Thermal gasification based hybrid systems

Synthesis gas from thermal gasification of biomass and waste can be used in many different ways: for production of heat and electricity or for production of biofuels and chemicals.

In this special Task 33 report a production of renewable gaseous and liquid biofuels in combination with renewable hydrogen will be described. It will be shown, how the excess electricity, which could not be fed into the grid immediately in order not to be overloaded, can be stored in form of hydrogen and how this renewable hydrogen can boost the production of renewable biofuels.

It is well known that the covering of our energy demand now and in the future must be based on a combination and synergies of different technologies as well as different energy sources. Only in this way, it will be possible to leave the energy policy based on fossil fuels.

The production of renewable gaseous and liquid biofuels as a combination of different technologies: thermal gasification and electrolysis; different energy sources such as biomass and wind and/or solar energy is the focus of this work.

Energy Strategy and Energy Roadmap are the starting points of the report, further an overview on potential of biomass in EU and worldwide is given. A theoretical overview on the technology of thermal gasification and related issues, such as product gas applications: Fischer-Tropsch synthesis technology, hydrogen and methanol production as well as Bio-SNG production are described here.

Further, the power production from wind and solar energy, as well as direct employment of solar power during the thermal gasification can be found here.

The production of hydrogen using the surplus electricity from wind and solar energy through electrolysis is described in this report, including different types of electrolysers, their comparison and outlook for the future.

Special attention is given to the combinations of technologies mentioned above (Power to Gas and Power to Liquids systems) for the boosted production of renewable gaseous and liquid biofuels, based on thermal gasification.

Pilot and demonstration PtG and PtL projects, which are based on thermal biomass gasification or where the thermal gasification could be employed as a source of carbon oxides, complete this special IEA Bioenergy Task 33 report.