Energy from Wood Biomass Combustion in Rural Alberta Applications

983 Burrows Crescent NW Edmonton, AB, T6R 2L1 +1 780 908-6905 [email protected] Energy From Wood Biomass Combustion In Rural Alberta Applications Harald H. Welling Thom J. Shaw Table of Contents EXECUTIVE SUMMARY............................................. 5 CONCLUSIONS........................................................... 5 RECOMMENDATIONS .................................................. 7 INTRODUCTION ......................................................... 9 CONSIDERATIONS FOR COMMUNITIES AND MUNICIPALITIES....................................................... 10 The Health Benefits of Renewable Energy ....... 11 The Employment Benefits of Renewable Energy .......................................................................... 12 CONSIDERATIONS FOR ENERGY USERS...................... 13 CONSIDERATIONS FOR WOOD FUEL SUPPLIERS......... 13 ALBERTA ENERGY USE ......................................... 15 ENERGY PRODUCTION IN ALBERTA ........................... 15 Energy Use By Sector....................................... 15 Industrial Sector ................................................ 16 Commercial/Institutional Sector ........................ 18 Wood Biomass Substitution .............................. 21 Other Sectors.................................................... 21 ALBERTA WOOD RESOURCE................................ 23 ALBERTA FORESTLAND RESOURCE........................... 23 FARM WOODLOTS/WOODLANDS ............................... 25 SPECIES VARIATION................................................. 26 CONSTRUCTION, RENOVATION, AND DEMOLITION WASTE .............................................................................. 26 HEATING VALUES OF FOSSIL AND BIOMASS FUEL SOURCES................................................................ 28 WOOD RESOURCE UTILIZATION........................... 29 WOOD-BURNING TECHNOLOGY ................................ 29 The Modern Wood-Burning Process................. 29 Ash ..................................................................... 31 Volatiles .............................................................. 31 Environment ........................................................ 31 Carbon Monoxide (CO) .............................. 32 Carbon Dioxide (CO2)................................. 32 Methane (CH4) ........................................... 33 Sulphur Dioxide (SO2) ................................ 33 Nitrogen Oxides (NOX) ............................... 33 Other Pollutants ......................................... 34 TECHNOLOGY.......................................................... 34 Direct Combustion............................................. 34 Fermentation..................................................... 35 Pyrolysis............................................................ 35 Gasification ....................................................... 35 WOOD BURNING INSTALLATIONS............................... 36 Heaters and Furnaces....................................... 36 Boilers............................................................... 36 DISTRICT HEATING .................................................. 38 System Size and Plant Technology .................. 40 Wood Chip Storage........................................... 41 Handling of the fuel........................................... 41 Overhead Crane...................................................42 Hydraulic Push Conveyor .....................................42 Tower Silos ..........................................................42 Augers .................................................................42 Belt Conveyors.....................................................42 Pneumatic Conveyors ..........................................42 Feeding Systems .............................................. 42 Hydraulic Feeding System....................................43 Stoking.................................................................43 Grate with Feed Hopper .......................................43 Spreader Stoker...................................................43 Pneumatic Stoker.................................................43 Combustion Chamber and Boiler...................... 43 Boiler ...................................................................44 Flue Gas Purifying - Fly Ash ............................. 44 Ash Disposal........................................................45 COGENERATION AND POWER PLANTS ....................... 45 Cogeneration Technologies .............................. 46 The ORC Process............................................. 48 Steam Turbines................................................. 50 TECHNOLOGY CONCLUSION ..................................... 53 WOOD FUEL SUPPLY CHAIN ................................. 55 ELEMENTS OF THE SUPPLY CHAIN ............................ 55 KEY QUESTIONS...................................................... 55 SUPPLY CHAIN MODELS........................................... 55 HOW WOULD THE WOOD-CHIP SUPPLY CHAIN LIKELY DEVELOP AS DEMAND INCREASES?............................ 56 Small-scale Operation....................................... 56 Large-scale Operation ...................................... 56 SUPPLY CHAIN SUMMARY ........................................ 56 WOOD FUEL COST .................................................. 57 PROJECT FEASIBILITY........................................... 59 PROJECT INITIATION ................................................ 62 Private Initiative................................................. 62 Community Initiative.......................................... 64 PRELIMINARY PROJECT ASSESSMENT....................... 65 CONTENT OF THE PRELIMINARY PROJECT ASSESSMENT .............................................................................. 66 PROJECT ASSESSMENT TEMPLATE ........................... 69 BARRIERS................................................................ 71 WOOD FUEL SUPPLY INFRASTRUCTURE .................... 71 MARKET PERCEPTION.............................................. 72 User bias........................................................... 72 Who Knows?..................................................... 73 LACK OF RENEWABLE ENERGY TRAINING .................. 74 ECONOMIC BARRIERS .............................................. 75 POLICY AND REGULATION ........................................ 75 Subsidies .......................................................... 76 Harvesting Forest Waste................................... 76 RECOMMENDATIONS ............................................. 77 ALBERTA TAKING THE LEAD ...................................... 77 PROMOTION OF WOOD-FUEL.................................... 77 RESEARCH AND REPORTING..................................... 78 EXTENSION ............................................................. 79 LEGISLATION, POLICY, AND REGULATION .................. 79 General Policies................................................ 79 Standardization ................................................. 80 Permitting Processes ........................................ 80 BIBLIOGRAPHY ....................................................... 81 APPENDICES ........................................................... 83 APPENDIX 1: HEATING AUDIT ................................... 83 APPENDIX 2: NORTH AMERICAN HEATING PRODUCT 41 SUPPLIERS ........................................................... 84 10 APPENDIX 3: GLOSSARY AND ABBREVIATIONS ......... 89 Glossary............................................................ 89 A........................................................................ 89 B........................................................................ 90 C ....................................................................... 90 D ....................................................................... 92 E........................................................................ 93 F........................................................................ 94 G ....................................................................... 95 H ....................................................................... 96 I......................................................................... 97 K........................................................................ 97 L........................................................................ 97 M....................................................................... 98 N ....................................................................... 98 O ....................................................................... 99 P........................................................................ 99 R ..................................................................... 100 S...................................................................... 101 T...................................................................... 102 U ..................................................................... 102 V...................................................................... 102 W..................................................................... 102 List of Abbreviations........................................ 103 4 Executive Summary The object of this report is to demonstrate and assess the economic and environmental potential of various options for wood-based bio-energy in comparison to conventional fossil fuel energy sources in rural, commercial, institutional, and industrial facilities in Alberta. The report shall assist wood energy

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