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Economic Feasibility of the CarboREN Process
Government support for energy from biomass in the European Union (EU) will create an enormous market in the coming years for imported solid biomass for co-firing, since the demand cannot be met locally. The demand in the EU will rise to 140 million tons of biomass-pellets per year by 2020, according to the RWE (largest European utility). The current pellet production in the EU is at 8 million tons, with a theoretical further capacity of only up to 6 million tons per year.
The CarboREN® technology developed by SunCoal Industries contributes to meeting this need through the refining of previously unused organic waste. SunCoal Industries technology offers the following advantages compared to other technologies:
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SunCoal® pellets have double the energy density per m³ than wood chips, reducing transport costs
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The hydrophobic characteristics of SunCoal pellets allow them, in comparison to wood chips and pellets, to be openly packed and transported, reducing handling costs
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Using SunCoal pellets in existing coal power plant does not require any significant additional investment, since the existing infrastructure can be readily used, as opposed to wood chips and pellets
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Compared to wood and torrefaction pellets, SunCoal can be readily used in entrained flow gasifiers
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In addition to the low refinement costs, the CarboREN process allows other biomass materials to be added to wood, significantly reducing the price of the biomass
The costs of producing SunCoal biofuel are comparable to those of torrefaction and wood pellets. But taking into account that SunCoal Industries technology relies on the use of organic waste of existing processes and agriculture, the base costs are actually much lower.
