Pulp, Paper & Lumber
Emissions from Wood-Fired Combustion Equipment
The B.C. Energy Plan identifies biomass as a potential energy source as part of a clean, renewable energy future.
Early in 2008, the Ministry of Environment undertook to review guidelines for emission standards in anticipation of new biomass-fired combustion electricity projects under the BC Hydro call for new biomass-fired power projects.
As part of this work the ministry hired a contractor to investigate biomass combustion practices and produce a report that:
- Compares emission performance for various biomass combustion technologies;
- Assesses practices in other jurisdictions;
- Indicates the expected emissions from all biomass-fueled systems in use, in demonstration and research and development, domestically and internationally;
- Compares emission rates, capital expenditures, operating costs, feedstock availability and reliability, efficiencies and savings, and lifecycle considerations for biomass-fired combustion processes;
- Provides a comparison of emissions from current biomass combustion and control technologies;
- Indicates emission levels for logical size categories for biomass combustion units; and
- Compares performance of current business as usual biomass combustion and best-available non-biomass technologies.
The final report from the contractor is available at the link below. The ministry intends to use this report as a basis for proposing new guidelines for emission standards for biomass-fuel electricity projects.
|
