SPECIAL ISSUE PAPER 41

Worldwide use of biomass in power generation and

combined heat and power schemes

I M Arbon
Engineered Solutions, 15 Newtown, Easton on the Hill, Stamford, Lincolnshire PE9 3NR, UK

Abstract: Biomass is a truly renewable, sustainable source of energy; in its Ž rewood form, at least, it has
always been humanity’s primary fuel. Nevertheless, it is only in the very recent past that it has been regarded
as a viable substitute in power generation for the fossil fuels that have caused most of the world’s
environmental pollution problems. This paper distinguishes between truly renewable, sustainable sources
of fuel from agricultural sources, i.e. biomass, and the disposal of domestic, urban and hazardous waste in
energy-from-waste (EfW) plants; although these differences may appear to be marginal, and any EfW plant
is of value for power generation, there are particular reasons why the generation of power from genuine
biomass reaps environmental beneŽ ts.
The bulk of the paper discusses the generation of electric power from a variety of different biomass
substances, some from purpose-grown ‘energy crops’ but mostly from ‘agricultural residues’. While this is
predominantly through conventional combustion systems with steam turbines, more recent experience of both
gasiŽ cation and pyrolysis, with power generation by other prime movers, such as gas turbines and
reciprocating engines is also covered. The concluding section of the paper looks brie y at the relative beneŽ ts
of combustion, gasiŽ cation and pyrolysis and what the future is likely to hold for each of these technologies.

Keywords: biomass, renewable energy, gasiŽ cation, pyrolysis, anaerobic digestion, liquefaction, combined
heat and power (CHP)

1 INTRODUCTION Renewable and waste fuels are similar and overlap; it

could be argued that a truly renewable fuel is wasted if not
Biomass is but one form of the currently in vogue ‘renewable’ utilized and a waste fuel such as MSW is renewable and
fuels for power generation. The term ‘renewable’ itself has sustainable while human beings dispose of garbage. There
been coined to describe fuels which are renewable in the are numerous different deŽ nitions of what constitutes a
short term (and therefore ‘sustainable’), as opposed to ‘waste’ and what a ‘renewable’ fuel; similarly, there are
so-called fossil fuels (e.g. coal, oil, natural gas, uranium, differing views on what is meant by ‘biomass’. In this paper,
etc.), stocks of which are rapidly diminishing, and which the terms ‘biomass’ and ‘biofuel’ are interpreted as fuels
require millions of years to ‘renew’ themselves.
Interest in renewable energy, based on non-fossil fuels, is
currently largely focused on (see UK Government’s 1999
Table 1 DeŽ nition of ‘renewable’ and ‘waste’ fuel sources in
Consultation Document New and Renewable Energy):
common use
(a) biofuels and biomass (including municipal solid waste Renewable, sustainable biomass fuel
(MSW), landŽ ll gas, agricultural residues, energy crops); sources Waste fuel sources
(b) advanced fuel cells (strictly not ‘renewable energy’ but Sugar cane waste (bagasse) Sewage digester gas
energy conversion); Timbermill waste or sawdust Land®ll gas (LFG)
(c) solar (passive, active and photovoltaic); Forestry and arboricultural Mines gas
residues Coke oven gas
(d) water (including hydro, tidal, wave and underwater Short rotation coppicing (SRC) Re®nery and process
current); Straw plant ¯are gas/off gas
(e) Wind (onshore, offshore); Rice husks and coffee husks Stripped crude gas
Peanut and other nut shells MSW
(f) geothermal. Palm oil and coconut residues Hazardous and chemical waste
Meat and bone meal (MBM) Sewage sludge
Poultry litter Hospital and clinical waste
The MS was received on 5 April 2001 and was accepted after revision for Livestock slurry Vehicle tyres
publication

A01701 # IMechE 2002 Proc Instn Mech Engrs Vol 216 Part A: J Power and Energy