The what, how and why of using biomass

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The what, how and why of using biomass Geoff
Hogan Biomass Energy Centre
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So what is theBiomass Energy Centre?
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Biomass Task Force

• Launched October 2004
• Led by Sir Ben Gill
• Report published October 2005
• 42 recommendations designed to ..shift barriers
  which stand in the way of the greater use of the
  biomass resource..
• current lack of knowledge and awareness of
  biomass energy

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Biomass Energy Centre

• Launched April 2006 in the Governments response
  to the Biomass Task Force
• Owned and managed by the FC
• Dedicated website and helpline
• Answer enquiries from the general public, local
  authorities, architects, developers, services
  engineers, biomass industry, central government,
  etc.
• A single point of contact on biomass (not fount
  of all knowledge!)
• Work with wide range of specialist contacts
• Actively engaging with regional and national
  information providers

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www.biomassenergycentre.org.uk

• Website live since September 2006
• Over 700,000 page hits recorded
• More than 2,600 enquires answered
• 9 information sheets of our own
• Wide range of electronic and printed documentation

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What?
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Potential biomass fuels

• Virgin wood
• woodland residues thinnings and trimmings
  firewood
• arboricultural arisings
• woodprocessing co-products
• pellets and briquettes
• Agricultural residues
• straw
• slurry, FYM
• poultry litter
• Energy Crops
• SRC, SRF
• Miscanthus
• oil crops, wheat, sugar beet, sugar cane
• Food waste
• Industrial wastes and co-products
• untreated waste wood old pallets, offcuts
• treated waste wood
• paper pulp
• textiles

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How?
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Choices, choices
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Burning logs 1

• Simple, ad hoc
• No special equipment
• Stoves, ranges
• With or without back boiler
• Moderate efficiency (open fire very low
  efficiency)
• Continuous manual feeding

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Burning logs 2

• Log boilers
• High efficiency
• Sophisticated
• Periodic manual filling
• Buffer tank essential
• Self supply
• Relatively low capital cost cheap fuel

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Burning pellets

• Pellet boilers and stoves
• Very high efficiency
• Very sophisticated
• Built in hopper manual filling
• Bulk hopper annual filling
• Range of sizes
• Commodity fuel more expensive

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Burning wood chips

• Automated
• Suitable chipper required or contract chipper
• Dry fuel store required
• Not for small applications
• Low bulk density fuel
• High capital cost cheap fuel

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CHP

• gt2 MWe steam turbine mature
• 200 - 2,000 kWe ORC semi-mature
• lt1,000 kWe range of technologies
• gasification ICE
• Stirling engine ( combustion/gasification)
• microturbine
• reciprocating steam

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Why?
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Carbon emissions
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Fuel costs
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How much land is needed?
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www.biomassenergycentre.org.ukBiomass.Centre_at_for
estry.gsi.gov.uk01420 526197