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Biomass CHP: Gasification
Learn about gasification in the context of Biomass CHP, the typical outputs and costs and the pros and cons of gasification.
Back to: Biomass combined heat and power (CHP)
What is gasification?
In the context of biomass CHP, gasification is the process which converts biomass into a flammable gas, suitable to power an internal combustion engine. The engine is used to drive a generator for the production of electrical power. Gasification systems are typically relatively small-scale, with a ratio of heat to electrical output usually in the region of 2:1.
It is extremely important that combustion of the biomass fuel produces clean gas for the engine, so this type of biomass CHP will normally require a clean fuel source, such as wood pellets.
Typical outputs and costs
Electrical output |
Heat output |
Indicative cost |
Tonnes of fuel per day* |
Fuel |
50 kW |
100 kW |
£200k |
1.3 |
Wood pellet |
100 kW |
200 kW |
£400k |
2.6 |
Wood pellet |
1 MW |
1.4 MW |
£3m |
21 |
Wood chip |
2 MW |
2.8 MW |
£6m |
41 |
Wood chip |
*24 hour operation
Pros and cons of gasification
Pros
- Highly incentivised through government subsidies
- Reasonably scalable for smaller applications
- Small footprint
- High electrical–heat ratio
- Can provide high-temperature usable heat up to 250°C
- Large-scale gasification units can be configured to run on recycled timber
Cons
- New technology with few reference sites
- Small gasification units can only run on the best-quality, and therefore more expensive, wood fuels
- High maintenance costs
Useful links
Go to Biomass CHP: Steam turbine
Go to Biomass CHP: ORC turbine (Organic Rankine Cycle)
Go to Biomass CHP: What about CO2?
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