A master thesis from Aalborg University
Sustainable utilization of biomass-derived fuels in the Greek industry by 2050
Author(s)
Term
4. Term
Publication year
2023
Submitted on
2023-06-01
Pages
55 pages
Abstract
Under current plans, the EU aims to be climateneutral by 2050. However, its industrial sector – which makes up nearly a quarter of its total energy consumption – still faces significant technical and institutional barriers to decarbonization. This study uses Greece as a case study to investigate the role of biomass and biomass-derived fuels in achieving a future carbon-neutral industrial sector in line with EU targets. This study uses IndustryPLAN and a methodology which includes interviews and a literature review to create different scenarios regarding the future industrial fuel mix in Greece. These scenarios specify the demand that can be covered by biomass fuels or electricity, depending on the required process temperatures. The results of this investigation are integrated into the EnergyPLAN, and the final evaluation of the future scenarios considers the remaining sections of the Greek energy system. The evaluation shows that high electrification alone does not reduce biomass consumption in contrast to hydrogen use; higher use of dry biomass leads to better economic results. The preferable scenario investigated in this study is one that combines electrification, dry biomass, and gaseous biomass combustion. It is the preferable scenario because it offers fuel flexibility and limits biomass consumption and overall costs. In contrast, scenarios which use gaseous electrofuels as an alternative to biomass can decrease biomass consumption but increase system costs. The study concludes that there are feasible alternatives to decarbonize the Greek industrial sector while keeping biomass consumption at a sustainable level.
Keywords
planning ; industry ; Greece ; EnergyPLAN ; IndustryPLAN ; 2050 ; biomethane ; biomass
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