RWE is hoping substantially to reduce carbon emissions from its coal fired power plants through an investment in a ground-breaking process for the production of bio-coal pellets.
The German utility’s renewable energy unit, RWE Innogy, has acquired a 25 per cent share in the Dutch start-up company Topell, which has developed the production process and which also holds the worldwide usage license. The company is aiming to build a commercial plant in the Netherlands for producing the pellets, which can be used as a fuel in conventional power plants.
The process developed by Topell converts biomass into pellets using a mild pyrolysis process and pelletisation using a special reactor technology. The pellets can be burned together with coal, enabling coal fired power plants to reduce their carbon emissions.
Topell says that that its process can be applied to a variety of raw organic materials, including “difficult” biomass such as switchgrass and roots. Compared to conventional wood pellets, biocoal pellets have a higher energy density and better incineration properties.
The biocoal pellets also have the advantage of not requiring separate infrastructure, such as storage or crushing facilities, to be installed at the power plant.
“With our venture engagement with Topell, we have secured access at a very early stage to a technology that effectively reduces CO2 emissions in conventional power plants and the associated financial burdens,” said RWE Innogy CEO Prof. Fritz Varenholt. “Once a successful test run of the first commercial plant has been completed, we plan to expand production to a higher degree.”
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