Submitted by Tom Miles on
David Peterson and Scott Haase, for Natioanl renewable Energy Laboratory, July 2009
http://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy09osti/46190.pdf
Technical Report NREL/TP-7A2-46190 July 2009
Executive Summary
At the request of the Clean Energy States Alliance (CESA), the National Renewable Energy
Laboratory prepared this market assessment of gasification and direct combustion technologies
that utilize solid biomass to generate heat, power, or combined heat and power (CHP) for smallto
medium-scale applications. Solid biomass refers to primarily wood and agricultural resources.
The report contains the following:
- An overview of solid biomass resources in the United States
- Description of gasification and combustion conversion technologies that utilize solid biomass to generate heat, power, and CHP.
- Discussion of the strengths and weaknesses of gasification and combustion technologies.
- Discussion of the strengths and weaknesses of gasification and combustion technologies.
- Assessment of the commercial status of gasification and combustion technologies.
- Summary of gasification and combustion system economics.
- Market potential for small- to medium-scale gasification and combustion systems.
- An inventory of direct combustion system suppliers.
- An inventory of gasification technology companies.
The major findings and conclusions of the market assessment include the following
- Direct combustion boiler systems that generate heat, power, or CHP are available commercially from a number of manufacturers.
- Close-coupled gasification boiler systems to generate heat, power, or CHP are commercially available from a number of manufacturers.
- Two-stage gasification systems designed to generate heat, power, or CHP largely are in development, with a number of technologies currently in the demonstration phase.
- A searchable database of operating combustion and gasification systems designed to generate heat, power, or CHP is needed for all projects built in the United States.
- A national assessment of the market potential for direct combustion and gasification systems that generate heat, power, or CHP should be commissioned.
- An online registry of all operating small-scale and community-scale direct combustion and gasification systems that convert biomass into heat, power, or CHP in the United States should be created and maintained.