Energy and Products from Biomass

8/7/2019 Energy and Products from Biomass

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Yousif Eltom|061413353

HOW BIOENERGY CAN HELP MEET

THE WORLD ENERGY DEMAND IN

THE COMING DECADES

FOR THE ATTENTION OF

DR J. BRAMMERAuthor: Yousif Eltom| 061413353

S C H O O L O F E N G I N E E R I N G A N D A P P L I E D C H E M I S T R Y


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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The worldwide energy demand is expected to increase in the coming decades, and an increase from 2006 to

2030 has been quoted at 45% and is expected to between 600EJ-1000EJ in 2050. This growing demand will

require an increase in the world supply of fuel, and current studies show that fossil fuels are peaking and are

not a sustainable source of fuel. An alternative fuel must be sought, and the use of biomass to generate energy

is anticipated as a futute contributor to the world energy demand. One of the biggest attractions of bioenergy

is the carbon netrual nature of it, since the CO 2 is used to generate further biomass; this will also help

countries meet legistlations and targets .

Various forms of biomass can be used to generate energy, the most common and available types are waste

and energy crops. These can be residual waste which can be used or dedicated energy crops grown on land for

the sole purpose of generating energy.

The potential of how much energy is available from biomass varies a lot, and this is dependant on how

potential is defined. There are five types of potential dependant on the level of detail, these are :

Theoretical potential Geographical potential Technical potential Economical potential Implentational potential

The energy potential from biomass can vary from 50EJ to 1500EJ in 2050, however the implementation of

sustainable resources must be in place and this can only be acheived when the social, environmental and

economic issues are all taken into consideration.

Bioenery has many applications, and with research and development can grow to a lucrative market. The useof 1

stgeneration biofuels such as bioethanol and biodiesel is already being implemented in many

countries,however it has sparked a food vs fuel war due to the type of feedstock used. 2nd

generation systems

are currently being made available to mitigate this, where lignocelluse biorefineries can produce an array of

products similar to those produced in a conventional petrorefinery.

Ultimately the use of biomass to generate bioenergy will contribute a significant amount to the world energy

demand, however the speed at which it launch into commercial viable technology will depend on the influence

and incentives offered from goverments .


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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction ......................................................... ................................................................. .................................. 1

World Energy .......................................................................................................................................................... 2

Future demand .............................................................................................................................................. 2

Bio-energy .............................................................................................................................................................. 4

Feedstock ........................................................................................................................................................... 5

Waste ............................................................................................................................................................. 5

Energy Crop ............................................................ ................................................................. ....................... 5

Algae .............................................................................................................................................................. 6

Biomass Potential ................................................................................................................................................... 7

Factors affecting potential ................................................................................................................................. 7

Defining Potential ....................................................... ................................................................. ....................... 8

Sustainable Biomass ............................................................................................................................................... 9

Biofuel Application ............................................................................................................................................... 10

Process Types ................................................................................................................................................... 10

1st

Generation Biofuel .......................................................... ................................................................. .......... 11

Food Vs Fuel ........................................................... ................................................................. ..................... 11

2nd

Generation Biofuel ..................................................................................................................................... 12

The Future ........................................................................................................................................................ 12

Discussion and conclusion .................................................................................................................................... 13

References ............................................................................................................................................................ 14


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TABLE OF FIGURES

FIGURE 1.AN EXAMPLE OF HOW BIOMASS CAN BE USED TO REDUCE CARBON EMISSIONS ......................................................... . 1

FIGURE 2.WORLD ENERGY CONSUMPTION BY FUEL TYPE .................................................................................................... 2FIGURE 3.FUTURE WORLD ENERGY DEMANDS ................................................................................................................. 3

FIGURE 4.WORLD ENERGY DEMAND GROWTH BASED ON SCENARIOS .................................................................................... 3

FIGURE 5.DEFINING BIOMASS,BIOFUEL, AND BIO-ENERGY.................................................................................................. 4

FIGURE 6.VARIOUS SOURCES FOR BIOMASS ..................................................................................................................... 6

FIGURE 7.SUMMARY OF THE DIFFERENT POTENTIAL DEFINITION ........................................................................................... 8

FIGURE 8.DIFFERENT BIOMASS POTENTIALS COMPARED TO DEMAND IN 2050 ........................................................................ 8

FIGURE 9.DIAGRAM TO SHOW HOW SUSTAINABLE BIOMASS CAN BE ACQUIRED ....................................................................... 9

FIGURE 10.BIO ENERGY ROUTES.................................................................................................................................. 10
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INTRODUCTION

According to the International Energy agency, the worldwide energy demand will rise by 45% from 2006 to

20301. With oil and gas production either at its peak or very close to peaking

2, the need for sustainable

renewable energy is required with immediate effect.

The UK is currently seeking to meet its targets under the Kyoto agreement to reduce its carbon emissions

below the 1990 emissions before 2008-2012, and also of the EU agreement for a 20% share of renewable

energies in overall EU energy consumption by 2020; a 10% minimum target to be achieved by all Member

States for the share of bio fuels in overall EU transport petrol and diesel consumption by 2020, to be

introduced in a cost-efficient way3

With both the rising demand for energy and the UKs commitments to reducing carbon emissions and meeting

its EU targets, much research is being undertaken in the available sources of sustainable fuel. One option

which has been forecasted to meet up to 10% of the future world energy demand is the use of biomass to

produce energy4. Biomass can be used in Bio refineries to produce energy, fuel, and a wide variety of

chemicals5, of which bio-energy can be utilised.

Figure 1. An Example of how Biomass can be used to reduce carbon emissions

Bio-energy can be used to supply the growing demand of energy worldwide and is already a key contributor;

however there are many differing studies and reviews with the real potential of bio-energy. This report will

aim to determine what potential bio-energy can contribute to the global energy demand the coming decades.


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Coal

26%

Oil

34%

Gas

21% Nuclear

6%

Hydro

15%

Biomass

77%

Other

8%

Renewables

13%

Current World Energy Consumption

WORLD ENERGY

Currently the world consumption of Energy is estimated to be around 12,267 Mtoe which is equivalent to

500EJ6and this is currently dominated by fossil fuels. With 1/8

thof all energy being provided from renewable

source, biomass currently stands out as the biggest contributor with 77%1 share of the renewable energy

market which is around 10% of world energy consumption and is estimated to be around 50EJ6.

The main consumers for current biomass production are developing countries, where traditional biomass is

used for cooking and heating. The remaining amount is consumed in modern systems to generate electricity

and transport fuels7.

FUTURE DEMAND

The worlds most authoritative source of energy analysis, the International Energy Agency has recently

released its World Energy Outlook 2010 in which it discusses in depth how the worlds energy demand is

dependent upon many factors. In order to be able to assess how bio-energy can contribute to the world

energy demand in the coming decades, the projection of world energy demand in the coming decades must be

attentively looked at.

Figure 2. World Energy Consumption by fuel type6


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Route 1

Route 2

Route 3

According to the IEA the key factor to how the world energy demand will shape up in future decades is the

behavior of governments and how they decide to tackle the critical energy-related problems.

Governments can choose to take one of three routes:

1. Only Commit to formally adopted and implemented policies and not any introduce any new policies2. Introduce new measures cautiously to implement broad policy commitments3. Set out policy in line with the goal of limiting global increase in average temperature to 2C and limit

greenhouse gases concentration in the atmosphere to 450 million parts per million of carbon dioxide

equivalent.

Based on what decisions governments take, the below graph shows the potential growth of world energy

demand.

Figure 3. Future World Energy Demands6

Figure 4. World Energy demand growth based on scenarios16


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Population growth and economic development are the main factors of overall energy use, and developing

countries, especially India and China are, and will continue to be the largest contributors to the worlds

growing energy demands7

From this it is evident that the trend in world energy demand will increase from just over 12,000 Mtoe in 2010

to between 15,000 Mtoe and 18,000 Mtoe in 2035.

Regardless of how goverments react,there is a growing need for increased energy supply, and an even bigger

emphasis on increasing the supply of renewable energies; namely from biomass.

BIO-ENERGY

Bio-energy is defined by the world bio-energy association as Energyfrom Biofuels where biofuel is defined as

fuel produced directly or indirectly from biomass and biomass defined as materialof biological origin8. This

is represented below.

The growing energy demand and peaking of the oil and gas industry means sustainable and renewable sources

of energy must be sought and due to its flexibility and applications the use of biomass to produce energy has

been highly sought after by leading energy suppliers and strongly promoted by governments9.

In order to study the potential supply of bioenergy, the supply of its main raw material biomass must be

examined.

Figure 5. Defining Biomass,Biofuel, and Bio-energy


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FEEDSTOCK

Various forms of feedstock can be used with to produce bio energy; biomass feedstock is generally widely

distributed with areas of low density and is only available seasonally. However the key distinguishing property

is the fact that biomass is seen as a sustainable and renewable source as crude oil and natural gases are finite.

The types of feedstock used can be broken down into two main categories, waste and energy crop

WASTE

Municipal Solid Waste (MSW): this is waste which is thrown out as rubbish, although not all of it is suitable for

use as biomass.

Waste from Forest Management: waste wood and crops that otherwise go to landfill can be used to recover

energy.

Animal waste: In the UK around 3 million tonnes of animal wastes and slurries are generated annually. If 50%

of this was used as biomass in anaerobic digesters, up to 1.1TWh of electricity can be produced and a carbon

saving of over 0.13MtC annuallyError! Bookmark not defined..

Other sources in this category include waste from the food industry, such as vegetable oils.

ENERGY CROP

These are dedicated energy crops which are grown solely for the purpose of generating bio products10

. They

tend to have a considerable level of sugars, Lignocellulose, starches and oil which in turn give the crop

relatively high energy content10

.

The main form of energy crops are short rotation coppice (SRC) and miscanthus. The UK currently produces

around 25,000 tonnes per annum of both SRC and miscanthus11

.

Short Rotation Coppice (SRC): SRC consists of a variety of willow or poplar which are usually densely planted

and highly yielding. These are harvested anytime between a 2-5 year period, and a plantation can be viable for

up to 30 years12

.

Miscanthus: Miscanthus is a highly-yielding energy crop which has rapid growth which can be harvested

annually, and grows to over three metre13

.

Energy Crops have many advantages14

:

- They contain high amounts of sugars meaning they can be converted into energy using advancedtechnologies


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- They produce high volumes of fuel per tonne compared to corn and agricultural waste, up to threetimes

- The land on which they are grown does not have to be productive therefore they can be planted inareas close to where they will be refined and used. This reduces the logistical issues involved with

transporting bulk materials.

ALGAE

Due to the methods of formation for algae, it has a potential to be a key supplier of biomass for Bio refineries.

Algal fuel can be cultivated in open pond systems and photo bioreactors; however there are still mane

complications in the process and its productions is not yet commercially viable.

Figure 6. Various sources for Biomass19


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BIOMASS POTENTIAL

The use of biomass for energy will grow in the coming decades, however this is dependant on many factors.

The two main catergories for general approach of biomass resource assessments are demand driven

assessment and Supply-driven assessments15.

Demand driven Assessment:

These are assesmentsthat analyse the competitiveness of biomass-based fuels and electricity or the required

amount of biomass to meet climate-neutral energy supply.

Supply driven assessment :

These are assessments that focus on all bioenergy resources currently available, and the competitiveness of

the differing uses for the resource.

FACTORS AFFECTING POTENTIAL

The main factors affecting potential biomass resources are16

:

- Availability of land for biomass production- Moderisation and technology development in agriculture- Efficiency of feestock logistics- Biomass yields obtainable on available land and choice of crop- The sustainable constraints on bioenergy crop production- Population growth, and the food demands related to it

- Cost of Production/Collection- Availability of suitable infrastructure- Competing fossil fuel cost- Level of policy incentives which support the production of bioenergy


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Theoretical Potential

Geographical Potential

Technical Potential

Economic Potential

Implementation Potential

Physical and Biological Barriers

Includes Production from land, rivers, seas andoceans

Fraction of theoretical potential limited by Land

Fraction of geographical potential that does not

include land used for food production, housing,

infrastructure, and forest conservation.

Fration of technical potential which can be

producted at economically viable levels

Fraction of economic potential which isimplementable within a certain timeframe

takes into account constraints and policy incentives

DEFINING POTENTIAL

Many definitions for bioenergy potential can be given, but these depend on the level of detail to how biomass

resources are assessed17

.

Because there are many forms of studies that can be undertaken, and many factors which can affect the

amount of bioenergy available of being produced, the varying reviews which have been conducted to date

show different bioenergy potential levels18

.

Figure 7. Summary of the different potential definition17

Figure 8. Different Biomass potentials compared to demand in 205018


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Total World Primary Energy Demand 2050 (600-1000 EJ/year) - This is based on the World Energy Assessment

Modelled Biomass demand in 2050 ( 50-250 EJ/Year) This is based on a number of lierature reviews

Technical Biomass Potential in 2050 (50-1000 EJ/Year) This is based on a number of literature reviews

Sustainabile Biomass Potential in 2050 This is based on the biomass used is acquired under a sustainable

manner.

World Biomass production in 2050 can lie anywhere between 50-1500 EJ/Year , and this is dependant on how

all of the factors which are key to determing the production of biomass are addressed. To ensure that the

acquisition of biomass doesnt defeat the purpose of seeking bioenenergy, a sustainable manner must be

approached.

SUSTAINABLE BIOMASS

To ensure the bio-energy produced is sustainable, three factors must be considered when developing

bioenergy; Environmental Impact, Social Impact, and Economic Impact19

.

The below diagram depicts how these factor can affect the sustainable production of bio-energy20

.

Figure 9. Diagram to show how sustainable biomass can be acquired

Environmental

EconomicSocial

Sustainability

Viable

Equitable

Bearable

- Impact on Soil- Impact on Water- Impact on Biodiversity

- Capital Investment- Biomass Supply Costs- Biofuel Production Cost- Welfare and effect to

national budget

- Jobs and income- Final use product- Land issue- Food security


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BIOFUEL APPLICATION

Many routes have been establisted to produce bioenergy from biomass, and these are summarised in the

image below.

Figure 10. Bio energy Routes18

Many conversion routes have developed over the past years and adapted according to the feedstocks

chemical and physical properties and to provide the required energy output be it heat or power. New

technologies such as torrefaction and pyrolysis are being developmed to convert bulky biomass into denser

and more convenient carriers of energy; thus providing more effecient transportation, and storage prior to

conversion.

PROCESS TYPES

Currently the upgrading of biomass, and its upgrading to produce heat is the leading application of bioenergy

throughout the world and is relatively cost-competitive with fossil fuels. For more energy efficient use of

biomass resourse, modern and large-scale heating systems are being combines with electricity production in

combined heat and power (CHP) systems.

Other developments include:

- Co-Firingo The combination of biomass and coal in coal-based power stations for a cost effective use of

biomass to generate power

Feedstock

Oil Crops, Waste Oil, animal fats

Sugars and starch crops

Lignocellulose Biomass

Biodegradable MSW, Sewedge Sludge,manure, wet wastes, macro-algae

Photosynthesis micro organisms

Conversion Route

Biomass Upgrading + Combustion

Transesterification or hydrogentation

Hydrolysis + Fermentation

Gasification

Pyrolysis

Anaerobic Digestion

Bio-photochemical routes

Heat, Power and Fuels

Biodiesel

Bioethanol

Syndiesel/Renewable Diesel

Methanol/ DME

Biomethane

Hydrogen

Other fuels and fuel derivatives


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- Biomass combustion Plantso These include MSW combustion plants commonly used for providing industrial and district

heating CHP.

- Anaerobic Digestiono Used for sludges, liquids andwet organic materials to produce electricity and heat from

biomass

In the future the use of commercial gasification and pyrolysis plants can be be deployed based on their cost-

effectiveness. They have been affected by the complexity and costs assosciated however if this obstacle is

overcome, these plants will show greater effeciency and economics than other biomass-based power

generation18

.

1ST

GENERATION BIOFUEL

Currently the transport sector in many countries operature biofuel or biodiesel fleets; biofuel fleets mainly use

bioethanol which is derived from starch and sugar crops while while biodiesel is produced from oil crops and

residual oils and fats. 1st

generation technologies have great potential but is subject to land use, which creates

an issue with regards to sustainable land use, and can be seen as viable and equitable, however not bearable.

This is due to the use of land for food crops, which could lead to an increase in the price of food.

FOOD VS FUEL

The times magazine21

has recently scrutinised the use of 1st

generation biofuels and unveiled the following

facts:

The grain it takes to fill an SUV truck can feed a person for a year As deforestation takes place to grow biomass, 20% of the world carbon emissions come from

deforestation

It will take around 400 years of biodiesel use to pay back the carbon emitted by clearing land toproduce Biofuel

The use of food for fuel has started this row, known to some as food vs. fuel. The rise in usage of foodstuff to

produce fuel has caused the price of certain foods to rise sharply in past years and those needing food have

suffered the worst. The United Nations World Food Programme14

has labelled the rise in food prices as an

emergency.


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This hugely contentious issue has been ongoing for quite a while now, and its arguments are inconclusive.

Evidently, it is essential that new technology is needed to overcome the huge energy costs and emissions

emitted, and that much research is being undertaken to produce a clean fue l, which has minimum

environmental applications, contribution towards the carbon footprint.

2ND

GENERATION BIOFUEL

To mitigate the effects if 1st

generation biofuels, the advancement of technology to accumulate non-food

biomass such as organic waste, forest residues, energy crops and algae are being persued. The biofuels

produced will decrease the pressures involved around land use, and will improve greenhouse emission

reductions in comparison to 1st

generation biofuels. The implementation of 2nd

generation technologies which

use lignocellulose feedstock is still not to that of a commercially viable scale, and are believed to be immature

and in need of development16

. These are believed to become commercial over the next decade, including the

development of future generation biofuels which include the likes of oil from algae, currently in the research

and development stage, requiring a considerable amount of development to compete in the energy market.

THE FUTURE

The development of bioenergy technologies is ongoing and requires improvements in the fields of effeciency,

reliability and sustainabilty. In the production of heat, improvments would mean a cleaner and more robust

system linked to higher quaity fuel supplies, and in the production of electricity the development of smaller-

scale CHP systems will better match local resources. In the transport industry, these improvements will result

in higher quality and more sustainable biofuels.

The ideal formation of bioenergy will be in third generation biorefineries which will allow a mixture of biomass

feedstock to be converted into power, heat , chemicals and other valuable commodities however these still

need more technical and commercial advancements.


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DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION

It is evident that biomass is a renewable energy source provided the new crops and trees replensish supplies

and on that basis can be considered carbon neutral as the CO2 it releases is recaptured during the regrowth.

Provided the sustainable acqusistion of biomass is achieved, it can grow to become a integral contributor to

the world energy demand which can vary from 20-50% of the overall primary energy demand.

The overcoming of obstacles involved will be key to the success and support bioenergies gain, especially in the

use of agricultural land. The influence of governments will also play a pivotal role, especially in providing grants

and financial support to institutions who seek to exploit the implementation of bioenergy.

The development of integrated biorefineries to process many feedstocks and process a range of products will

also mean the by-products of producing energy products will have an added value, and for manufacturers and

potential investers the prospects of which can be very lucrative.

In the coming decades the production of bio-energy will grow, although it is dependent on many factors; the

varied benefits it can bring and the peaking of world fossil fuel supplies means alternatives fuels must be

sought, and bio-energy can potentially lead in that field.


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4Tanaka,N. (2008). World energy outlook. International energy agencyp159.

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6IEA. (2010). Key World Energy Statistics. International energy agency.p6

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13John, C (2004). Miscanthus biomass production for energy in Europe. Global Change

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Energy and Products from Biomass

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