Adding gas from biomass to the gas grid - SGC

The availability of biomass to produce gas for addition to the grid is also reduced by competingbiomass to energy conversion options. For example co-firing of biomass with coal or natural gas ishighly attractive by the low investment and maintenance cost while there is an attractive market forgreen electricity.AmountPJ/yearyear 2000 2020Total produced biomass and organic waste 222 notindicatedUsed otherwise or not fit for conversion to energy 106 notindicatedAvailable for energy production 116 235Utilised for energy production 65 164Unused potential for energy production 51 71Net import of energy from biomass 0 0Table 45: Current (2000) and projected (2020) biomass utilisation in the Netherlands [lit.58]Future availability of biomass for energy productionThe available amount of biomass completely allows the production of energy from biomass asprojected by the government (in the year 2020 of 120 PJ - on the basis of avoided primary energy)[lit.59].The import of biomass opens a still wider perspective for the production of sustainable energy. Thisimport can be reached by physical import of biomass from abroad. The other possibility is the virtualimport of biomass. The forms of this virtual import are still in development.The most convincing way for the virtual import is buying bio-energy from a foreign producer. In 2004latest it will be possible for all electricity and gas users to buy these products from any producer.Current green energy providers in the Netherlands already buy green energy at foreign suppliers. Inthis case the supplier will physically feed the energy to the European grid.Another form is the application of the flexible mechanisms as provided in the Kyoto protocol. It maybe expected that the use of biomass as an energy source will be characterised as a reduction of thegreenhouse gas emissions. In the flexible mechanisms there is no need for a physical delivery ofgreen energy to the European grid.7.1.7 SwedenThe biogas production in Sweden origins mainly from waste water treatment plants. Most of theplants are treating sewage water from households, but there are some fairly big industrialinstallations at paper mills and sugar beet refineries.page: 87