The Future Of Biomass: Technology Developments, Key Costs and the Future Outlook

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The Future Of Biomass: Technology developments, key costs and the future outlook

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Biomass has always been an important source of energy for mankind and today it accounts for 10% of primary energy consumption. Most of this is traditional fuels used for cooking and heating in the developing world. In the developed world until the end of the last century its use was mainly restricted to niche applications such as combined heat and power generation in the wood and paper industries. Today the perception of biomass is changing and it is being recognized once more as a valuable modern fuel that can provide a renewable energy to replace fossil fuel in power generation. As a consequence its use is growing at it is set to become one of the major renewable sources over then next two decades.

Biomass consists of all the plant material on the surface of the earth (and in the seas if algae are included). Almost two thirds of the total is regenerated each year during seasonal growth. The total regenerated is probably equivalent to more than three times total global energy consumption in 2008. Around 3% of this is used each year, mostly in the form of wood.

Key features of this report

• Analysis of biomass technologies concepts and components.

• Clarification of the market for biomass and future growth.

• Assessment of new renewable energy technology analysis including innovation, infrastructure investment.

• Insight relating to the most innovative product launches and potential areas of opportunity for manufacturers.

• Examination of the key technology introductions and innovations.

Scope of this report

• Achieve a quick and comprehensive understanding of how biomass market trends and infrastructure are influencing the development of the renewable energy market.

• Realize up to date competitive intelligence through a comprehensive review of biomass technology concepts in the recent electricity infrastructure and renewable energy market.

• Assess the emerging trends in renewable energy technology – biomass – grid connection and energy distribution.

Key Market Issues

• Environmental requirements: The growth of carbon dioxide emissions globally are creating a path for lower carbon emitting power generation technologies. Biomass as fuel is carbon neutral since while it releases carbon into the atmosphere when burnt, the growth of new biomass absorbs the same amount carbon from the atmosphere. As a consequence it offers a valuable renewable source of energy.

• Legislative issues: The use of biomass as an energy source raises a number of environmental and legislative issues. One of the most difficult is that of maintaining a balance between land for the production of energy crops and land for producing food. Additional questions arise when waste materials are used to produce energy. Agricultural wastes are a valuable fuel source but part of each crop must be returned to the land if soil quality is not to deteriorate. A significant part of municipal waste can be burnt too but some of it is better recycled. Additionally, the combustion of biomass produces a number of potential pollutants in addition to releasing carbon dioxide and these must normally be controlled.

Key findings from this report

1. In 2005 biomass provided around 1.3% of total global electricity production. By 2050 this could rise to between 3.4% and 5.8% of total electricity production.

2. By definition, biomass comprises all the plant life on the surface of the earth. In its 2001 Survey of Energy Resources, the World Energy Council put the total biomass on the surface of the earth at 220bn oven dry tonnes, equivalent to 4,500EJ of energy. This definition may require modifying if algae become a major source of biomass energy since algae grow in water.

3. Actual usage today is around 50EJ, or 10% of the estimated 500EJ of total global energy consumption in 2008. This is roughly 77% of the total renewable contribution (including hydropower) to primary energy consumption.

Key questions answered

1. What are the drivers shaping and influencing new technology development in the electricity industry?

2. How will renewable energy technologies be connected and integrated into the existing grid network?

3. What is the biomass power generation system going to cost?

4. What are the components of the biomass power generation system?

5. Which biomass types will be the winners and which the losers?

Table of Contents

The Future of Biomass

Executive summary 10

Introduction 10

Biomass resources 10

Energy crops 11

Biomass power generation technologies 11

Environmental and legislative issues 12

The economics of biomass for electricity generation 12

The future of biomass power generation 13

Chapter 1 Introduction 16

Summary 16

Biomass development 18

The structure of the report 19

Chapter 2 Biomass resources 22

Introduction 22

The size of the resource 23

Types of biomass resource 26

Residues 28

Fuelwood 32

Energy crops 34

Regional resources 35

Chapter 3 Energy crops 46

Introduction 46

Types of energy crop 48

Energy crop infrastructure 51

Energy crop yields 52

Chapter 4 Biomass power generation technologies 56

Introduction 56

Direct firing of biomass 57

Stoker combustors 58

Suspension combustion 59

Fluidized bed combustors 60

Steam cycle improvements 62

Co-firing 63

Direct firing fuel considerations 66

Fuel handling 66

Gasification 68

Fixed bed gasifiers 71

Fluidized bed gasifiers 71

Power production using biomass gasification 72

Modular systems 75

Anaerobic fermentation of biomass 75

Biomass digesters 76

Chapter 5 Environmental and legislative issues 80

Introduction 80

The carbon cycle and atmospheric warming 80

Biomass and carbon dioxide 83

Atmospheric emissions other than carbon dioxide 84

Life cycle assessment 87

Energy crops 89

Waste fuel 92

Agricultural wastes 92

Forestry residues 92

Urban waste 93

Legislative issues 93

Issues affecting biomass energy crops 95

Chapter 6 The economics of biomass for electricity generation 98

Introduction 98

Installed costs of biomass generating plants 98

Fuel costs 103

Cost of electricity 109

Chapter 7 Future outlook 116

Introduction 116

Comparative costs of energy from biomass 118

Financial incentives and deterrents 121

Global biomass markets 123

Biomass growth and targets 125

Biomass prospects 132

Index 134

List of Figures

Figure 2.1: Breakdown of biomass contribution to primary energy consumption (%) 24

Figure 2.2: Bagasse annual potential availability (thousand tonnes), 2007 30

Figure 2.3: Global wood fuel consumption (PJ), 2007 33

Figure 2.4: Current and predicted EU biomass resources (Mtoe/y) 36

Figure 2.5: Current and potential US biomass resources (Million dry tonnes/y), 2005 37

Figure 2.6: Potential power generation from biomass among ASEAN countries (MW) 39

Figure 2.7: Breakdown of currently available biomass in China by type (%) 41

Figure 2.8: Maximum regional bioenergy production potentials (EJ/y) 43

Figure 4.9: Typical biomass combustion technology power generation efficiencies (%) 61

Figure 4.10: Typical wood gas composition (%) 69

Figure 4.11: Biogas energy content (MJ/m3) 70

Figure 4.12: Power generation systems for biomass (%) 73

Figure 5.13: Atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations (ppm) 81

Figure 6.14: Estimated biomass generation installed costs in California ($/kW), 2007 102

Figure 6.15: Energy content of biomass fuels (MJ/kg) 104

Figure 6.16: Energy crop costs ($/tonne), 2007 106

Figure 6.17: Energy crop costs ($/tonne), 2007 107

Figure 6.18: UK wood fuel power costs (pounds/MWh), 2008 109

Figure 6.19: Estimated biomass generation costs in California ($/MWh), 2007 112

Figure 7.20: Levelized cost of electricity from power plants ($/MWh), 2009 120

Figure 7.21: Global biomass-based electricity production (TWh), 2007 126

Figure 7.22: Global biomass production by country (TWh), 2007 127

Figure 7.23: Biomass use in Europe (ktoe/%), 2007 128

Figure 7.24: US biomass-based electricity production (TWh), 2009 130

Figure 7.25: EU renewable energy roadmap targets (TWh), 2006-2020 131

List of Tables

Table 2.1: Breakdown of biomass contribution to primary energy consumption (%) 24

Table 2.2: Potential long term biomass supply by category, (EJ), 2000 27

Table 2.3: Bagasse annual potential availability (thousand tonnes), 2007 29

Table 2.4: Global wood fuel consumption (PJ), 2007 33

Table 2.5: Current and predicted EU biomass resources (Mtoe/y) 35

Table 2.6: Current and potential US biomass resources (Million dry tonnes/y), 2005 37

Table 2.7: Potential power generation from biomass among ASEAN countries (MW) 39

Table 2.8: Breakdown of currently available biomass in China by type (%) 40

Table 2.9: Maximum regional bioenergy production potentials (EJ/y) 42

Table 3.10: Properties of miscanthus and switchgrass as combustion fuels 49

Table 3.11: Typical energy crop yields 52

Table 4.12: Typical biomass combustion technology power generation efficiencies (%) 61

Table 4.13: Typical wood gas composition (%) 68

Table 4.14: Biogas energy content (MJ/m3) 69

Table 4.15: Power generation systems for biomass 73

Table 5.16: Atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations (ppm), 1700-2100 81

Table 5.17: Typical atmospheric emissions from combustion power plants (kg/MWh) 85

Table 5.18: Power plant total energy balance (kJ/kWh) 87

Table 6.19: Installed cost of biomass CHP and power-only 100

Table 6.20: Estimated biomass generation costs in California, 2007 101

Table 6.21: Energy content of biomass fuels (MJ/kg) 104

Table 6.22: Energy crop costs ($/tonne), 2007 105

Table 6.23: Energy crop costs ($/tonne), 2007 107

Table 6.24: UK wood fuel costs, 2008 108

Table 6.25: Cost of electricity from biomass CHP and power only installations 110

Table 6.26: Estimated biomass generation costs in California 112

Table 7.27: IEA global power generation scenarios (TWh), 2008 117

Table 7.28: The cost of electricity from power plants ($/MWh), 2009 119

Table 7.29: Global biomass-based electricity production (TWh), 2007 126

Table 7.30: Global biomass production by country (TWh), 2007 127

Table 7.31: Biomass use in Europe (ktoe/%), 2007 128

Table 7.32: US biomass-based electricity production (TWh), 2009 129

Table 7.33: EU renewable energy roadmap targets (TWh), 2006-2020 131

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