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Biomass, a remodelled energy
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While wood is the biomass resource which has been exploited for the longest time for energy production, it is far from being the only one. For more than
Transformation of waste into energy
Biomass refers to all degradable organic materials that can be transformed, after combustion, into energy. For several years,
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In September 2008, Tractebel Energia started the construction of a biomass power plant using sugarcane – the Andrade project in Brazil (33 MW). |
Waste or “plant biomass” offers a major advantage: a neutral carbon footprint. The combustion of plant waste releases an amount of CO2 equivalent to that absorbed during photosynthesis.
For this purpose, two processes can be used: firstly combustion “after processing” which consists in crushing the biomass, compressing it, gasifying it and transforming it into biogas (link to Biogaz), thus improving its energy yield; secondly, direct combustion which uses the biomass as a fuel.
Biomass has two other major advantages: it is inexhaustible and available everywhere in the world. This is an invaluable asset, in particular to meet the energy needs of developing countries and isolated territories.
Biomass gasification
The usual way of converting woody biomass (mostly logging slash, but also straw or energy crops) into energy is through direct combustion, in other words burning in a boiler to generate electricity and heat.
Gasification is an innovative alternative which entails converting biomass into fuel gas which can then be used in a host of applications. First the biomass is dried, and then reduced to charcoal through pyrolysis (thermal decomposition). The next step is gasification which involves exposing the charcoal to a gasification agent to produce a gaseous mixture containing primarily carbon monoxide, hydrogen and methane. The resulting synthetic fuel gas is then cleaned, and ready to put to several uses:
- cogeneration of electricity and heat (possibility of improving the electrical output compared to a conventional process through direct biomass combustion);
- production of biomethane (also known as synthetic natural gas) through methanation;
- in the short term, manufacture of liquid biofuel;
- in a more distant future, the possibility of producing hydrogen or hythane, and the advent of green refineries.
GDF SUEZ, a recognized player
With over 50 sites in Europe, the United States and Brazil, GDF SUEZ consumes over 2,000,000 tons of biomass from various sources every year and its know-how ranks among the world’s best.
Two projects are underway in the Netherlands: one of them should transform an existing power plant to allow it to burn 25% biomass by 2010 and proportionately reduce its carbon emissions; the other concerns the construction of a new co-combustion power plant, purpose-designed to use 50% biomass.
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