Background & History

Biomass gasification experts have found health, safety and environmental (HSE) issues to be an important barrier to the market uptake of biomass gasification technology. Pilot and prototype gasifiers often operate under temporary (trial) environmental licenses for which emission limits are usually somewhat relaxed. For gasifiers intended for commercial operation permitting authorities have a tendency to impose unreasonably strict emission limits and safety measures due to their lack of familiarity with and understanding of the technology. For permitting authorities and other key market actors it is difficult to appreciate the HSE risks correctly.

The development of a practical biomass gasification guideline in close consultation with a leading HSE authority and based on realised and planned biomass gasification plants will help to ensure that in future permitting authorities draw up reasonable and fair HSE requirements, and that the identified barrier to the market uptake of the technology will be removed.

On 28th September 2005 a joint workshop of GasNet and IEA was organised in Innsbruck to discuss the status and strategy to overcome the obstacles. The workshop was very well attended with representatives from industry, regulatory & policy experts, academia, researchers, and national energy experts from twelve European countries. The panel discussion manufacturers pointed to the enormous efforts which are needed for gasification permitting. Nevertheless, a high level of uncertainty remains, since authorities usually are not familiar with gasification technology. It was agreed that a Guideline on HSE aspects would accelerate the process of commercialisation of biomass gasification.