IEA Bioenergy Task "Thermal Gasification of Biomass"

Status

completed

Summary

The aim of IEA Bioenergy Task 33 "Thermal Gasification of Biomass" is to support thermal gasification of biomass to substitute fossil fuels in a long term. In this Task research activities of the member countries are coordinated to identify the non technical barriers and to overcome them.

The benefit of the Austrian participation is in particular the possibilities of exchange of experiences in an international network and cooperation worldwide (Australia, Brasil, Japan, Canada, New Zealand, USA) beyond the European research network. Information about innovative projects becomes available which is very useful for the Austrian research community. It enables a definition of Austrian`s position of the own activities in international bioenergy research.

During the period 2004-2006 11 countries (Denmark, Finland, GB, Italy, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, Germany since 2005, USA and Austria) and the European Commission were members in Task 33. The Task leader was the Institute of Gas Technology, USA.

Task 33 worked on the following issues (Information available):

• Short, medium and long term perspectives on biomass gasification technologies
• Gas Cleaning & Gas Engines for Small-scale Applications
• Hydrogen and Synthesis Gas for Fuels and Chemicals
• Health, Safety, and Environment of Biomass Gasification Plants
• Biomass Gasification, Gas Clean-up and Conditioning
• Success Stories and Lessons Learnt from Demonstration of Biomass Gasification Processes
• In co-operation with other IEA Bioenergy Tasks and organisations Task 33 focused on these topics:
• Co-firing of product gas from biomass gasification (in cooperation with Task 32 Biomass Combustion and Co-firing)
• Waste and RDF-gasification (in cooperation with Task 36, Energy from Integrated Solid Waste Management Systems)
• Country reports in cooperation with the EU network ThermalNet (politics, substitution programmes, R&D institutions, industries, R&D projects, implementation)
• Update of database of producers of gasification plants on industrial scale www.gasifiers.org
• Hydrogen production from biomass (in cooperation with IEA Hydrogen Implementing Agreement, Annex 16)

The participation of Austria offers the opportunity to present successful Austrian projects and know-how to a worldwide research and industrial community. This will be continued through Austria`s participation during the period 2007-2009.

Task-Verantwortlicher,
inhaltliche Projektbearbeitung

Univ. Prof. Dr. Hermann Hofbauer, Dr. Reinhard Rauch
TU Wien, Institut für Verfahrenstechnik
Getreidemarkt 9/166
A-1060 Wien
Tel.: +43 (0)1/58801-15954
Fax: +43 (0)1/58801-15999
E-Mail: rrauch@mail.zserv.tuwien.ac.at
Internet: www.vt.tuwien.ac.at

Österreichische Koordination
IEA Bioenergy
Univ. Doz. Dr. Josef Spitzer, DI Kurt Könighofer
Joanneum Research Forschungsgesellschaft mbH, Institut für Energieforschung
Elisabethstraße 5
A-8010 Graz
Tel.: +43 (0)316/876-1338
Fax: +43 (0)316/876-1320
E-Mail: kurt.koenighofer@joanneum.at
Internet: www.joanneum.at