[Graeme]

Global biopower capacity 'will double by 2025'

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'G')lobal biopower installed capacity is set to increase from 87.6 Gigawatts (GW) in 2013 to 165.1GW by 2025 thanks to government support and environmental concerns.

That's according to new statistics released this week by consulting firm GlobalData, which reveals that the 165GW target could be enough to supply around 17% of the world's electricity.

Biopower is the use of biomass, such as woodchips, to generate electricity. Most of the biopower plants in the world use a direct-fired systems, where bioenergy feedstocks are burnt directly to produce steam. This steam is usually captured by a turbine, and a generator then converts it into electricity.

[dashster]

When renewables are talked about, or when all energy sources are listed or graphed, there is always a category for "biomass". What are some examples of biomass in use other than burning wood in your fireplace or stove?

[dashster]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('pstarr', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('dashster', 'W')hen renewables are talked about, or when all energy sources are listed or graphed, there is always a category for "biomass". What are some examples of biomass in use other than burning wood in your fireplace or stove?

[Karle]

In Germany there is a guy who is heating his house with biomass, and plans to heat a greenhouse as well.

He uses heat from the composting process, and puts in everything biomass, even kitchen waste and all sort of weeds. The whole process is controlled by an Arduino.

On his website there is only limited info in German http://autark-heizen.blogspot.de/ , however, I am in contact with him and I know that things are working really well. He had a lot of people who were interested to use his technology for the greenhouses, however, it seems they are too sceptical when it comes to spend money, and he is working low key for the time being.

He said there are three advantages:
Recyle biomass waste
Generate heat, be it water or air
And the end product is garden compost which he improves with worm castings

[Loki]

Here's an older chart showing biomass/biogas in Oregon in 2004:



A couple food waste digesters have been built recently---I believe they mostly use municipal waste---as well as at least one large biomass plant (18.8 MW) that uses wood waste.

[Loki]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('pstarr', 'P')ulping liquor comes from paper mills, stuff that is no good for paper, lignin, hemicelluloses, is often called 'Black Liquor' or something and considered pollutants. They probably burn it to get rid of it, the energy-cost to dry it, fluff it, etc. has to be prohibitive and I doubt it has a good eroei.

[Loki]

Forgot to add this piece from Wikipedia on black liquor. Sounds like the gasification process would increase EROEI. Even so, black liquor is pretty marginal as energy sources go. Even in Oregon--God's timber country--it only accounts for a quarter of a percent or so of our electricity.

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'N')ew waste-to-energy methods to recover and utilize the energy in the black liquor have been developed. The use of black liquor gasification has the potential to achieve higher overall energy efficiency than the conventional recovery boiler while generating an energy-rich syngas from the liquor. The syngas can be burnt in a gas turbine combined cycle to produce electricity (usually called BLGCC for Black Liquor Gasification Combined Cycle; similar to IGCC) or converted through catalytic processes into chemicals or fuels such as methanol, dimethyl ether (DME), or F-T diesel (usually called BLGMF for Black Liquor Gasification for Motor Fuels)....

Used for biofuels production the black liquor gasification route has been shown to have very high conversion efficiency and greenhouse gas reduction potential.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_liquor#Gasification

[Graeme]

Over 1,200 new biomass power plants to be constructed within the next 10 years

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'E')lectricity generation from solid biomass continues to increase throughout the world. In late 2013, around 2,800 operational power plants worldwide were incinerating biomass only or very large shares of this fuel. These plants had an electricity generation capacity of about 42 GWel. Additionally, around 350 fossil power plants were co-incinerating biomass. In 10 years, there will be approximately 4,100 active plants with a capacity of around 67 GWel. In 2014 alone, approximately 170 new power plants with electricity generation capacities of around 3.6 GWel will be constructed.

The subsidisation of renewable energies will remain the most important market factor for the development of electricity generation from biomass. Until early 2014, around 140 countries had introduced policies for such a subsidisation. Most of them also had schemes for electricity generation from solid biomass at that time. Vietnam, for instance, introduced a feed-in tariff for biomass electricity some months ago. Around 40 countries throughout the world have such compensations. Other countries have different support schemes. Columbia, for instance, has recently reduced the turnover tax on biomass electricity and Mexico has facilitated the access to the grid for this type of electricity.

Europe will remain the largest market for electricity generation from solid biomass in the 10 years to come. In late 2013, Europe had around 1,200 active biomass power plants. This number will increase to approximately 1,750 by late 2023. The European market, however, is very fragmented and preconditions for investments differ significantly in the individual countries. Whereas more plants than ever are being built in Great Britain and France, Spain, Latvia and the Czech Republic have reduced or even stopped their subsidisation systems. Germany still grants, by international comparison, high subsidies. The system, however, has lost most of its incentive effects as all favourable locations have been developed for years.

[Graeme]

The countries concerned think otherwise. They have made their choice for sustainable power. I've been to the Philippines and Indonesia where I've witnessed destruction of forests. However, I understand that the Philippine local and federal governments are undertaking reforestation programs. Not sure what's happening in Indonesia. We've discussed palm oil before, and like you I'm against it. In any case, it's not biomass. Biomass power is not a substitute for petroleum, never will be. It could help power electric vehicles though. I'm merely reporting significant trends in biomass power. If you have a better suggestion, please post.

[Graeme]

See Reforestation thread for latest announcement by Indonesian government on their reforestation plan.

[Graeme]

Danish ministry announces biomass sustainability agreement

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'T')he Danish Ministry of Climate, Energy and Building recently posted a notice to its website announcing a new voluntary agreement formed with members of its domestic energy industry on sustainable biomass.

According to the notice, published Dec. 4, Dansk Energi and Dansk Fjernvarme entered into the sustainability agreement in response to Climate, Energy and Building Minister Rasmus Peterse’s request that only sustainably produced biomass be purchased.

The notice indicates biomass is expected to play an important role in Denmark’s energy and transportation industries. It also cites the ability store biomass and use it when needed as an obvious advantage when compared to other renewable resources. As a result, the government has predicted that the consumption of wood pellets and wood chips will increase in the future.

According to information released by Danish government, the agreement makes ambitious requirements for the entire biomass supply chain and requires that forests that supply biomass for energy production will be replanted.

A full copy of the announcement can be downloaded from the Ministry of Climate and Building website.

[Graeme]

How Much Renewable Natural Gas Can Be Produced?

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'R')enewable natural gas (RNG) is methane produced from biomass that is cleaned to pipeline quality standards and blended with fossil natural gas. RNG, also known as biomethane, is carbon-neutral and chemically identical to fossil natural gas allowing it to be blended without restriction. Renewable natural gas is produced from a variety of (mostly waste) resources including landfills, sewage, farm waste and food waste. Biomass energy crops could be cultivated for RNG production, but currently those resources tend to be used for liquid fuels.

The major benefits of RNG production are that it takes methane already naturally produced from waste and prevents it from going into the atmosphere as a potent greenhouse gas, instead turning it into a valuable carbon-neutral fuel. RNG also helps address energy security because it is a locally-produced fuel available in every community. RNG is also a universal fuel certified for use in existing infrastructure without technical issues and it can be used for heat, power and transportation.

A series of studies from government research agencies and industry in the last few years have found that anywhere from 5% to 20% of today’s natural gas demand could be met with RNG. These studies have attempted to quantify the resource by sector and region that are available for RNG production. The studies covered in this article do not include power to gas, nor synthetic natural gas which is produced from other fossil fuels such as coal.

[Graeme]

On the contrary, it's quite the opposite as explained in the article. It's a winner!