Comprehensive comparison of efficiency and CO2 emissions between biomass energy conversion technologies - position of supercritical water gasification in biomass technologies

Efficiency and CO2 emissions between various methods of biomass energy conversion are compared from the viewpoint of life-cycle evaluation. As for electricity generation, efficient processes are thermal gasification combined cycle, supercritical water gasification combined cycle, and direct combustion in order of efficiency for low moisture content biomass. Supercritical water gasification combined cycle is the most efficient for high moisture content biomass. Battery electric vehicle, gasoline hybrid electric vehicle, and gas full cell vehicle (FCV) show high efficiency in automobiles. Biomass FCV shows high efficiency in the vehicles utilizing biomass. Biogas combustion is the most efficient for heat utilization. Then, the position of supercritical water gasification in various technologies of energy conversion is examined by modeling an overall energy system. The tradeoff between CO2 emissions and total cost of technologies is analyzed so that the most cost-effective technology can be determined for different CO2 emissions constraints. Computed results show that biomass is mainly consumed for electricity and heat generation so as to utilize finite biomass resources efficiently. Transportation fuels are generally made from fossil fuels. Cost-effective processes for CO2 reduction are thermal gasification and reforming when the present efficiency and prices are assumed. Supercritical water gasification is also one of the optimal processes when the relative cost to fuel cell decreases. Improving heat exchange efficiency also contributes toward enhancing the position of supercritical water gasification in biomass technologies. (C) 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.