An Energy Scenario
for the UK
Biomass and Biofuels
An Energy Scenario for the UK
Biomass and Biofuels
Biomass Feedstocks
 Woody Energy Crops
 Virgin Wood
 Grassy/Starchy Energy Crops
 Agricultural Wastes
 Food Residues
 Industrial Residues
An Energy Scenario for the UK
Biomass 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
An Energy Scenario for the UK
Biomass and Biofuels
From www.farmingfutures.org.uk
An Energy Scenario for the UK
Biomass 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%
An Energy Scenario for the UK
Biomass 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
An Energy Scenario for the UK
Biomass 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
An Energy Scenario for the UK
Biomass 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
Heat Generation
UK Woody Biomass 2010
2020
2030
PJ
32.5
40
24.86
Based on DUKES 2008 594 toe biomass and 150 GJ / ha for 20% mc air dried wood
40 PJ would put 24% of UK’s 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
(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 UK’s area given to crops
TOTAL Potential UK Biomass Production
Total Biomass
2010
2020
2030
PJ
64.92
82.5
99