More heating with biomass and reduced particulate emissions is possible in Europe

February 9, 2021

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Both the French environmental agency, ADEME, and the Austrian research center BEST, reach the same conclusion: to reduce CO2 and particle emissions into the atmosphere, it is necessary to replace equipment that uses fossil fuels and also obsolete wood-burning stoves and boilers.

Using modern biomass equipment would significantly accelerate the process, although it is also essential to use quality biofuels and carry out proper operation and maintenance of the facilities.

How are emissions measured?

Austrian researchers from the BEST center In 2019, they reviewed Austria's air pollutant inventory method from the Federal Environment Agency, finding that:

PM10 particle emissions from biomass heating systems have been overestimated due to an incorrect allocation between obsolete and modern technologies.

Modern biomass boilers and stoves generate far fewer emissions than those attributed globally to heating with wood-based biofuels.

Based on these findings, They proposed a change in the emission factor used for modern biomass equipment. and a more accurate distribution of the number of modern equipment vs obsolete for performing a more realistic emissions calculation.

In France, the CARVE project It has evaluated the emissions of obsolete equipment for 4 years (between 2015 and 2019), comparing them with modern systems, both wood and pellet, under real operating conditions.

The results confirm an improvement in all parameters studied when replacing an old piece of equipment with one of advanced technology: performance improvement between 16 and 34%; reduction of CO emissions between 41 and 87%; and reductions in particle emissions between 44 and 57%.

The ADEME study points out the three decisive factors in the generation of emissions from biomass combustion: biofuel moisture, equipment working power and installation maintenance.

In addition to having a high-performance biomass system, it is essential to correctly size the power according to the dimensions of the house, use certified biofuels, and carry out good maintenance of the installation.

More biomass, fewer emissions

BEST researchers conclude that by 2050 the Alpine country could reduce particulate emissions by 90% in a renewable 100% air conditioning scenario in which the share of modern biomass is increased using current technology (although in reality all manufacturers focus much of their technological efforts on continuing to reduce emissions).

In their study, they collected consumption and emissions data from 50 cases of replacing old equipment with biomass boilers, before and after the replacement, observing a reduction of more than 70% of CO2 - including emissions in the logistics chain of biofuels - and 50% in particles.

Thus, they estimate that, currently, for every wood-burning equipment replaced, between 8 and 10 oil boilers could be replaced by modern pellet systems without increasing PM10 emissions.

However, they also emphasize that, while important, replacing domestic heating equipment is not the only solution to eliminating particulate emissions. It would be highly advisable, on the one hand, to design a plan that compels major emitters to replace their outdated technologies and, on the other hand, to raise awareness about the importance of using appropriate fuels.

In 2050

Achieving a future with more efficient heating systems and no fossil fuels requires improving the energy performance of the building stock. Replacing outdated wood-burning boilers with modern biomass equipment will significantly accelerate this process. According to BEST, particulate emissions in Austria could be 901% lower than current levels by 2050.

And in Spain?

AVEBIOM organized the free webinar on February 23rd “Biomass emissions. Are they being accounted for correctly?” (VIDEO) in which a researcher from the BEST technology center will explain the project in detail.

According to Javier Díaz, president of AVEBIOM, “The image of thermal biomass is sometimes damaged by the misattribution of particulate emissions. This webinar aims to demonstrate that the methodology used to estimate emissions at the national level must clearly distinguish between obsolete and inefficient equipment and modern biomass systems, which fully comply with Ecodesign regulations.”

AVEBIOM has recently presented to the Government of Spain two ambitious projects to promote the implementation of biomass in municipalities with fewer than 5,000 inhabitants, through 100 new heating networks and the replacement of 255,000 obsolete or outdated heaters fossil fuels by modern biomass systems. “Actions fully aligned with the objectives of the Recovery and Resilience Plan and the reduction of emissions,”, Díaz affirms.