Abstract
The electricity generation sector needs to reduce its environmental impact and dependence on fossil fuel, mainly from coal. Biomass is one of the most promising future options to produce electricity, given its potential contribution to climate change mitigation. Even though biomass is an old source of energy, it is not yet a well-established commodity. The use of biomass in large centralised systems requires the establishment of delivery channels to provide the desired feedstock with the necessary attributes, at the right time and place. In terms of time to deployment and cost of the solution, co-combustion/co-gasification of biomass and coal are presented as transition and short-medium term alternatives towards a carbon-neutral energy sector. Hence, there is a need to assess an effective introduction of co-combustion/co-gasification projects in the current electricity production share. The purpose of this work is to review recent steps in Process Systems Engineering towards bringing into reality individualised and ad-hoc solutions, by building a common but adjustable design platform to tailored approaches of biomass-based supply chains. Current solutions and the latest developments are presented and future needs under study are also identified.
Highlights
A greener and more sustainable society needs renewable energy under all its forms, higher efficiency systems and a change of habits
When large-scale production is of concern, biomass supply is an important item in operation costs when long distances should be covered
Hydrogen and methanol should be considered as conventional fuels alternatives; the main bottleneck lies on the distribution infrastructure, mainly for hydrogen delivery
Summary
A greener and more sustainable society needs renewable energy under all its forms, higher efficiency systems and a change of habits. The energy sector is moving towards a new energy paradigm, which favours more efficient conversion processes (due to more scarce and expensive fossil fuels), renewable sources and micro-generation (i.e., smart grids), through tailor-made approaches, adapted to the needs and resources of each area. There will not be a unique technology or renewable source massive implementation, but a combination of various conversion technologies to meet the energy demand [2]. The alternatives to centralised and conventional sources of energy should be sustainable in the time, which implies a responsible resource exploitation, by balancing source availability with electricity demand, and with the capacity of the plant
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