This document summarizes biomass gasification technologies. It discusses various biomass gasification applications including waste-to-energy plants that recover materials, replacing fossil fuels in boilers and kilns, and producing synthesis gas for fuels and chemicals. Technologies are at different stages of development from commercial power plants to R&D on gas cleaning and new concepts. Large scale gasification for liquid fuels is technically demonstrated but high capital costs require large plants with high utilization to be economically competitive compared to petroleum-derived fuels.

1. Biomass gasification overview
Conference of the European Biogas Association 2014
Ilkka Hannula, Esa Kurkela
VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland

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3. 3
1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 20201985 2025 2030
LAHTI II, 160 MW WASTE-TO-ENERGY
WASTE-TO-ENERGY PLANTS
WITH MATERIAL RECOVERY
o HIGH ELECTRIC EFFICIENCY
o RECOVERY OF VALUABLE METALS
WASTE-TO-ENERGY PLANTS
WITH MATERIAL RECOVERY
o HIGH ELECTRIC EFFICIENCY
o RECOVERY OF VALUABLE METALS
LIME-KILN
GASIFIERS
REPLACEMENT OF
FOSSIL FUELS
IN BOILERS AND KILNS
o WOOD, AGROBIOMASS
o 10-200 MW FUEL
BIOMASS/WASTE
GASIFIERS FOR POWER
CBF/BFB
GASIFICATION R&D
AND PILOTING
R&D on
o HOT GAS FILTRATION
o WASTE AND STRAW
GASIFICATION
R&D NEEDS 2013 - 17
o FILTER ASH UTILISATION
o RECOVERY OF METALS
o IMPROVED GAS CLEANING
JOUTSENO LIME KILN 2012
Biomass and waste gasification for boilers and kilns
LAHTI 60 MW

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Production of Synthesis Gas from Solid Fuels
Initial step - two main approaches

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Biomass gasification for fuels and chemicals
PEAT AMMONIA PLANT
OULU, FINLAND
SYNGAS R&D FOR BIOFUELS
o GASIFICATION PROCESS DEVELOPMENT
o CATALYTIC REFROMING
o FINAL GAS CLEANING
o TESTING OF SYNTHESIS CATALYSTS
GASIFICATION
R&D AND PILOTING
USA, GERMANY,
SWEDEN, FINLAND
2010 2015 20201985 2005 203020001995 2025
BIO-DME PLANT
PITEÅ, SWEDEN
GTI PILOT, USA
NSE BIOFUELS, FINLAND
BIO-FUELS AND
CHEMICALS
o DIESEL, MeOH, DME,
SNG, H2, GASOLINE
o OLEFINS, OTHER CHEMICALS
o FOREST & AGRO-INDUSTRY
INTEGRATION
o INTEGRATION TO HEAT
AND POWER
o INTEGRATION TO SOLAR &
WIND ENERGY
o NEW WASTE-TO-FUEL
CONCEPTS
SKIVE CHP, DENMARK
CEGABTL 2015 - 2017
o IMPROVED LARGE-SCALE
GASIFICATION PROCESS
o NEW PROCESSES FOR SMALLER SCALE
o SIMPLER, CHEAPER GAS CLEANING
o NEW CONCEPTS FOR INTEGRATED
PRODUCTION OF FUELS, POWER AND HEAT

7. Updated Techno-Economic
Assessment
• Detailed evaluation of 20
individual plant configurations
• MeOH, DME, FTL & MTG
• Plant configurations technically
proven at pre-commercial scale
• Impact of further R&D to the
overall economics estimated
• Large scale: 300 MWth of
biomass (~1500 mtpd, dry)
• Nth plant economics
• Available for download:
http://bit.ly/192Vl3G

9. *Liquid transportation fuels via large-scale fluidised-bed gasification of lignocellulosic biomass, Hannula, Ilkka; & Kurkela, Esa 2013. VTT, Espoo. 114 p. + app. 3 p. VTT Technology: 91
• Mature technology
• No investment support
• No CO2 credits
• No tax assumptions
Gasoline
@150$/bbl
Gasoline
@100$/bbl
Before tax
Ref.margin: 13.4$/bbl
1€ = 1.33$ (2010)
Levelised production cost estimates*
300 MW biomass @ 17 €/MWh, 0.12 ann. factor
Electricity 50 €/MWh, DH 30 €/MWh@5500 h/a

10. DUAL-BED STEAM GASIFIER
Features
- No oxygen needed
- Large steam consumption
- Challenging to pressurise
- Reactor size limited to
100MWth?
Biomass
Steam Air
Fluegas
~80 % of
carbon to
product gas
and tars

11. Source: Göteborg Energi

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Fully indirect
production route
(no oxygen needed)

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Levelised production cost estimates
100 MW biomass @ 18 €/MWh, 0.12 ann. factor
Electricity 50 €/MWh, DH 30 €/MWh@5500 h/a
Fully indirect
production route
(no oxygen needed)

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Levelised production cost estimates
100 MW biomass @ 18 €/MWh, 0.12 ann. factor
Electricity 50 €/MWh, DH 30 €/MWh@5500 h/a
Fully indirect
production route
(no oxygen needed)
External costs not included
- pressurisation
- distribution
- vehicle related costs

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Take home messages
Successful biomass gasification plants built continuously since late 1970
Suitable technology depends on feedstock, scale and application
More demanding applications require cleaner gas –> increase in CAPEX
Large CAPEX calls for large scale and high on-stream factors
Waste gasification brings down feedstock costs but puts additional
requirements for technology
No clear answer to “what fuel to produce”. Solution is systemic.
Technology for synthetic biofuels production technically demonstrated
at precommercial scale –> near-term deployment possible

16. TECHNOLOGY FOR BUSINESS