BioEnergy
1. Anaerobic Digestion
Biomethane can be used with or instead of natural gas; without pipeline modification. However, its CO2 emissions are approximately 90% lower than natural gas. This is because the input organic material utilised in the conversion process absorbs CO2 from the atmosphere as part of the natural carbon cycle.
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Anaerobic digestion (AD), as a renewable energy technology, is the harnessing of natural biological processes to break down a variety of biomass (organic materials such as food wastes, animal slurries and crop feedstocks) to produce renewable methane, which can then be used to produce electricity, heat or upgraded for vehicle fuel and injection to gas grid. In addition to the production of power and heat, the residual output organic material (digestate) is rich in nutrients and can be used as a substitute to chemical based fertilisers in agriculture.
AD Case Study
Brocklesby Biogas
2. Biomass Combined
Heat & Power (CHP)
Biomass power technologies convert renewable biomass fuels into heat and electricity using processes similar to those employed with fossil fuels. At present, the primary approach for generating electricity from biomass is combustion direct-firing.
Combustion systems for electricity and heat production are similar to most fossil-fuel fired-power plants. The biomass fuels burned in a boiler to produce high-pressure steam. This steam is introduced into a steam turbine, where it flows over a series of turbine blades, causing the turbine to rotate. The turbine is, in turn, connected to an electric generator. The steam flows over and turns the turbine. The electric generator rotates, producing electricity. This is a widely available, commercial technology.
CHP Case Study
Modchre Biomass
Mochdre Biomass was established in July 2016. The plant's installed capacity is 6.2MW of heat and power. The CHP plant has been installed on site and electricity export to grid has been achieved.
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This investment allows the purchase of the latest biomass CHP technology to provide heat to dry the FSC-certified wood chip which the raw material at the heart of Blazers' high-quality products. It will also provide power signigicantly reducing the carbon footprint of the factory.