Comprehensive techno-economic evaluations were undertaken for two proposed systems for generating electricity from biomass. For The Netherlands, a gasifier/gas turbine based combined cycle power plant was proposed, fuelled with biomass wastes such as waste paper, demolition wood, sewage sludge, miscanthus and verge grass. For Ireland, the investigation focused on potential locations and yields achievable from growing willow trees as energy crops for use in existing power plants retro-fitted with bubbling fluidised bed combustors.
The use of biomass as a fuel is attracting significant interest in Europe. At present, various activities are underway to encourage the conversion of biomass to electricity and heat by gasification and combustion. However, information on efficiencies and energy generation costs for such systems is scarce. This project assessed and compared the application of these biomass conversion technologies for hypothetical plants in Ireland and The Netherlands.