Renewable Energy
University of Strathclyde Mechanical Engineering Department
Socio-Economic Impacts of Biomass Deployment for the Production of Heat and Electricity
Thesis submitted for the MSc degree Energy Systems and the Environment
Helen Stavroulia 2003
The copyright of this thesis belongs to the author under the terms of the United Kingdom copyright acts as qualified by the University of Strathclyde Regulation 3.49. Due acknowledgement must always be made of the use of any material contained in or derived from this thesis.
2
Acknowledgements
The following people have helped me throughout the completion of this thesis and of the MSc course and I would like to express my gratitude to them. My supervisor, Pr.Umit Bititci, for his insight, help and support during the research and writing of the thesis. Dr. Chris Bronsdon, Director of SEEF, for his remarks and valuable guidance and for our conversations on practical problems. Pr. Joe Clarke, the Course Director, and the academic and administrative staff of the Department, for their valuable support throughout the course. All my friends and classmates for their moral and psychological help. My parents, for their absolute faith in me.
3
Abstract
Today, concerns about the environmental impacts associated with fossil fuel use, particularly the global climate change, have added new immediacy to the development of alternative energy systems. Biomass energy systems are among the alternative systems under development. There is enormous biomass potential that can be tapped by improving the utilisation of existing sources, developing more efficient and advanced technologies to convert raw biomass into easy-to-use carriers (electricity, liquid or gaseous fuels, processed solid fuels) and by increasing plant productivity. Therefore, much more useful energy could be extracted from biomass than at present, bringing significant social and economic benefits to both rural and urban areas and to the environment. The
Socio-Economic Impacts of Biomass Deployment for the Production of Heat and Electricity
Thesis submitted for the MSc degree Energy Systems and the Environment
Helen Stavroulia 2003
The copyright of this thesis belongs to the author under the terms of the United Kingdom copyright acts as qualified by the University of Strathclyde Regulation 3.49. Due acknowledgement must always be made of the use of any material contained in or derived from this thesis.
2
Acknowledgements
The following people have helped me throughout the completion of this thesis and of the MSc course and I would like to express my gratitude to them. My supervisor, Pr.Umit Bititci, for his insight, help and support during the research and writing of the thesis. Dr. Chris Bronsdon, Director of SEEF, for his remarks and valuable guidance and for our conversations on practical problems. Pr. Joe Clarke, the Course Director, and the academic and administrative staff of the Department, for their valuable support throughout the course. All my friends and classmates for their moral and psychological help. My parents, for their absolute faith in me.
3
Abstract
Today, concerns about the environmental impacts associated with fossil fuel use, particularly the global climate change, have added new immediacy to the development of alternative energy systems. Biomass energy systems are among the alternative systems under development. There is enormous biomass potential that can be tapped by improving the utilisation of existing sources, developing more efficient and advanced technologies to convert raw biomass into easy-to-use carriers (electricity, liquid or gaseous fuels, processed solid fuels) and by increasing plant productivity. Therefore, much more useful energy could be extracted from biomass than at present, bringing significant social and economic benefits to both rural and urban areas and to the environment. The