Future developments

Development of biomass gasifier applications

Because the market for applications similar to Harboøre is not favourable in Europe at present, our
R & D Centre is concentrating on alternative applications of the updraft gasification technology:

• Use of gasifiers as part of the firing system for small Stirling engines, where a 40 kW power application project is presently in progress
• Use of gasifiers for treatment of various kinds of hazardous waste (pressure-treated wood, plastics, RDF (Refuse-Derived Fuel) and BSE (mad cow disease) contaminated abattoir waste
• Use of gasifiers for firing steam boilers (including steam superheaters) and in applications related to NOx reduction (reburning)

The development of large biomass gasifiers

In cooperation with COWI (Consulting Engineers) and the Technical University of Denmark and sponsored in part by the Danish National Power Utilities Research Program, the R & D Centre is presently developing a so-called two stage gasification process. The concept is based on separated pyrolysis and gasification zones and a partial oxidation zone, where the tar content of the product gas is reduced to a level directly applicable for fuelling gas engines. This considerably simplifies the gas conditioning process.

The process is based on fluidised bed technology and is expected to be realised for a capacity range of 10-60 MWth before 2007. The concept was originally developed for the gasification of straw (the biomass resource most abundant in Europe), but the ongoing project is based on the gasification of woodchips.