The future in biomass fuel

Biomass and waste as fuel, with many of the favourable properties of fossil fuels. This will be possible thanks to ECN’s new BO₂-technology. ECN researchers have developed a specific torrefaction technology, which can be used to convert a wide range of biomass/waste streams into pellets. These BO₂pellets^TM have unique qualities, such as high energy yield, good transport properties, uncovered storage, excellent grindability. The technology is so promising that the construction of the first commercial production plant will be commenced in 2008, for which ECN cooperates with Econcern and Chemfo.

“I believe these BO₂pellets are the future of biomass as fuel!” says Jan Willem Erisman, Biomass, Coal and Environmental Research unit manager, with great conviction. “Our technology is truly a great step forward and has everything it needs to become the international standard for biomass transport.”

Biomass is playing an increasingly important role in energy production. The demand for biomass is high, which pushes up the price, also because much of the available biomass is not currently suitable for use as fuel. Waste and (agricultural) by-products are often too wet, too high in volume or too low in energy yield and contain too many contaminants. More and more of this ‘unsuitable’ biomass will become available in the future.
ECN’s BO₂-technology provides the opportunity of converting these biomass streams into a product that is suitable for use in large coal-fired power plants and small-scale furnaces.

BO2
According to the BO₂-technology, the biomass is heated to 200-300 degrees Celsius in the absence of oxygen. This produces the BO₂pellets, small pellets that retain 90 percent of the original energy content. The pellets have a number of properties that are essential for use in power plants:

Readily grindable, which is a requirement for direct co-firing in certain power plants.

Hydrophobic; they do not absorb water.

They can therefore be stored and transported uncovered. Most biomass does not come from the areas where the energy demand is the highest, which means that a lot of biomass needs to be transported. The pellets can be transported in an efficient manner.

There is little to no heating or rotting as is often the case with many other forms of biomass.

The energy density is high (1.5-2 times that of conventional woord pellets, comparable to subbituminous coal) and consistent.

A flammable gas is released during production and is suitable for providing the necessary process heat, which increases the cost efficiency of the process. All of this means that this second generation of biomass pellets can play a major role in the production of (solid) fuels from biomass and waste.

Contact:
Jaap Kiel
ECN Biomass, Coal and Environmental Research
Telephone: +31 (0)224 - 564590
E-mail: kiel@ecn.nl