We will promote diversified development of biomass energy

As countries intensify efforts to combat climate change, bioenergy will become an important means of decarbonizing many sectors that are difficult to electrify. Heating, cement, steel and other industries can use biomass solid fuel, biological gas to replace coal and other fossil fuels; Marine industry can use biological natural gas, biological methanol to replace the current heavy oil; The aviation industry can use bio-jet coal (sustainable aviation fuel) instead of fossil jet fuel. In the future, the biomass energy industry will develop in the direction of diversified utilization and high value-added.

China's biomass energy industry has begun to take shape

Ren Dongming (Research Fellow, Renewable Energy Development Center, Energy Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Macroeconomic Research) : Overall, China's development of biomass energy has a variety of advantages, which can be summarized in four aspects.

First, the variety is complete and widely distributed. China's biomass energy resources can be roughly divided into three categories. First, agricultural and forestry residues, including crop residues, agricultural product processing residues, and forestry residues. Among them, forestry residues include cutting residues, forest tending residues, wood manufacturing residues and wood processing residues. The second is organic waste, including urban domestic waste, domestic and industrial organic sewage, industrial organic waste, livestock and poultry manure. The third is energy crops, including sugar, starch, fiber and oil and other energy crops. China's biomass energy resources are not only complete, but also widely distributed throughout the country, which is convenient for local collection, processing and energy utilization.

Second, the amount of resources is huge. China is a large agricultural country, straw resources produce a large amount. According to the "National Crop Straw Comprehensive Utilization Report" issued by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, in recent years, China's grain production has a good harvest, and at the same time, crop straw production has increased year by year. In 2021, the national straw production will be 865 million tons, an increase of more than 35 million tons over 2018. The straw production of corn, rice and wheat reached 321 million tons, 222 million tons and 179 million tons respectively, accounting for 83.5% of the total. In addition to rich straw resources, China has 170 million tons of standard coal forestry leftovers, 0.3 million tons of standard coal domestic waste and 0.6 million tons of standard coal other organic waste resources for development and utilization every year.

Third, a relatively complete industrial system has been established. China has an independent and complete engineering design and equipment manufacturing capacity in agricultural and forestry biomass power generation and waste incineration power generation, and has established a relatively perfect standard system. The key technology systems including biomass power generation, biomass heating, molding fuel processing and anaerobic fermentation have been initially established. In the biomass boiler, forming machinery and fermentation equipment and other key equipment manufacturing has independent research and development and commercial production capacity.

Fourth, it has a relatively complete policy support system. In 2006, China officially implemented the Renewable Energy Law, which clearly included biomass energy in the scope of legislative regulation, and the development and utilization of biomass energy has legislative protection. In 2007, China promulgated the "Medium - and Long-Term Development Plan for Renewable Energy", which put forward clear large-scale development goals for biomass power generation, fuel ethanol, biodiesel, and biomass solid molding fuel. In 2010, China issued the benchmark on-grid price of 0.75 yuan per KWH for agricultural and forestry biomass power generation projects (direct combustion power generation); In 2012, the benchmark on-grid electricity price for waste incineration power generation was issued at 0.65 yuan per KWH, making biomass power generation secure a stable market price guarantee. In 2021, the "Action Plan for Achieving Carbon Peak before 2030" issued by The State Council proposed to focus on the implementation of the "Ten actions for achieving carbon peak", and clearly proposed to accelerate the application of renewable energy such as biomass energy and solar energy in agricultural production and rural life. In 2022, the "14th Five-Year Plan for Renewable Energy Development" once again emphasizes the steady development of biomass power generation, the active development of biomass clean heating, the accelerated development of biological natural gas and the vigorous development of non-food biomass liquid fuels. China's policy system framework to support the development of the biomass energy industry has basically taken shape.

With the support of various relevant policies, after years of development, China's biomass energy industry has begun to take shape. Biomass energy has developed steadily in the field of power generation, and by the end of 2021, the cumulative installed capacity of biomass power generation has reached 37.98 million kilowatts, generating 163.7 billion kilowatt-hours. Among them, agricultural and forestry biomass power generation capacity of 15.59 million kilowatts, generating 51.6 billion KWH; Garbage incineration power generation capacity of 21.29 million kilowatts, generating 108.4 billion KWH; The installed capacity of biogas power generation is 1.11 million kilowatts, generating 3.7 billion KWH. In addition to power generation, other biomass energy industries are also developing rapidly. By the end of 2021, China's biomass energy clean heating area of more than 300 million square meters, biomass energy molding fuel output of 22 million tons, fuel ethanol output of 2.9 million tons, biodiesel output of 1.2 million tons.