DSpace Collection:
http://hdl.handle.net/10174/29538
2024-03-29T07:40:34ZBiomass for industrial and district heating
http://hdl.handle.net/10174/36008
Title: Biomass for industrial and district heating
Authors: Malico, Isabel
Abstract: The industrial sector, the world’s largest energy consuming end-user, is a major greenhouse gas emitter. It heavily relies on fossil fuels, with only a small contribution from renewables, and of these, only biomass (mainly primary solid biofuels) is not marginal at a global scale. Several factors contribute to the limited adoption of renewables within the industry. The sector’s extraordinary diversity and complexity make a one-size-fits-all solution impossible. Industrial energy consumption varies significantly among different sub-sectors and even within each sub-sector, depending on production composition and industrial processes. Energy-intensive industries typically consume substantial amounts of process heat, while non-energy-intensive ones tend to rely more on electricity. Given the importance of energy-intensive industrial sub-sectors, finding solutions to decarbonise process heat is crucial. Process heat encompasses various applications, technologies, energy sources, temperatures and delivery methods. There is substantial demand for high-temperature process heat (>500ºC), with only a limited number of renewable energy options available, including bioenergy. Bioenergy holds the potential to contribute to the decarbonisation of industry but requires tailored solutions for each sub-sector and context. This chapter presents key commercially available biomass heat production systems, which vary in configuration, technologies and scale, with similarities to district heating systems, also discussed.2024-01-01T00:00:00ZBiomass for domestic heat
http://hdl.handle.net/10174/36006
Title: Biomass for domestic heat
Authors: Malico, Isabel
Abstract: Biomass is an important source of energy in the residential sector and meets a significant proportion of the energy needs of one-third of the world’s population. In many low- and middle-income countries, particularly in rural areas, it is still used in a traditional way and provides the basic energy needs of the population, such as cooking and water and space heating. In many poor regions where forests are abundant, wood, of all the possible biomass resources, is the dominant fuel. It can be obtained at low or no monetary cost and burns in simple and inexpensive equipment. However, the consequences of this traditional use of biomass are several: indoor and outdoor pollution, impacts on health, pressures on forest resources and increased burden on women and children. Developments in residential wood fuel energy technologies are driven by the need for higher efficiency and fewer environmental impacts. As a consequence of such developments, today, highly efficient and cleaner equipment is used to provide energy from forest resources, but still mainly in high-income countries. This chapter reviews the use of energy from forest biomass in the residential sector and the different available conversion technologies, from the traditional to the most advanced ones.2024-01-01T00:00:00ZBiomass for power production and cogeneration
http://hdl.handle.net/10174/36004
Title: Biomass for power production and cogeneration
Authors: Malico, Isabel
Abstract: Despite intensive efforts to decarbonise the power sector and the growing contribution of renewables to global electricity generation, fossil fuels, especially coal, continue to dominate as the most commonly used energy sources in this sector. The power industry accounts for a substantial portion of the world total energy supply and remains the largest contributor to CO2 emissions. In 2020, renewable energy sources accounted for 28% of the electricity generation, with only 2% of the electricity produced derived from biofuels. Despite this relatively small share, the role of bioenergy in the power sector holds the potential to contribute to grid stability, a critical factor as the share of intermittent renewables in the energy mix increases. Additionally, co-combustion of biomass in coal power plants offers a cost-effective means of reducing carbon emissions, particularly in regions heavily reliant on coal. Several commercial technologies are available for converting biomass into electricity. While the efficiency of biomass-to-electricity conversion alone is relatively low, combined heat and power plants that utilise waste heat achieve significantly higher overall efficiencies. The choice of technology depends on factors like capacity, efficiency and economic viability. This chapter provides an overview of commonly used conversion technologies for power generation from solid biomass.2024-01-01T00:00:00ZForest biomass as an energy resource
http://hdl.handle.net/10174/36000
Title: Forest biomass as an energy resource
Authors: Malico, Isabel
Abstract: Biomass is a highly versatile and reliable source of firm, renewable energy, capable of generating heat, power and various biofuels. The technologies used to convert biomass into fuels or energy can be broadly divided into two categories: biochemical and thermochemical. Biochemical pathways for forest biomass conversion into fuels still face techno-economic challenges, requiring further research to make them economically attractive. In contrast, thermochemical conversion processes, including gasification, pyrolysis and combustion, are well suited for forest biomass conversion, with several technologies having reached a fully commercial stage. Combustion, the most common and mature thermochemical pathway, converts forest biomass into heat, power, or combined heat and power. While traditional, inefficient and polluting methods are still used for burning forest biomass, modern, cleaner, and more efficient combustion technologies are available and in use. Some pathways based on gasification and pyrolysis are also commercially viable, providing solid, liquid and gaseous biofuels. These options offer versatility across combustion systems, heat engines, fuel cells and synthesis applications. This chapter provides a comprehensive overview of forest biomass as an energy source, covering processing technologies, technology readiness levels, fuel characteristics and pre-treatment methods. It emphasizes the potential and challenges associated with using forest biomass for sustainable energy production.2024-01-01T00:00:00Z