Anders Mårtensson

Municipal energy-planning and development of local energy-systems

Over the past three decades, Swedish energy policy has evolved in three major stages--oil reduction, phase-out of nuclear energy, renewable energy--each with a different focus. Since 1977, Swedish law has required municipalities to develop an energy plan that addresses the supply, distribution, and use of energy. Whether such plans have contributed to the development of local energy-systems has been a subject for debate. This paper is based on a study of 12 municipal energy-plans that attempted to control and develop local energy-systems in southern Sweden. The analysis examines how municipalities promote oil reduction, efficient energy use, and the use of renewable energy. The plans varied in planning processes, contents, and level of ambition. The results of the study show that the contents of the plans follow the national energy-policies with respect to reduction of oil use, improved energy efficiency, and increased use of renewable energy.

Metal contamination in recovered waste wood used as energy source in Sweden.

Abstract Large amounts of recovered waste wood (RWW) originating from construction and demolition activities (C&DWW) and industrial activities (IWW) are annually generated in Sweden. RWW is also imported for use as an energy source at biofuel boilers. Increased use of biomass is one strategy to decrease environmental impact, in general, and the emissions of green house gases, in particular. This study addresses the environmental and resource implications of metal occurrence in RWW that is used as an energy source at biofuel boilers. RWW contains elevated concentrations of arsenic, chromium, copper, zinc, mercury, nickel, lead and possibly cadmium. The metal composition of Swedish and imported RWW differs in that Swedish RWW contains higher concentrations of arsenic, chromium, zinc, nickel and copper, while imported RWW contains higher concentrations of lead, mercury and cadmium. Ashes from combustion of RWW are nowadays generally disposed in landfills due to their elevated metal concentrations. This practice makes it impossible to use these ashes as filler material thereby replacing extraction of raw materials and decreasing the need for landfill space. Furthermore, landfilling leads to accumulation of hazardous heavy metals that poses a future environmental and health problem. If RWW from construction and demolition should contribute optimally to a sustainable energy system, cleaner waste wood flows are a prerequisite. The elementary measure is to track potential pollution sources in this waste stream and find out which are significant. Furthermore, since most of the RWW is untreated and unpolluted wood, there is a great environmental potential to separate this flow through the waste management system. Such an approach might lead to decreased environmental pollution of heavy metals and an improved resource management.

Energy and environmental costs for electric vehicles using CO2-neutral electricity in Sweden

Electric vehicles (EVs) may provide an alternative for CO2-neutral transportation services. This article analyses the cost of energy and emissions from using electricity produced from Swedish renewable energy sources in electric vehicles, and compares it with the cost of an alternative in which biomass-based methanol is used in internal combustion engine vehicles (ICEVs). These costs do not include vehicle and battery costs. Cost estimates of electricity, calculated using a marginal cost perspective, include production costs as well as the cost of distribution and vehicle recharging. The energy cost per km for vehicles using electricity is calculated to be 30–70% of the cost of biomass-based methanol, depending on the general level of electricity demand, the need for grid upgrading, and the assumed cost of biomass-based methanol. A high general electricity demand in society would require expensive condensing plants to supply the vehicles, whereas with a lower demand, cheaper cogeneration and wind power plants could be utilised. An electric vehicle, used as the average Swedish car, would, during its lifetime, have energy and environmental costs 30 000–40 000 SEK (

Preservative-treated sawn timber in Sweden: waste beyond control

4000–5400) lower than the current state-of-the art ICEVs using biomass-based methanol. An electric vehicle used mainly in the city centre might have energy and environmental costs which are 130 000–140 000 SEK (

Environmental relevance and use of energy indicators in environmental management and research

17 000–19 000) lower than a current methanol-fuelled car. With future improvements in the energy efficiency and environmental performance of ICEVs the difference will be significantly reduced. If battery costs were included in the cost calculations, EVs would not be cost competitive with future ICEVs, even if battery costs are reduced to

Sources of heavy metal contamination in Swedish wood waste used for combustion

100/kWh.

Swedish recovered wood waste: linking regulation and contamination.

Wood preservatives contain hazardous substances that cause environmental implications during waste management. The objective of this study was to analyse the waste management of preservative-treated sawn timber in Sweden from a pollution perspective and in regard to the present waste policy. Firstly, the generation of waste was modelled and then the methods of disposal were analysed from direct inquiries to waste facilities and from mass balance considerations. The results show that the discarded amount of preservative-treated sawn timber has increased and today exceeds 150 000 tonnes per year. This waste generation will continue for many years and will contain several thousand tonnes of arsenic and chromium. According to the Swedish Waste Decree, preservative-treated sawn timber is to be separately handled as hazardous waste. At present, however, most of the waste unintentionally becomes dispersed in non-hazardous waste, making it difficult to control the outflows of hazardous substances from preservative-treated sawn timber.