Biomass energy development is expected to get rid of going it alone

As an important renewable energy, biomass energy is green, low-carbon and clean, not only stable power generation output, but also participate in power peak balancing, which has great potential in promoting the realization of the "double exploration" goal. The National Development and Reform Commission and the National Energy Administration issued the Guiding Opinions on Strengthening the stability of the Power system under the New Situation on October 25, which clearly proposed the steady development of biomass power generation. However, due to the high cost factors, the installed scale of biomass energy is still far lower than other renewable energy sources.

According to data released by the National Energy Administration, from January to June this year, 1.76 million kilowatts of biomass power generation were newly connected to the grid, less than 2% of the new installed capacity of renewable energy in the country; As of the first half of this year, the cumulative installed capacity of biomass power generation was 43 million kilowatts, accounting for only 3.25% of the cumulative installed capacity of renewable energy in the country.

In order to promote the development of biomass energy, Sichuan, Zhejiang, Inner Mongolia and other provinces and regions clearly put forward the goal of installing biomass power generation during the "14th Five-Year Plan" period. In the view of the industry, biomass energy is expected to usher in rapid development with policy support, but based on the reality that pure power generation projects are difficult to make profits, comprehensive energy services and cross-industry, cross-industry integration and collaborative development will become the new direction of its development.

■■ Emission reduction potential to be tapped

Wang Feng, a member of the Standing Committee of the Party Committee and vice president of Beijing University of Chemical Technology, pointed out that China has rich biomass resources, and the use of biomass energy to replace fossil fuels is an important measure to improve the living environment and air quality, cope with the energy crisis and climate change challenges, and promote the adjustment of energy structure and green low-carbon technology innovation. Liu Guangqing, director of the Civil clean Stove Committee of China Rural Energy Industry Association, also said: "Carbon emissions in the energy sector account for more than 70%, and the development and utilization of biomass energy is one of the important ways to implement carbon replacement." China's biological resources are rich, many varieties, the annual production of straw more than 800 million tons, agricultural and forestry waste more than 1 billion tons, coupled with furniture factories and wood processing plants, the development of biomass energy foundation is solid."

However, at present, the level of biomass energy development and utilization needs to be improved. According to data released by the biomass energy Industry branch of the China Industrial Development Promotion Association, the comprehensive energy utilization rate of various wastes such as agricultural and forestry waste and livestock and poultry waste in China is about 10%. In 2022, the actual treatment of various kinds of biomass in China will reduce emissions by 190 million tons, which is only 20% to 26% of the emission reduction potential. According to the "3060 zero carbon biomass energy Development Potential Blue Book" released by the branch, China's biomass energy development potential is about 460 million tons of standard coal, while the actual conversion into energy is less than 0.6 million tons of standard coal.

For the non-electric use of biomass energy, the "14th Five-Year" renewable energy Development Plan "has clearly proposed the goal - by 2025, geothermal energy heating, biomass heating, biomass fuel, solar thermal utilization and other non-electric use scale to reach 60 million tons of standard coal.

The "China Biomass energy Industry Development Yearbook 2023" is expected that by 2030, the biomass energy industry will handle 760 million tons of organic waste, replace the standard coal volume of more than 130 million tons, pull the industry upstream and downstream investment of more than 600 billion yuan, and drive the number of employment in about 420,000.

■■ Transition to integrated energy services

The Hainan Institute of Green Finance believes that the current equipment and technology related to biomass power generation is mature, the key to the development of biomass power plants is profitability, and the biggest problem is high fuel costs. Liu Guangqing also proposed that from the current development of the biomass energy industry, the most important thing to consider is the cost.

In the context of the difficulty of making profits in pure power generation projects, how to change the direction of development and promote the transformation and upgrading of the biomass power generation industry?

Zhang Peng, deputy director of the New Energy Research Institute of the General Institute of Hydropower and Water Conservancy Planning and Design, said that in the future, the development and utilization of biomass will change to the direction of comprehensive energy services: First, with the transformation and upgrading of pure power generation of agricultural and forestry biomass such as straw to cogeneration, a single biomass power generation model will transform to comprehensive energy services; Second, the application of biomass energy in non-electric cities will be strengthened, which can provide clean heat and power in the fields of transportation, heating, heating, gas supply, fuel, etc., gradually expand the scope of application, and transform to comprehensive energy supply.