Biomass defined

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Biomass defined

• Biomass is solar energy stored in organic matter.
  
• As trees and plants grow, the process of
  photosynthesis uses energy from the sun to
  convert carbon dioxide into carbohydrates
  (sugars, starches and cellulose).
• Carbohydrates are the organic compounds that make
  up biomass.
• When plants die, the process of decay releases
  the energy stored in carbohydrates and discharges
  carbon dioxide back into the atmosphere.

WET Summit February 10, 2004
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Biomass ressources

• Natural occuring (wastes)
• Crops residues
• Livestock residues
• MSW (sometimes questionned)
• manure
• Specifically grown
• Trees
• Energy plants (sweet sorghum, etc.)

WET Summit February 10, 2004
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Biomass in IEA SD scenario(2000-2050)

• World stable at around 12 of primary energy
• OECD increasing from 5 to 13
• REF increasing from 2 to 8
• ASIA 2000-2040 decreasing from 20 to14
• ASIA 2040-2050 increasing from 14 to 18
• ALM stabilizing at around 17

WET Summit February 10, 2004
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Present situation

• Biomass used as primary energy source (South)
• Depleting resources
• Inefficient and polluting combustion
• Non sustainable

WET Summit February 10, 2004
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Future situation

• Biomass can play an important role in rural
  electrification
• Modern conversion technologies
• Power heat production - CHP
• Low polluting gas emissions
• CO2 neutral balance

WET Summit February 10, 2004
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Environmental advantages

• Low sulphur content (
• Possibility of a closed mineral and nitrogen
  cycle
• Decentralised energy if plants are built near
  biomass ressources

WET Summit February 10, 2004
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Some Paths from Biomass to Energy

• Thermochemical processes
• Combustion Pyrolysis (low, medium, high
  temperature)
• Gasification(air, O2, H20)
• Catalytic Liquefaction (methanol)
• Biochemical processes
• Alcoholic fermentation ethanol
• Anaerobic digestion biogas
• Chemical processes
• organic oils biodiesel

WET Summit February 10, 2004
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Hydrotreating of bio-oils
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Some solutions

• Dedicated crops (trees, perennial grasses)
• Increasing efficiency of existing power plants
  (i.e. by upgrading old sugar cane bagasse plants
  to modern CHP plants)
• MSW degradation to biogas
• Animal manure anaerobic digestion to biogas

WET Summit February 10, 2004
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Improving sugar mills

• Low-investment
• Rankine Cycle burning bagasse, cane residues,
  fuelwood for all-year round power production
• High-investment high efficiency
• fluidized bed burners
• Gasification and CC gas and steam turbines

WET Summit February 10, 2004
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Fuel cells using biogas

• Columbia Bd Phosphoric acid 170 kW FC operating
  since 1999
• Kirin Toride Brewery uses molten carbonate 250 kW
  FC since April 2003

WET Summit February 10, 2004
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Stirling engine

• STM Power is going to commercialize a55 kW
  Stirling engine that can burn biomass or landfill
  gas as a heat source
• Stirling engines are good candidates for using
  different form of biomass (and other renewables)

WET Summit February 10, 2004
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Microturbines using biogas

• Small landfill and waste water plants use 15, 30
  or 60 kW microturbines for power or CHP
• Biogas from anaerobic digester is mainly CH4
• Potential markets Schools, restaurants,

WET Summit February 10, 2004
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Towards small biomass plants

• Main japanese manufacturers of biomass plants now
  aim at small companies and family farms
• Hitachi Zosen sells a wood waste biomass plant
  treating 300 kg waste/day and producing20 kWe
  and hot water for spas
• Ebara Corp is claiming the smallest livestock
  waste treatment plant

WET Summit February 10, 2004
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H2 from biomass DOE RD 1
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H2 from biomass DOE RD 2

• The goal Producing renewable H2 from
  agricultural residue at the same price as present
  methane reforming technologies by 2015
• http//www.eere.energy.gov/hydrogenandfuelcells/pd
  fs/iib6_evans.pdf

WET Summit February 10, 2004
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Biomass as the ressource of white biotechnology

• Green biotechnology GMO
• Red biotechnology medecines
• White biotechnology energy and biochemistry
  production (integrated biorefineries)
• Biofuels as a means for distributed generation

WET Summit February 10, 2004
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Biogas in China

• 11 million biogas digester
• 1.7 million households new biogas users in 2002
• 2,000 medium size anaerobic digesters for large
  livestock farms
• Biogas to be daily fuel for 50 millions rural
  households in 2010

WET Summit February 10, 2004
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NEW TAR FREE GASIFIER
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New tar-free gasifier 2

• Drying
• Pyrolysis
• Gasification with oriented air stream (1,400
  C), avoiding cold spots
• Heat recovery
• 4,3 kWh 1 kWhe 2 kWhth 1 kWhloss

WET Summit February 10, 2004
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New tar-free gasifier 3
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ECN (Netherlands) OLGA
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Carbo V process

• Process developped by Choren (Germany) producing
  tar-free gas from MSW or plants
• Carbo V gas can be burned for power
• Carbo V can be used as syngas for further
  processing i.e. DaimlerChrysler Biotrol CO2
  neutral biodiesel

WET Summit February 10, 2004
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Prices

• From 500 euros to 4,000 euros /kW
• From 3 cents to 15 cents per kWh

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Among Sources

• LAMNET PROJECT WORKSHOPS
• http//www.bioenergy-lamnet.org/
• IEA Renewables for Power Generation

WET Summit February 10, 2004