Biobased energy conversion parks : a multidimensional approach for efficient use of biomass

This paper shows how locally available biomass is used to its full potential as source for renewable energy and bio-based products with a multidimensional integrated approach. The use of locally available biomass streams, which are currently hardly or not optimally used, is the center of the project Energy Conversion Parks (ECP). In this work we show the project results for the municipality of Breda, in the southern part of the Netherlands. The ECP developed for this municipality combines anaerobic digestion of various biomass streams, use of waste heat in biogas installations, and use of biogas output for several purposes (heat, electricity, green gas and liquid bio-methane). Models have been developed to quantify the production of various energy vectors as a function of inputs. Moreover, choices can be made about the inputs and outputs, allowing to vary the quantities produced. The models can also calculate the internal rate of return and influence of subsidies for the different process configurations.