Olive-based coal alternative trialled by Stradbally
Carbon neutral biofuel deemed a success, producing a clean exhaust and very little ash.
ON September 24, the Stradbally Woodland Railway trialled a 100% renewable biomass-based coal substitute on its short, steeply graded
1km long line.
The trial is part of the ‘Continuity Biocoal’ project, a collaboration between the
Irish Steam Preservation
Society (ISPS) CLG, Arigna
Fuels of Roscommon, The Irish Bioenergy Association (IrBEA) and their partners in Wales, the Severn Wye Energy Agency (SWEA), and funded by the €5.6m European Union Interreg North West Europe Programme encompassing organisations from Germany, France, Netherlands, Belgium, Ireland and the UK.
The fuel used is a stove-ready commercial product called ‘Harvest Flame’ produced by Argina Fuels made via the process of Torrefaction from biomass – in this case olive stones, a residue from the food industry. The trial proved, this material is also suitable for small locomotives and traction engine boilers.
Peter Layden, director of Arigna Fuels said: “Arigna
Fuels is delighted to support the heritage steam industry, replacing coal with Harvest Flame, our new biomasssourced 100% renewable and sustainable fuel. Not only will this fuel help to drastically reduce the carbon footprint of the heritage sector, but it will also allow people to continue to enjoy first-hand the magnificent and historic engineering, a legacy of a different era.”
Stradbally’s 1949 built Andrew Barclay 0-4-0WT No. LM44 Roisin was used in the trial and was originally built for
Bord na Mona to burn turf.
Nicola Glynn, ISPS secretary said: “We were excited to try this new form of fuel, and doing our bit to help decarbonise the economy is important to us. Our crews enjoyed not ending the day covered with coal dust, as this is a remarkably clean fuel.”
Stephen McCormack of
IrBEA said: “IrBEA is excited to be supporting this novel and innovative application of a fully sustainable biofuel in such an iconic use. The small steam engines of Ireland have played a very significant role in the development of energy production, industry and agriculture. It is important to keep this heritage alive whilst showing that a move to a bioenergy-based, non-fossil fuel future is achievable.”
The project plans to continue trials of the fuel on other heritage railways soon to see how it performs on longer lines with different characteristics to Stradbally.