Oxygen-enriched biomass combustion studies and an analysis of the development of the carbon capture and storage industry in the UK

Biomass combustion with carbon capture and storage (Bio-CCS) has been identified as a key contributing technology to long-term carbon emissions reductions in many global and UK scenarios, but the development and implementation of this technology would require significant technical and non-technical barriers to be overcome. This thesis describes research undertaken to address these barriers, to contribute to the role that Bio-CCS could play in reducing carbon emissions for the UK electricity sector. Technical studies investigate the characteristics of coal and biomass combustion in atmospheres relevant to CCS at bench-scale and in a 20kW furnace. Analysis of bench-scale results, using a modified Coats-Redfern procedure, suggests oxygen-enrichment increases reactivity during the breakdown of cellulosic material and char oxidation. At 20kW scale, experiments that investigate biomass blending ratio and extent of oxidant staging conclude that, compared to air-firing of coal, cofiring in oxygen-enriched, oxidant-staged conditions results in enhanced combustion, reduced NO emissions and a flue gas richer in CO2. Cofiring of coal with 15% biomass is also carried out in partial-oxyfuel combustion atmospheres. The results suggest no major technical issues, showing biomass cofiring and oxygen-enrichment counter reductions in reactivity due to higher CO2 concentrations. However, further tests show that dedicated firing of biomass in such conditions would likely require modifications to the combustion set up. The development of an industry depends on more than its level of technological readiness. Modelled as a technical innovation system, development of Bio-CCS is gauged from the results of an expert survey on the wider UK CCS industry and analysis of relevant publications. Findings show that, as well as biomass sustainability criteria and a need to reward negative emission processes, the development of Bio-CCS is dependent on the wider CCS industry in the UK which, driven by uncertainties, has suffered due to a lack of market creation and entrepreneurship.