The multi-production of 10 billion tons of gasified biomass can meet the annual power generation demand.
Biomass is not just agricultural straws. Technolgy promotion faces two main obstacles.
Referecne from Drax UK
The multi-production of 10 billion tons of gasified biomass can meet the annual power generation demand.
According to Professor Zhou, biomass gasification multi-generation technology involves a thermal decomposition process. And that process occurs without additional energy sources, chemicals, catalysts, or additives. It breaks down the large molecules of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin in biomass into smaller, combustible gases, biomass charcoal, and biomass liquids. These can then be converted into various high-value products such as “heat, electricity, gas, charcoal, and fertilizer.”
Biomass charcoal is internationally recognized as one of the most economically feasible methods for carbon sequestration. However, traditional biomass gasification technologies described in books, primarily produce combustible gases, leaving behind ash, slag, and wastewater. In contrast, biomass gasification multi-generation technology not only utilizes energy efficiently but also produces biomass charcoal. This includes activated carbon, industrial charcoal, mechanized barbecue charcoal, and biomass charcoal-based waste materials. It also produces biomass liquids (fertilizers), offering excellent economic, social, and ecological benefits.
Professor Zhou provided an example, stating that if 10 billion tons of agricultural and forestry biomass were utilized through gasification multi-generation technology and industry, it could generate approximately 8 trillion kWh of electricity annually (which is roughly equal to China’s current annual electricity consumption). Additionally, this would result in a reduction of approximately 6 billion tons of CO2 emissions and the production of 2 billion tons of biomass charcoal, sequestering approximately 6 billion tons of CO2. This translates to a total CO2 reduction of about 12 billion tons, equivalent to China’s annual CO2 emissions. By adopting this technology, China could potentially achieve carbon neutrality within 2-3 years. It would also make China the fastest and first country in the world to do so. This technology holds significant importance for China and the world in terms of clean energy, energy conservation and emission reduction, and green development.
Biomass is not just agricultural straws. Technolgy promotion faces two main obstacles.
The limited widespread adoption of this technology can primarily be attributed to a lack of comprehensive understanding of biomass. Professor Zhou said. According to the professor, a significant barrier lies in the misconception among experts, scholars, and government agencies that biomass is insufficient in quantity to play a significant role. This perception stems from the historical focus solely on agricultural straw resources, overlooking the vastly greater quantities of forest biomass.
China boasts 1.8 billion acres of cultivated land, 4 billion acres of forested areas, and 3.9 billion acres of grassland. Annually, a substantial portion of forestry resources remains underutilized. These are sources such as approximately 3 billion tons of tending timber, 500 million tons of wood processing residues, 200 million tons of papermaking residuals, 200 million tons of fruit tree trimmings, 200 million tons of reeds, and other forestry biomass amounting to tens of billions or even hundreds of billions of tons.
Furthermore, the poor economic performance of traditional technologies contributes to the hindrance in promotion. Professor Zhou emphasizes that current biomass energy utilization technologies focus on single-product conversion. Some of these technologies require additional energy inputs or chemical additives. In addition, some rely heavily on subsidies, or generate waste residues and polluted wastewater, resulting in generally low economic efficiency. Consequently, many departments and investors have lost confidence in pursuing these endeavors.
Experience from Drax UK
To achieve widespread and large-scale utilization of biomass gasification multi-generation, Professor Zhou suggests that China can draw inspiration from the transformation experience of the 4x660MW units at the Drax Power Station in the UK. This power station, once the largest carbon emitter in Western Europe and the largest coal-fired power plant in the UK, embarked on biomass coupling for power generation in 2013. It gradually transitioned from coal combustion to co-firing with biomass and eventually to 100% biomass-fired power generation. Since March 2020, Drax Power Station has completely phased out coal, with all six units no longer burning coal. It now generates over 13 billion kWh of electricity annually through biomass, consuming more than 7 million tons of biomass fuel per year.
In contrast, China’s largest biomass power plant currently has a total installed capacity of 180MW across six 30MW units. This significantly lags behind international standards in terms of installed capacity.
To address this, Professor Zhou emphasizes, “The area, growth period, and biomass amount of forestry are several times greater than those of agriculture. So we must treat forestry with the same level of importance as agriculture. The quantity of forestry biomass will continue to multiply, reaching over 10 billion tons. This would also offer benefits such as forest fire prevention, pest and disease reduction, beautification of villages and cities, and increased farmer employment and income.”
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