Heat and Power

The focus area Heat and Power is focused on the promotion and support of (large-scale) power generation from biomass through R&D and consultancy.

More specifically, the work is dedicated to maximising power generation from biomass via direct and indirect co-firing in existing coal- and gas-fired power stations, by removing technical (and non-technical) barriers.

Conversion technologies considered are, e.g.:

• (Direct co-firing with) pulverised-fuel combustion.
• (Direct co-firing with) entrained-flow gasification.
• Fluidised-bed gasification, as an indirect co-firing technology.
• Fluidised-bed combustion, stand-alone and as an indirect co-firing technology.

In the R&D programme, the following technical bottlenecks are currently being addressed: 

• Biomass pre-treatment and feeding (torrefaction, MISO-concepts).
• Process-related bottlenecks in direct co-firing of biomass in pulverised-fuel boilers (burner stability, burn-out, heat distribution, slagging, fouling, corrosion, ....).
• Bed agglomeration and other ash-related problems in fluidised bed combustion and gasification.
• Tar formation, measurement and removal in fluidised-bed gasification.
• Residues quality and utilisation.
• Emissions (fine particulates, aerosols, heavy metals, NO_x, dioxins, ....).