Does Ireland utilize the vast amounts of peat bogs to generate electricity with by burning it?

Question

Does this burning of the peat create additional environmental problems for the air quality in Ireland or directly affect the Global Warming, by sending large amounts of pollutions towards the Ozone Layers?

I am just trying to correctly understand some of the energy needs of the Irish people, from the people themselves, and not what the government or corporations will say.

Honest answers are appreciated, and Thank You!

Answer 1

Okay, here's the real honest answer. Yes, Ireland does indeed have plans to use peat and lignite (which is almost indistinguishable from peat in many cases) as fuel for electric power plants. I know you didn't ask for government reports, but to prove this I have to include them.

According to the European technical association of electricity and heat generation, known as the VGB Secretariat, this is true. They report that about 20-25% of the intended new power plant capacity in Ireland as of May, 2006, will be from peat and lignite powered electric generation plants. And, they also report that Ireland is already missing the Kyoto-targets for carbon dioxide by an excess of 22.7%. By 2008 Ireland's target is to only exceed the Kyoto target by 13%, but obviously burning peat and lignite will not help with that.
Here is the Secretariat report:
http://www.vgb.org/daten_stromerzeugung-dfid-14541.html

An article in the American Society of Mechanical Engineers Journal reports the following: (I quote)
"Peat has been used in Ireland for the generation of electricity for over 30 years. A general picture is given of what is involved in developing bogland and producing milled peat in Ireland for power generation. Practice in burning milled peat in Irish power stations is briefly described. Cost data are presented and a cost derived for energy exported from a 45-MWe milled peat fired power station."
http://www.osti.gov/energycitations/product.biblio.jsp?osti_id=5279481

A recent newspaper article in the Belfast Telegraph reports the following: (I quote)
"Between 1984-1986, an Australian company sank 16 bore holes to estimate the quality and extent of the lignite deposits around Ballymoney.

The deposits of lignite are known to extend to the shores of Lough Neagh which is the source of much of Belfast's water supply.

In 2002, an application was made for planning permission for a mine and a power station on the same site. The land potentially affected extends nearly 8 kilometres from the Ballymoney bypass.

Lignite is a soft, brown fuel which has characteristics similar to both peat and coal. It is found in the United States, Canada, Greece and Germany where it is generally used as a fuel for generating electricity. In Greece, for example, 50% of electricity comes from lignite power plants."
http://www.headliners.org/storylibrary/stories/2004/ligniteminecontroversyfuelspassion.htm?id=0932366845365051848298

As for the difference between peat and lignite, it is sometimes indistinguishable to the eye. By definition, peat is "an unconsolidated deposit of semicarbonized plant remains ...[with] persistently high moisture content (at least 75%)" and lignite is a slightly more consolidated deposit with a calorific value less than 8300 BTU/lb. Lignite is typically of Tertiary or Mesozoic age, while peat is most often younger. Both of these, when burned as fuel are among the least efficient types of fuel when considered by the ratio of the amount of energy to carbon dioxide output. So yes, while they will not technically affect the ozone layer, they will contribute a huge amount of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere and could contribute to global warming.
Source of definitions:
Bates, R.L, and J.A. Jackson, editors, Dictionary of Geological Terms, prepared by the American Geological Institute. Third edition, 1984, page 295 and 372

The Belfast Telegraph goes on to explain that Northern Ireland's electricity costs are among the highest in the EU, and that the company that has proposed a new lignite-fueled power plant says " oil was very high in price and there was huge resistance by communities to renewable energy options, such as wind and tidal power."

Ireland currently has 866 Kw of power generated from wind farms in 19 counties. http://www.iwea.com/index.cfm/page/windfarmsinireland
Ireland's total electricity used was about 24 billion Kw hours in 2005, so the wind power is much less than 1% of the total demand in Ireland. The capacity of the power plants that are planned to burn peat and lignite is about 600,000 Kw in comparison. That figure is estimated by me from the Secretariat's report.

The total numbers for Ireland's electric generation come from the Energy Information Administration here:
http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/international/electricityconsumption.html

Answer 2

As far as i know peat burning in Ireland and Scotland is traditionally as domestic fuel. No electricity is generated by burning this material. Peat is anaerobically rotted vegetation which in another 300,000,000 would have become coal as a result of pressure and temperature converting it, as it becomes buried in the earth crust.

There are three bad things about burning peat:

it is a very inefficient fuel with a smaller amount of heat produced per unit weight compared with coal.

it is a very dirty fuel producing smoke and sooty particles which enters the air exacerbating asthma and other respiratory illnesses. The particles also contain polyaromatic hydrocarbons which cause cancer.

the wetland environments where peat is cut from is a finite resource and commercial exploitation threatens the wildlife and flora associated with these peat bogs.

The reasons peat was used was because it is a very cheap fuel, cut by crofters and the like for an almost free source of energy. The water was pressed from the peat and it was dried out in blocks.

On a point of information, global warming is not related to the ozone layer. Burning any fossil fuel will add to the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere which is credited with the responsibilty for the earth retaining heat thereby causing climate change.

Answer 3

The European Union has put a ban on harvesting peat in Ireland, as it is a non-renewable geological feature. There are boundaries for small amounts of peat usage, bu the vast amount of it cannot be harvested.

Answer 4

peat is wannabe coal but contains lots of moisture. it burns slowly and with lots of smoke . in order to get a hot enough fire to create steam to generate electricity you would have to add something such as heating oil or natural gas to the peat. this makes it economically unfeasible.

Answer 5

I am am a miner from s.wales and i college i can remember just it takes be either 12feet or 20 feet of peat compressed to make 1foot of coal so it would be impossible to utilise it in that way

Answer 6

ok im irish , first off weird ?

but yes buring peat doesnt do anything to the sky or pollution etc...

we like buring more [eat than central heating as it
cost less
and is way healthier