As a result of the energy transition, heat and electricity generation will change in the near future. Burning coal in coal-fired power stations will be replaced by sustainable generation technologies, such as heat pumps, geothermal heat, solar thermal, solar PV and wind, but also by burning biomass in coal-fired power stations and/or standalone installations and heat-producing boilers.
In the discussion about the consequences for air quality of switching from coal combustion to biomass combustion, different assumptions and therefore different effects appear to be used (for example, biomass combustion leads to more emissions than coal combustion) and sometimes it is not clear whether the conclusions apply to CO2 or other emitted components such as SO2, NOX and/or dust.
The Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management wants to provide more clarity about this and has therefore commissioned DNV GL to conduct a study to determine the influence of the (future) use of biomass on six installations (cases) for the production of electricity and heat. the specific chimney emissions of SO2, NOX, dust and CO2. It was also requested to determine whether the PBL/Alterra report “Climate effects of wood used for bioenergy” (August 2013) is in line with the BREF-LCP (with regard to efficiencies of the installations considered) and with the emission requirements from the Activities Decree.
