The use of solid biomass to generate energy has the longest global tradition and is still the most commonly used of all renewable energy technologies. Solid biomass includes all dry or dried plant material, such as bulk plant materials and plant parts. German systems technology for using solid biomass in energy generation has undergone continuous development, making it highly reliable and providing solutions tailored to meet customer requirements in the best way possible.

Technologies and applications

The energy released when burning solid biomass in modern heating systems is utilised very efficiently. Wood, mainly in the form of split logs, wood chips and pellets, is the primary energy source. Manually operated, partly automated and fully automated furnaces and boilers with electronically regulated firing systems have been developed to burn this wood, resulting in a low-emission combustion process with a particularly high efficiency factor of up to 90 %. The highly efficient technologies German companies offer are global leaders in all performance classes, ranging from small boiler systems for directly heating houses and apartment buildings up to biomass boilers that efficiently supply heat through district heating networks. German manufacturers are particularly skilled in the areas of small-scale firing systems and intelligent control and management technologies, as well as in the development of convenient furnace feeding systems.

Solid biomass is also used to generate electricity in combined heat and power plants (CHP). The waste heat produced by this electricity generation is then, for instance, utilised in local and district heating networks or made available to industry as process heat. It can also be used to produce cooling for industrial purposes, for refrigerated warehouses or for cooling buildings. Furthermore, decentralised biomass systems are used all over the world in off-grid electricity generation systems, which, on their own or in combination with other renewable energy technologies, can supply mini-grids with power, providing impetus for regional economic development.

Heat and electricity can be generated not only by burning but also by gasifying solid biomass. Depending on the characteristics of the combustion material and the capacity of the system, fixed bed, fluidised bed or entrained flow gasifiers can be used. Resulting wood gas is then used to produce electricity in combustion engine systems or gas turbines. Using the waste heat for combined heat and power generation can significantly increase overall efficiency. Highly efficient combined heat and power plants developed in Germany that run on biomass are world leaders in this technology. German manufacturers produce modern plants in a wide range of performance classes. Synthesising generated wood gas into biodiesel is currently being tested as an alternative at a pilot plant in Karlsruhe.