The advantages of biomass power generation and the problems to be faced



Advantages of biomass power generation

First of all, biomass power generation is conducive to energy conservation and emission reduction. Straw burning is one of the main causes of large-scale haze in northern China in recent years. With the substantial increase of rural crop output in China, straw treatment has become a major problem, and large-scale straw burning is repeatedly prohibited. Biomass power generation has a carbon neutral effect, and the sulfur and nitrogen content is lower than that of fossil energy, through centralized combustion and equipment such as dust removal and desulfurization, which helps to reduce emissions and promote air pollution prevention and control. Operating a 30,000 kilowatt biomass generator set, compared with the same type of thermal power units, can save 80,000 tons of standard coal and reduce carbon dioxide by 200,000 tons per year.

Secondly, biomass power generation helps to adjust the energy consumption structure. As a renewable energy, biomass energy has a wide range of sources, abundant reserves, renewable and storable. The principle of biomass power generation is similar to that of thermal power, the power is stable, the quality is high, and it is more friendly to the power grid. Compared with the same stable hydropower, the number of annual generation hours of biomass power generation is 7000-8000 hours. The development of biomass power generation is one of the effective ways to replace traditional energy with renewable energy, which is of great significance for replacing fossil energy, increasing energy supply, adjusting energy structure, and building a stable, economic, clean and safe energy supply system to ensure energy security.

Finally, biomass power generation can also help targeted poverty alleviation. Biomass power generation has the characteristics of long industrial chain and strong driving force, is an important carrier for the integrated development of agriculture, industry and service industry, and is a weapon for industrial precision poverty alleviation. The installed scale of 30,000 kilowatts of biological power generation projects consume about 270,000 tons of biomass, such as according to the purchase price of 300 yuan per ton of straw, will drive the annual income of farmers in the region of more than 80 million yuan. At the same time, around the straw acquisition, storage, transportation and other industrial chains, can provide 2,000 jobs for local rural areas.

The problems that biopower generation will face

First, the pressure of environmental protection will become more and more intense. With the continuous occurrence of large-scale haze weather in the country in recent years, the state and local governments have successively issued more stringent "boiler air pollutant emission standards".

In key provinces such as Hebei, Shandong and Henan, some biomass power plants have begun to be required to limit production or stop production in severely polluted weather, following the environmental emergency response mechanism. At present, the online monitoring of all enterprises' boiler flue gas indicators has already formed a normal state, so in the near future, with the continuous increase of the national governance of the atmospheric environment, there will be more and more regions to implement "key areas" emission standards. At that time, biomass direct combustion power generation should consider achieving ultra-low emissions, and how to position straw fuel in it and what role it will play will become an important issue.

Second, there is a possibility of future on-grid electricity price adjustment. At the end of 2016, the National Energy Development and Reform Commission issued document [2016] No. 2729, which adjusted the benchmark on-grid tariff for photovoltaic power generation and onshore wind power. According to the draft of the preliminary solicitation of opinions, biomass direct combustion power generation is prominent in the list, indicating that the price adjustment of biomass direct combustion power generation has been considered at that time. Coupled with the sustainable development of new energy in recent years, the national renewable energy development fund gap has exceeded 60 billion yuan in 2016, then it is inferred that there is the possibility of adjusting the on-grid electricity price of biomass direct combustion power generation in the next few years.

Third, the sustainability of straw fuel preferential policies. The development and utilization of biomass energy has economic, ecological and social benefits. At present, the cost of producing ecological environmental benefits also comes from the total cost of enterprises, and many enterprises reflect to governments at all levels and competent departments through different channels that this cost should be excluded from the total cost, borne by the government, and returned to farmers or enterprises through policy subsidies, so as to realize the environmental benefits shared by all the people. Now many provinces and cities in the country have introduced straw comprehensive utilization subsidies, some direct compensation for enterprises, and some subsidies to fuel brokers, no matter who the final income is, the final is to promote the development of the industry, improve the comprehensive utilization of straw fuel. However, we can see that many policies are 2-3 years of subsidy period, no long-term mechanism has been formed, and whether it can be sustained in the future remains to be observed. If the subsidy is removed, it will not bring negative impact to the industry, which will be an important issue for biomass power plants to face.

Fourth, market competition intensifies, and some enterprises' functional positioning shifts. With the expansion of the biomass direct-fired power generation market scale and fierce competition, more and more enterprises are crazy to purchase urban leftovers, ignoring the development of local straw resources, and even giving up the straw supply system that has been established. Not paying attention to the development and utilization of local straw resources, contrary to the original intention of the enterprise to build a factory in this site, is a serious deviation of the functional positioning of the enterprise, will give the local government does not use local resources and do not support for local development, will have a profound impact on the healthy and sustainable development of enterprises.