Optimal use of biomass in large-scale energy systems: Insights for energy policy

Víctor Codina Gironès, Stefano Moret, Emanuela Peduzzi, Marco Nasato and François Maréchal

Energy, 2017, vol. 137, issue C, 789-797

Abstract: Biomass chemical conversion processes allow the production of solid, liquid and gaseous biofuels, which can substitute almost any kind of fossil fuel and the associated greenhouse gas emissions. Despite this potential, high investment costs and conversion losses reaching up to 30–40% of the input biomass energy content are major barriers to a higher penetration of the chemical conversion processes. Thus, biomass is nowadays predominantly used for direct combustion. However, conversion losses of chemical processes may be compensated by the fact that biofuels can be used in more efficient technologies compared to standard raw biomass fuelled technologies. As an example, Synthetic Natural Gas (SNG) can be used in a cogeneration-heat pump system to produce heat, reaching an overall efficiency much higher compared to a wood boiler.

Keywords: Biomass use; Strategic energy planning; Energy policy; Biofuels; Biomass conversion pathways (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (12)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:energy:v:137:y:2017:i:c:p:789-797

DOI: 10.1016/j.energy.2017.05.027

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