Background
Great Potential in Biomass as a Renewable Energy
Biomass is the largest global contributor to renewable energy. It is a sustainable fuel because it gives no net contribution of CO2 to the atmosphere and it can be considered endless.
There is a global increase in energy consumption. There is also an increase in emissions of greenhouse gases (e.g. CO2), causing global warming. This, in turn, means that there is a need for an increase in energy production, and a reduction of greenhouse gas emission. One way to accomplish both needs, is to increase the efficiency of biomass-fired power plants.
An increase in efficiency could be reached by increasing temperature and pressure in the boiler sections and consequently in other components of the system. Thus, the requirement of more energy production is met. And there would be no net contribution of greenhouse gases.
Current Limitations
Increasing the efficiency of a biomass power plant is obtained mainly by increasing temperature and pressure. The material used will suffer from a tougher environment resulting in safety and reliability problems. So, in order to avoid material failure while increasing the efficiency, new material groups need to be explored as a substitute. Since the lifetime of a power plant is expected to be 30 years or more, materials with better long term high-temperature performances, as safety and structural integrity, are desirable.
