The document discusses a new IEA Bioenergy task on flexible bioenergy and system integration. The task aims to define flexible bioenergy, categorize bioenergy technologies by flexibility potential, and identify promising concepts for supporting low-carbon energy systems. It will also examine drivers and bottlenecks for flexible bioenergy adoption, and actions needed to accelerate flexible solutions. The task involves four working packages on flexible concepts, implementation acceleration, system requirements, and collaboration. It aims to provide guidance and recommendations through 2021 to help integrate flexible bioenergy into energy systems with high shares of variable renewable energy.

1. New IEA Bioenergy
task on Flexible
bioenergy and
system integration
Dr. Ilkka Hannula
IEA-ETSAP workshop
Paris, June 2019
18.6.2019 VTT – beyond the obvious

2. 2Source: Lazard’s levelized cost of energy analysis – Version 12.0

4. 4Source: Flexibility in 21st Century Power Systems
BIOENERGY
HERE
BIOENERGY
ALSO
HERE

5. www.ieabioenergy.com
Member states
 Australia
 Austria
 Finland
 Germany
 Ireland
 The Netherlands
 Sweden
 Switzerland
 USA
5
New IEA Bioenergy Task 44:
”Flexible bioenergy and system integration”
Content (2019 – 2021)
WP1 - Flexible bioenergy concepts for
supporting low-carbon energy systems
WP2 - Acceleration of implementation
WP3 - System requirements for
bioenergy concepts
WP4 - Intertask projects and
collaborative projects.

6. www.ieabioenergy.com
Member states
 Australia
 Austria
 Finland
 Germany
 Ireland
 The Netherlands
 Sweden
 Switzerland
 USA
6
New IEA Bioenergy Task 44:
”Flexible bioenergy and system integration”
Content (2019 – 2021)
WP1 - Flexible bioenergy concepts for
supporting low-carbon energy systems
 Definition of “flexible bioenergy”
 How to categorise bioenergy technologies
with regard to their flexibility potential?
 Promising bioenergy concepts for
 Back-up power and heat
 Demand side management
 Storage to bridge long-term energy
imbalances

7. www.ieabioenergy.com
Member states
 Australia
 Austria
 Finland
 Germany
 Ireland
 The Netherlands
 Sweden
 Switzerland
 USA
7
New IEA Bioenergy Task 44:
”Flexible bioenergy and system integration”
Content (2019 – 2021)
WP2 - Acceleration of implementation
 What are the drivers for and status of
flexible bioenergy in the Member States
 What are the bottlenecks (technological,
economic, and systemic) that limit the
flexibility of bioenergy?
 What are the key actions for R&D,
industry, and public policy to accelerate
the introduction of flexible bioenergy
solutions to the energy system?

8. www.ieabioenergy.com
Member states
 Australia
 Austria
 Finland
 Germany
 Ireland
 The Netherlands
 Sweden
 Switzerland
 USA
8
New IEA Bioenergy Task 44:
”Flexible bioenergy and system integration”
Content (2019 – 2021)
WP3 - System requirements for
bioenergy concepts
 What energy system requirements
bioenergy is well-suited to address?
 What is the economic value of providing
low-carbon flexibility?
 What is the relationship between
flexibility and other issues related to the
energy transition (digitalisation, sector
coupling, etc.)?

9. www.ieabioenergy.com
 D1.1 Promising bioenergy concepts for low-carbon energy system
 D2.1 State of the art of flexible bioenergy
 D2.2 RDD&I Roadmap
 D3.1 Workshop: “Renewables integration”
 Location: Brussels or Paris,
 Time: Feb 2020
 D3.2 Workshop: “Role of bioenergy in a low-carbon energy system”
9
Deliverables (Now – 2021)

10. www.ieabioenergy.com http://task44.ieabioenergy.com10
Our website & LinkedIn group. More to come
https://www.linkedin.com/groups/13682476/

11. 18.6.2019 VTT – beyond the obvious 11
Duration curve for power generation in the Nordics
GW
Source: Kiviluoma (2016). Balancing with Bioenergy (presentation for IEA Bioenergy report ”Bioenergy in balancing the grid”).

12. 18.6.2019 VTT – beyond the obvious 12
Duration curve for power generation in the Nordics
GW
Source: Kiviluoma (2016). Balancing with Bioenergy (presentation for IEA Bioenergy report ”Bioenergy in balancing the grid”).

13. 18.6.2019 VTT – beyond the obvious 13
Duration curve for power generation in the Nordics
GW
Source: Kiviluoma (2016). Balancing with Bioenergy (presentation for IEA Bioenergy report ”Bioenergy in balancing the grid”).

14. 18.6.2019 VTT – beyond the obvious 14
Duration curve for power generation in the Nordics
GW
Source: Kiviluoma (2016). Balancing with Bioenergy (presentation for IEA Bioenergy report ”Bioenergy in balancing the grid”).

15. 18.6.2019 VTT – beyond the obvious 15
Duration curve for power generation in the Nordics
GW
Source: Kiviluoma (2016). Balancing with Bioenergy (presentation for IEA Bioenergy report ”Bioenergy in balancing the grid”).

16. 18.6.2019 VTT – beyond the obvious 16
Duration curve for power generation in the Nordics
GW
Source: Kiviluoma (2016). Balancing with Bioenergy (presentation for IEA Bioenergy report ”Bioenergy in balancing the grid”).

17. 18.6.2019 VTT – beyond the obvious 17
Duration curve for power generation in the Nordics
GW
Source: Kiviluoma (2016). Balancing with Bioenergy (presentation for IEA Bioenergy report ”Bioenergy in balancing the grid”).

18. 18.6.2019 VTT – beyond the obvious 18
Duration curve for power generation in the Nordics
GW
 Above >50% wind share, 0 GW need for capacity
running 8000 h/yr.
 However, 20 GW need for
• 4500 – 8000 h and
• 1000 – 4500 h generation
 This generation needs to be near zero carbon
 How to make the economics work?
 What is the role of bioenergy in this?

19. Bioenergy has unique
features
 Co-generation with flexible output ratios
• Heat + Power
• Fuels + Power
• Fuels + Heat + Power
 Sustainable chemical energy carriers
• Solid-biomass peaker plants (1000 h/yr)
challenging for both economics and
feedstock logistics?
• Baseload production of storable
intermediate with high energy intensity (i.e.
liquid fuel) more attractive?
18.6.2019 VTT – beyond the obvious 19

20. More flexible biomass power boilers?
Targets for future design
• Very low partial loads
• Fast start-ups
• Fast load change rates
• Good emissions performance
across operation
18.6.2019 VTT – beyond the obvious 20
Figure: Valmet.com

21. Liquid fuels for peaker plants?
18.6.2019 VTT – beyond the obvious 21
Storage IC engine
Pyrolysis
Biomass
~90% of total CapEx running 8000 h/yr
Baseload
Flexible

22. Co-production of fuels, power and heat?
18.6.2019 VTT – beyond the obvious 22
Gasification
Fuel
synthesis
Biomass
~70% of total CapEx running 8000 h/yr
By-product
heat
Baseload
Flexible
IC engine

23. Bioenergy with demand-side flexibility?
18.6.2019 VTT – beyond the obvious 23
Source: VTT-coordinated H2020 project: FLEXCHX

24. 18.6.2019 VTT – beyond the obvious 24
Bioenergy with demand-side flexibility?

25. ERA-Net project: Value-optimised use of biomass
in a flexible energy infrastructure (VaBiSys)
1. Development of new bioenergy solutions to serve energy markets with a high need for
flexibility;
• Solid-biomass boilers for back-up
• Pyrolysis-based intermediates
• Gasification plants co-producing heat, fuels and electricity
• Biogas plants for back-up
2. Significantly extending the flexibility of known bioenergy technologies;
3. Identification of costs, benefits and development needs for potential bioenergy
concepts in a VRE dominated energy system;
A. Hour-based generation planning
B. Production cost simulation for a full year (including forecasting errors)
4. Improved understanding about the economic, social and environmental sustainability of
biomass used in a flexible energy system; and
5. Accelerating the deployment of flexible bioenergy technologies via market assessments
and development of potential business plans.
18/06/2019 25
Budget: 2 M€, Duration: 2018 - 2021

26. Bibliography
 IEA Bioenergy, Task 44: http://task44.ieabioenergy.com
 Flexible Bioenergy LinkedIn group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/13682476/
 Flexibility in 21st Century Power Systems. https://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy14osti/61721.pdf
 IEA Bioenergy (2017). Bioenergy's role in balancing the electricity grid and providing
storage options – an EU perspective
 IEA (2019). Will system integration of renewables be a major challenge by 2023?
 Lazard (2018). Lazard’s levelized cost of energy analysis – Version 12.0
 VaBiSys project: https://www.researchgate.net/project/Value-optimised-use-of-biomass-in-
a-flexible-energy-infrastructure-VaBiSys
 FLEXCHX H2020 project. http://www.flexchx.eu
18.6.2019 VTT – beyond the obvious 26

27. Thank you!
Email: ilkka.hannula@vtt.fi
Website: task44.ieabioenergy.com
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/groups/13682476/
18.6.2019 VTT – beyond the obvious 27