An Energy Scenario for the UK Biomass and Biofuels

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An Energy Scenariofor the UKBiomass and
Biofuels
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An Energy Scenario for the UKBiomass and Biofuels

• Biomass Feedstocks
• Woody Energy Crops
• Virgin Wood
• Grassy/Starchy Energy Crops
• Agricultural Wastes
• Food Residues
• Industrial Residues

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An Energy Scenario for the UKBiomass and Biofuels

• UK Biofuel feedstocks - bioethanol
• Agricultural Products
• - cereals and sugar beet
• UK Biofuel feedstocks biodiesel
• Rapeseed Oil
• Agricultural By-products
• tallow
• Imported feedstocks
• Palm oil
• C4 plants
• - maize and sugar cane

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An Energy Scenario for the UKBiomass and Biofuels
From www.farmingfutures.org.uk
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An Energy Scenario for the UKBiomass and Biofuels

• Are Biomass and Biofuels genuinely renewable?
• Biomass is generally regarded as carbon neutral

• energy overheads affect this carbon neutral
  balance
• Emissions from fertilizer production and
  application, harvesting, drying, processing and
  transportation
• DUKES lists SRC as having only 9.3GJ / tonne at
  40 moisture content and 18.6GJ / tonne when dry
• DECC 2009 report shows first 9 months of RTFO
  only 19 of biofuels met environmental target
  where government target was 30

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An Energy Scenario for the UKBiomass and Biofuels

• Biomass feedstocks have lower energy values and
  density than fossil fuels so biomass most
  suited to small scale direct combustion

Source DECC - Digest of United Kingdom energy
statistics (DUKES) 2009 However total
electricity generation from plant Biomass in 2008
159 GWh 572.4 TJ
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An Energy Scenario for the UKBiomass and Biofuels
Direct Combustion Wood Woody Energy Crops Grassy Energy Crops Electricity
Co-firing Wood Woody Energy Crops Grassy Energy Crops Electricity
Gasification Most Biomass Biogas or Syngas
Biological digestion Sewage Slurry Manure Methane
Transesterification Rapeseed oil Vegetable oil Animal fat Bioethanol
Fermentation Sugar beet Sugar cane Cereals Methane
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An Energy Scenario for the UKBiomass and Biofuels
Technical Biodiesel mixing with fossil fuel
diesel max 10 Physical Thetford Renewable
Energy Plant capacity 40MW, requires c. 300,000
tonnes waste wood per year - 50 - 85 deliveries a
day to run at max capacity.
Regulatory constraints RTFO Renewable
Transport Fuels Obligation introduced in April
2008 fuel duty on Biodiesel only 20p / litre -
to cease this year. RO - Renewables Obligation -
to finish 2002 March 2011 Bio-energy Capital
Grants Scheme and Energy Crops Scheme Renewable
Heat Incentive to start March 2011
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Heat Generation
UK Woody Biomass 2010 2020 2030
PJ 24.86 32.5 40
Based on DUKES 2008 594 toe biomass and 150 GJ /
ha for 20 mc air dried wood 40 PJ would put 24
of UKs 1.1M hectares of woodland into heat
generation
UK Biomass for Electricity Production
Biomass for Elec. 2010 2020 2030
PJ 9.96 15 20
Based on DUKES 2008 2,768 GWh total biomass for
elec. production includes animal manure
biomass, co-firing with coal and small CHP
plants 20 PJ would require 130,000 ha of
Miscanthus or SRC planting 24 of area of
Norfolk
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(UK) Biodiesel Production
(UK) Biodiesel 2010 2020 2030
PJ 30.1 35 39
Based on DECC 2008 report - 886 tonnes biodiesel
consumed in UK (314t domestic) 39 PJ would
require about 1.2 million ha about 27 of the
UKs area given to crops
TOTAL Potential UK Biomass Production
Total Biomass 2010 2020 2030
PJ 64.92 82.5 99