The UK is the first country in the world to achieve zero-coal power generation, and it is also the only country that has achieved the transformation from large-scale coal-fired power plants with biomass-coupled power generation to large-scale coal-fired power plants with 100% pure biomass fuel.

In 2019, the proportion of coal power in the UK has been reduced from 42.06% in 2012 to only 1.9%. The current retention of coal power is mainly due to the stable and safe transition of the grid, and the biomass power supply has reached 6.25% (China’s biomass power supply The amount is about 0.6%). In 2020, there will be only two coal-fired power plants (West Burton and Ratcliffe) left in the UK to continue to use coal as fuel for power generation. In the planning of the British power structure, biomass power generation will account for 16% in the future.

1. The background of biomass-coupled power generation in the UK

In 1989, the UK promulgated the Electricity Act (Electricity Act of 1989), especially after the entry of the Noe-Fossil Fuel Obligatio (NFFO) into the Electricity Act, the UK gradually had a relatively complete set of renewable Encouragement and punishment policies for energy generation. NFFO compulsory through legislation to require UK power plants to provide a certain percentage of renewable energy or nuclear energy (non-fossil energy power generation).

In 2002, Renewable Obligation (RO) replaced the Non-fossil Fuel Obligation (NFFO). On the original basis, RO excludes nuclear energy, and issues Renewable Obligation Credits (ROCs) (Note: equivalent to China’s Green Certificate) for electricity provided by renewable energy to manage and Power plants are required to provide a certain percentage of renewable energy power. ROCs certificates can be traded between power suppliers, and those power generation companies that do not have enough renewable energy to generate electricity will either purchase excess ROCs from other power generation companies or face higher government fines. At first, one ROC represented one thousand degrees of renewable energy power. By 2009, ROC will be more flexible in metering according to different types of renewable energy power generation technologies. In addition, the British government issued the Energy Crop Scheme in 2001, which provides subsidies for farmers to grow energy crops, such as energy shrubs and energy grasses.

In 2004, the United Kingdom adopted relevant industry policies to encourage large-scale coal-fired power plants to conduct biomass-coupled power generation and use biomass fuel to measure subsidies. This is the same as in some European countries, but different from my country’s subsidies for biomass power generation.

In 2012, with the deepening of biomass operations, biomass-coupled power generation in the United Kingdom switched to large-scale coal-fired power plants that burn 100% pure biomass fuel.

2. Technical route

Based on the experience and lessons of biomass-coupled power generation in Europe before 2000, the United Kingdom’s biomass-coupled power generation has all adopted the direct combustion coupling technology route. From the beginning, it briefly adopted and quickly discarded the most primitive biomass and coal sharing. The coal mill (Co-Milling coal mill coupling), to the biomass direct combustion coupling power generation technology of coal-fired power plants, all adopt Co-Feeding coupling technology or Dedicated burner furnace coupling technology. At the same time, these upgraded coal-fired power plants have also built storage, feeding, and feeding facilities for different biomass fuels, such as agricultural waste, energy crops, and forestry waste. Nevertheless, large-scale coal-fired power plant biomass-coupled power generation transformation can still directly use existing boilers, steam turbine generators, sites and other power plant facilities, power plant personnel, operation and maintenance models, grid facilities and power markets, etc., which can greatly improve facility utilization It also avoids high investment in new energy and redundant construction. It is the most economical model for the transition or partial transition from coal to biomass power generation.

3. Lead the project

In 2005, the biomass-coupled power generation in the United Kingdom reached 2.533 billion kWh, accounting for 14.95% of renewable energy. In 2018 and 2019, biomass power generation in the UK surpassed coal power generation. Among them, its leading project Drax power plant has supplied more than 13 billion kWh of biomass power for three consecutive years.