The demand to lower the earth's temperature by reducing greenhouse gas concentrations through various global agreements such as the Paris Agreement and Net Zero Emissions (NZE) 2050, followed by technical follow-up through decarbonization for various sectors and industries, continues. This is the driving force for increasing renewable fuels, especially those based on biomass or bioenergy products, which have been implemented, but are experiencing dynamics in the form of fluctuations in demand and prices. Bioenergy, with its numerous advantages and uniqueness as a renewable energy, cannot be replaced in this era of global decarbonization, even though in the near future some subsidies for biomass fuels or bioenergy will be eliminated.
This is closely related to a government's decarbonization priorities, particularly among the various emerging options. Bioenergy products can vary in quality, but all have their own market segments within specific industries. Furthermore, the sustainability of biomass sources is also a crucial aspect in the business and use of bioenergy, and is strictly enforced by standards such as GGL, FSC, SBP, RED III, and SURE. Industrial groups such as cement, iron and steel, chemicals, and even the aviation sector, which previously relied 100% on fossil fuels or energy sources, are gradually shifting to renewable energy sources.
Bioenergy products such as industrial wood pellets and industrial wood briquettes are primarily marketed in the power generation industry and as fuel for industrial boilers. Industrial wood pellets are very popular and are produced in larger quantities than industrial wood briquettes. Due to the elimination of subsidies and the implementation of sustainability certification, biomass fuel producers are required to produce better quality products using environmentally friendly and accountable raw materials. This also applies to bioenergy derived from agricultural waste, which generally lacks sustainability certification at large production capacities.
Biomass power plants operating near carbon neutrality can then be upgraded to carbon-negative operation, or atmospheric carbon dioxide removal (CDR) by adding carbon dioxide capture and storage (CCS) equipment. Biomass power plants equipped with CCS devices are popularly called BECCS (Bio-Energy Carbon Capture and Storage). It is predicted that the BECCS era will not be far off, and countries with biomass power plants can easily upgrade to BECCS. Expensive CCS equipment and low carbon credit revenue from CDR remain current obstacles. Japan, with around 300 biomass power plants, has great potential to upgrade to BECCS. And as a biomass power plant, the need for fuel will always be needed, such as wood pellets and PKS (palm kernel shells). For more details, read here.
One successful example of BECCS is the Stockholm Exergi BECCS project. BECCS illustrates how existing biomass power generation infrastructure can be leveraged to generate sustainable carbon dioxide sequestration. The Stockholm project, based on sustainably sourced biomass fuel, secured one of the world’s largest carbon sequestration deals with Microsoft, a significant contract worth SEK 500 million (~89 billion rupiah). Their model integrates carbon capture with a district heating system, maximizing energy efficiency while achieving permanent carbon dioxide sequestration.
Similarly, several other large industries, such as cement, aluminum, and chemicals, are also gradually decarbonizing. Biomass fuels, such as wood pellets and agricultural/plantation waste like palm kernel shells (PKS), are preferred in this sector. Besides their high energy content, these biomass fuels are more affordable than derivatives like torrefied biomass and charcoal/biochar. With the gradual transition or decarbonization of these industries, the demand for biomass fuels will also continue to increase.
Meanwhile, biocarbon products such as torrified biomass (biocoal) and carbonized biomass (biochar/charcoal) are starting to attract attention and are expected to reach mass production levels in the near future. Power plants typically favor biocoal due to its higher energy content, hydrophobicity, which allows it to be stored in open areas like coal, and ease of crushing (high grindability index). Meanwhile, biochar/charcoal, especially in the iron and steel industry, is highly suitable for producing low-carbon steel and even green steel. The reductant for blast furnaces, which previously used coke from coal, can be replaced by charcoal or biochar. Charcoal or biochar with high purity (fixed carbon >85%) and low impurities are required for blast furnace reductants. For more details on this, please read here and here.
Meanwhile, the use of biomass for sustainable aviation fuel or SAF (Sustainable Aviation Fuel) is also very possible. This is because currently there are three leading production processes for SAF production: HEFA (Hydro-processed Esters and Fatty Acids), FT (Fischer-Tropsch), and ATJ (Alcohol to Jet Fuel). Biomass through thermochemical processes, namely in FT (Fischer-Tropsch) and biochemical processes, namely in ATJ (Alcohol to Jet Fuel), can be used as raw material or feedstock. Meanwhile, the raw material or feedstock for the HEFA process is not solid biomass but vegetable oil, used cooking oil, animal fats, and so on. So the broad application of biomass as various important energy sources in the era of global decarbonization is a driving force for biomass production both through the forestry sector and sustainable agriculture/plantations.
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