Biomass char as an in-situ catalyst for tar removal in gasification systems

The contribution of biomass to the world’s energy supply is presently estimated to be around 10 to 14 %. The European Union set a firm target of cutting 20% of the EU’s greenhouse gas emissions by 2020 - the EU will be willing to put this goal up to 30% if the US, China and India make similar commitments. EU leaders also set a binding overall goal of 20% for renewable energy sources by 2020, compared to the present 6.5 %. It is expected that biomass gasification will play an important role in meeting these goals. The gasification technology for biomass conversion is still in the development stage and cannot be considered as proven technology for small and medium scale applications. The main technical barrier remains the efficient removal of tars from the produced gases in gasification systems. Tars are defined as a generic term comprising all organic compounds present in the producer gas excluding gaseous hydrocarbons (C1-C6) and benzene.