Novel fluidized bed reactors for thermo-catalytic conversion of biomass residues to bioenergy, biofuels and biochemicals

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The three major challenges in the 21st century are food security, climate change and energy sustainability. Bioenergy is one promising renewable energy source, with low net CO2 emissions and potentially sustainable if the economical, environmental and social impacts are properly managed. There are abundant forest and agricultural biomass residues in Canada, with a potential to replace more than 50% fossil fuels currently consumed at BC alone. So far, only less than 20% has been processed into pellets and exported to Europe without benefit to GHG reduction in Canada. Our recent life cycle analysis revealed that exported pellets have ~25% fossil fuel content mostly associated with the ocean transport and densification. The development of clean and economically viable biomass conversion technologies for a domestic market is thus imperative to promote the local utilization of biomass residues in Canada.