Biomass availability for biopower applications

The majority of biomass used today is a residue produced either in the primary or secondary processing industries, or as post consumer residues. Many of the industries that process wood or sugar cane are themselves significant consumers of energy in the form of process heat and electricity so that this is a sector with a considerable amount of rankine cycle combined heat and power (CHP) installations. However, many of them underutilize their residues. The advent of export markets for their electricity, due to liberalization and deregulation of electricity supplies, will lead to more efficient CHP installations; the significant energy efficiency measures in the plant operations will result in greater export of electricity. Post consumer residues, as urban wood and landfill gas, already make a significant power contribution in the United States, Europe and Japan. Large scale expansion will require increased harvest residue collection and use in the form of forest thinnings, wood slash, straws and stalks from cereal crops, as well as the development of energy crops. A U.S. supply curve for 2020 will be discussed with its approximately 450 million tonne (Mt) potential, as well as a U.S.A. stretch potential for the middle of the Century of a Gigatonne.