Sludge Watch ==> Industrialization of biomass energy just around the corner

[maureen.reilly at sympatico.ca]

Industrialization of biomass energy just around the corner

07.jul.06
Chinese Academy of Sciences
Via CropBiotech Update
http://english.cas.cn/eng2003/news/detailnewsb.asp?InfoNo=26116


After each summer harvest in China, wheal stalks are usually left on the 
fields and burned out, leading to heavy air pollution. Not any more! Farmers 
could use the agricultural wastes and residues to produce precious bio-fuel 
without polluting the environment, according to researchers from the 
University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), an affiliate of CAS. 
The scientists offer to solve the long-standing problem with they 
cost-effective and environment-friendly biomass conversion technology they 
have developed. This "two birds with one stone" approach has received great 
attention from both the government and industry.

According to experts, one appropriate technical route for large scale 
production is to convert biomass into liquid at a local pyrolysis plant then 
transport the primary products to a central refinery site where they could 
be used to produce bio-fuel or chemicals. For both economic perspectives and 
local availability of feedstock, the appropriate scale for a pyrolysis plant 
(with a collection circle of about 10 km) is to process about two tones of 
stalks per hour.

On June 27, scientists from the USTC Laboratory of Biomass Clean Energy 
(BCEL) announced that they have been successful in their study of a pilot 
plant, which could manufacture bio-oil by using biomass from agriculture and 
forestry (such as wood residues, straws, rice husk) with a capacity of 120 
kg per hour. The conversion rate for such feedstock as wood residues and 
stalks is 60% and 50%, respectively. Experts say they are confident that a 
demonstration plant producing one ton of stalks per hour will be established 
in two years.

China is a massive producer of biomass resources in the form of agricultural 
wastes and residues, says GUO Qingxiang, executive vice director of BCEL. 
For instance, more than 700 million tons of rice husk and various straws is 
produced each year in this country. With the BCEL technology, the biomass 
could be converted to bio-fuel, which could either be used directly as fuel 
for boilers and kilns or as refinery feedstock for automobile fuels. High 
value-added chemicals could also be produced from it.