Energy conversion parks for the efficient use of locally available biomass streams

Abstract

This presentation shows how biomass is used to its full potential as source for renewable energy and bio-based products with a multidimensional integrated approach. The use of biomass for generating heat and electricity is increasing rapidly. In most cases the approach is ‘one dimensional’: a specific type of biomass, the most apt technology for that one biomass type and a specific output, commonly electricity and heat. Optimization is done towards the main output only. Examples are biogas from manure and green household waste, and combined heat and power units running on woodchips (small units will be using locally available resources but for larger units the import of woodchips is necessary). Available energetic and economic potential is not used to its full extent in this manner. Issues that stress the need for better approaches are variability in availability off biomass streams, preferred scale of operations, better profits (which too often still depend on subsidies) and the actual sustainability of onedimensional approaches. Furthermore, at one hand one sees increasing import of biomass for use in energy and at the other hand large amounts of locally available biomass that are not, or not very efficiently, used. To look for better approaches a project has been initiated by a group of Belgian and Dutch universities, supported by industries and municipalities: ‘Energy Conversion Parks’ (ECP) for efficient use of biomass resources, in particular those which are locally available but as yet not effectively exploited.