Fuels biomass

Fuels, alternative Fuels, combustion Fuels from biomass Fuels from waste Fuels, liquid Fuels, synthetic... 

AMNES - AMINES, AROMATIC - ANILINE AND ITS DERIVATIVES] (Vol 2) -from biomass [FUELS FROM BIOMASS] (Vol 12)... 

Table 32. Biofuels Utilization and Production and Biomass-Fueled Electric Power Plant Capacities in the United States ...

Table 34. Biomass-Fueled Cogeneration and Small Power Production Capacities and Facilities, kW ...

X MW in 1986, of the power produced in the same year. Biomass-fueled electric capacity and generation was 19.2% (4.9 x 10 MW) and 21.2% (23.7 X 10 MWh) respectively, of total nonutiUty capacity and generation. Biomass-fueled capacity experienced a 16% increase in 1986 over 1985, the same as natural gas, but it was not possible to determine the percentage of the total power production that was sold to the electric utiUties and used on-site. Total production should be substantially more than the excess sold to the electric utiUties. Overall, the chemical, paper, and lumber industries accounted for over one-half of the total nonutiUty capacity in 1986, and three states accounted for 45% of total nonutiUty generation, ie, Texas, 26% of total California, 12% of total and Louisiana, 7% of total. There were 2449 nonutiUty producers with operating faciUties in 1986, a 15.8% increase over 1985 75% capacity was intercoimected to electric utiUty systems. 

Utihty production of biomass-fueled electric power is much less than nonutiUty production. In early 1985, there were only 18 faciUties having a total capacity of 245 MW, ie, nine fueled with wood (180.7 MW), five fueled with MSW (33.8 MW), two fueled with agricultural residues (22.5 MW), and two fueled with digester gas (8 MW) (112,113). The largest was the 50-MW plant in Burlington, Vermont (114). 

Cofiring biomass has environmental benefits in addition to lowering greenhouse gases. Since biomass has little or no sulfur, sulfur dioxide (SOj) emissions are less when biomass fuels are used. In the United States, power plants have allowable sulfur dioxide levels for each gigawatt of power produced. If they produce less than the allowable amount of sulfur dioxide, they receive credits with which they can trade on the open market. The price for these sulfur dioxide credits is about 70 to 200 per ton. 

The capital cost of an IGCC plant for biomass or coal IS in the range of 1,500 to 2,000 per installed kW. A comparable natural gas fire facility costs about 750 to 1,000. The economics of biomass electricity based on IGCC technology depend on the relative cost of natural gas and biomass fuels. Biomass must be lower m cost than gas to pay back the additional capital cost of gas production and cleaning. A 1999 estimate suggestes that the biomass would have to be 3 per million Btiis cheaper than natural gas for biomass to be economical. 

Research is being done in the United States and worldwide to lower some ot the barriers to biofuels. Researchers hope to develop high-yield, fast-growing feedstocks for reliable biomass fuel supplies. Research is also being done to improve the efficiency of energy conversion technologies so that more of the biomass is utilized. 

The commonly used catalyst today is a vanadia on a titania support, which is resistant to the high SO2 content. Usually the titania is in the anatase form since it is easier to produce with large surface areas than the rutile form. Several poisons for the catalyst exist, e.g. arsenic and potassium. The latter is a major problem with biomass fuel. In particular, straw, a byproduct from grain production, seems to be an attractive biomass but contains potassium, which is very mobile at reaction tern-... 

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