Bioenergy Research Needs for Heat, Electricity, and Liquid Fuels
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oenergy Research Needs for Heat, Electricity, and Liquid Fuels Alexander E. Farrell (University of California–Berkeley, USA) Anand R. Gopal (University of California–Berkeley, USA)
SEE ALSO SIDEBARS:
Cellulosic Ethanol Engineered and Artificial Photosynthesis
Abstract Biomass remains a key energy source for several billion people living in developing countries, and the production of liquid biofuels for transportation is growing rapidly. However, both traditional biomass energy and crop-based biofuels technologies have negative environmental and social impacts. The overall research challenge for bioenergy is to develop the technologies to produce useful products at low costs while minimizing the use of scarce resources such as arable land and water. This requires substantial advancements in modern biomass power generation and the success of liquid biofuel technologies that permit the use of lignocellulosic feedstocks or possibly algae. With such technologies, biomass resources could meet a significant fraction (over 10%) of global energy demand. Both improved policies and technologies are needed to ensure that bioenergy contributes significantly to economic, social, and environmental goals.
Introduction
Biomass is the oldest fuel known to humankind and is still widely used in developing countries, where it accounts for about 35% of primary energy consumption, compared to just 3% in Europe and North America.1 Further, because most of this biomass is used very inefficiently—with adverse impacts on public health—there is a significant, longstanding need for improved bioenergy technologies in the developing world. Recently, there has been renewed interest in the industrialized world in the potential for bioenergy to mitigate global climate change and for liquid biofuels to substitute for expensive imported oil. This unusual synergy of interests has placed biomass electricity and biofuels at the center of both much excitement and much concern about their environmental and socioeconomic implications.2 In this article, we provide an overview of the most common technologies currently used to generate heat, electricity, and liquid fuels from biomass. Then, we describe the technical, economic, and environmental opportunities and challenges faced by each of these technologies. Because of the widespread nature and adverse impact of biomass energy use in the developing world, we first address heat and electricity generation from biomass combustion and gasification. We then turn to biofuel production from various feedstocks. We also include a separate section on catalysis, as there is a strong need for research and development in this area (see also Gates et al.’s’ article on catalysis in this issue). We conclude with a look at some scenarios on the future of bioenergy.
directly exposed to emissions of carbon monoxide, particulates, nitrogen oxides, and tars.3 The most common modern combustion technology is the biomass-fueled electric power plant, in which the heat from the furnace is exchanged with a working fluid to tu
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