the role of bioenergy in the future uk energy system...this information is given in good faith based...

© 2014 Energy Technologies Institute LLP - Subject to notes on page 1

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The role of bioenergy in the future UK energy systemDr Geraldine Newton-Cross, Energy Technologies InstituteIMechE – 19th November 2014


The Energy Technologies Institute (ETI)

• The Energy Technologies Institute is a public-private partnership between global industries and UK Government

• The UK is facing increasing energy demands and stringent GHG emission targets out to 2050 (> 500 MtCO2e to 105 MtCO2e)

• This will require significant change to our energy system

• ETI was set up to identify and accelerate the development and demonstration of an integrated set of low carbon technologies to deliver this step change

• Part of a robust and affordable future energy system in the UK

ETI programme associate

ETI members


We commission three types of projects:

ETI Technology Programmes

More than £220 million projects on contract


62 million people 77 million people

2010 2050

24 million cars 40 million cars

24 million domestic dwellings 80% still in use in 2050, growing to 38 million houses

• Over 90GW generation capacity (1MW to 3.9GW)• Over 200 ‘significant’ power stations …. average age > 20 years old• 50% of power generation capacity held in 30 plants …. average age 30 years old

Demand is growing, assets are ageing, prices are rising… irrespective of the UK’s GHG emission reduction targetsNeed to design a future UK energy system which is sustainable, affordable and secure

The UK Energy Challenge…


ETI’s ‘ESME’ model of the UK energy system

A national energy system design tool with sufficient spatial and temporal detail to understand system engineering challenges.

• A least-cost optimisation, policy neutral tool

• Can model pathway and supply chain constraints out to 2050

• Probabilistic treatment of key uncertainties enables less mature technologies to be assessed

Example questions ESME would be used to inform ….• What might be ‘no regret’ technology choices and pathways to 2050?• What is the total system cost of meeting the energy and emission targets?• Where should new generating capacity optimally be located?• What are the opportunity costs of individual technologies or sectors (e.g. bioenergy)?


The role of bioenergy in the UK energy system

• Lowest cost decarbonisation pathways identified: power, buildings, industry

• Negative emissions from bioenergy with CCS offsets the need for expensive interventions elsewhere in the energy system:

• Aviation and shipping• Transport (passenger vehicles)


Getting the UK energy system to 2050

• Future UK energy system cost > £200 billion between now and 2050

• Mix of biomass with CCS, gas-fired CCS, hydrogen turbines, nuclear, hybrid vehicles and liquid transport fuels, offshore renewables and retrofitting

• Biomass used to generate hydrogen, power, heat, transport fuels and negative emissions

• It is likely to be very hard to deliver an affordable low carbon energy system without Bioenergy or CCS

ESME enables us to assess the likely cost of different future UK energy systems, and the opportunity costs of not pursuingparticular pathways:


The benefits of bioenergy…

1 – ESME analysis2 – UK Bioenergy Strategy3 – CCC Bioenergy Review4 – NNFCC - UK Jobs in the Bioenergy Sector by 20205 – LCICG BioTINA

• 50-100 MtCO2e negative emissions with CCS1

• Could deliver 10-12% UK energy by 20502,3

• Flexibility in terms of end vectors• Scalability of application• Multiple feedstocks – potential supply chain benefits• Energy security if domestically sourced• Sector could generate up to 50,000 jobs by 20204

• Wider UK growth opportunities of £19 billion5


Realising the benefits

How much of the theoretical negative emissions could be realised through bioenergy

deployment in the UK?

What would be the best ways to use this bioenergy in the future UK energy system?

What are the right combinations of feedstock,

pre-processing, and conversion technologies?

Critical issues: Interaction of bioenergy with the

rest of the UK energy system Technology & infrastructure roll

out across all sectors

Critical issues: System-level assessment

and demonstration Cost and performance

improvements

Critical issues: Availability / sustainability of

UK biomass production The use of bioenergy in

conjunction with CCS

Are the right policy and regulatory mechanisms in place and are there public acceptability issues that need addressing?

Waste Gasification

BwCCS

Energy from Waste


The Ecosystem Land Use Modelling (ELUM) Project

Uncertainty of direct land use change emissions associated with biomass production (in UK)

Quantify the level of variability associated with soil carbon and GHG impacts of biomass production in the UK:- variability across different ‘land use transitions’

- variability due to locational aspects (soil type; yield; climate)

- influence of management regimes (e.g. fertiliser, tillage)

Unique ‘measured’ and ‘modelled’ approach taken, with 2.5

years fieldwork and development of process and meta-models

Ability to assess likelihood of transitions being ‘low risk’

Concluding now – reviewing and contextualising findings

Problem definition:

Projectcommissioned:

Project status:


The Bioenergy Value Chain Modelling (BVCM) Project

What is the most effective way of delivering a particular bioenergy outcome in the UK, taking into account the available biomass resources, the geography of the UK, time, technology options and logistics networks?

Development of a comprehensive and flexible toolkit for whole system biomass value chain analysis and optimisation

- Pathways optimised based on: minimum cost, minimum GHG emissions, maximum energy, maximum profit or a combination

- 93 ‘Resources’ and 69 distinct ‘Technologies’ at different scales and with multiple feedstocks

- UK production factors (land constraints; yields); imports; logistics

- 157 cells (50km x 50km); 5 decades and 4 seasons

ETI undertaken significant testing, modelling and further development. Insights being drawn - paper due in new year.

Problem definition:

Project commissioned:

Project status:


The Waste Gasification ProjectProblem definition: How much energy could be generated from waste and which technologies are best?

Project status: Phase 1 successfully completed. Phase 2 contracts being negotiated and announced shortly

• Waste to energy could generate 4-6% of UK electricity by 2050

• Gasification technology most flexible, scalable, efficient and affordable

• Town scale key opportunity (50,000 -200,000 tonnes p.a.)

Phase 1 – Waste GasificationEnergy from Waste

• Integrated system – accounting for all pre-processing, parasitic loads, system wastes

• Net electrical efficiency of > 25%

• Availability of > 80%

• Designs tested: laboratory and techno-economic modelling, based on 5 -20MWe scales and 5 different feedstocks

Phase 2 – Waste Gasification

• Full system demonstration –plant built, operated and run commercially

• Testing on key feedstocks

• Syngas test stream

Project commissioned:


Integration of ETI Bioenergy projects and other related ETI projects

ELUM- UK biomass production

pathways delivering genuine carbon

savings

Enabling UK Biomass- Benchmarking of energy

crop competitiveness and identifying potential

business models

Techno-economic assessment of pre-

processing activities- When it does / does not ‘pay’ to pre-treat biomass

Characterisation of UK Feedstocks

- Linking properties to provenance; proximate and ultimate analysis

Waste Gasification- Demonstration of integrated gasification

gas clean-up and power systems

Energy from Waste - Waste arisings,

composition and technology pathways

- Energy demands- Negative emission requirements- Specific vector demands

- Available UK biomass- Technology cost and

performance trajectories

SSH Programme- Future district heating

strategies for the UK

CCS Programme- Piping infrastructure

- CO2 storage- H2 storage

ESD Programme- Gas vectors: costs and

engineering issues to use/move CO2, H2,

syngas and Bio-SNG

Transport Programme- Future requirements

for alternative biofuels for LDVs and HDVs

BwCCS- Biomass to Power

with CCS technology development: costs,

barriers, opportunities


Summary

Genuine carbon savings / Negative emissions

Best Use (vectors)

Optimal valuechaincombos

Policy, regulatory/ other support

Feedstockand Pre-processing

Bioenergy has a pivotal role to play in delivering an affordable UK energy system transition out to 2050

The bioenergy landscape is complex, but we understand the key questions and challenges

Our bioenergy project portfolio is addressing these key issues across the value chain by:

making a critical contribution to the scientific understanding of sustainable bioenergy production in UK

identifying the benefits of different value chain pathways, and assessing the market, policy and regulatory structures required to develop them

accelerating the development and demonstration of key bioenergy technologies

• Integrated analysis of the full UK energy system needed


For more information about the ETI visit www.eti.co.uk

For the latest ETI news and announcements email [email protected]

The ETI can also be followed on Twitter @the_ETI

Registered Office Energy Technologies InstituteHolywell BuildingHolywell ParkLoughboroughLE11 3UZ

For all general enquiries telephone the ETI on 01509 202020.

the role of bioenergy in the future uk energy system...this information is given in good faith based...

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