmes.

A typical suite of tests performed is as follows:
- Heavy Metals
- Calorific value
- Ash
- Moisture,
- Halogens
- Sulphur
- Carbon
- Biomass content.

The measurement of Biomass content is performed by MSSL using the modified CEN/TS 15440 dissolution method which gives a percentage biomass content for the waste/fuel.

In addition to the above, a range of other tests is offered to users and producers of renewable energy sources including full waste characterisation, ash analysis, and air emissions monitoring.

For further information regarding this article or the services that Marchwood Scientific Services offer, then please contact Michelle Gibbins on Tel: 02380 669126 or Email: michelle.gibbins@marchwood-scientific.co.uk