Co-firing biomass with coal.

Enhancing existing generation assets to balance carbon objectives, energy demand, energy affordability

Biomass co-firing is gaining increasing attention from both utilities and regulatory stakeholders. It offers renewable energy generation with low capital costs and takes advantage of the high electrical efficiencies of today’s coal power plants.

 

By replacing up to 20 percent of the coal fuel with biomass, a substantial volume of carbon dioxide emissions may be avoided.

 

Proven biomass energy technology with global applications

Biomass co-firing has been used in Europe and the Netherlands in particular for over a decade. Full-scale commercial co-firing of at least 10 percent biomass (based on heat input) is a daily practice, with a wide variety of bio-fuels and co-firing configurations.

 

While the technology has been demonstrated in many boiler types, the US has been slow to adopt biomass co-firing due to its limited full-scale commercial use, a lack of incentives, and a general reluctance in introducing new fuels into boilers. However, power generation and co-generation from biomass, waste, and recovered fuels is now quickly becoming a hot topic for the power sector as a result of new environmental policies and regulations.

 

Testing, feasibility, and implementation of direct and indirect biomass co-firing

Over the past 15 years, KEMA has gained extensive experience with direct and indirect co-firing of several biomass fuel types. KEMA has tested co-firing mixtures of coal and biomass fuels up to about 25 percent and has been involved with more than 50 small and full-scale biomass trials.

 

In North America, we have performed extensive feasibility studies on co-firing for six large utilities. We are currently expanding this to the actual implementation of co-firing installations based upon the results from these studies. We are helping clients develop long-term strategies to ensure that they are prepared for likely upcoming regional or national carbon dioxide reduction regulations.

 

Download our white paper, “Co-firing biomass with coal: Balancing US carbon objectives, energy demand and electricity affordability.”Learn more about the technical, economic, regulatory and environmental conditions to consider for implementing biomass energy and biomass co-firing with coal.