With its ambitious approach the project aimed to achieve a significant step beyond the present state-of-the-art and thus bears a high innovation potential. The new technology provides for the first time the possibility to apply various qualities of cost-efficient biomass fuels in the small capcity range at almost zero gaseous, particulate matter (PM) as well as reduced NOX emission levels. By an innovative condenser design the temperature difference between the return of the heating water cycle and the flue gas temperature is reduced to less than 5°C and, thus, total efficiencies of up to 113% (net calorific value / NCV based) were possible.
Accordingly, based on preceding techno-economic analyses, the impact assessment (IA) performed present lower greenhouse gas emission levels than almost all other scenarios for state-of-the-art biomass boilers and especially against oil and gas condensing boilers. Comparing the analysed technology scenarios strongly requires looking at respective total annual efficiencies and fuel types. In that respect, the FlexiFuel-CHX scenario performs better for fuel consumption reduction than the other biomass boiler scenarios. Derived from the techno-economic analyses, over the whole period scrutinized and across all applications the new technology appears to be also the option that incurs the lowest long-term cumulated overall costs, despite initially different product prices.
All improvements of existing or new biomass heating systems also have to consider the specific properties of each installation, such as e.g. correct dimensioning, frequency of use, fuel availability, etc. Therefore, typically more properly trained and certified employees are required for upgrading or installing advanced heating systems with high efficiencies and low emissions. Otherwise, the benefits of better technology could be offset by losses and failures due to improper installation. For that reason, within the IA there have been also complementary considerations about socio-economic effects. Thus, with rising sales numbers and the increasing degree of complexity of efficient appliances, there is consequently also a higher demand for qualified personnel among manufacturers, for certification bodies and for the whole biomass supply chain. Accordingly, positive overall turnover and additional job creation effects in the EU, especially for SMEs, can be expected.
Considered together, all the insights gained in the Impact Assessment give some meaningful indications on the most prominent aspects to be considered for the long-range impacts of the project. Assuming the full market potential for small-scale systems to be fulfilled, improvements by the new FlexiFuel-CHX technology could have large positive EU-wide environmental and socio-economic effects: A high emission reduction potential is given EU wide, the Low-NOx boiler also contributes clearly to NOX emission reduction, the FF-CHX technology also contributes to lower fuel demand on an EU level due to the high efficiency, shows the lowest auxiliary electricity consumption of all biomass boilers investigated, the lowest greenhouse gas emissions, as well as large turnover and additional job creation potentials in the EU, especially for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
