Chuck Kutscher National Renewable Energy Laboratory Biomass Power Potential Energy and Climate Mini-Workshop November 3, 2008.

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