Biomass Gasification

Economically Competitive & Environmentally Sound

Gasification is a process that uses a combination of heat, pressure and chemical reactions to convert biomass and other hydrocarbons into a combustible gas that, similar to natural gas, can produce electricity, heat and liquid fuels. This thermochemical technology, developed over a century ago, is the focus of renewed interest in the energy market due to rising fuel prices and international focus on the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions.

Today, gasification technology is used commercially, but principally relies on coal to produce energy. However by simply replacing coal with CleanTech's cheap, readily available biomas, the technology can provide a clean and cost-effective way to generate valuable energy products at a lower cost, while simultaneously reducing pollution.

A number of companies have commercially available biomass gasification units:

 

 

 

 

A complete gasification system consists of a gasification unit (gasifier), purification unit, and energy converter (either a burner or internal combustion engine). The system is decentralized and operates economically whether at a large or small scale.

The economic and environmental potential of biomass gasification is promising, especially when using large-scale gasifiers with direct coupling to gas turbines. Such hybrid gasifier/gas turbine systems are extremely attractive because they take advantage of high efficiencies and low-grade cheap biomass feedstocks, like CleanTech cellulose, to produce power at comparable or less cost than fossil-fuel-derived feedstocks. Commercial biomass gasifiers easily surpass the efficiency of modern coal gasifiers and coal electrical plants, and technology is only anticipated to improve as the industry grows. This makes biomass gasification economically competitive with cheap coal-based plants and environmentally competitive with natural gas-based plants today.