IEA Bioenergy Task 44: Flexible Bioenergy and System Integration (Working Period 2022 - 2024)

The ongoing and rapid expansion of wind and photovoltaic power generation is an undisputed principle of the energy transition. However, wind and solar power are fluctuating energy sources. To solve the dynamic puzzle between supply and consumption in a sustainable way, a flexibilization of our energy system is urgently needed. In addition to storage technologies and demand management, the bio-economy provides numerous other flexibilization options, for short-term to seasonal flexibility, for the power sector but also for heat supply and the provision of bio-based materials.

The Task 44 contributes to the development and analysis of bioenergy solutions that can provide flexible resources for a low-carbon energy system. The objective is to improve understanding of the types, quality and status of flexible bioenergy and its future role, and identification of barriers and future development needs in the context of the entire energy system (power, heat and transport). This can be seen through three high level objectives:

1. To identify and evaluate viable flexible bioenergy concepts for supporting low-carbon energy systems
2. To identify system requirements for flexible bioenergy concepts
3. To accelerate the implementation of flexible bioenergy concepts

To achieve the higher level objectives, the specific objectives defined for this triennium 2022-2024 are:

1. To deepen the understanding of flexible bioenergy through concrete Best Practice examples
2. To monitor the development of flexible bioenergy concepts
3. To enhance the recognition of flexible bioenergy potential through supporting the modelling capabilities
4. To identify the energy system requirements for which bioenergy is well-suited
5. To understand the boundary conditions and financial measures that support the implementation
6. To define the synergies with green hydrogen strategies and BECCS/U approaches

The Austrian consortium, consisting of BEST - Bioenergy and Sustainable Technologies and the Vienna University of Technology, will contribute the following expertise in particular:

• Technological expertise regarding the operation of plants for the provision of bioenergy and their system integration, with a special focus on thermal biomass conversion (in particular combustion, fixed bed and fluidised bed gasification as well as biogas) and biofuels (BEST).
• Modelling and simulation of energy systems to valorise flexibility in the different supply chain steps, from feedstock flexibility, storable bioenergy sources and positive/negative balancing power to product flexibility (TU Wien).

Together, the Austrian representatives will strive to bring Austrian showcase projects to the forefront and disseminate them internationally, as well as to involve the Austrian bioenergy sector accordingly and to disseminate the knowledge gained in the task within Austria.

• Australia
• Austria
• Finland (Task leader)
• Germany
• Ireland
• Netherlands
• Sweden
• Switzerland
• USA

BEST - Bioenergy and Sustainable Technologies GmbH
Markus Gölles
Inffeldgasse 21b
A-8010 Graz
E-mail: markus.goelles@best-research.eu

University of Technology Vienna
Institute of Chemical, Environmental & Bioscience Engineering
Thermal Process Engineering - Computational Fluid Dynamics
Getreidemarkt 9/166
A-1060 Vienna
Tel.: +43 (1) 58801-166202
E-mail: Fabian.schipfer@tuwien.ac.at