Status report on thermal gasification of biomass and waste

Mar 2022
Publications

This report, produced by IEA Bioenergy Task 33, provides an overview of research activities on gasification of biomass and waste in Austria, France, Germany, India, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, UK and the USA. Gasification as a thermochemical conversion offers great potential to further improve aspects related to feedstock variation, process parameters, products and by-products. The technology could be stand-alone or integrated into other processes for the production of value-added products. The research activities highlighted in the report show the future directions of gasification technology. Feedstock variations, producer gas utilization and negative CO2 emissions are the main focus of research on thermochemical gasification.

Furthermore, this report provides an overview of research institutes and their activities in the field. The annexes include an actual list of gasification facilities.

Main focus of research on thermochemical gasification:

  • In order to implement the gasification process into circular economies, waste materials are used as a feedstock for the production of value-added products. As an example, the research project Waste-2-Value project uses waste streams as a feedstock for production of FT liquids (kerosene, diesel, gasoline) and other products through gasification and synthesis process.
  • Syngas / producer gas utilization has shifted during the last years. While CHP applications were in focus earlier, nowadays, the production of biofuels and biochemicals is getting much more attractive. A good example is the project LTU Green Fuels: based on black liquor gasification and synthesis, Bio-DME was produced and tested as a fuel for trucks.
  • The production of green hydrogen is another way to utilize the gas from the gasification process. This topic is covered by serveral research activities as well as production of SNG, which could substitute fossil natural gas.
  • Carbon capture and storage and negative CO2 emissions are another important research activity. CO2 from the gasification process can be captured and stored or utilised (BECCUS); biochar production as a by-product of gasification and its utilization in the soil is also a means to achieve negative emissions.

Full report available here:
Status report on thermal gasification of biomass and waste

Annexes with gasification facilities:

These installations are also available on the IEA Bioenergy Facilities database https://www.ieabioenergy.com/installations/

Scheme of bio-SNG Synthesis Demo in Guessing, Austria