Biopower, or the generation of electricity and heat from biomass resources, represents one of the only base load renewable applications with widespread availability of fuel resources. Theoretically inexhaustible and found in abundance around the world, biomass feedstocks currently supply an estimated 14% of global primary energy. As global energy demand escalates and efforts to curb greenhouse gas emissions intensify, an increasing number of countries are turning to biomass resources as fuel for commercial-scale electricity production.

Although feedstock aggregation challenges have frustrated more dynamic market growth to date, EU-27 leadership in biomass utilization has demonstrated that co-firing manageable quantities of biomass with coal can provide a low-cost strategy for reducing emissions.  Increasing biomass supply chain development coupled with increasing international trade flows in densified biomass pellets are expected to support expanding biopower utilization worldwide over the next decade.  Today, an estimated 58 GW of biopower installed capacity is deployed worldwide across dedicated, co-fired, and CHP facilities.  Although combustion-based conversion technologies are the most widely deployed solutions worldwide, cost reductions and efficiency gains are beginning to point to increasing market share for gasification conversion technologies.

This Pike Research report analyzes the global market opportunity for electricity production from dedicated, co-fired, and CHP biopower sources.  The study includes a comprehensive examination of market drivers, existing and emerging technologies, feedstock opportunities, the public policy and regulatory landscape, and key industry players.  Market forecasts for installed power generation capacity, cumulative investments, and pellet production and consumption are segmented by geography and key countries through 2021.

Key Questions Addressed:

• Which regions are poised for the greatest growth in biopower capacity worldwide?
• What are the key market obstacles impacting growth in the global biopower industry?
• What policy drivers are shaping biopower deployment in leading markets – EU-27, the United States, China, and Brazil?
• What are the main biomass feedstocks used and how is this expected to change over the next decade?
• How will biomass supply chain challenges and developments impact biopower deployment?
• What are the comparative costs of combustion and gasification technologies?
• Who are the leaders in biopower utilization and what are their strategies for accessing feedstocks?
• How will the trade in densified biomass pellets develop over the next decade?
• Which regions will attract the highest cumulative investment in biopower by 2021?
• How will expanding biofuels production impact biopower development?

Who needs this report?

• Bioenergy project developers
• Biomass producers, suppliers, and aggregators
• Biomass pellet producers
• Utilities
• Turbine and equipment manufacturers
• Industry associations
• Government agencies
• Environmental organizations
• Investor community

Table of Contents

1.      Executive Summary

1.1  Introduction

1.2  World Markets

1.3  Technology Trends

2.      Market Issues

2.1  Overview of Biopower

2.1.1    What is Biomass?

2.1.1.1    Brief History of Biomass Utilization

2.1.1.2    Biomass Feedstocks

2.1.1.3    Bioenergy

2.1.1.4    Biomass End Uses

2.1.2    Why Biomass?

2.1.2.1    Biomass Advantages

2.1.2.2    Biomass Disadvantages

2.1.3    Biomass as a Renewable Resource

2.2  Role of Biopower in Global Energy Markets

2.2.1    Snapshot of Global Biopower Utilization

2.2.2    Snapshot of Global Biomass Utilization

2.2.3    Estimated Resource Potential

2.2.4    International Trade

2.3  Biomass Market Drivers

2.3.1    Rising Electricity Demand

2.3.1.1    Industrialization (Especially in Emerging Markets)

2.3.1.2    Increasing Wealth (Especially in China and India)

2.3.2    Climate Change

2.3.2.1    Quantifying the Impact of Biopower

2.3.2.2    Climate Change and Investment in Biopower

2.3.3    Economic Development

2.3.4    Policy and Regulatory Drivers

2.3.4.1    Renewable Energy Targets

2.3.4.2    Subsidies, Loans, and Grants

2.3.4.3    Climate Change Regulation

2.4  Biomass Growth Barriers

2.4.1    Feedstock Supply

2.4.1.1    Land Availability

2.4.1.2    Supply Chain Uncertainty

2.4.1.3    Biomass Carbon Accounting

2.4.2    Sustainability Criteria

2.4.3    Policy Uncertainty

2.4.3.1    Climate Change and GHG Regulation

2.4.3.2    Availability of Public Subsidies, Loans, and Grants

2.4.4    Competition with Fossil Fuels

2.4.5    Other Barriers

2.5  Economics of Biopower

2.5.1    Biomass Feedstock Costs

2.5.2    Power Production Costs

2.5.2.1    Combustion

2.5.2.2    BIGCC

2.5.2.3    Landfill Gas

2.5.2.4    CHP

3.      Key Markets

3.1  United States

3.1.1    Incentives

3.1.2    State Renewable Portfolio Standards

3.1.3    Regulatory Outlook

3.2  EU-27

3.2.1    20-20-20

3.2.2    EU Member State Incentives

3.3  China

4.      Technology Issues

4.1  Overview of Biopower Production

4.1.1    Technology Commercialization

4.1.2       Advances in Conversion Processes

4.2  Biomass Supply Chain

4.2.1    Sourcing Biomass

4.2.2    Material Preparation

4.2.2.1    Chipping

4.2.2.2    Pelleting and Briquetting

4.2.2.3    Pyrolysis

4.2.2.4    Torrefaction

4.3  Biomass Conversions Technologies

4.3.1    Biomass Combustion

4.3.1.1    Power Production via Combustion

4.3.1.1.1.   Boiler Technologies

4.3.1.1.2.   Co-firing

4.3.1.1.3.   Repowering Conventional Plants

4.3.1.2    Combustion Advantages and Disadvantages

4.3.1.3    Optimizing Combustion

4.3.2    Biomass Gasification

4.3.2.1    Power Production via Gasification

4.3.2.1.1.   Anaerobic Digestion

4.3.2.1.2.   Conventional Gasification

4.3.2.1.3.   IGCC/IGCT

4.3.2.2    Gasification Advantages and Disadvantages

4.4  Integrated Systems

4.4.1    CHP – Cogeneration

4.4.2    Integrated Biorefineries

5.      Key Industry Players

5.1  Biomass Feedstock Suppliers and Processors

5.1.1    Abellon CleanEnergy

5.1.2    ArborGen

5.1.3    Biomass Secure Power

5.1.4    Enviva

5.1.5    Integro Earthfuels

5.2  Biomass Power Producers

5.2.1    American Renewables

5.2.2    Boralex, Inc.

5.2.3    Greenleaf Power

5.2.4    Covanta Energy

5.2.5    Dalkia

5.2.6    Decker Energy International

5.2.7    DONG Energy

5.2.8    Drax Power Limited

5.2.9    E.ON AG

5.2.10  Essent N.V.

5.2.11  Fibrowatt LLC

5.2.12  Helius Energy

5.2.13  Iberdrola Renewables

5.2.14  Nexterra Energy

5.2.15  NRG Energy, Inc.

5.2.16  Primenergy, LLC

5.2.17  Vattenfall

5.2.18  Wheelabrator Technologies Inc.

6.    Market Forecasts

6.1  Methodology

6.1.1    Forecast Uncertainties

6.1.2    Key Assumptions

6.2  Global Biopower Projections

6.2.1    Forecasts

6.2.2    Baseline Forecast

6.2.3    Growth Forecast

6.3  Global Biomass Utilization Projections

6.4  Forecasts by Market

6.4.1    United States

6.4.2    Brazil

6.4.3    EU-27

6.4.4    China

6.     Company Directory
7.     Acronym and Abbreviation List
8.     Table of Contents
9.     Table of Charts and Figures
10.   Scope of Study, Sources and Methodology, Notes

List of Charts and Figures

• Installed Biopower Capacity from All Sources, World Markets: 2011-2021
• Market Share of Cumulative Biopower Investment by Region, World Markets: 2021
• Installed Generating Capacity by Source, World Markets: 2010
• Installed Biopower Capacity Market Share by Region, World Markets: 2011
• Share of Biopower Capacity in Generation Portfolios in Key Markets, World Markets: 2011
• Share of Biopower Generation by Biomass Source, United States: 2008
• Total Primary Energy Consumption by Region, World Markets: 2010-2035
• Net Electricity Generation by Region, Non-OECD Markets: 1990-2035
• Cost Comparison of Biomass Combustion and Gasification Technologies
• CAGR Among Biopower Commercial-Scale Producers, United States: 2008-2010
• Installed Biopower Capacity from All Sources, World Markets: 2011-2021
• Installed Biopower Capacity by Region, Baseline Scenario, World Markets: 2011-2021
• Cumulative Biopower Investments by Region, Baseline Scenario, World Markets: 2011-2021
• Market Share Installed Biopower Capacity, Baseline Scenario, World Markets: 2021
• Net Biopower Generation by Region, Baseline Scenario, World Markets: 2011-2021
• Market Share Installed Biopower Capacity, Growth Scenario, World Markets: 2021
• Cumulative Biopower Investments by Region, Growth Scenario, World Markets: 2011-2021
• Market Share Installed Biopower Capacity, Growth Scenario, World Markets: 2021
• Net Biopower Generation by Region, Growth Scenario, World Markets: 2011-2021
• Biomass Utilization for Power Generation, World Markets: 2011-2021
• Biomass Pellet Production by Region, World Markets: 2011-2021
• Installed Biopower Capacity from All Sources, United States: 2011-2021
• Biomass Pellet Production and Consumption, United States: 2011-2021
• Installed Biopower Capacity from All Sources, Brazil: 2011-2021
• Installed Biopower Capacity, EU-27: 2011-2021
• Biomass Pellet Production and Consumption, EU-27: 2011-2021
• Biomass Utilization for Biopower, China: 2011-2021
• Map of Bioenergy Applications
• International Biomass Trade Flows
• Commercialization Status of Major Biomass Technologies
• Biomass Collection, Storage, and Delivery Process Options
• Integrated Biorefinery Conversion Pathways
• Vattenfall Biomass Mix

List of Tables

• Biomass Power and Thermal Targets, World Markets
• Relative Costs of Fossil Fuel and Biomass Resources
• Biomass Incentives Description and Scheduled Duration, United States: 2011
• Summary of Renewable Portfolio Standards, United States
• Moisture Content of Biomass Feedstocks
• Typical Data and Figures for Power Generation from Biomass
• Advantages and Disadvantages of Co-firing
• Database of Facilities Utilizing Biomass Resources, World Markets
• Installed Generating Capacity by Source, World Markets: 2010
• Net Electricity Generation by Source, World Markets: 2010
• Installed Biopower Capacity Market Share by Region, World Markets: 2011
• Share of Biopower Capacity in Generation Portfolios in Key Markets, World Markets: 2011
• Share of Biopower Generation by Biomass Source, United States: 2008
• Total Primary Energy Consumption by Region, World Markets: 2010-2035 (Reference Case)
• Net Electricity Generation by Region, Non-OECD Markets: 1990-2035
• Biomass Power and Thermal Targets by Country, World Markets: 2011
• Cost Comparison of Biomass Combustion and Gasification Technologies
• Biopower Capacity by Producer, United States: 2008-2010
• Biomass Incentives Description and Scheduled Duration, United States: 2011
• Biopower Capacity from All Sources by Region and Country, Baseline Scenario, World Markets: 2008-2021
• Biopower Capacity Market Share from All Sources by Region and Country, Baseline Scenario, World Markets: 2008-2021
• Net Biopower Generation from All Sources by Region and Country, Baseline Scenario, World Markets: 2008-2021
• Biopower Cumulative Investment by Region, Baseline Scenario, World Markets: 2008-2021
• Biopower Capacity from All Sources by Region and Country, Growth Scenario, World Markets: 2008-2021
• Biopower Capacity Market Share from All Sources by Region and Country, Growth Scenario, World Markets: 2008-2021
• Net Biopower Generation from All Sources by Region and Country, Growth Scenario, World Markets: 2008-2021
• Biopower Cumulative Investment by Region, Growth Scenario, World Markets: 2008-2021
• Biopower Feedstock Demand by Region and Country, Baseline Scenario, World Markets: 2008-2021
• Biopower Feedstock Demand by Region and Country, Growth Scenario, World Markets: 2008-2021
• Biomass Utilization for Heat and Power, Asia Pacific: 2011-2021
• Biomass Pellet Production by Region, World Markets: 2008-2021
• Biomass Pellet Consumption by Region, World Markets: 2008-2021