UK Biomass Resources

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UK Biomass Resources

• Claire Johnson
• 24th February 2005

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Biomass is anything derived from plant or
animal matter and includes agricultural,
forestry wastes/residues and energy crops. It
can be used for fuel directly by burning or
extraction of combustible oil.
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Biomass has three major components

• Biopower
• Biofuels
• Biobased Chemicals and Materials

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Biopower

• Is the direct combustion of biomass
• Has a low plant efficiency of 32, comparable to
  coal 38
• Efficiency drastically increases when biomass is
  used in a CCGT environment
• Co-firing also increases efficiency, and has the
  lowest implementation costs

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Biofuel

• Three types
• Bioethanol
• Biodiesel
• Biofuels from synthesis gas

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Bioethanol

• Created by converting the carbonhydrate portion
  of biomass into sugar
• Via a fermentation process this is converted into
  ethanol
• Ethanol is currently the most widely used biofuel

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Biodiesel

• Produced by combining organically derived oils
  are combined with alcohol- either ethanol or
  methanol, with a catalyst
• Can be used blended with traditional fuel, or
  neat
• Oilseed rape most common biomass

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Biofuels from synthesis gas

• Biomass can be gasified to produce a synthesis
  gas- syngas
• From this hydrogen can be recovered
• Or syngas can be converted to methanol

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Financial Support

• Market support from Renewables Obligations and
  tax exemptions for transport fuels
• Range of RD Programmes and Capital Grant
  Measures
• 66M Bio-energy Capital Grants
• 29M Energy Crops Scheme
• 3.5M Infrastructure Scheme
• 10M Clear Skies (Domestic)
• 30M Advanced Energy from Waste Demonstrators
• 2M/yr DTI RD plus University funding

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Case Study ELEAN Power Station

• Largest straw burning power station in the world
• 38MW, generating 270GWh per year
• 60M project cost
• Annual fuel demand is 200,000 tonnes
• Main fuel is straw, but has successfully burned
  oilseed rape and miscanthus. Can run on up to
  10natural gas.

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• Highly efficient, steam generated at 540C and 92
  bar pressure
• Highest load factor of any renewable energy plant
• Sister company Anglia Straw produces 50 of fuel
  requirements
• Remaining fuel is obtained from local farmers
• Recently won the governments Green Apple award
  for good environmental practice

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Pros and Cons

• Advantages
• Unlike other renewables can be stored
• Nearly carbon neutral
• Can be mixed with existing technology

• Disadvantages
• Large volume of land required
• Crops may have low public opinion
• Increased volume of lorry transportation through
  rural areas

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Assumptions

• That energy demand continues to rise at a steady
  rate
• G.M. crops are not considered
• Energy crops provide the majority of the
  biomass65, the remainder coming from straw and
  woodland
• CCGT are favoured over direct combustion

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• Currently 17 million hectares of agricultural
  holding in UK
• 3.5 million hectares of set-a-side land
• It will take 10 years to establish enough energy
  crops to make biomass economically viable
• 1 tonne of energy crops 14-18GJ
  1-2tonnes/ha/yr
• 1 tonne of wood 20GJ 10tonnes/ha/yr

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RCEP Biomass Projections
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Land Required
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Projections

• 2004- 0.07PJ
• 2010- 8PJ
• 2015- 14PJ
• 2020- 20PJ
• 2025- 32PJ
• 2030- 40PJ requiring 2.5millionha, 71 of
  set-a-side land

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