Chuck KutscherNational Renewable Energy Laboratory
Biomass Power Potential
Energy and Climate Mini-WorkshopNovember 3, 2008
Wood chipsSwitch grass
Poplars
Municipal solid waste Corn Stover
Biomass Feedstocks
U.S. Biomass Resources
Potential Dry Biomass Supply Estimates (2025)
U.S. Biomass Resource Assessment
• Updated resource assessment - April 2005• Jointly developed by U.S. DOE and USDA• Referred to as the “Billion Ton Study”
Biomass Cost Components
• Planting and management• Harvesting and collection • Transportation • Total cost is $20 - $60/ton
Biopower
Biopower status• World: 40 GW• U.S. 2007 capacity: 10.5 GWe(all direct combustion)
– 5 GW Pulp and Paper– 2 GW Dedicated Biomass– 3 GW MSW and Landfill Gas– 0.5 GW Cofiring
• 2004 Generation – 68.5 TWh• Cost – 8-10¢/kWh
DOE Potential• Cost – 4-6¢/kWh (integrated
gasification combined cycle)• 2030 – 160 TWh (net electricity
exported to grid from integrated 60 billion gal/yr biorefinery industry)
Options for Biomass Electricity
Direct combustion
Co-firing
Gasification
Combustion
50 MW McNeil Power StationBurlington, Vermont
74 MW Wheelabrator Shasta PlantAnderson, California
Gasification Systems Under Development
300 ton/day gasifier Burlington Electric, VT
Varnamo Sweden, 100 mt/day, 6 MWe + 9 MWth demo run for 5 years, being retrofitted for BTL
Commercial Biomass-to-Liquids Plant, Choren Industries, Freiberg Germany, 2008: 200 mt/d biomass, 2010: 2,000 mt/d biomass
Foster Wheeler CFB Gasifier, Lahti Finland, 300 mt/d; 30,000 hours of operation at >95% availability
Small and medium size CHP is a good opportunity for biomass
Credit: Community Power Corp Credit: Carbona Corp
15-100 kWe
5 MWe + District HeatSkive, Denmark
Biomass Power Benefits
• Reliable base load power
• Shifts agricultural and municipal biomass emissions from methane to CO2
• Resource is well dispersed, so plants can be located to minimize new transmission
• Using woody biomass for electricity production has lower emissions than open burning
• Addresses waste and fire management problems
• Reduces new landfill capacity
Biomass Power Characteristics
• Direct combustion boiler/steam turbine
• Average size 20 MW, largest 75 MW; fuel transportation cost usually limits to 50 MW; gas/combined cycle might be 100 MW
• 20% efficiency for direct combustion, 40% IGCC
• 8-12 cents per kWh
• Barriers are producing, transporting, and preparing feedstock
• Supplies dominated by low-cost residue streams
• 50-mile economic supply radius, 20 miles preferred
CO2 LCA Results for One Hectare
Biomass Carbon Savings
1Bain, et al. 20032Woods, et al. 2007
Greenhouse Gas Burden from Removalof 1 Million Dry Tons of Forest Biomass in California in 2000
Morris, Biomass Energy Production in California, NREL/SR-570-28805, November 2000
(based on $33/ton CO2)
ASES Study Assumptions
• Based on WGA study of 18 western states, 170 million dry tons of biomass
• Required cost of < 8¢/kWh• Most cost-effective units:
– <15 MW: steam turbine or gasifier/ICE– >15 MW: IGCC
• Units larger than 60 MW connected to high-voltage distribution
• Extrapolated WGA results to DOE 1.25 billion ton study, excluding energy crops and crop residues (used for biofuels)
ASES StudyBiomass Power Savings
2030 Savings: 75 MtC/yr
• Wood residues and municipal discards• 45,000 MW (after biofuels use)• 5 to 8¢/kWh
WGA Biomass Supply Curve
Biomass used (Millions dry
tons)
Power (GW) Low Carbon (MtC/y)
High Carbon (MtC/y)
334 (forest only) 29 37 59
515 (all forest and non-crop ag biomass, ASES)
45 57 92
1256 less 420 of crop residues and energy
crops used for ASES biofuels
73 92 149
1256 110 139 225
2030 Biomass Power and Carbon Displacement Potentials
Carbon Capture and Storage
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
Plant Efficiency
-500
-300
-100
100
300
500
Net Carbon (lbm/MWhnet)
Impact of Carbon Price on Cost of Biomass CCS
Rhodes, J. and D. Keith, “Engineering Economic Analysis of Biomass IGCC with Carbon Capture and Storage,” Biomass and Bioenergy, Vol. 29, 2005