Proceedings of SEEP2014, 23-25 November 2014, Dubai RESEARCH ON THE POSSIBILITY OF USING AGRICULTURE BIOMASS RESIDUES FOR ENERGY PURPOSES Risto V. Filkoski 1 and Ilija J. Petrovski 1. University ”Sts Cyril and Methodius”, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Skopje, Republic of Macedonia; email: 2 risto.filkoski@mf.edu.mk 2. University ”Sts Cyril and Methodius”, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Skopje, Republic of Macedonia; email: petrovskiilija@yahoo.com Abstract The purpose of the work is to examine the effectiveness of the utilisation of agriculture residues as energy source, combined with wood pellets, in steam and hot water boilers. One of the investigation aims is to evaluate the efficiency of hot water boilers, designed to use pellets as main fuel, when operated with a blend of pellets and wineyard twigs in different ratios. The experimentally obtained biomass properties, such as the moisture content, calorific value, bulk density, ultimate analysis, ash composition and melting properties, are compared with the properties of wood pellets produced according to the EU standards. A performance test procedure for boilers that will use fuel blend of wood pellets and wine twigs is adopted and initial tests conducted. Although there are some technical challenges, the use of fuel blend of wood pellets and prepared agriculture residues, such as wine twigs, in conventional pellet fuelled boilers, should be possible. In that sense, the recovery of vineyard pruning residues may represent a substantial source of biomass fuel in wine- producing regions that may reduce the costs for heating in commercial, public and residential sector. Keywords: Agriculture biomass, vineyard residues, renewable energy, combustion, boiler, harmful emission 1 INTRODUCTION The perspective and problems of renewable energy in making of strategies for a sustainable development, with ultimate goal of converting present energy systems into 100 % renewable ones are discussed in [1]. The main conclusion is that such development is possible. Biomass is a desirable and promising renewable energy source, due to its low, close to neutral, net greenhouse gas emissions, and potential sustainability, if the economic, environmental and social impacts are properly managed. Energy utilisation of biomass, as the only carbon-based renewable fuel, becomes more important everyday. Taking different forms, biomass energy accounts for about 14-15 % of the primary energy consumption in the world [2]. It contributes with over 10 % of primary energy supply in countries such as Sweden and Austria, and about 4 % in the US [3]. Biomass energy is particularly important for the developing countries, accounting almost 40 % of the primary energy consumption [2], much of this through low efficient and highly polluting combustion in poorly controlled heating and cooking fires [4]. Recently, there has been an expansion of interest of using waste biomass in co-firing of coal-fired boiler plants, as well as co-firing of biomass and wood pellets. At the same time, there is an expanding market of wood pellet in many European countries. The total global consumption of wood pellets in 2011 was about 14.4 million tonnes and about 80 % of that amount was consumed in Europe [5]. Combustion and co-combustion of biomass from the viewpoint of available technologies in a wide size range, as well as with regards to the pollutants formation and measures for emissions reduction, are analysed in [6]. The agriculture sector provides different types of vegetative biomass that may be used for energy purposes. Various types of biomass can be characterised in different ways, but one simple method defines the following main types: woody plants, herbaceous plants/grasses, aquatic plants and manures [7]. The cultivation of grapes is common all over the world, often representing a profitable endeavour. The agricultural area covered with vineyards in 2008 amounted to almost 8 million hectares worldwide [8]. This crop requires proper tending, including pruning that generates a substantial amount of residues. Finding some effective way of utilisation for the vineyard residues would convert a disposal problem into a collateral energy generation. Annually, about 1-3 t/ha of pruning residues are generated from a vineyard, which depends on