Bio-Energy Technologies Review
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Energy Research Partnership Technology Report BIO-ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES REVIEW This is an Energy Research Partnership (ERP) Report. The views are not the official point of view of any organisation or individual within the ERP and do not constitute government policy. Energy Research Partnership ERP Technology Review: Bio-energy Technologies The Energy Research Partnership The Energy Research Partnership is a high-level forum bringing together key stakeholders and funders of energy research, development, demonstration and deployment in Government, industry and academia, plus other interested bodies, to identify and work together towards shared goals. The Partnership has been designed to give strategic direction to UK energy innovation, seeking to influence the development of new technologies and enabling timely, focussed investments to be made. It does this by (i) influencing members in their respective individual roles and capacities and (II) communicating views more widely to other stakeholders and decision makers as appropriate. ERP‟s remit covers the whole energy system, including supply (nuclear, fossil fuels, renewables), infrastructure, and the demand side (built environment, energy efficiency, transport). ERP is co-chaired by Professor David Mackay, Chief Scientific Advisor at the Department of Energy and Climate Change and Nick Winser, Executive Director at National Grid. A small in-house team provides independent and rigorous analysis to underpin ERP‟s work. ERP is supported through members‟ contributions: ERP Membership 1.1.1 Co-Chairs Prof David MacKay FRS Chief Scientific Advisor DECC Nick Winser FREng Executive Director, Transmission National Grid 1.1.2 Members Tom Delay Chief Executive Carbon Trust Dr Paul Golby FREng Chief Executive E.ON UK Stephen Trotter Chief Executive Officer ABB Limited Dr Peter Bance Chief Executive Officer Ceres Power Dr Julian Allwood Senior Lecturer University of Cambridge Prof Neville Jackson Chief Technology & Innovation Officer Ricardo UK Ltd Dr David Clarke Chief Executive Energy Technologies Institute Prof Brian Collins FREng Chief Scientific Advisor DfT and BIS David Eyton Group Head of Research & Technology BP Dr Mike Farley Director of Technology Policy Liaison Doosan Power Systems Neil Morgan Head of Energy Technology Strategy Board Dame Sue Ion FREng Royal Academy of Engineering Paul Lewis Managing Director, Industries & Policy Scottish Enterprise Prof John Loughhead FREng Executive Director UK Energy Research Centre Dr Ron Loveland Head of Sustainable Energy & Industry Welsh Assembly Government Ian Marchant Chief Executive Scottish and Southern Energy Dr John Miles Director Arup Peter Emery Production Director Drax Power Limited Gordon Innes Low Carbon Economy BIS Dr Graeme Sweeney Executive Vice President, CO2 Shell International Alison Wall Programme Manager, Energy and Climate EPSRC Change 2 Energy Research Partnership ERP Technology Review: Bio-energy Technologies Prof Jeremy Watson FREng Chief Scientific Advisor CLG Martin Grant Managing Director Energy Atkins plc Duncan McLaren Representative Friends of the Earth, UK The Energy Research Partnership Technology Reports The ERP Technology Reports provide an overarching insight into the Research, Development and Demonstration (RD&D) challenges for key low-carbon technologies. Using the expertise of the ERP membership and wider stakeholder engagement, each report identifies the innovation challenges that face a particular technology, the state-of-the-art in addressing these challenges and the organisational landscape (both funding and RDD&D) active in the area. The work identifies critical gaps in innovation activities that will prevent key low- carbon technologies from reaching their full potential and makes recommendations for investors and Government to address these gaps. The following have been involved in the ERP Bio-energy Technologies Review: Lead Analyst Dr Mark Workman, Energy Research Partnership Steering Group: Dr Graeme Sweeney (Chair) Shell International Dr Robert Sorrell BP Dr Rebecca Heaton Shell Research Ltd Charles Carey Scottish & Southern Energy Dr Robert Trezona The Carbon Trust Dr Susan Weatherstone E.ON David Pickering National Grid Duncan Eggar BBSRC Thanks also for the contributions of Professor Robert Lee (Shell Research Ltd) and Steven Vallender (National Grid). The views are not the official point of view of any organisation or individual and do not constitute government policy. This report provides a summary of high level findings from the review. The main report is available at www.energyresearchpartnership.org.uk Any queries please contact Mark Workman in the ERP Analysis Team: [email protected] 3 Energy Research Partnership ERP Technology Review: Bio-energy Technologies Contents Executive Summary and Recommendations .................................................................................................. 5 Glossary and Abbreviations .......................................................................................................................... 14 1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................................... 21 1.1 Background ......................................................................................................................................... 21 1.2 Review Aim, Objectives and Scope ..................................................................................................... 22 1.3 Review Process and Methodology ...................................................................................................... 24 1.4 Structure of the Review ....................................................................................................................... 24 2 Introduction to Bio-energy ............................................................................................................................ 26 2.1 Introduction .......................................................................................................................................... 26 2.2 Current Use of Biomass ....................................................................................................................... 29 2.3 Why the Increase in Activity in Bio-energy and Where is the Agenda Going? ..................................... 31 2.4 State of the Bio-energy Agenda: Summary ......................................................................................... 34 3 Sustainable Bio-energy in the 2050 Energy System .................................................................................... 34 3.1 Introduction .......................................................................................................................................... 35 3.2 Meta-Analysis of the Role of Bio-energy in 2050 Energy Scenarios .................................................... 35 3.3 Uncertainties Impacting the Extent of Bio-energy use in UK Scenarios .............................................. 36 3.4 Summary ............................................................................................................................................. 39 4 Biomass Feedstock Production: Potentials and Research Areas ................................................................. 40 4.1 Introduction .......................................................................................................................................... 40 4.2 Biomass Resource Assessments ........................................................................................................ 40 4.3 Feedstock Research, Development, Demonstration and Deployment ................................................ 47 4.4 Summary and Recommendations ....................................................................................................... 60 5 Bio-energy Logistics, Process Conversion Technologies and End Uses: Research, Development, Demonstration and Deployment ............................................................................................................................ 62 5.1 Background ......................................................................................................................................... 62 5.2 Feedstock Logistics: Field to Process Conversion .............................................................................. 63 5.3 Process Conversion and End Use ....................................................................................................... 68 5.4 Whole System Analysis and Cross Cutting Issues .............................................................................. 92 5.5 Best Use of Biomass: Analysis Framework and Performance Metrics ................................................ 98 5.6 Summary and Recommendations ....................................................................................................... 99 6 International and UK Bio-energy Policy, Research Activity and Innovation Landscape ............................... 99 6.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................................ 102 6.2 International Bio-energy Research Activity and Innovation Landscape ............................................. 102 6.3 UK Bio-energy Technology RDD&D Capacity, Bio-energy Policy and Innovation Landscape ........... 107 6.4 Summary and Recommedations ......................................................................................................