plant for France
(Encadrant : Sylvestre Njakou-Djomo)
France like other EU member states is in the process of decarbonizing its economy and reducing energy insecurity. Biomass will play an important role in the transition to a low carbon economy and in reaching the French targets for renewable energy. Currently, bioenergy production in France is mainly based on residues such as forest and agricultural residues. The increasing demand for bioenergy may, however, require that biomass is grown specifically for energy purposes. Miscanthus (a fast-growing biomass) is a well established and abundant biomass resource in France and has a key position regarding modern biomass use. There are proven technologies converting biomass to bioenergy (either heat, electricity, biofuels). Among these technologies, biomass gasification offers several advantages compared to combustion-based processes, the most prominent being possibility for downstream conversion to biofuels and the potential for higher electrical efficiency if used for electricity generation in a biomass integrated gasification combined cycle. Biomass gasification in general has a considerable surplus of heat which facilitates integration with district heating or industrial processes.
The goal of this project is to assess whether the production of bioelectricity from miscanthus is economically viable in France and to assess the climate impact of miscanthus based bioelectricity generation in France. The project will use primary and secondary data. To a large extend it will be based on the survey data (primary data) collected from farmers and energy companies using questionnaires. Secondary data collection tools are internet, databases, news papers, published research articles etc. Cost-Benefits analysis will be used to estimate the costs and benefits of miscanthus based bioelectricity (a developed tool could be provided to students for this purpose). A streamlined life cycle assessment will be used to assess the energy use and greenhouse gas emissions of the investigated bioenergy system (a simplified LCA model could be given to students).
The concept of energy return on energy invested (EROI) will be used to investigate whether bioelectricity is a net energy provider. Sensitivity analyses will be used to understand the relationship between input and output variables in the system. The project will generate new knowledge about possible use of bioenergy energy in France. It will also document the costs, benefits, and global warming potential of biomass gasification base-electricity for the region of France.