DEVELOPMENT OF BIOMASS

ENERGY SYSTEMS IN ECUADOR

Prepared by
Salman Zafar
BioEnergy Consult (Aligarh, INDIA)
and
Carlos Serrano Decker
TECAM Ltd. (Guayaquil, ECUADOR)
May 2009
What is Biomass?
 Any material derived from plants that use
sunlight to grow.
 Wood from forests, agricultural residues, and
organic industrial, human and animal wastes
etc.
Major Sources of Biomass in Ecuador

 Agricultural Residues
 Animal Manure
 Woody Biomass
 Bio-solids and Industrial Effluents
 Municipal Solid Wastes / Sewage
 Algae
Woody Biomass
 Forest and harvesting residues
 Municipal wood waste
 Wood processing residue
 Horticultural residue
 Short-rotation forestry
 Agricultural Residues

 Straw (from crops like Wheat, Oat, Barley)

 Corn Stover
 Crop Residues (Leaves, Stalks etc.)
 Husk (from Rice and Coffee)
 Green Crop Residues (Soybean tops)
 Energy Crops
Animal Manure
 Livestock waste
 Dairy cattle waste
 Poultry litter
Municipal Solid Wastes

 Household waste
 Institutional waste
 Garbage
 Street sweeping
 Sewage sludge
 Food residuals from hotels, restaurants etc.
Bio-solids and Industrial Effluents
 Agro-industrial wastes
 Food processing wastes
 Slaughterhouse wastes
 Tannery effluent
 Sugar mill effluent
 Distillery effluent
Algal Biomass

 Marine algae
 Seaweed
A Glance at Biomass Conversion Technologies

Power Generation Electricity

CHP Electricity, Heat

Thermochemical
Processes
Gasification Gas for Fuel

BIOMASS Pyrolysis Heavy Oil

Fermentation Ethanol
Biochemical
Processes
Anaerobic Digestion Biogas
Major Energy Pathways
 Thermochemical Pathway
o Combustion
o Gasification
o Pyrolysis
 Biochemical Pathway
o Anaerobic digestion
o Fermentation
 Major Biomass Conversion Pathways

Thermal Biological

Excess air Partial air No Air

Pretreatment AD

Combustion Gasification Pyrolysis

Fermentation

Heat Fuel Gases Liquids Ethanol Biogas

(CO + H2)

H2
Comparison of Heating Value of Important Biomass
and Conventional Energy Resources

Type of Fuel Heating Value, MJ/kg

Dry Wood 18

Dry Rice Husk 13

Coconut Fiber 17

Dry Cow Dung 14

Charcoal 24

Coal 27

Diesel 46

LPG 45
Residues Generation Potential of Agricultural Crops

Crops Crop wastes Residues production

Rice Straw, husk, bran 1.5t of straw and 0.2t of husk from 1t of rice

Wheat Straw, husk, bran 2t of residues from 1t of wheat seed

Maize Stalk, leaves 6t of waste from 1t of maize

Sorghum Straw, bran 2.5t of residues from 1t of sorghum seed

Barley Straw, bran 1.5t of straw from 1t of barley

Millet Straw, bran 2t of residue from 1t of millet produced

Coffee Pulp, husk 3.6t of waste from 1t of green coffee

Coco Hull, fibre 0.9t of waste from 1t of coconut

Palm oil Shell, fibre, fruit bunches 75%; waste from weight of fruit bunch
Pictorial Representation of Agricultural Residues-based
Biomass Energy System
Sources and Types of Municipal Solid Wastes

Sources Typical waste generators Types of solid waste

Residential Single and multi-family dwellings Food wastes, paper, cardboard, plastics,
textiles, glass, metals, ashes, special wastes
(bulky items, consumer electronics, batteries,
oil, tires) and household hazardous wastes

Commercial Stores, hotels, restaurants, Paper, cardboard, plastics, wood, food wastes,
markets, office buildings glass, metals, special wastes, hazardous
wastes
Institutional Schools, government center, Paper, cardboard, plastics, wood, food wastes,
hospitals, prisons glass, metals, special wastes, hazardous
wastes
Municipal Street cleaning, landscaping, Street sweepings, landscape and tree
parks, beaches, recreational trimmings, general wastes from parks,
areas beaches, and other recreational areas
A Glance at Woody Biomass Resources
Wood-residues from Forestry-based Industries

Process Type of Residue Percentage of Residue

Logging Solid 40

Saw-milling Solid 38

Saw-milling Sawdust 12

Plywood Solid 45

Plywood Dust 5

Particle board Dust 10

Fibre board Dust 10

Chemical pulpwood Black liquor 2.27 m3/ton

Different Routes for Biomass Conversion into
Energy Products and Services

Resource Processes Biofuels Energy Services

Agricultural residues Densification Pellets Heat

Combustion Briquettes Electricity
Gasification Bales Transport
Pyrolysis Biodiesel
Wood residues Densification Pellets Heat
Esterification Briquettes Electricity
Combustion Transport
Gasification
Pyrolysis
Organic industrial Digestion Biogas Heat
wastes Hydrolysis Bioethanol Electricity
Gasification Solvents Transport
Municipal wastes Digestion RDF Heat
Combustion Biogas Electricity
Gasification
 Biomass Conversion Technologies and their Products

Technologies Conversion Process Feedstock Products

Heat
Combustion Process Steam
Woody biomass Electricity
Agricultural residues
Thermochemical Producer Gas
Gasification Municipal solid waste

Bio-Oil
Pyrolysis Charcoal
Animal manure
Agricultural residues
Biogas
Anaerobic Digestion Industrial effluents
Bio-fertilizer
OFMSW
Biochemical Algae
Sugar or starch crops
Wood waste
Bio-ethanol Production Pulp sludge
Ethanol
Straw

Waste vegetable oil

Chemical Animal fat Biodiesel
Biodiesel Production Energy crops
Overview of Biomass Conversion Technologies

Conversion Option Typical Capacity Net Efficiency Status and Deployment

Biogas production via

Upto several MWe 10 – 15% (electrical) Widely applied.
anaerobic digestion
Combined heat and power
0.1 – 20 MWe 60 – 100% (overall) Widely deployed.
(CHP)
Combustion for power
20 - > 100 MWe 20 – 40% (electrical) Well established
generation

Co-firing of biomass with coal 5 – 100 MWe 30 – 40 % (electrical) Widely deployed

Gasification/CHP using gas 15 – 30% (electrical)

0.1 – 1 MWe Deployment limited
engines 60 – 80% (overall)

Gasification using combined Demonstration phase at 5-10

30 – 200 MWe 40 – 50% (electrical)
cycles for electricity MWe range
60 – 80% for bio-oil
Pyrolysis for production of Commercial technology
10 – 100 tons per hour and 85% for oil and
bio-oil available.
char
 Biomass Energy Systems
Fuel Specifications and Capacity Range
Technology Type of fuel Particle size requirement Moisture content Average capacity
requirement
(wet basis)
Stove / Furnace Solid wood, pressed logs, wood chips, Limited by stove size and 10 – 30% 15 kWt
pellets opening
Pile burners Wood residues, agricultural residues Limited by grate size and < 65% 4 to 110 MWe
feed opening
Pile burner fed with under-fire Sawdust, shavings, chips, non-stringy 6 – 38 mm 10 – 30% 4 to 110 MWe
stoker bark, hog fuel
Stoker grate boilers Sawdust, shavings, chips, end-cuts, non- 6 – 50 mm 10 – 50% 20 – 300 MWe
stringy bark, hog fuel
Suspension boilers Sawdust, non-stringy bark, sander dust, 1 - 6 mm < 20% 1.5 - 30 MWe
(cyclonic and air-spreader) shavings, wood flour, sawdust
Fluidized-bed combustor Low alkali content fuels, mostly wood < 50 mm < 60% 20 – 300 MWe
residues or peat
Co-firing Sawdust, shavings, non-stringy bark, < 6 mm < 25% upto 1500 MWe
(pulverized coal boilers) flour, sander dust
Co-firing Sawdust, shavings, non-stringy bark, < 12 mm 10 – 50% 40 – 1150 MWe
(cyclones) flour, sander dust
Co-firing Sawdust, shavings, non-stringy bark, < 72 mm 10 – 50 % -
(stokers, fluidized bed) flour, hog fuel
Counter-current fixed-bed updraft Chipped wood, hog fuel, rice hull, dried 6 – 100 mm < 20% 5 – 90 MWt +
gasifiers sewage sludge 12MWe
Downdraft moving-bed updraft Wood chips, pellets, wood scrapes, nut < 50 mm < 15% 20 – 100 kWe
gasifier shells
Circulating fluidized bed, dual- Almost all wood and agricultural 6 – 50 mm 15 – 50% 5 – 10 MWe
vessel, gasifier residues
Fast pyrolysis Wide range of wood and agricultural 1 – 6 mm < 10% 2.5 MWe
residues
Anaerobic digester Animal manures, food processing n.a. 65 to 99.9 % liquid 10 kWe to several
residues, industrial wastewaters depending on type of MWe
waste
Biomass Combustion
 Simplest and most common technology for biomass
utilization.
 Biomass fuel is burnt in excess of air to produce
heat.
 Hot air, hot water and steam are the main products.
Schematic of a Heat Plant
Co-firing of Coal and Biomass at Zeran CHP Plant in Poland
Straw is co-fired with Coal in Denmark
CHP - Combined Heat and Power
(or Cogeneration)
 Simultaneous production of heat and power with
upto 90% efficiency
Technology Options for Biomass CHP
CHP Prime Movers
Layout of a Cogeneration (or CHP) Plant
Schematic of a fuel preparation plant to handle
biomass wastes, municipal solid wastes and sludge.
Biomass Gasification

 The process takes place in limited air at 1200 -

1300 0C.
 Final fuel gas, termed as Producer Gas, consist of
carbon monoxide, hydrogen and methane.
 Calorific value of producer gas is 4 – 6 MJ/Nm3.
 Producer gas is utilized in turbines to generate
power.
 A wide range of biomass resources can be subjected
to gasification.
Schematic of Biomass Gasification Process

Biomass Clean Gases

Feedstock (CO2, H2, N2)

Gasification Syngas, CO, H2, Boiler + Steam

N2, dust, tars Turbine (Rankine
Reactor
Steam Cycle)

Ash
Air Syngas Electricity
(O2, N2)
Cleaning

Gas
Engine
Types of Gasifiers
(Design Basis: Fuel Properties, End-use, Scale and Cost)

 Updraft
 Downdraft
 Fluidized Bed
o Bubbling
o Circulating Flow
 Entrained Flow
 Staged (pyrolysis / steam reforming)
Biomass Gasification Plant
Biomass Gasifier at Vermont (USA)

 200 tons of wood

chips daily
 Forest thinnings; wood
pallets
 Converted to gas at
~1850 ºF
 Combined cycle gas
turbine
 8MW power output
Biomass Pyrolysis
 Pyrolysis involves combustion in absence or restricted
supply of air .
 The products are
o A solid ( char or charcoal)
o A liquid (bio-oil)
o A mixture of gases (CO, H2 and N2)
 Ratio of products varies with biomass composition
and operating conditions.
 Bio-oil has been tested for use in engines, boilers
and turbines.
Schematic of MSW Gasification and Power Generation Plant
Schematic of Biomass Pyrolysis
BIOMASS LIQUEFACTION via PYROLYSIS

Biomass Catalytic Conversion to

Hydrogen (Optional)

Liquids
Pyrolysis Condensation
(5500C, no air)
Vapors Power
Generation
Heat

Combustion
Char
Gases
(H2, CO, CH4, C2H2, C2H4)
Feedstock and Products in Biomass Pyrolysis

Combustion PYROLYSIS Agricultural

Fuel Residues

Fuel for Engines Fuel Upgrade Wood-based

and Turbines Residues

Bio-Diesel Gasification to Short-rotation

Syngas Crops
Schematic of Biomass Pyrolysis Plant
Products of Fast Pyrolysis Process
Anaerobic Digestion

 Microbial decomposition of biomass in closed tanks

(known as anaerobic digesters).
 High energy value gas, called Biogas (a mixture of
Methane and CO2), is produced.
 Good-quality fertilizer is also produced in the form
of digestate.
 The process finds wide application in animal
feedlots, dairies, agricultural farms etc.
Feedstock for Anaerobic Digestion Plants
Composition of Biogas
Applications of Biogas
Schematic of an agricultural co-digestion biogas plant
based on slurry, organic wastes and energy crops
Biogas-fired 1 MW Gas Engine at a Dairy Complex in
Punjab, India
This Filling Station in Laholm (Sweden) supplies biogas via the natural
gas grid to a growing number of light duty vehicles and lorries
Production of Ethanol from Biomass

Enzyme Ethanol
Biomass
Production
Handling

Ethanol
Biomass Cellulose Glucose
Recovery
Pretreatment Hydrolysis Fermentation

Pentose Lignin
Fermentation Utilization
Production of Ethanol from Cellulosic Biomass
A Lignocellulose Biomass-based Biorefinery in Sweden
Thank you!

BioEnergy Consult – Towards a Clean Energy Future