"Characteristics of Biomass Energy."

"Characteristics of Biomass Energy."

"Biomass energy is attracting attention in the shift from underground resources, which are highly depletable and dependent on overseas procurement, to new energy sources that are renewable and can be procured domestically. Here, we review the progress to date and organize future trends."

"Characteristics of Biomass Energy."

"Characteristics of Biomass Energy"

Biomass is a general term for animal and plant resources that can be used as energy or raw materials, as well as waste derived from them. Specifically, it includes agricultural, forestry, livestock, and fishery resources such as forests, grains, grasses, livestock manure, and marine plants, as well as industrial, municipal, and sludge wastes. Incidentally, the total amount of bioresources on the earth is 1.8 trillion tons in dry weight (27.8 trillion tons in total production). In addition to being used as materials, they are also used as energy sources by means of combustion and fermentation.

Biomass resources generated in Japan amount to 350 million tons (dry weight) per year. In Japan, where fossil fuels are scarce, biomass is a valuable resource from the perspective of energy security. In addition, compared to fossil fuels, the carbon contained in biomass is taken up from atmospheric CO2 more recently, and is considered to circulate on the earth in a relatively short period of time. Thus, it is said to effectively not increase the total amount of CO2 in the atmosphere (carbon neutral). Furthermore, the use of biomass as a resource, which was previously disposed of, leads to a reduction in waste and the revitalization of the agriculture, forestry, fisheries, food processing, and waste disposal industries, contributing to regional development. In addition, if conservation of mountain forests is promoted through effective use of forest resources, multifaceted benefits can be expected, such as disaster prevention, water source conservation, and utilization for recr
eation.

"Biomass Energy Development in Europe."

"The Development of Biomass Energy in Europe"

The use of woody biomass has long been popular in France and Scandinavia, and methane fermentation has been popular in the United Kingdom and Germany. In response to growing environmental awareness in recent years, a white paper on renewable energy published by the EU Commission in 1997 advocated the promotion of biomass energy utilization. Based on this policy, an EU directive on renewable energy was issued in 2001, and in Germany, the biomass decree has realized electricity sales prices of around 8.5 to 10 yen/KWh. In addition, biomass business is established as an energy industry in Scandinavia due to the development of district heat supply infrastructure. In Finland, the wood-based energy industry is worth 2.5 billion euros (in 2000) and employs 26,000 people. Biomass energy already covers 25% of the total energy demand in Finland. As a characteristic of Europe, 92% of biomass resource utilization is mainly for heat use.

"Biomass Energy Deployment in the United States."

"Development of Biomass Energy in the United States."

The United States has a large biomass industry concentrated in its vast land area, making it possible to use biomass at a lower cost than in Japan. Among these, power generation from woody biomass, which has been active for some time, accounts for 6.6 million KW, or about 60% of all biomass power generation, and is used in a cascade by large forestry companies engaged in a series of businesses ranging from growing logs to supplying energy and selling wood products. In the U.S., the Public Utility Regulatory Act of 1978 already aimed to develop and promote renewable energy, which led to preferential heat prices and the use of biological energy for biomass gas and liquid fuels. However, since the heat utilization rate is lower than that of thermal power generation, a variety of biomass energy sources are expected to be used in the future.

"Biomass Energy Development in China."

"Development of Biomass Energy in China."

In China, biomass energy is already used on a daily basis in rural areas. On the other hand, in urban areas, environmental problems are becoming more serious as the demand for energy increases. For this reason, the Chinese government is stepping up policy support to promote the use of biomass energy: in 2016, the new energy policy focused on the development of biomass energy, with plans to significantly increase its use by 2030. Specifically, the expansion of biomass power generation facilities and the promotion of biomass fuels are being promoted. In addition, the amount of biomass resources in China is extremely abundant, and agricultural residues and forestry by-products are expected to be utilized. In the future, further growth of China's biomass energy market is expected.

"History and Characteristics of Introduction in Japan."

"History and Characteristics of the Introduction of Biomass Energy in Japan"

In Japan, the combustion of lumber mill waste (sawdust, sawdust, etc.) and the methane fermentation of livestock manure have been used for some time. The use of methane as an alternative energy source became popular for a while in the wake of the oil crisis, but later declined as the oil supply stabilized.

In Japan, the Basic Act on Energy Policy enacted in June 2002 stipulated the introduction of new energy sources from the perspective of environmental compatibility and energy security, and the Biomass Nippon Comprehensive Strategy enacted in December 2002 clarified the promotion of biomass energy. In addition, the Livestock Waste Law, which went into full effect in November 2004, and the Food Recycling Law, which came into effect in 2001, call for proper waste management and effective utilization of waste, and the use of biomass energy is attracting attention as a measure to achieve these goals.

"Stages of Biomass Energy Development in Japan."

"Stages of Biomass Energy Development in Japan" (in Japanese)

The development stages of biomass energy in Japan are defined in the Biomass Nippon Comprehensive Strategy as Phase I through Phase III. Phase I (~2005) is the introduction phase using established conversion technologies, mainly waste-based materials (note: conversion means making biomass resources usable as energy), Phase 2 (~2010) is the utilization of unused resources such as forest residues and inedible parts of crops, and Phase 3 (~2020) is the development phase using resource crops. Phase 3 (~2020) is the phase of strategic and active utilization through the cultivation of resource crops. For more details on the resources in each phase, please refer to the specialized literature.

"Biomass Energy Players."

"Biomass Energy Players"

The players in biomass energy include private companies, local governments, and public institutions and utilities that conduct research and promote biomass energy. Private players include biomass emitters, collectors, transporters, converters, product receivers, and equipment suppliers. Biomass emitters include livestock and arable farmers, forestry and lumber companies, construction and demolition companies, and landscaping and cleaning companies that emit prunings, while collectors and transporters are transportation companies and waste disposal companies. The core conversion operators are often organized in the form of various associations.

"5. Biomass Energy Issues and Future Trends."

As noted above, biomass energy is often difficult to make self-sustaining in terms of cost. The main reasons for this are as follows.
The distribution density of energy is low and collection costs are high.
High plant prices.
Low conversion efficiency and low energy production.
The unit price of products (electricity, heat, compost, etc.) is low, and demand is low except for electricity.
The treatment cost of the generated waste is high, as in the case of water treatment in wet methane fermentation when it is difficult to use the digested liquid as liquid fertilizer.
The high cost due to the above causes is the biggest impediment to the spread of methane fermentation, but there are other issues besides the cost, such as the following.

It takes time to collect information on technologies, systems, regulations, etc., and to prepare appropriate plans.
The registration as a waste treatment business or as an incinerator may be subject to regulations, which may limit the range of business schemes.
The following measures can be considered to address the above issues.

"Reduction of collection and collection costs
Reduce costs through technological development (e.g., more sophisticated and less expensive forestry machinery) and rationalization of collection systems.
Reduction of power generation plant prices
EBARA Corporation has launched a low-cost plant that can process 10 million yen/day (for a person who is responsible for the cost) by unitizing and standardizing the plant. In addition, Cornes AG has launched a blood-brightening plant that is housed in two 20-ton containers and costs less than 10 million yen/day for processing tons. Thus, it is expected that unitization, standardization, and large-scale production will lead to lower unit prices for equipment and installation costs, taking into account growing demand."

Utilization of public subsidy measures
The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, the Forestry Agency, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, the Agency for Natural Resources and Energy, NEDO, the Ministry of the Environment, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, and others have established subsidies for biomass utilization and waste treatment. (In FY2004, the subsidy is expected to be 1.5 times that of FY2003). In addition, the following are eligible for subsidies: (1) projects by local governments, (2) third sector or PFI projects, (3) projects by cooperatives, etc., and (4) private enterprises.

High efficiency and low cost through technological innovation
Improve the energy balance through technological innovation, while lowering treatment costs and reducing byproducts such as wastewater. Expansion of public support for research and development is also necessary.
Expansion of sales price and distribution volume of by-products
In accordance with the spirit of the RPS Law, it is desirable for the unit price of electricity sold to be around 10 yen/KWh, similar to that in the EU (in Japan, the current unit price is often over 4 yen/KWh). To achieve this, it is necessary not only for electric power companies to make efforts, but also for biomass companies to make efforts to improve the stability of supply through grid connection. In addition, it is necessary to expand the use of heat, which is currently not fully utilized. The development of infrastructure for supplying heat energy, as in Northern Europe, is desirable, especially in cold regions. In addition, it is important to stimulate demand for compost, liquid fertilizer, and carbide. In order to increase demand for compost and liquid manure, research and development in the agricultural sector is key to reducing weeding labor in organic and pesticide-reduced agriculture, creating disease-resistant varieties, and addressing the problem of excess nit
rogen."

Expansion of Information Network
The Biomass Information Headquarter was launched by the University of Tokyo in November 2003. Although still in the process of development, it is expected that a nationwide network for the exchange of practical information will continue to grow in the future.
Deregulation
With regard to regulations on the handling of waste, etc., consideration will be given to improving the business environment through the use of the Reclamation Authorization System and the Designation System, and the approval of special zones for structural reform. Another issue that has not surfaced at present but will arise in the future is the optimization of resource allocation. Since biomass has low energy density and is widely distributed, it is necessary to appropriately allocate available resources. In Europe, there is already a phenomenon of 'the first come, first served'. Since the appropriate utilization method differs depending on the type, properties, or distribution of the resource, it is necessary to optimize the distribution of resources throughout the region while comprehensively considering conversion efficiency and environmental impact. This is expected to require some policy guidance.