Biomass, what is it really all about?

Biomass is a collective term for organic material such as vegetable, fruit and garden waste, prunings, used cooking oil, fertiliser, sewage sludge and agricultural crops. Biomass can be converted into energy. Dried wood and wood debris, such as sawdust and scrap wood, are even suitable for use with other fuels in the production of electricity on a large scale. This is possible as these types of biomass can be incinerated at the same time as fossil fuels.

For over ten years Essent has been using this process at the Amer power plant and also intends to use it in the future at the Eemshaven power plant. Essent has a leading role in the field of biomass co-firing. Used cooking oil and agricultural crops such as rape or sugarcane are used in particular to make biofuels for the transport industry. Fertiliser, sewage sludge, vegetable, fruit and garden waste and other household waste are more suitable for use on a small scale in gas and electricity production.

Why biomass?

Energy companies use mainly the fossil fuels coal and natural gas to produce electricity. But the supply of these fossil fuels is finite as they took millions of years to develop. As we use increasing amounts of energy, using more fossil fuels will lead to more emissions of CO2, resulting in global warming. For these reasons energy companies are investing in sustainable energy: energy from sources that are not finite, such as wind, sun and biomass and sources that are CO2 neutral. Biomass is a cheap form of sustainable energy and unlike some other forms as its use is independent of the weather. For these reasons energy companies are investing in biomass for power generation. There is plenty of it globally and it can produce baseload power.

The possibilities now

It is possible to partly replace coal at the Eemshaven power plant with biomass. At the Amer power plant in Geertruidenberg Essent is already co-firing biomass and coal and using over 30% biomass in the fuel mix. This percentage could reach around 50% at the unit Amer 9. For this percentages of co-fired fuel to be increased there will have to be adequate technical and financial resources available.

Wood as biomass

Essent uses certified wood that is produced and processed specially for use as biomass fuel in a sustainable way. This wood is available on a large scale, has a high energy value and is easily converted into energy by coal powerplants. Essent views wood as the best choice for a largescale application in our large power plants: it is sustainable, of good quality and always available.

Green Gold Label

Essent and RWE want to avoid a situation in which biomass sourcing causes deforestation, exploited of the labor force or a decrease in food production. There is a certification system called Green Gold Label. This is an independent quality standard and provides a certificate for sustainable biomass. It covers production, processing, transport and the final energy transformation.

Always on the go

Essent and RWE constantly conduct research and organise public discussions on sustainability and biomass usage. Recently a knowledge session was held at Euroborg stadium in Groningen with students of Energy & Environmental Sciences and energy experts. These sessions ensure that the debates about biomass continue.