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 ($/tonne), 2007 107
Figure 6.18: UK wood fuel power costs (£/MWh), 2008 109
Figure 6.19: Estimated biomass generation costs in California ($/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