GRANT INVESTS OVER €250K IN R&D TO SUPPORT DRIVE FOR BIOFUEL TO HEAT IRISH PROPERTIES

In a bid to help reduce carbon emissions in rural and hard to heat Irish properties, Irelandʼs leading heating appliance manufacturer Grant, has invested over €250,000 in pioneering a major R&D breakthrough to do just this. Over the past six years Grantʼs R&D team has worked with third level institutions, industry partners and renewable fuel producers, focusing on more sustainable and carbon saving fuels. In addition, the manufacturer has also innovated its award-winning Vortex boiler range to be biofuel compatible. All new Grant condensing boilers are now future-proofed to use HVO through making a slight modification to the boiler and older Grant condensing boilers can also be adapted to HVO.

Founder, Stephen Grant

Biofuel compatible Grant Vortex range *depending on biofuel and % blend Commenting on the R&D project, founder Stephen Grant said, “In the early days of our research, we identified potential bio and synthetic fuels that would both meet greenhouse gas reduction targets and be commercially viable. This began with developing a boiler that could use a biofuel called FAME (fatty acid methyl esters). Our team successfully used a 30% blend of FAME with regular kerosene, although problems arose when the blend of biofuel exceeded 30%. This resulted in increased NOx emissions, issues with fuel storage stability and more rapid aging or poor performance in cold conditions.”

“The breakthrough came during testing and field trialling with boilers successfully using 100% biofuel known as Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO). HVO feedstocks are generally rapeseed oil, sunflower oil, soybean oil, certified sustainable palm oil and non-food oils such as jatropha oil and algae oil as well as waste animal fats. Even more sustainable are waste and residue oils – both of which are now a substantial contributor to the feedstock”, added Stephen. While HVO is a relatively new fuel to Ireland, in Europe and the UK it is used for Marine and Public Transport and to power generators. Currently, Irish distributors include Nicholl Oil in Carryduff, Co. Down and Inver Energy in Blackpool, Co. Cork. Stephen comments, “The use of 100% HVO, can result in around 88% reduction in carbon emissions and using this or a percentage blend of HVO with kerosene, will enable rural and hard to heat Irish properties to transition to a renewable green alternative from 100% kerosene at an affordable cost, with minimum disruption to everyday home lives. One very important benefit of HVO to the Irish construction industry is that builders and relevant trades can continue to focus on building new houses in large numbers without being diverted to slow and costly deep retrofitting projects, enabling more heat pumps to be fitted. “Utilising HVO will also help Ireland to significantly decarbonise approximately 680,000 existing residential homes, at a cost of approximately €500 per existing oil boiler installation when matching and changing to a new biofuel burner and substantially less if the boiler is already biofuel ready”,said Stephen.

Think Heating. Think Grant.

Visit www.grant.eu for more information on Grantʼs range of innovative heating solutions.

You can also follow Grant on Facebook and Twitter @GrantIRL or Instagram @Grant_IRL