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Agenda >> Biomass Power 101

Biomass Power 101

The fundamentals of Biomass for power generation: technologies and competitiveness

Green Power Academy at the World Biofuels Markets 2010

Course objectives
This one-day training course will ensure you are up-to-speed with the key, fundamental aspects of using biomass to generate electrical power. You will learn about the types of biomass and biomass processing that are available for power generation, understanding syngas and biogas, anaerobic digestion, landfill gas, waste-to-energy, co-generation and other concepts and terms, Biomass Power will also be presented in the context of the wider power market, in order to understand its competition (both fossil and renewable) and the economic factors which will determine its competitiveness.
You can use the course as a self-contained session, an adjunct to the BioPower Congress the two days previous or – in combination with our Transport Biofuels 101 – a chance to cover all aspects of Biomass-derived energy.

Style & Level
This course will be run in an informal manner, encouraging time for discussion and questions, to ensure participants get the most out of the day. No prior industry or technical knowledge is required.

Timing
Course begins: 09:00                             Course ends:     ~17:00

Agenda

Biomass for Power: basics & definitions

  • Biomass as fuel, including energy content and derivation
  • Biofuel pathways: 1st, 2nd and 3rd generation feedstocks and processes
  • Contrasting biofuel pathways for power with those for transport
  • “Natural” vs. Thermochemical gasification processes
  • Understanding terms such as LFG, W2E, pyrolysis, anaerobic digestion etc.

Biomass Power around the world

  • A market review, plus examples of activities and trends in specific, key markets

Understanding Power markets: the competitive context

  • The delivery of grid power: existing infrastructures and power plant characteristics
  • Power supply and demand: how this influences electricity prices and generation choice
  • Levelised electricity cost as a method for comparing different generation technologies: how it is calculated and which factors affect it.

Economic and Competitive issues for Biopower

  • Pros and cons of biomass as a power fuel (as compared to its competitors); including economic competitiveness
  • Land use and feedstocks: economic and political considerations (and costs)
  • Policy and market interventions (subsidies, credits, carbon markets etc.)
Multi-strand approaches to fuel and energy delivery, such as biorefineries, CHP.

Agenda >> Biomass Power 101