Barriers to European bioenergy expansion

The European Commission has set challenging targets for renewable energy expansion in Europe as part of its strategy to limit greenhouse gas emissions. Expansion of existing bioenergy capacity has a key role to play in ensuring these targets are met. However, significant technical and non-technical barriers to deployment of biomass technologies remain throughout Europe, the latter often being more difficult to address. Non-technical barriers are fundamental obstacles to biomass development. They represent limits or boundaries to the extent of deployment, often related to institutional frameworks, perceptions, socio-economic issues or engagement of and interfaces with related technology sectors. This paper presents an analysis, characterization and prioritization of the current non-technical barriers to thermo-chemical bioenergy expansion in Europe. Policy, economics and stakeholder understanding are strategically important if bioenergy potential is to be realized. Detailed policy evaluation with case study history from 4 European member states shows continuity of policy instruments is critical and specific support instruments work better than more general mechanisms. Improved stakeholder understanding (with the general public as a relevant stakeholder group) is key to increasing the acceptability of bioenergy. This requires different parallel strategies for different sectors/target groups. Promotional campaigns, dissemination of information to key multipliers, provision of independent factual information to the public, appropriate frameworks for handling approvals for new plants, forums for stakeholder interaction and certification schemes all have a role to play in improving bioenergy acceptability

Production and characterization of slow pyrolysis biochar from lignin-rich digested stillage from 2nd generation bioethanol production

Lignin-rich stillage from 2nd generation bioethanol production is a unique feedstock for slow pyrolysis and biochar production, as it contains high amounts of lignin (62 wt. % d.b) and ash (9.97 wt. % d.b) next to some residual cellulose and hemicellulose. As lignin is known to result in higher char and char-C yields compared to regular lignocellulosic feedstock, the suitability of a lignin-containing residue, obtained from a 2nd generation bio-ethanol pilot run using short rotation poplar, was subjected to anaerobic digestion for biogas production followed by slow pyrolysis of the digestate for the production of biochar. Please click on the file below for full content of the abstract

Catalytic fast pyrolysis of biomass: from lab-scale research to industrial applications

In recent years, catalytic fast pyrolysis (CFP) of biomass as a means of producing bio-oil with improved physico-chemical properties, has received a lot of attention. This technique, either by adding catalyst particles to the pyrolysis reactor (in situ) or by ex situ vapour treatment, is meant for removal of the oxygen and cracking of the high molecular weight compounds in the primary pyrolysis vapours. So far, various projects have tried/are trying to push catalytic fast pyrolysis to the pilot scale, or even to the commercial scale, but have met varying levels of success. This work therefore tries to answer various research questions that would improve the future strategies related to this technology. These contain the optimal properties of a catalyst for CFP, the consequences of long-term usage of catalysis, and the presence of biomass originated ash in large scale CFP systems. The objective of this research is to investigate possible beneficial effects on the bio-oil quality, of various catalysts applied inside the pyrolysis reactor or in the vapour-product stream, in relationship with the applied process conditions. The catalysts (in total eight proprietary catalysts) were tested in two dedicated lab-scale reactors (with intakes of 500 g/h and 200 g/h) that allow variation of the catalyst loading and contact times while producing larger samples in continuous operation. The effects of successive catalyst regeneration and the presence of biomass ash in catalytic fast pyrolysis of pine wood were investigated, as well. The results consist of a combined summary of three individual research studies, which were extensively studied in a PhD project: i) Screening metal doped catalysts in situ for continuous catalytic fast pyrolysis of pine wood, ii) Catalytic fast pyrolysis of pine wood: Effect of successive catalyst regeneration, and iii) Effect of biomass ash in catalytic fast pyrolysis of pine wood. Some technical recommendations for an ideal, industrial-scale CFP process and our view regarding the future direction of the topic will be included as well