Energy Generation From

Thermo-Chemical conversion
of Biomass
 What is Biomass ?

Biomass is biological material derived from living,

or recently living organisms. In the context of
biomass for energy this is often used to mean plant
based material, but biomass can equally apply to
both animal and vegetable derived material.

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CONTD.

Essentially, biomass is stored solar energy which

man can convert to electricity, fuel and heat.
Through photosynthesis, the energy from the
sun is stored in the chemical relations of the
plant material. Typically, biomass energy comes
from three sources: agricultural crop residues,
municipal and industrial waste, and energy
plantations

 Examples of this energy source include:

• Fast growing trees and grasses
• Agricultural residues like used vegetable oils, or
corn
• Wood waste like paper trash, yard clippings,
sawdust, or wood chips
• Methane that is captured from landfills,
livestock, and municipal waste water treatment.

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 Why is there a need to use Biomass ?

Environmental

Biomass - Wood Renewable Energy Cycle

Political

Commercial
4
Conversion Technologies

Thermal conversion

Combustion

Combustion is the process with which everyone is

familiar by which flammable materials are
allowed to burn in the presence of air or oxygen
with the release of heat.

5
 CONTD.

Pyrolysis

 Pyrolysis is the precursor to gasification, and takes place as part of

both gasification and combustion. It consists of thermal
decomposition in the absence of oxygen. It is essentially based on a
long established process, being the basis of charcoal burning.

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Gasification

The newest method for

generating electricity is
gasification. This method
captures 65-70% of the
energy present in solid fuels
by converting it first to
combustible gases. These
gases are then burnt as we
currently burn natural gas,
and create energy.

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 1.Biomass resources in China
Straw from agriculture
650 Mton, 50% can be
used as energy,
210 MTCE
Forest industry and
Biomass Energy timber work waste:
Potential: 270Mton, 30% can be
used as energy, 50MTCE
385 MTCE
Biogas from livestock
excreta and waste water
100MTCE

Municipal solid waste

155 Mton, about 25MTCE

Energy crops and plants industry are not established!

Promote rural economy 8
 1.Biomass resources in China
1.1 Agricultural waste
 The amount of straw that can be utilized as modern
energy increased by 1~2% every year.
 60% of the total amount can be used as energy.
 After 2030, about 400~500 mil. tons of straw can
be used as energy, 200~300 M TCE.
The consumption of straw for different
purposes(2004)
Unit: million tons
Consumption Potential as fuel
Return Paper
Burned as
to soil Feedstuff making fuel The rest
Total
546 82 153 21 290 152 138
Power generation is the most efficient technology
before the maturation of liquefaction 9
 1.Biomass resources in China
1.2 Forestry residues

125 million tons

71.66 M TCE

Logging and timber processing Firewood

77.60M tons 48.13 M tons
44.23 MTCE
27.43 M TCE

The preferential option for forestry residues

should be raw materials for industries,
then be used as fuel 10
 1.Biomass resources in China
1.3 Livestock excreta
 It is estimated that by the year of 2010 and 2020, the
excreta yield will be 2.5 and 4billion tons.

 The collectable resource will be 180 and 290 M TCE

Complex composition and high water content

Low energy utilization Efficiency

Environmental protection requirement

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 1.Biomass resources in China
1.4 Industrial organic wastes
 50 billion m3 biogas can be produced from
food processing wastes– 35 MTCE

1.5 Municipal solid waste

 MSW production increased by 8% each year.
More than 80% of the total was treated by
landfill.
 Average calorific value of MSW : 4~5 MJ/kg
 According to the data of 2004 (150 M tons)—
25 M TCE.
 If 10% used for energy—2.5 M TCE

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 1.Biomass resources in China
1.5 Waste Vegetable Oil & Tallow

Biodiesel: 2 million tons/year

Cottonseed Oil
1 million tons/year of cottonseed
oil can be collected for biodiesel
production
Waste oil and fat
1 million tons/year 1.6 million tons of cottonseed oil

9 million tons of cottonseed

4.86 million tons/year cotton

production

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 1.Biomass resources in China
1.6 Energy crops
Marginal Land Availability in China
32-75 million ha.

Set-aside land: Cropland not in use in wintertime:

7.34~9.37 -8.66 million ha.
million ha. Set aside woodland:
- 16~57 million ha.
Energy crops Woody crops
Existing oil plant forest
3.43 million ha.
Biodiesel resource
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 1.Biomass resources in China
Estimation: Energy crops
production
Set-aside land Cropland not in use in wintertime
7.34~9.37 -8.66 million ha.
million ha.

Energy Crops Production Ethanol equivalence Potential

Oil
Productivity (ton/ha) (ton/ha) (MTCE/yr) plant
Sweet
60-80(haulm)
sorghum 4-6 18.35
3-5(grain)
40% 9.53 MTCE/yr
Sweet
15-20 2-3 3.67
potato 20%
Cassava
20-30 4-6 7.34
20%
Sugar cane
60-70 4-6 3.67
10%
Total 33.03
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 1.Biomass resources in China
Estimation: Woody crops
2010: 800 thousand ha. of woody oil plant

2020: 13 million ha. of woody plant, 54 million tons dry material

.Woody crops Woody oil plant

8.9 million ha. 4.1 million ha.

35 million TCE/yr
6.7 million tons of biodiesel
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 1.Biomass resources in China

Biomass resource potential evaluation: MTCE

Item 2006 2010 2020 2030 2050
Existing biomass resource 500 500 500 500 500
Utilized 220 200 180 150 100
Available 280 300 320 350 400
Increment of biomass resource 0 30 230 470 580
Agriculture and forest industy 20 140 300 400
Energy crops 10 40 70 80
Marginal land planting 0 50 100 100
Total 500 530 730 970 1080
Practically Available 280 330 550 820 980

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 1.Biomass resources in China
The potential biomass development capacity:
about 1 billion TCE
Types of Biomass Fundamentals
Priority:
a. Waste material Resource utilization and
Large amount-clean environmental protection
energy

Development of energy crop

agriculture and energy forest
b. Energy crops industry-enlarge the supply of
Scale-up biomass resource

Marginal land development-

c. Non-edible species Protect existing cropland,
Food security- forest and grassland
Marginal land for
production 18
2. Status of Biomass Energy Utilization

A
Power generation Types of
Biomass Energy
B Utilization
Liquid fuel
C
Gas fuel

D
Pelletized fuel

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2. Status of Biomass Energy Utilization

Characteristics of Biomass utilization:

About 14% of the primary energy consumption in
the world:
 Outside China:
Power generation>Fuel ethanol>Biodiesel>Industrial biogas
 In China:
Household biogas>Fuel ethanol>others including power
generation
 The motivation differences:
Developed countries: CO2 emission reduction, environmental
protection;
Developing countries: Energy supplements, promote
agriculture development
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2. Status of Biomass Energy Utilization

Profitable point
High subsidy
technologies
Stage II Biogas
Bioethanol from
Biodiesel from oil sugar and starch Pelleting
plants Biodiesel from Low subsidy
waste oil technologies
Direct combustion
power generation
Stage III
Gsification power CHP Engineering demonstration
Bioethanol from generation
cellulose Synfuel from Polygeneration
gasification utilization
Stage I Stage IV

H2 from biomass Advanced New technologies

technologies need to be explored

Market competition force 21

2. Status of Biomass Energy Utilization

There stages of biomass utilization technology:

 Commercialized technologies:
 High subsidy technologies: Biodiesel from oil plants, bioethanol from
sugar and starch
 Low subsidy technologies: Biogas, pelleting, direct combustion power
generation
 Engineering demonstration
 Fuel ethanol from cellulose, gasification power generation, synfuel from
gasification, direct liquefaction, combined cooling-heating-power
generation(CHP);
 Technologies under development
 Algae utilization, biosynthesis, H2 from biomass
 Technologies need to be explored
 Polygeneration, et al.
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2. Status of Biomass Energy Utilization
The trend of biomass energy utilization
Commercialization
Combustion
power Bioethanol from
Biogas generation Biodiesel from cellulose
plant oil
Pelleting Indirect
liquefaction
Fuel ethanol
demonstration

Direct
liquefaction
Industry

Gasification
power
generation H2 from biomass
demonstration
Engineering

2010 2020
23
2. Status of Biomass Energy Utilization
Bio-ethanol
Status in China In the near future

Just started Marginal land for the

Mainly from production of cassava,
corn sweet sorghum

Mid to long term direction

Promote the development of fuel ethanol from cellulose

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2. Status of Biomass Energy Utilization

At present, power generation is still the main

technology for biomass waste utilization

Trend of biomass power generation

Developments of different kinds of technology
CHP and comprehensive utilization
Small to medium scale and stand alone power
system

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2. Status of Biomass Energy Utilization
Factors affect the generation capacity
Factors Direct Gasification Remarks
combustion
Generation eff. >25MW >6MW Part of 12MW direct combustion
can also use high parameter
generation system
Biomass cost <10MW <10MW <60,000ton/yr
Investment& >6MW >3MW
management

6MW-10MW, the bigger the better;

The capacity for direct combustion: 6-12MW
The capacity for gasification(BIGCC): 4-12MW;

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 3.Targets of R&D in China
Basic principles for the energy utilization of biomass
Resource
cultivation and
Clean fuel for rural area :
exploitation
Fuel gas and solid fuel

Promote the
Power development of
generation, liquid fuel-
comprehensive substitution of
utilization
fossil fuel

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 3.Targets of R&D
In the near future(2010):
Biomass power generation: 600MW
Biomass liquid fuel: 2 million ton/yr
3~5% of agriculture and forestry waste can be used

Mid-term target(2020)
Biomass power generation: 3000MW
Biomass liquid fuel: 15 million ton/yr
15~20% of agriculture and forestry waste can be used

Mid-term target(2030)
Biomass power generation: 5000MW
Biomass liquid fuel: 50 million ton/yr
30~40% of agriculture and forestry waste can be used
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 3.Targets of R&D
Direction of Development

 Development of Resources:
 Short to mid-term: mainly agriculture and forestry waste;
Give attention to energy crops and energy plants；
 Long term: Mainly energy agriculture and energy forestry;
Give attention to new resources, such as energy algae…..

 Route of Technology Development:

 Short to mid-term: Biogas, pelleting, fuel ethanol, biodiesel,
power generation, CHP….
 Mid to long term: Synfuel from gasification, ethanol from
cellulose, biochemical engineering;
 Long term: Algae technology, ocean biomass, H2
production…
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 4.Technology Road Maps
Summary of technologies
High moisture
content biomass
Product
separation
Non-edible
sugar and Separation Fermentation CH4/H2 Gas fuel
starch

Hydrolysis
Combustion Power Heat & Power
Cellulose Pretreatment Gasification
Synthesis
Microbe Pyrolysis &
Residue Refining Liquid fuel
catalytic
cracking
Non-edible Component
oil & fat separation Esterify Chemicals
30
 4.Technology Road Maps
Technologies for bio-conversion
Ethanol
Bacteria Cellulose Butanol
reconstruction

Concentrating
enzyme ……

Separation &
H2
CH4
Straw &
sugar

fermentation
crops Ethene

Synchro
Acetic
acid

Combustion
SiO2
Residue
Micro-algae Fertilizer
Heat/
Residue Power
Drying Feedingstuff
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 4.Technology Road Maps
Road Map for Biomass Bio-Conversion
2005 2010 2015 2020

Cellulose
fermentation fuel Cellulose ethanol
Pretreatment
ethanol 3000t/Y 10000t/Y

Large scale

Large scale high-grade

Genetic tech. for

clean fuel application

Cellulose enzyme Solid state
bacteria solid state fermation application
cultivatio fermentation
Residue SiO2 from ash Coupled Vaporized
combustion tech tech.

Bench scale H2 H2 from micro-algae:

from micro-algae demonstration
Large scale
Coupled tech. for 100M3 CH4/H2
CH4/H2 production Demonstration
bio-gas
application
Continuous Large scale biogas
fermentation for 10000M3
biogas

Large scale Nearly zero 32

Exploration Pilot scale Demonstration Industrialization
application emission
 4.Technology Road Maps
Technologies for solid biomass thermal-
chemical conversion
Separation Chemicals

Pyrolysis Bio-oil Chemical Boiler Fuel

liquefaction modulation
Vehicle fuel
Refining
Combustion Heat &
Power
CH4
Gasification Fuel Reforming
gas H2

Catalytic DME
Syngas synthesis Methanol

Catalytic de-oxygen Diesel

Fractionation
liquefaction
Gasoline
33
 4.Technology Road Maps
Road Map for biomass thermal chemical conversion
2007 2010 2015 2020

Large scale biomass energy application

Industrialization of
BIGCC Large scale application
BIGCC

Advanced Demonstration
gasificaiton >3000t/a

Pilot scale Syngas synthesis Indirect liquefation

Gas refinery
1000t/a >3000t/a >10000t/a

CO2 rich Pilot scale

synthesis 1000t/a

Selectivity Direct liquefaction

1000t/a 3000t/a
liquefaction >10000t/a

Bio-oil separation
200t/a 1000t/a
& refinery

Large scale Nearly zero 34

Exploration Pilot scale Demonstration Industrialization
application emission
 4.Technology Road Maps
Technologies for biodiesel
Chemicals Enzyme

Biodiesel
Lipid Esterification
abstraction

Fertilizer
Oil plant
& algae

Lipid

Catalyst Glycerin

High value acetone

conversion Glycol
…
…
Feedingstuff
High value
Residue conversion Medicine
……
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 4.Technology Road Maps
Road Map for Biodiesel
2005 2010 2015 2020

Large scale high grade liquid fuel

Continuous
Pilot plant 3000t/Y 30000t/Y
reaction

Large scale
Magnetism nano- Glycerin high value
500t/Y polygeneration
catalytic reaction conversion
process

application
Residue high Medicine component Pilot scale
value conversion abstraction comprehensive
utilization

Large scale Nearly zero 36

Exploration Pilot scale Demonstration Industrialization
application emission
http:// www.giec.ac.cn

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