The Centers for Renewable Energy and Biomass Utilization are a designated Center of Excellence located at the
Energy & Environmental Research Center (EERC) on the University of North Dakota (UND) campus. The Centers conduct critical research, development,
demonstration, and commercial deployment of technologies utilizing biomass, wind, solar, geothermal, and hydro-electric energy sources. The
Centers also aid in the development of technologies focused on energy efficiency.
Biomass Web Exclusive
Distributed Biomass Waste-to-Energy Technology for a Sustainable Future
By Nikhil Patel
The majority of electricity in the U.S. is produced at large, centralized coal, gas or nuclear power plants. Only Hawaii still maintains significant oil-fired power generation.
For the past several years, however, federal and state rules, incentives, and energy portfolio standards have led to significant new power generation from sustainable sources of
distributed energy, such as locally available biomass
Distributed biomass power generation systems can range in size from less than 1 MW to 50 MW, depending on the amount of opportunistic, residual, or waste biomass fuel available. Oftentimes,
landfill restrictions or higher costs stimulate interest in smaller biomass power systems. These opportunity biomass fuels and feedstocks can include forestry byproducts, used railroad ties,
high-moisture animal waste, or liquid effluents generated in ethanol distilleries and food-processing plants. In utilizing these waste materials, not only can power be generated sustainably,
but the amount of material that needs treatment or processing prior to landfilling is reduced, thereby reducing costs for producers
Gasification is one option for well-contained conversion of biomass to power, using the resulting syngas in boilers or an internal combustion engine generator. The Energy & Environmental
Research Center’s experience in the technology goes back six decades....
(READ MORE)
EERC...The International Center for Applied Energy Technology®