The global energy landscape is undergoing a transformative shift, as nations strive to reduce their reliance on fossil fuels and mitigate the impacts of climate change. The European Union’s commitment to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 has spurred interest in renewable gases as part of its broader strategy for decarbonising the energy sector. Among the various renewable energy technologies, gasification has emerged as a promising solution, offering a versatile approach to converting organic materials into clean energy.
In December 2024, the European Biogas Association (EBA) released a report Gasification: diversification on biomass processing and waste utilization, which details the technology of gasification of biomass and waste in Europe.
Due to the size of the report, we will divide it into two parts. The first one is published now, and the next one will be posted later, with more details on syngas, gasification plants in Europe, and economic aspects of biomass and waste gasification.
Main points from the report
According to the EBA white paper, Europe is currently home to approximately 141 biomass and waste gasification installations, with an additional 54 projects under development. Germany leads the way with 61 installations, while France, Finland, and Italy are also emerging as significant contributors to this growing market.
Source: EBA.
75% of the feedstock used in gasification comes from forestry and agricultural residues. Waste streams account for about 7%, while the remaining facilities utilise mixed feedstock sources.
The potential for gasification in Europe is significant, with estimates indicating a production capacity of 37 billion cubic meters (bcm) by 2040, representing 33% of the total biomethane production potential (111 bcm). This highlights gasification as a critical component in diversifying and expanding biomethane production across the region.
Based on current estimates, Europe could avoid 536 million tons of CO2 emissions annually, provide renewable energy to 100 million European households year-round, or fuel 2 million LNG trucks annually.
Gasification in the future energy system
Gasification is a thermochemical process that converts organic materials — such as agricultural residues, forestry by-products, wood waste and organic fraction of municipal solid waste or solid recovered fuels (SRF) — into syngas (a mixture of hydrogen, carbon monoxide and other hydrocarbons).
This flexible solution is aimed at solving several problems at once. Market research agencies report that the global biomass gasification market size is expected to reach €204.03 billion by 2032, at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 7.6% during the 2023-2032 forecast period. This technology is poised for significant growth and adoption across various sectors. However, further reductions in capital and operational costs are essential to the commercial success of this technology.
Several limitations constrain gasification widespread adoption in the energy future. A primary concern is biomass availability, which is inherently limited by land use competition and seasonal variations in feedstock supply. According to Guidehouse modelling, the potential for thermal gasification is estimated at 37 bcm in 2040, of which 33 bcm relates to the EU27.
Policies promoting renewable energy sources, financial incentives for biomass projects and regulatory frameworks aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions are vital for fostering investment in this technology. As public awareness grows regarding the benefits of gasification—such as its ability to generate clean energy while managing waste — there is an opportunity for increased political support.
Biomass gasification technologies
Thermal gasification usually refers to the thermochemical process which converts organic material into a gas mixture and a solid by-product fraction. This is achieved by reacting the material at high temperatures (above 700 °C), without combustion, with a controlled amount of oxidising agent. If heat is required to support the process, it is considered endothermic. Depending on how the heat is supplied, it can also be categorised as autothermal (uses heat form the process itself) and allothermal (uses external heat).
Source: EBA.
The process of gasification happens in the reactor, known as a gasifier. There are five principal types of gasification reactors commonly used in today’s market: fixed bed, fluidised bed, dual fluidised bed, entrained flow and plasma reactors. They offer a flexible range of capacity from kW to GW and can integrate various types of feedstocks.
Pretreatment of feedstocks
Effective pre-treatment can expand the range of viable feedstocks, including challenging materials like municipal solid waste, agricultural residues and forestry residue, thus addressing waste management issues while simultaneously producing renewable energy.
The objective of this step is to homogenise the feedstock and remove moisture content to below 35 wt% (with an ideal range of 10-15%), which would improve product quality, conversion efficiency and energy density.
The main methods of pretreatment are:
- mechanical (e.g. grinding, pelletization);
- biological (e.g. AD, enzymatic hydrolysis);
- chemical (e.g. water or/and acid leaching);
- thermal (e.g. torrefaction and hydrothermal carbonisation (HTC)).
Advancements in gasification technologies
The field of thermal gasification has seen significant advancements in recent years, driven by the growing demand for renewable energy solutions and the need to address climate change. The following technologies have been the focus of academic and industrial research over the past five years.:
Co-gasification is a process that integrates structurally different feedstocks for better application of resources, waste utilisation, pollution reduction and carbon recycling.
Hydrothermal gasification is a generally used term for supercritical water gasification (SWG). The process occurs in the presence of supercritical water at high temperatures and pressures (>374 °C, >22 MPa).
Plasma gasification refers to a technology where plasma torch is used in the fuel injection zone. The temperature produced is so high (up to 4,500 °C) that complex hydrocarbons completely decompose into simple gases and inorganic vitrified slag (consisting of melted glass, silicones and heavy metals).
Microwave-assisted gasification (MAG) helps to overcome an inherent problem in biomass heating, i.e. poor heat distribution.
Inclined rotary kiln reactors have drifted from cement manufacturing to waste disposal and are now emerging as a promising technology in the thermal gasification sector.
Chemical looping gasification (CLG) technology is based on a dual-reactor system (fuel reactor and air reactor), which are interconnected through metal oxide media that carry oxygen.
Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) merges gasification with a combined cycle power system to improve the efficiency of electricity generation.
Multi-step gasification is a process that involves multiple stages to optimise the conversion of biomass into syngas.
In the second part of the review, we will analyze in more detail the chapter on syngas, gasification plants in Europe, and consider the economic aspects of biomass and waste gasification.