Energy from biomass

Researchers here are working on the development of climate-neutral fuels from forestry waste and agricultural waste. The University of Twente has succeeded in producing pyrolysis oil from this waste that is suitable for blending with conventional oil. Improvements in the technology mean that this pyrolysis oil is becoming ever more suitable as a source for a range of products, including transportation fuels and chemicals. Pyrolysis oil will also fuel a new generation of gas turbines capable of supplying carbon-neutral buildings and urban neighbourhoods with heat and power. These gas turbines are being developed in collaboration with two local companies, OPRA and BTG. In cooperation with another company, Twence, the University of Twente is developing a means of collecting and compressing biomass, then efficiently converting it into a form that can be transported and processed. This new mobile device uses feedstock engineering to convert twigs and leaves into a kind of “Green Coal” (chunks of biomass with a homogeneous, high calorific value). In partnership with Wageningen University, work is in progress on the cost-effective production of fuel from algae.