Fræðaþing landbúnaðarins - 06.02.2004, Page 128

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Hydrogen Fuel Cells.
Fuel cells represent a means of generating electrical energy virtually free of
environmental pollutants. In contrast, the buming of fossil fuel resources (oil, coal,
natural gas) is accompanied by the release of substantial amounts of potentially
harmful compounds: unbumed hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, oxides of nitrogen,
sulfur dioxide, CO2. In particular, C02 release has been linked to the “greenhouse
effect” and an increase in the global average temperature, or global warming.
While there are several different designs, all fuel cells use hydrogen gas (H2) as a
starting material to produce an electric current. Fuel cells have been used for many
years in spacecraft as a means of producing both electricity and as a source of water.
Presently, the infrastructure for transporting, storing, and dispensing H2 gas is not
generally available. Recently, however, in just the last year (2003), fuel cells able to
use methyl alcohol (methanol) as opposed to H2 gas as a starting material have
become commercially available. This development has created new opportunities for
powering fuel cells which do not require a H2 gas distribution system.
Opportunities for the Use of Biomass for Energy by the Agricultural Sector in
Iceland
In contrast to most other industrial countries, Iceland does not have incentives for
converting to bioenergy to fulfill the requirements of the Kyoto Protocol. According
to the Ministry of the Environment in Iceland (2003), the estimated increase in annual
GHG emissions will not exceed the limits of Iceland’s obligations under the Kyoto
Protocol. However, converting biomass into biofuel would potentially decrease
Iceland’s dependence on external supplies of fossil fuel. For example, biomass
derived fuels could substitute for conventional fuels used by the transportation sector
and the fishing fleet. For example, pursuing altemative energy strategies would help
to decrease the 30% GHG emissions occurring from the transportation sector and the
26% being emitted by fishing vessels in Iceland (Ministry of the Environment, 2003).
Currently, the Icelandic govemment does not include the use of biomass resources in
its climate policy except to increase annual carbon sequestration in biomass.
The logical incentive for increasing the use of bioenergy in Iceland would come from
the creation of jobs and economic opportunities in mral areas, and to provide
agriculture with new economical outlets. Additional benefits would be the
stimulation of land-use changes (e.g., planting trees) that provide economic incentives
for forestry projects. The biomass-methanol-fuel cell systems discussed earlier are
also ideally suited to transform wastes generated in larger agricultural communities.
There is a substantial need to dispose of agricultural waste with minimum
transportation costs. If that material could be used to generate electricity when
combined with fuel cells, several goals could be satisfied in mral areas. Furthermore,
decentralized energy production systems are ideal for more remote agricultural areas
with less secure energy infrastmctures and where winter conditions result in
blackouts, sometimes for several days at the time.
Some Key scenarios discussed below are ideal for installing decentralized bioenergy
systems (i.e., methanol H fuel-cell systems) in Iceland:
• Larger agricultural communities with a need to dispose of agricultural wastes
especially where transportation costs are low,
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