Biomass or co-fired power station

Most co-firing power plants burn solid biomass like wood, agricultural waste or household refuse along with coal, but some can burn a mix of natural gas and biogas.

A power station can generate electricity by burning fossil fuel, but also power stations can be designed to burn fossil fuel and biomass together (called co-firing) or just biomass.

Most co-firing power plants burn solid biomass like wood and agricultural waste along with coal, but some can burn a mix of natural gas and biogas. Because burning biomass is carbon neutral, co-firing reduces the emission of greenhouse gases.

The main advantage of co-firing is that it can be done in existing power plants with little or no modification, allowing for comparatively inexpensive and rapid reductions in greenhouse gases.

See future CCS options Biomass or co-fired power station.

• Carbon capture and storage (CCS) research
• Advanced seismic techniques
• CO₂ storage Sleipner
• Clean coal exploitation and unconventional gas

• BBC CCS Interview
  Dr Mike Stephenson (BGS)

• Ireland Study Report
• SACS Best Practice Manual
• Sequestration: the underground storage of carbon dioxide
• CO₂ storage capacity estimation: methodology and gaps
• IPCC special report
• Southern North Sea case study
• East Irish Sea case study