CEA Biomass Infrastructure

R and D at the platform focuses on analysis and modelling of physical phenomena; experimentation at the lab and demonstrator scales; process evaluation; and demonstrator development—with the goal of devising economically-viable solutions by 2020. The platform works with around fifteen industrial partners, including GDF Suez and Air Liquide.

The biomass platform is unique in France in terms of the sheer scope of its R&D activities, which cover biomass grinding, torrefaction, pyrolisis and gasification processes from an analytical scale up to 100 kg per hour—with results that can be extrapolated to industrial processes. The platform’s overriding purpose is to produce high-yield energy while eliminating waste and controlling emissions of substances like heavy metals and sulfur. The platform’s equipment includes several reactors, a grinding unit, and torrefaction and gasification furnaces. Beyond the traditional sources of biomass, like wood and farm and forest byproducts, researchers at the platform are looking at household waste, pulp and paper by products,wastewater treatment sludge, and micro-algae as additional biomass sources.

The facility operates with 40 engineers and technicians.