Amer Power Plant: 3 million tonnes of biomass co-fired

Arnhem, 4 November 2009 - Essent has reached a new milestone in the co-firing of biomass in the Amer Power Plant in Geertruidenberg. Since 2001, 3 million tonnes (3 billion kilograms) of biomass have been used to produce Green Energy, enough for over one and a half million households. Because of the aforementioned, Essent can confirm that the company plays a leading global role in the sustainable generation of electricity using biomass.

Etienne Vollebregt, plant manager of the Amer Power Plant: "We are proud to have reached this special milestone. Two years ago we were using half a million tonnes of biomass in one year and we were already front runner. Now we're nearly at the million tonnes a year mark. Consequently we're able to supply Green Energy to half a million households each year. There is a great deal of interest from abroad and from other energy companies and research institutes in the technologies we are using here in the Amer Power Plant for the gasification of wood and the large-scale co-firing of wood pellets (compressed sawdust)."

The Essent Biomass Conference will take place at the Amer Power Plant on 4 and 5 November, where more than 200 interested parties from across the globe will participate. Under the title ‘Mastering Biomass’, the future of co-firing and gasification of biomass, both in terms of policy and practice, will receive extensive attention.

New kinds of biomass

The biomass used by Essent to generate sustainable electricity differs in terms of origin and composition. The majority of it goes to the Amer Power Plant and consists of wood pellets. In the 100% biomass power plant in Cuijk amongst others brushwood (wood chippings) from Dutch forests is used. Essent is also carrying out extensive research into whether new kinds of biomass can be used, such as cocoa pods, rice husks, sugarcane beet refuse (bagasse), bamboo and coffee husks. This pertains to biomass from secondary refuse (agricultural residues) that does not require additional land usage or affect the food chain.

‘Green coal’

The latest form of biomass for which Essent envisages a significant future is so-called bio coal. This does not involve a form of coal. Bio coal is a name given to woody biomass that is ‘torrefied’ (heated to a maximum of 300°C) so that this takes on the characteristics of 'wooden coal', similar to those of coal. This ensures that bio coal can be fired in power stations together with ordinary coal. Essent is to carry out comprehensive testing over several years using bio coal in the Amer Power Plant. More than 400,000 tonnes of bio coal will be co-fired as a substitute fuel for coal over the next five years. This will result in bio coal being responsible for a significant reduction in CO2 emissions.

Use of biomass indispensable for fulfilling climate objectives

With its large-scale co-firing of biomass, Essent is making a significant contribution to the objectives agreed on a European level to generate electricity sustainably. Essent has 900,000 Green Energy customers, making it market leader in green energy in the Netherlands.
In order to be able to fulfil the climate objectives set for 2020, the use of biomass as a substitute fuel for coal – as well as the continued development of (offshore) wind farms, on which Essent is working – is a necessity. For this reason, a stable policy on subsidies (for biomass as well) is very important.

Throughout the world, the potential of biomass produced from sylvicultural and agricultural remains is huge. Power plants in which such biomass is able partly to replace fossil fuels already exist on a large scale. Essent is proving this with the Amer Power Plant in Geertruidenberg. The use of biomass is one way in which CO2 emissions can be driven down extremely quickly and on a large scale. Not only quickly, but in a cost-effective manner.

Published: 05 November 2009