BIOMASS STUDY
SYSTEM 7: OCTANE ENHANCERS/OXYGENA TES
There is no significant market in Malaysia for high-octane unleaded fuel or the oxygenates/octane enhancers required to produce them. Otherwise the situation is as for System 4.
Final Report
BIOMASS IN THE ENERGY CYCLE
UNITED STATES of A M E R I C A
(Note: all costs in Australian dollars unless otherwise stated.) Electricity
SYSTEM 1: LIGNOCELLULOSE
The significant existing use of this system in the US is unlikely to increase significantly in the future. Australian manufacturers of wood-fired boilers could supply to any new projects if they could compete on price. Any technology developed in Australia which improved efficiency or reduced costs would find a ready market in the US, as would Australian developments which solved emission or waste management problems.
Resource Status:
• Current Costs: logging residues >$4 a GJ; urban wood wastes and land clearing $3 a GJ; forest manufacturing residues $1.50 a GJ, environmentally collectible agricultural residues 1.5-3 $ a GJ;
commercial forest wood <$3 a GJ.
• R&D Target Costs: logging residues <$3 a GJ; urban wood wastes and land clearing $3 a GJ; forest manufacturing residues <$1.50 a GJ;
environmentally collectible agricultural residues $1.50 a GJ;
commercial forest wood <$3 a GJ.
• Resource Potential: 15600 PJ a year; logging residues 800 PJ a year, urban woodwastes and land clearing 1200 PJ a year; forest manufacturing residues 2100 PJ a year; environmentally collectible agricultural residues 2000 PJ a year; commercial forest wood 4500 PJ a year; improved forest management 4500 PJ a year; shift 2 5 % of wood industry to energy 500 PJ a year.
• Current Utilisation: 25 PJ a year utility electricity generation from wood; 1650 PJ a year industrial heat and power from wood (mainly paper and allied products); 20-40 PJ a year commercial heat and power from wood.
Conversion Technology Status:
Direct Combustion:
• Cost: Cost-competitive at suitable locations.
• Existing Capability: 8000 MW of biomass electricity generation capacity installed in the US is mostly this system;
• Mostly forest industry mill wastes where the collection cost is borne by the sellable timber. 50 US companies manufacture suitable wood- fired boilers.
• Constraints. Very site specific, most of the easily accessible resource is already utilised; Seasonal resource; Grid interconnection constraints; Emissions (NOx, SOx, CO), public opposition.
Gasification:
• Cost: Only cost-competitive at specific sites and under special government programs.
• Existing Capability: 3 projects, Florida 270 GJ a hour, Missouri 190 GJ a an hour, Georgia. 15 US manufacturers of gasification
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BIOMASS IN THE ENERGY CYCLE
equipment but no US suppliers of complete packaged systems as there are in Canada and Europe.
• Constraints: Problem of damage to combustion equipment caused by tars in gas.
SYSTEM 2 :MSW
As Australia is generally following behind US developments in applying this system, it is unlikely that opportunities for Australia will arise in the US market.
Resource Status.
. Current Cost: 3-4 $ a GJ.
. R&D Target Cost: <$2 a GJ.
. Resource Potential: 2400 PJ a year (includes industrial food waste).
. Current Utilisation: 820 PJ a year.
Conversion Technology Status:
Landfill Gas:
• Cost: Cost-competitive at suitable locations
• Existing Capability: Over 100 installations, up to 50 MWe; Several commercial developers and suppliers.
Direct Combustion:
• Cost: Viability of specific projects is dependant on public support, tipping fees, avoided costs, and air pollution emission requirements.
• Existing capability: For Mass-Burn Type, there are over 80 installations either operating or under construction; typically 5-10 MW, and there are numerous US suppliers of the technology. For Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF) Spreader-Stoker type, there are 14 installations with capacities up to 3000 tonnes a day, and there are several US equipment suppliers. For RDF co-firing with coal or oil, 14 utility boilers have been retrofitted, and there are existing US equipment suppliers. For RDF fluidised bed boilers (FBC), there are no currently operating facilities, one commercial installation has closed, and 2 installations are under construction. There are existing US FBC suppliers but they have no experience with RDF.
Pyrolysis/ Thermal Gasification:
• Cost: Not a cost-competitive option
• Existing Capability: Technology is at the R,D&D stage and there are no commercial suppliers.
SYSTEM 3: BIOGAS (ANIMAL AND HUMAN WASTES)
Possible opportunity to supply packaged systems for small to medium scale applications.
Resource Status:
. Current Cost: <$6 a GJ . R&D Target Cost: $5 a GJ . Resource Potential: 500 PJ a year
Final Report
BIOMASS IN THE ENERGY CYCLE
Conversion Technology Status:
• Cost: Site-specific but generally comparable to the retail cost of electricity.
• Existing Capability: Several operating installations at intensive animal production facilities but small scale off-the-shelf systems are not yet commercially available from US suppliers. A mature technology for municipal wastewater treatment. Markets for waste by-products have not yet developed.
Liquid Transport Fuels
The US Government is supporting a US$60m R&D program with the primary objective of developing cost-competitive liquid transport fuels from biomass sources. Substantial R&D programs are underway on both feedstocks and conversion technologies. Feedstock R&D is directed primarily at poplar and switchgrass. There is also an R&D program on feedstock/ conversion whole system optimisation.
SYSTEM 4; ETHANOL FROM LIGNOCELLULOSE Too early to know whether R&D cost target will be achieved.
Resource Status
Current Costs: wood energy crops $4 a GJ; herbaceous energy crops (lignocellulosics) $6 a GJ.
R&D Target Costs: wood energy crops $3 a GJ; herbaceous energy crops (lignocellulosics) $3 a GJ.
Resource Potential. 8700 PJ a year; wood energy crops 3200 PJ a year; herbaceous energy crops (lignocellulosics) 5500 PJ a year.
Conversion Technology Status:
• R&D Target Cost: 18 UScents a litre by 2000 (in 1990 dollars ie:
competitive with the projected unsubsidised wholesale gasoline price).
• Existing Capability: R&D is underway on acid pre-treatment optimisation, xylose conversion systems, cellulase production, and economically viable co-products.
The New Energy Company of Indiana are operating a US$1 m pilot plant using corn fibre feedstock. Amoco are involved in construction of a pilot- scale cellulose feedstock facility (enzymatic breakdown of cellulose to sugars).
SYSTEM 5: METHANOL FROM UGNOCELLULOSE