Biomass CHP
Biomass CHP uses biomass fuel to produce both heat and electricity.
The heat generated during electricity production is used to meet a heat demand rather than being treated simply as a waste product. Biomass CHP is seen as an important technology for low carbon developments as it provides better carbons savings for each tonne of biomass than normal biomass heating.
A number of installations throughout Europe currently produce heat and power from woody biomass, and for larger installations (> 1MWe) viable technology is available. However, the technology needs to be developed further if small scale biomass CHP is to become more efficient and reliable.
Building regulations and SAP calculations assign a low emissions factor to biomass fuel. This factor accounts from emissions from fuel harvesting, processing and transport.
Summary
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woodchip or other wood fuels are converted to heat and electricity
- capacity factor: typically 60 per cent but dependant on heat load
- constraints: fuel availability, fuel cost, spatial requirements, air quality, market-ready solutions, cost
- advantages: very high carbon savings potential
- lifetime is between 10-15 years for CHP units
Examples
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Talbott BG100 biomass generator at Harper Adams University College click here.
