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

Published by	Business Insights
Published	November, 2009	Product code	105011
Content info	134 pages
Price	US $ 2875 PDF by E-mail (Single User License) US $ 10781 PDF by E-mail (Global Site License)

Introduction
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The Future Of Biomass: Technology developments, key costs and the future outlook published by Business Insights in November, 2009. This report consists of 134 pages and the price starts from US $ 2875.

Introduction

Abstract

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. Energy crops are crops that are grown specifically to provide some form of fuel. The most widespread today are crops grown for the production of ethanol or biodiesel but there is also a developing industry growing combustion fuel for power plants. Crops that are suitable need to be fast growing. Those that have so far proved the most suitable are fast growing woody crops such as willow and poplar that can be coppiced and grasses such as switchgrass and micanthus. The traditional ways of exploiting biomass for power generation are via direct combustion or gasification. Direct combustion plants tend to be the simplest but are relatively inefficient. Gasification plants vary in complexity with the more complex offering higher efficiency. In addition to these two types of system it is possible to generate a methane rich gas by anaerobic digestion of certain animal wastes.

Executive summary

Introduction
Biomass resources
Energy crops
Biomass power generation technologies
Environmental and legislative issues
The economics of biomass for electricity generation
The future of biomass power generation

Chapter 1 Introduction

Summary
Biomass development
The structure of the report

Chapter 2 Biomass resources

Introduction
The size of the resource
Types of biomass resource
Residues
Fuelwood
Energy crops
Regional resources

Chapter 3 Energy crops

Introduction
Types of energy crop
Energy crop infrastructure

Chapter 4 Biomass power generation technologies

Introduction
Direct firing of biomass
Stoker combustors
Suspension combustion
Fluidized bed combustors
Steam cycle improvements
Co-firing
Direct firing fuel considerations
Fuel handling
Gasification
Fixed bed gasifiers
Fluidized bed gasifiers
Power production using biomass gasification
Modular systems
Anaerobic fermentation of biomass
Biomass digesters

Chapter 5 Environmental and legislative issues

Introduction
The carbon cycle and atmospheric warming
Biomass and carbon dioxide
Atmospheric emissions other than carbon dioxide
Life cycle assessment
Energy crops
Waste fuel
Agricultural wastes
Forestry residues
Urban waste
Legislative issues
Issues affecting biomass energy crops

Chapter 6 The economics of biomass for electricity generation

Introduction
Installed costs of biomass generating plants
Fuel costs
Cost of electricity

Chapter 7 Future outlook

Introduction
Comparative costs of energy from biomass
Financial incentives and deterrents
Global biomass markets
Biomass growth and targets
Biomass prospects
Index

List of Figures

Figure 2.1: Breakdown of biomass contribution to primary energy consumption (%)
Figure 2.2: Bagasse annual potential availability (thousand tonnes), 2007
Figure 2.3: Global wood fuel consumption (PJ), 2007
Figure 2.4: Current and predicted EU biomass resources (Mtoe/y)
Figure 2.5: Current and potential US biomass resources (Million dry tonnes/y), 2005
Figure 2.6: Potential power generation from biomass among ASEAN countries (MW)
Figure 2.7: Breakdown of currently available biomass in China by type (%)
Figure 2.8: Maximum regional bioenergy production potentials (EJ/y)
Figure 4.9: Typical biomass combustion technology power generation efficiencies (%)
Figure 4.10: Typical wood gas composition (%)
Figure 4.11: Biogas energy content (MJ/m3)
Figure 4.12: Power generation systems for biomass (%)
Figure 5.13: Atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations (ppm)
Figure 6.14: Estimated biomass generation installed costs in California ($/kW), 2007
Figure 6.15: Energy content of biomass fuels (MJ/kg)
Figure 6.16: Energy crop costs ($/tonne), 2007
Figure 6.17: Energy crop costs ($/tonne), 2007
Figure 6.18: UK wood fuel power costs (£/MWh), 2008
Figure 6.19: Estimated biomass generation costs in California ($/MWh), 2007
Figure 7.20: Levelized cost of electricity from power plants ($/MWh), 2009
Figure 7.21: Global biomass-based electricity production (TWh), 2007
Figure 7.22: Global biomass production by country (TWh), 2007
Figure 7.23: Biomass use in Europe (ktoe/%), 2007
Figure 7.24: US biomass-based electricity production (TWh), 2009
Figure 7.25: EU renewable energy roadmap targets (TWh), 2006-2020