admin /25 February, 2010
February 24, 2010
Biomass – An Emerging Fuel for Power Generation
by Lee Clair, Norbridge Inc.
Oklahoma, United States [Renewable Energy World North America Magazine]
The European market for biomass-fired power and heating is more developed than that of the United States, mainly due to stringent European regulatory requirements and broad public support for renewable initiatives. Denmark, for example, enacted legislation as early as 1993 requiring increased use of biomass in energy supply. At present, the 27 nations of the European Union (EU) have agreed to raise the share of renewables in the energy mix to 21 percent for electricity and 20 percent for heat by 2020. In 2005, two-thirds of all EU renewable energy came from biomass, which is expected to retain a significant share of EU renewables going forward.
As a result of these regulatory requirements, growing public awareness and the Kyoto protocol, the market for biomass in Europe is strong and growing. According to the European Biomass Association, the EU will increase its biomass consumption from 13 million tons annually today to 100 million tons by 2020. In fact, most large North American biomass pellet plants were built specifically to export to the European biomass market.
Europe is several years ahead of the U.S. in biomass development. However, state-level renewable portfolio standards are now mandating that U.S. utilities begin the process of embracing biomass. It is possible that within several years, the U.S. biomass landscape may more closely resemble that of Europe.
