Biomass CHP technologies

The future COGEN project, funded by the SAVE II Programme of DG Energy of the European Commission, National Governments and the cogeneration industry, will provide the first in-depth long-term market analysis for cogeneration for 28 countries of EU, the EEA, the central European accession countries and other important neighbours.This report is a part of the future COGEN project and it is concentrating on the technology solutions of biomass CHP and experience of biomass CHP in Finalnd.Biomass CHP technologies are presented in different scale; under 1 MWe, from 1 10 10 MWe and in large scale from 10 to 240 MWe.Technology solutions include solid, liquid and gaseous biomass fuels.In biomass CHP the prevailing technology is steam boiler with stam turbine.The Rankine cycle continues to be the the prime power plant technology, when biomass CHP plants are built.Although new technologies are being developed, practically all industrial plants employ the Rankin cycle.A Rankine power plant has three main sections: fuel handling, boiler plant and steam and power section.Biomass is burned in grate or fluidised bed boiler but also separate gasifiers are used in connection with conventional CHP boilers. Biogas and liquid biofuel CHP plants usually have engines for elelctricity production.In small-scale CHP a process based on Stirling engines is under development.Technologies are presented also by some case projects.Also costs of Finnish biomass CHP plants in different scale is presented.