Nearly half of the electricity generated in the U.S. comes from coal, while biomass accounts for just under 2 percent or roughly 64,000 gigawatt-hours (GWh). All other sources of renewable energy accounted for 52,000 GWh.
Typically, biomass fuel—primarily from wood--is burned in a boiler to produce high-pressure steam. This steam is introduced into a steam turbine, where it flows over a series of aerodynamic turbine blades, causing the turbine to rotate. The turbine is connected to an electric generator so as the steam flow causes the turbine to rotate, the electric generator turns and electricity is produced.
With gasification technology, the gasification process converts any carbon-containing material into a synthesis gas—or syngas. Syngas is composed primarily of carbon monoxide and hydrogen, which can be used as a fuel to generate electricity or as a basic chemical building block for a large number of uses in the petrochemical and refining industries.
Conversion technologies allow biomass to be used in conjunction with coal-fired electrical generation facilities as well as biomass to be used as a feedstock alone. Where biomass is used as a sole feedstock or with other wastes such as construction materials or forestry residues, these plants are typically on the order of 25 megawatt to 100 megawatt per annum electrical power generating facilities.
Yulex intends to partner with developers and producers of electrical power to provide new energy sources for the growing southwestern U. S.
