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THE Biofuel Thread pt 6

Discussions of conventional and alternative energy production technologies.

Re: Biomass Thread

Unread postby Graeme » Tue 14 Jul 2015, 19:14:59

Billion dollar plan to give UK world’s biggest biomass power station

MGT Power, a UK-based generator, has moved closer to obtaining the $975m it requires to construct a 300MW biomass plant in the north-east of England after Australian investment bank Macquarie Group agreed to raise funding and take an equity share in the project.

The scheme, which would be the biggest purely biomass burner in the world, is to be built at the Port of Tyne in north Teesside. It won planning consent in 2009 and was intended to begin on site in 2011 and complete by 2014. However, the project has been delayed by uncertainty over the UK government’s stance on biomass, which prevented MGT reaching financial close.

The Tees Renewable Energy Plant was one of eight schemes awarded a generation contract under the government’s Contracts for Difference scheme. This guarantees a preferential fixed price for energy and security of demand, but was subject to approval by the European Commission.


The plant will burn 2.5 million tonnes of woodchips a year, generating enough power for 300,000 homes – although most of the energy is in fact to be used for the Teesside chemical industry cluster.

The fuel will be obtained from sustainable sources in the US and Europe, and will have up to 82% lower carbon emissions than typical coal and gas-fired plants. It is estimated that the plant will save 32 million tonnes of carbon compared with a fossil fuel plant over its 30-year lifespan.


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Re: THE Biofuel Thread pt 6

Unread postby Graeme » Tue 14 Jul 2015, 19:18:53

How the Future of Biofuels Is Taking Shape

Global production of biofuels has surged over the past decade or so, with annual production climbing from approximately 10 billion liters in 2000 to nearly 80 billion liters in 2012. Much of this growth is being driven by governments’ increasing focus on alternate fuel sources in an effort to reduce the countries’ reliance on foreign oil. Demand for biofuels has been particularly strong to date in the U.S., the European Union and Latin America, and has accelerated markedly recently in China and India.

Biofuel production is led by the production of so-called first-generation biofuels, which are derived from crops that can also be used as food or feedstock. Bioethanol, which is made from biomass (including sugar cane, sugar beets, maize and wheat), accounts for approximately 70% of first-generation biofuel production. Biodiesel, which is made from vegetable oils (primarily rapeseed, soybean and palm oils), accounts for approximately 30%.

Although first-generation biofuels have been hailed as a viable alternative fuel source, their production has met some controversy, particularly regarding the effects on the food and feed markets. Concerns about the effects of first-generation production on food prices, specifically, were particularly high in 2007, when grain prices reached an all-time peak. Those concerns have persisted, particularly with regard to the potential food-price effects of first-generation biofuel production on developing countries. Concerns have also been raised about the impact of first-generation production on land use and food security.

In response to these concerns, governments and companies have begun to push the development of second- and third-generation biofuels, which are derived from resources (including waste biomass, certain vegetable oils, animal fats, lignocellulose and algae) that cannot be used alternatively as food. The European Union, for example, is trying to promote development by establishing a 7% blending cap for first-generation biofuels and a 0.5% blending target for second-generation biofuels in 2020. Second- and third-generation biofuels are not fully price competitive with first-generation biofuels today, although some (mainly lignocellulosic bioethanol and some advanced biodiesels) are expected to become competitive within the 2020 to 2030 span.


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Re: THE Biofuel Thread pt 6

Unread postby Carnot » Wed 15 Jul 2015, 14:09:58

More world class BS. Cellulosic ethanol expected to be competitive by 2020-2030. It was supposed to be competitive 100 years ago. In 2008 it was ready to go. In 2015 there is virtually no significant production, and those plants that are running operating well below capacity. It was not competitive 100 years ago, it is not competitive now, and it will not be competitive in 2030. It is a net energy loss.
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Re: THE Biofuel Thread pt 6

Unread postby Graeme » Wed 15 Jul 2015, 18:04:33

Carnot wrote:More world class BS. Cellulosic ethanol expected to be competitive by 2020-2030. It was supposed to be competitive 100 years ago. In 2008 it was ready to go. In 2015 there is virtually no significant production, and those plants that are running operating well below capacity. It was not competitive 100 years ago, it is not competitive now, and it will not be competitive in 2030. It is a net energy loss.


Hardly convincing. Where's your source? Here is the reality:

Waste-Based Biofuels Going Into United Passenger Planes This Summer

The days of “sustainability” meaning “biofuels made from conventionally-grown corn and soybeans” are long behind us — thank goodness — but many researchers (and energy companies) are still exploring ways to clean up the fuel that goes into our transportation. Sustainablog‘s Talancia Pea came across one experiment that’s well underway: United Airlines has partnered with a company developing biofuels from food and farm wastes. The airline will be testing a blend of conventional and waste-based biofuel on passenger flights this Summer.


Sadly if American families continue throwing away food at the current rate, United will have no problem finding enough raw materials to produce its biofuels. The airline has 20-year collection agreements with municipal waste management companies, including Waste Management. Take a look at this infographic further explaining the cycle of how household and farm waste will become jet fuel here.

As United join ranks with Alaska Airlines, Southwest Airlines and British Airways to invest in the future, I think this move is ready for lift off! Biofuel production creates more jobs, reduce landfill waste and in turn better air quality and health for us all.


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Re: Biomass Thread

Unread postby Graeme » Wed 15 Jul 2015, 19:19:48

World's largest shipment of biomass arrives at Immingham after 34-day journey

The world's largest ever single shipment of biomass has arrived at Immingham Docks after journeying from British Colombia.

It landed at the Humber International Terminal (HIT) at the Port of Immingham ready for onward transit to Drax power station at Selby, North Yorkshire.

Almost 60,000 tonnes of wood pellets were unloaded from the POPI S – the first time such cargo has been carried by a Panamax-class vessel.

The ship was loaded at the Westview Terminal in Prince Rupert, British Columbia on June 2, before making the 34-day journey to Immingham.


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Re: Biomass Thread

Unread postby PeakOiler » Wed 15 Jul 2015, 19:32:44

Was the ship powered by wood pellets or wind? Probably not. Already an energy loser just transporting the pellets I suspect. Can anyone tell us about how much fuel the ship used?
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Re: Biomass Thread

Unread postby PeakOiler » Wed 15 Jul 2015, 20:05:33

pstarr wrote:
PeakOiler wrote:Was the ship powered by wood pellets or wind? Probably not. Already an energy loser just transporting the pellets I suspect. Can anyone tell us about how much fuel the ship used?
The ship boiler is probably fired by bunker fuel, like most large vessels. The wood pellets are a cargo, destined for wood stoves. Last time I heard wood stoves are stationary.

It would be an interesting math exercise to calculate how much energy was burned as bunker fuel by the ship vs. the wood chip cargo's energy value. Could a large cargo ship be converted to burn wood chips? Probably has been done once upon a time.

At any rate, the net energy returned is less for the wood having used all the bunker fuel to transport it.
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Re: Biomass Thread

Unread postby Subjectivist » Wed 15 Jul 2015, 23:30:10

pstarr wrote:I imagine a ship boiler could be converted to inject wood pellets instead of fuel into the fire box. It generates heat and steam that turns a turbine. As for your question I imagine it would be similar to coal, as the pellets and the coal have similar densities and btu content


The problem with that is pretty basic. The ship in question is the Popi S, a motor vessel powered by a huge Diesel engines. Nearly ever merchant ship built in the last 20 years is Diesel engine, not steam.
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Re: THE Biofuel Thread pt 6

Unread postby Carnot » Thu 16 Jul 2015, 07:01:26

More world class BS (WCBS).

The global jet market is something like 200 million tonnes + per year. At a 10:1 conversion of waste into fuel (Solena comparison) then this would require >2 billion tonnes of waste with a high organic carbon content.

Oh, and by the way, jet makes up only about 5% of the total liquid fuels market.

I guess it is back to algae then. Still awaiting your analysis.
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Re: Biomass Thread

Unread postby Tanada » Thu 16 Jul 2015, 08:44:41

Does anyone else find it rather bizarre that Europeans are importing wood from North America to meet some arbitrary renewable fuel goal while completely ignoring the fact that it takes a lot of energy to move that wood half way around the world? That wood was perfectly happy right where it was and could have been used in North American homes or even power plants that burn coal or refuse but instead it was hauled via cheap oil all the way from the west coast of North America to the western European port where it was unloaded.
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Re: THE Biofuel Thread pt 6

Unread postby Graeme » Thu 16 Jul 2015, 17:51:39

Waste is not the only feedstock. And from page 2:

Potential feedstocks, or biologically based sources, that could be used to produce sustainable aviation biofuel in Japan include municipal solid waste, plant oils and animal fats, used cooking oil, algae, cellulosic biomass and residues from the wood products industry.


The airlines do not intend to replace all of their conventional fuel (from page 2):

“[B]iofuels will account for a low proportion of global aviation consumption before 2020, but could make a significant contribution over a longer time horizon,” says an FAA Center of Excellence report. The report says that a high price on carbon, combined with some “optimistic assumptions” could result in 100 percent biofuel usage by airlines globally by the early 2040s. “With no carbon price and slow development of biofuel technologies, biofuels account for 3% of aviation fuel use in 2030 and 37% in 2050,” the report says.


Read the book I referred you to (Bioenergy & sustainability: bridging the gaps); you'll find the answer there.
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Re: THE Biofuel Thread pt 6

Unread postby Carnot » Fri 17 Jul 2015, 04:44:46

Graeme,

More cut and paste WCBS. The devil is in the details like all your posts.


"High price of carbon and unrealistic optimistic assumptions" could ( note COULD and definitely not a cat in hells chance) supply 100% of aviation fuels requirements. By that time Joe Public will be so broke he will not have a pot to piss in. The aviation industry will have collapsed and the only users of this or Solaslime's offering will be the military who will pass the buck onto the TAXPAYER.

Graeme do the thermodynamics (if you can) and look at the next energy gain. It is negative.
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Re: THE Biofuel Thread pt 6

Unread postby Graeme » Fri 17 Jul 2015, 17:43:12

China to License DuPont Biofuel Technology

DuPont says it will license its biofuel technology to China’s largest cellulosic ethanol manufacturing plant.

The agreement allows Jilin Province New Tianlong Industry’s (NTL) plant, located in Siping City, Jilin Province, to license DuPont’s cellulosic ethanol technology and use DuPont Accellerase enzymes to produce renewable biofuel from the leftover biomass on Jilin Province’s corn farms. NTL is working to secure the necessary government approvals and support to implement this agreement.

The agreement will help NTL produce cellulosic renewable fuel for the rapidly growing Chinese liquid biofuel market, which is projected to exceed 1.7 billion gallons per year by 2020.

China has set a goal to peak carbon dioxide emissions by 2030 or sooner and to increase China’s non-fossil fuel share of energy to around 20 percent by 2030.


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