Biomass Power Generation : Recent Trends in Technology and Future Possibilities

Narasimhan SanthanamEnergy Alternatives India,

www.eai.in

About EAI

Leading Indian renewable energy business intelligence, market strategy consulting firm

Work on all primary renewable energy sectors – solar, wind, bio-fuels / biomass, waste-to-energy and small hydro

Work on market research, entry and diversification strategy, economic and financial modeling and pre-feasibility analysis

Team comprises professionals from IITs and IIMs, with renewable energy, industry research and economics backgrounds

Based out of Chennai, India More at www.eai.in

What Am I Here For?• Imperatives for Power Generation Industry• Prospective Solutions• Role of Biomass in these Solutions• Processes and Technologies in Biomass-based

Power Generation– Current Trends– Future Prospects

Tech -> Solutions -> Imperatives

Process & Technolog

ies

Imperatives

Imperatives

• Environmentally sustainable electricity production

• Electricity for rural and remote areas

• Socially beneficial electricity production

• More reliable electricity production from renewable sources

Prospective Solutions• Distributed electricity generation

• Electricity generation with less GHG emissions

• Combining synergistic revenue streams for economically sustainable power production

• Combining different renewable energy sources for power generation to ensure stability and reliability

Role of Biomass in the Solutions

• Wide range of biomass feedstock• Waste biomass and energy crops available in a

distributed manner• Biomass as a feedstock instead of fossil fuels at

power plants• Possibility of useful products such as

biofertilizers and biofuels along with electricity• Flexibility to integrate biomass with other

renewable sources such as solar and wind.

Biomass-based Power Gen Processes and Technologies

• Gasification and pyrolysis

• Use of biomass as partial feedstock in power plants for co-firing

• Anaerobic digestion

Tech, Processes & Solutions

Gasification and pyrolysis

Use of biomass as partial feedstock in power plants for co-

firing

Anaerobic digestion

Distributed electricity generation

Electricity generation with less GHG emissions

Combining synergistic revenue streams for economically sustainable power production

Combining different renewable energy sources for power generation to ensure stability and reliability

Gasification and Pyrolysis• Scalable

• Biomass agnostic

• Distributed electricity generation

• Production of valuable co-products such as biochar

• An established technology with potential for innovations

Gasification/Pyrolysis – Current Trends

Current• Types of gasifiers - Updraft; downdraft; Fluidized

bed; Entrained flow. Also: One stage and two stage gasifiers

• High temperature treatment for easy removal of ash contaning heavy metals.

• Electric power generated in engines and gas turbines, which are cheaper and more efficient than the steam cycle used in incineration

Future

• Plasma gasification• Use of fuel cells for electricity generation• Significant advancements possible for:– Flexibility in biomass range– Slagging problem for biomass with low

melting point– Reducing tar contamination in gas flow

Gasification/Pyrolysis –Future Trends

Use of Biomass for Co-firing in Power Plants

• Less net GHG emissions compared to 100% coal power plants

• Over 200 power plants worldwide using it

• Could be a critical route used by power plants in the short and medium term as an important GHG reduction strategy

Biomass Cofiring – Current TrendsCurrent• Max 20% biomass used

• Process and material improvements for increased efficiency and decrease costs

• Many technical bottlenecks in biomass co-firing are ash related; dedicated toolboxes are being developed to tackle these

Biomass Cofiring – Future TrendsFuture• Increase of cofiring %s to 50% w/w• Lower-quality (“salty”) biomass, higher fuel

flexibility (per unit or by combining different units)• Integration with clean coal tech– Boilers with ultra-supercritical steam tech– Oxy-fuel combustion– IGCC

• Torrefaction - thermal treatment of raw biomass materials in temperature range 200-300 C under inert atmosphere with aim of partial decomposition. A charcoal-like fuel is the result.

Anaerobic Digestion

• Can use waste biomass that present disposal problems

• Can be a distributed avenue for power generation

• Suitable for industrial and domestic waste biomass

AD – Current and Future Trends

Current• Modifications in reactor designs and processes for

higher efficiency of digestion• Newer and more efficient gas engines

Future• Using the AD effluent to grow biofuel feedstock

such as algae

Other Trends and Innovations

• Use of renewable energy such as solar thermal to produce syngas

• New technologies and processes for biomass harvesting, processing and handling.

• Dedicated energy crops for power production

• Innovations in biomass logistics and transportation.

Biomass Power – Now and FutureParameter Now (2010) Future (2020)

Distributed electricity generation

Biomass has a minor contribution

Biomass will be a major contributor

Use in cofiring in power plants Fewer than 1% of power plants use biomass

A much larger % of utility power will be from biomass

Use of feedstock Primarily waste biomass and assorted

Dedicated energy crops

Related revenue streams Some additional revenue streams already present

A more established end user market for co-products

Standalone renewable electricity source?

Primarily standalone mode Will be used in conjunction with other renewable electricity sources

Inference

• Biomass has the potential to be a more significant contributor to the world’s “green” electricity

• For this to happen, significant advances in technology and processes are required

• The pace at which advances are taking place are less than satisfactory; higher governmental and industry support for R&D and incentives required

Thank youNarasimhan Santhanam

Energy Alternatives India, www.eai.innarsi@clixoo.com

Mob: 98413-48117