Biomass: International Directory of Companies, Products, Processes & Equipment

251 Pages·1986·38.03 MB·English

by  J. Coombs (auth.)

International Directory of Companies
Products, Processes & Equipment
International Directory of Companies
Products, Processes & Equipment
J.COOIBS
M
S
TOCKTON
P R E S S
© Macmillan Publishers Ltd, 1986
All rights reserved. No part of this publication
may be reproduced, or transmitted, in any form
or by any means, without permission.
Published in the United States and Canada by
Stockton Press, 1986
15 East 26th Street, New York, NY 10010
ISBN 978-0-943818-19-1
First published in the United Kingdom by
MACMILLAN PUBLISHERS LTD, 1986
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
Biomass directory. - No. 1-
1.Biomass energy-Europe-Periodicals
662'.6 TP360
ISBN 978-0-333-39289-8 ISBN 978-1-349-08012-0 (eBook)
DOI 10.1007/978-1-349-08012-0
CONTENTS
Introduction vii
How to use the Directory viii
Overview ix
PART I COMPANIES AND ORGANISATIONS
ARGENTINA 3 ITALY 61
AUSTRALIA 3 JAPAN 65
AUSTRIA 5 KENYA 69
BANGLADESH 6 KOREA 70
BELGIUM 7 MALAWI 70
BRAZIL 12 MALAYSIA 70
CANADA 16 MAURITIUS 71
CHILE 23 NETHERLANDS 71
CHINA 24 NEW ZEALAND 75
COSTA RICA 24 NORWAY 76
CUBA 24 PAKISTAN 76
CYPRUS 25 PHILIPPINES 77
DENMARK 25 POLAND 78
EGYPT 29 PORTUGAL 78
FINLAND 30 SPAIN 79
FRANCE 33 SWEDEN 80
GERMANY 44 SWITZERLAND 92
GREECE 53 UNITED KINGDOM 94
GUATEMALA 54 UNITED STATES 128
HUNGARY 54 WEST INDIES 160
INDIA 54 YUGOSLAVIA 160
IRELAND 57 ZIMBABWE 161
ISRAEL 60
PART II
Country Index 165
Company & Organisation Index 166
Products and Services Index 184
BUYERS GUIDE, Products, Research & Services 194
INTRODUCTION
The Biomass Energy Concept development and demonstration projects with
the aim of oil substitution.
This DIRECTORY covers commercial and research Changing Emphasis
activities related to the production of
biomass and its use as a source of fuels or The various approaches taken and the
bulk chemicals. For a microbiologist the achievements in various sectors are
term biomass has a rather specific meaning, considered in more detail in the Overview.
referring to the living cells which are However, irrespective of the technical
cultured within a fermenter. For an ecologist success questions of biomass production and
the term refers to all living organisms conversion it is now obvious that original
within a given ecosphere. However, as far as short-term pressures which led to this
energy production is concerned, a rather massive investment in development of biomass
different meaning has gradually evolved, with research, development and demonstration
the term biomass being used to describe any (RD&D) do not apply today. However, the oil
organic material, generally of plant origin, shortages of the 1970s have been replaced by
which may be used as feedstock for any the crop surpluses of the 1980s, coupled with
process which is aimed at the generation of increased concern about the use of lead in
energy or fuel in some form or another. Due petrol, acid rain and the environment in
to the predominantly plant-based or1g1n of general, worry about the nuclear reactor as
most biomass feedstocks it has been suggested an energy source and stricter legislation on
by some purists that a more appropriate term pollution control in the industrialized
would be 'phytomass' (from the Greek phyton a countries.
plant). However, as is often the case,
general usage rather than etymology has the As a result, in these countries interest in
last word and the term 'biomass energy biomass energy has shifted from the primary
systems' is now widely accepted to cover objective of oil substitution to a broader
the concept. one with conservation of raw materials,
energy and the environment the main foci.
Oil Substitution Although many of the technologies which have
been developed were originally aimed at
The origin of current biomass energy systems purpose-grown energy crops or designed to use
lies in the revival of interest in solar farm wastes, these sectors have shown few
energy, as one of the many renewable energy successful commercial installations - mainly
options, which has evolved over the last due to economic factors. On the other hand
decade. The concept of using wood, many of the concepts developed with energy
agricultural residues or other organic wastes generation as the primary objective have now
as fuel is not of course new. Prior to the been adapted to combine some recovery of
industrial revolution, fuelled first by coal energy with material recycling, pollution
and then by oil, biomass-derived fuels were abatement or waste disposal.
used worldwide. For many developing
countries they remain the only source of heat Extensive R,D&D
or light available to the large rural
population, but have become more scarce under This change in emphasis continues to bring
the combined effects of deforestation, new people or organizations into contact with
increased population and pressure to use the biomass energy concept and hence into
tribal lands for the production of cash contact with the very broad multi-disciplined
crops. In the developed countries the area in which, over the last 10 or 15 years,
availability of cheap fossil fuel led to a thousands of organizations have been involved
general decline in biomass use other than in worldwide in R,D&D. This interest and
some domestic situations or in the form of commercial activity has generated many
residues in factories as a process fuel. publications, in the form of technical
reports, proceedings of conferences,
However, as is well known, the situation feasibility studies and economic assessments
changed in the early 1970s. Large variations and these are of course accessible through a
in the price of oil, which had become the number of the large databases. However, prior
major commercial fossil fuel, led to to the publication of this Directory there
industrial instability and a general has been no readily accessible listing of
recession in manufacturing worldwide. Concern such activities, suppliers of equipment and
was also felt about the long-term research groups. Hence, this volume has beer.
availability of oil, due to diminishing produced to fill the gap.
reserves, and short-term security of supply,
with oil becoming a political bargaining
point. The ability to buy oil decreased as The Directory Format
income decreased from agricultural products
in the developing countries and from
manufactured goods in the industrialized The format of the book and the method:
nations. Against this background considerable adopted to obtain the information follo1
sums of both public sector and private sector those used for the very successfu:
vii
Introduction
International Biotechnology Directory, which
is now in its third year of publication. How to use the DIRECTORY
Organizations, comprising companies, research
institutes and universities are grouped The BIOMASS DIRECTORY has been designed to
alphabetically on a country basis in Part I make a large amount of information easily
and listed alphabetically in the Organisation accessible to a wide variety of users. The
Index in Part II, the Buyers Guide. A further Directory has been divided into two main
Products and Services Index lists the various parts, the listing of organizations and
research topics, products or services covered companies and the listing of products,
in the Buyers Guide section, which is services and research topics. The resulting
organized alphabetically by product or sections are arranged alphabetically. Part I
service, with each main heading followed by is organized by country, whereas Part II is
a list of all relevant organizations, further organized on the basis of products or
divided into subheadings as appropriate. services offered. Three indices, covering (i)
Countries, (ii) Organizations and (iii)
One result of the rapid changes in oil price Products and Services enable specific entries
as well as the change in emphasis within the to be identified.
biomass energy concept from oil substitution
to material recycling, conservation and The Product and Services Index is cross
dealing with problems of land use and referenced to enable identification of a
agricultural surpluses, has been an equally general heading in the Buyers Guide. Where
rapid change in the interests of some appropriate the major sections such as, for
organizations. This has been particularly example, Anaerobic Digesters are subdivided
true during the first half of 1986, the into second-level categories. Within each
periOd over which this volume was completed. section relevant organizations are listed
As a result some companies have shifted their alphabetically by the name as it appears in
interests, and a few may indeed have ceased the country listing (Part I). The relevant
trading. Obviously it is not possible to country is indicated by an abbreviated
continually update a printed volume or indeed country code. The abbreviations used are
always to obtain information on such changes. listed in the Country Index.
Hence, you are invited to bring such matters
to the attention of the editor. If your
company or organization is not included and
you would like an entry in the next edition
please let us know. We would be pleased to
receive company reports, product catalogues
or similar literature.
viii
OVERVIEW
The technical aspects of biomass energy use Many trials have been carried out on varying
fall into three categories of (i) raw scales with the objective of identifying
material production, (ii) conversion or optimum species and growth conditions. In
upgrading to produce a higher-value fuel, general these have indicated that where the
chemical or energy vector and (iii) end use. objective is to optimize the trapping of
solar energy into a non-specific biomass raw
Raw materials may be derived from purpose material, fast growing tree species such as
grown traditional agricultural crops eucalyptus, willows, poplars, ipil-ipil, or
producing sugar or starch, forestry species various pines and firs offer the best yields.
grown in short rotation or using coppice, To obtain such yields may require a move away
stands of natural vegetation (scrub, reeds from the traditional forestry practices, with
and rushes, bracken, etc), aquatic plants either coppicing or short rotation forestry
(such as water hyacinth) or algae (with an on a three to five year basis predominating.
emphasis on fresh water micro-algae and
seawater macro-algae). Alternatively, raw Where the need is to produce a specific raw
materials may be by-products or wastes material amenable to a specific conversion
generated by agriculture (including manures), process, such as the production of fuel
forestry, the paper and pulp industry or the alcohol by yeast fermentation, the
processing of agricultural raw materials to traditional starch and sugar crops (maize and
refined food products. More recently, sugar cane in particular) remain the only
interest has shifted away from purpose-grown proven source of such raw materials, although
crops towards the use of the organic fraction significant research and demonstration work
of solid refuse, forest residues and waste is being directed at crops such as Jerusalem
streams from the processing industries which artichoke and sweet sorghum.
contain a high organic loading (chemical or
biological oxygen demand- COD or BOD). Collection, transport and storage costs
remain a significant factor in any biomass
The reasons for the choice of raw material energy system. There are obvious advantages
are a mixture of expediency and economics. At where these costs can be off-set in part
current prices of alternative competing fuels against the production of a higher value co
derived from gas, oil or coal, the biomass product; for instance the use of bagasse for
raw materials must be available at low cost power and electricity generation in the cane
in order to justify investment in the sugar industry. However, where separation of
necessary handling, conversion and end-use the required higher value product and the
equipment. Costs of purpose-grown biomass may residue takes place in the field (as is the
be high both in straight economic terms and case with most large-scale grain production)
in terms of energy. the economics of collection and use of the
residual straw remain problematic and various
Although biomass raw materials are included concepts which may be generally covered by
in the so-called renewable energy sources the term whole crop harvesting have yet to be
since they can be regenerated and the total proven.
availability of new material produced
worldwide greatly exceeds the world's energy In some localities natural vegetation
needs, their use is often beset with problems represents an important source of biomass
of accessibility, collection, transport, used for fuel; this is true in many
drying and storage. Furthermore, high developing countries. The problems here are
production rates are dependent on good associated with the implementation of schemes
agricultural or forestry practice with for replacement. The harvesting of natural
significant inputs in terms of fuels, vegetation may be associated with a change in
chemicals to protect against pests and land use towards the large-scale production
disease, and fertilizer. Apart from the of cash crops, or may precede dereliction and
actual costs of such inputs the net gain in degeneration towards desert.
terms of energy in the harvestable biomass as
a function of fossil fuel inputs must be Algae, aquatic and emergent aquatic plants
optimized in order to justify such use. The have many traditional uses as sources of
search has thus been for crops or species polysaccharides, fuels or structural
which will give high yields (in terms of materials. However, often the scale of use
weight of dry matter per unit land area per has been such as not to disrupt the natural
annum) at low energy and labour costs to ecology of the region, leaving a sustainable
generate a product which can be stored, so as resource. The extent to which such species
to be available year-round, without too much can be farmed has yet to be proven. Many
loss through biodeterioration. Obviously, studies have been carried out concerning the
the yields which can be obtained are largely farming of both macro-algae (seaweeds) and
dependent on the climatic and environmental micro-algae. In general, structural,
conditions of the region under consideration, engineering and harvesting costs would appear
with the sub-tropics, where a reasonable to argue against the large-scale production
annual solar irradiance is linked with a of micro-algae in sophisticated bioreactors,
good, even, rainfall pattern, offering the although production in large scale open ponds
best growing conditions. in regions of high annual irradiation may
ix
Overview
well be feasible. An attraction of such compress small residues (such as sawdust and
systems is that high levels of biomass straw) into pellets or briquettes with the
production become feasible in desert regions. objective of producing an even-sized material
An alternative approach, relevant to such suited to automatic boiler firing. In
arid regions, has been trials on higher general, shredders which disrupt the material
plants adapted to low moisture conditions. In at random are robust and reliable, although
such regions yields are constrained by water chippers which aim to produce an even-sized
availability. However, a number of such output may require more maintenance and be
plants are of particular interest since the more erratic. Compacting equipment varies in
mechanism of adaptation includes the the mechanism used (piston, screw or rotating
production of significant quantities of die), the temperature of operation, the
hydrocarbons, aromatic compounds, latex or degree of densification, the extent of
rubber. charring and hence the size, density and
calorific value of the output. Systems vary
As far as wastes are concerned there are few from the small unit suited to farm use to
biomass materials which cannot be used from very large RDF (refuse-derived fuel) plant
the technical aspect. The decision to use handling several tonnes per hour. In general,
such materials as fuels remains an economic the validity of compaction depends on local
one in which the benefits of use as a fuel economics, the availability of competing fuel
must be balanced against the additional (biomass-based or otherwise) and the
capital costs required and compared with the technical need to have a pelleted fuel for
costs of alternative methods of disposal. the combuster. Alternative approaches to
Most wastes of a biological origin will of combustion (or gasification) of particulate
course rot away through biological biomass include the use of cyclonic burners,
degradation if simply discarded and left. fluidized beds or entrained systems.
Where such residues are accumulated as a
Added value may be achieved by converting
result of factory processing, and
biomass which, in its original form, is only
particularly where decomposition can lead to
suited to direct combustion to gas, liquid
pollution of water courses, legislation may
fuel, transport fuels or electricity. A wide
force alternative treatments. Hence, the
range of thermochemical systems, varying in
establishment of strong, enforced, anti
size from small vehicle mounted gasifiers to
pollution legislation may be a major factor
design studies for a thousand tonne per day
in the development of waste-based energy
methanol plant have been investigated. These
systems.
can be classified on the basis of the
organization of the biomass bed in respect of
Irrespective of the source of biomass in
the gasification medium with fixed bed
general it can be divided.into two categories
updraft or downdraft small-scale systems
on the basis of water content and the
quite widely available and larger fluidized
solubility of the organic fraction. The first
bed systems under investigation. The end
group of materials, generally with a high
lignocellulose content, has a low moisture product may be fuel gas, for direct process
content and is amenable to combustion or use, or in small-scale systems may be used to
power an internal combustion gas-engine for
thermochemical conversion. The second group,
with high moisture (where much of the organic electricity generation. Alternatively,
material comprises low molecular weight oxygen-blown systems may be aimed at
compounds, and sugars in particular) contains production of synthesis gas for methanol,
hydrogen or ammonia (fertilizer). Although a
those sources of raw material more suited to
number of prototype and demonstration systems
biological conversion. Obviously the two
have been constructed, large-scale commercial
groups are interconvertible. Where the
plant have to compete against alternative
aqueous streams of a production plant contain
(fossil-fuelled) systems with economies of
biological inhibitors or only low
scale and fewer problems of collection,
concentrations of compounds which are
storage and transport, which make it
readily metabolized, it may be necessary to
difficult for biomass systems to compete in
concentrate the residue for combustion or
most countries at present fuel and chemical
thermal treatment. In contrast, a very large
prices.
research effort has been directed at
developing methods for converting Problems remain in many gasifier systems,
ligocellulosic raw materials into lower associated with removal of particulate
molecular weight fraction. materials and tars from the gas stream. The
need for gas treatment or conditioning can
Although at present the greatest use of add substantially to the cost of a small
biomass as a fuel concerns combustion of dry gasifier/generator system resulting in
residues to produce heat or steam, this borderline economics at pre·sent. An
represents the lower end of the added-value alternative approach is pyrolysis, where the
scale where biomass competes against coal and system is optimized towards the production of
fuel oil and a very wide range of stoves, either charcoal, where there is a large
stokers, modified grates, boilers and steam market in most countries, or tar-oil
generators is available, ranging from small production. In theory such oils can be used
domestic systems to district heating or as fuels. However, unmodified pyrolysis oils
electricity generating systems in the are often unpleasant mixtures of potentially
megawatt range. This is a large and well harmful compounds ranging from phenols and
established proven market for both the sale other aromatics to aliphatic or nitrogen
of raw materials and the sale of equipment. containing molecules. These may require
further treatment, cracking or refining if
Associated with combustion of biomass is a they are to be used as a transport fuel. An
wide range of equipment designed to reduce alternative approach has been to try and
large pieces in size or to compact or produce a higher quality liquid hydrocarbon
X
Overview
fuel using a direct catalytic/hydrogenation viable cellulose hydrolysis processes.
system - often based on the use of tetralin Considerable work has been carried out in
as a hydrogen donor in a pressurized reactor. respect of both acid and enzyme based
Such systems remain at the research level. It systems. A number of acid based cellulose
is also possible to generate hydrocarbons plant exist, although the efficiency could be
from biomass by a combination of gasification improved. Problems are associated with acid
to produce synthesis gas, conversion to recovery or waste disposal, corrosion and
methanol using standard chemical technology loss of product through degradation. In
and then polymerization of the methanol using contrast, the milder enzyme based systems are
zeolite catalysts. still limited by enzyme costs and activities.
Considerable work is being carried out with
Other potential sources of liquid hydrocarbon the objective of genetic manipulation of
fuels are the various arid crops which organisms producing cellulase to overcome
produce latex. At present, more studies are such problems.
being carried out in relation to increased
productivity in the field than to end use. In As far as fermentation is concerned, work
contrast, studies have taken an alternative continues in the areas of novel fermentation
approach in the use of vegetable oils in systems (solid substrate fermentations,
diesel engines, being largely been concerned thermophilic systems, immobilized cell
with modification of the oil, by reactors, etc) and the use of novel organisms
esterification, investigation of such as Zymomonas, various Clostridia or
diesel/vegetable oil blends or modification fungi. However, unless these are capable of
of pre-combustion engines to reduce problems using novel substrates they will not overcome
of engine coking. Although at present such the basic problem of raw material cost.
use may not be economic, it is thought to
have particular strategic importance since The degradation of lignocellulosic materials
use of such oils would permit continuation of remains one of the problems associated with
farming and hence food production during the use of anaerobic digestion to produce
periods of local dislocation of supply. methane (biogas). A large number of different
designs of small and intermediate size (10 -
The production of fuel ethanol by 1000 cubic metre) digesters have been built
fermentation remains the largest area of worldwide based on stirred tank or semi-plug
biomass processing for liquid fuel flow operation as a means of treating manures
production. The major programmes, based on and slurries with concurrent generation of
sugar cane in Brazil and maize in the United energy for farm use. The viability of such
States, are now producing over ten million systems has been affected by problems of
tonnes per annum although the objectives reliability and the question of what to do
differ. In Brazil the programme was launched with the gas on the farm, where energy needs
as a means of reducing oil imports, and has are limited, resulting in a rather static
led to the widespread introduction of market except where government grants have
modified cars to run on 95% ethanol. By promoted such systems. At the lower end of
contrast, in the US the objective has been to the scale large numbers of simple digesters
combine the production of an octane enhancer have been built in developing countries,
for lead free petrol with the generation of a providing some light and cooking fuel. The
market for surplus agricultural produce. success or otherwise of such systems appears
to depend on the robustness of the
In Europe the possibilities of using ethanol construction material and the dedication of
as a petroleum additive have attracted the operator in ensuring the system works. In
considerable attention for these reasons as the developed countries the emphasis now lies
the European Community is faced with similar on disposal of industrial effluents, where a
crop surpluses and has introduced legislation wide range of different systems (anaerobic
to remove lead from petrol by the end of this filters, sludge blankets, contact digesters,
decade. The main feedstocks are perceived as fluidized bed systems, etc) have been built
sugar beet and wheat and a number of pilot or with the objective of reducing hydraulic
demonstration projects, including a wheat residence time whilst achieving a high degree
based plant in Sweden, have been built. The of microbial biomass retention.
main constraint remains the cost of raw
materials, which at European prices sustained The most active current market as far as
by the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), biogas production is concerned is that
remain at about twice world prices. associated with the recovery of biogas from
Sugestions have been made that fuel alcohol landfill sites. On very large sites gas
should be subsidized with the objective of purification systems based on scrubbers,
maintaining farmers' incomes and overcoming molecular sieves or membrane separation can
problems of taking land out of production. result in large volumes of pipeline quality
However, the size of subsidies which would be gas. However, in general there is now a move
required brings the concept into question towards on-site electricity generation.
even in Brazil and the US, where feedstock
costs are lower significant subsidies are The generation of heat or steam, the
required. production of elctricity, or the manufacture
of a liquid transport fuel, remain the main
The widespread adoption of bioethanol end-use objectives of most biomass energy
programmes depends on the identification of systems. The aim is to convert the raw
lower cost feedstocks. Obviously, there is a biomass into a form where it is compatible
potential for use of wastes such as straw, with existing technology. Hence, as far as
forest residues and paper. However, the engines, vehicles, generators, turbines, etc,
problem with such lignocellulosic feedstocks are concerned the need has been for slight
remains the identification of economically modification rather than radical re-design.
xi