Bioenergy - energy produced from renewable resources

The Fraunhofer Institute for Environmental, Safety and Energy Technology envisages that in the year 2020 twenty percent of all chemicals, materials and fuels will be produced from renewable resources. The Institute sets great store on biorefineries. “Biorefineries” refer to an integrated overall concept for the biochemical and thermochemical conversion of renewable resources. The bioenergy sector in general is very broad and covers the production of gas, electricity, heat and fuels. Enzymes play an important role in the use of renewable raw materials because they cause the raw materials to decompose and prepare them for further processing. Biotechnology therefore plays an important role in enzyme optimisation.

The idea of manufacturing an entire car from plant resources sounds like science fiction. Nonetheless, Henry Ford developed promising concepts as early as 1941: he suggested combining cellulose, soybean flour and formaldehyde resin to produce plastics that could be used as bodywork and interior lining of his car. Ford also envisaged the use of methanol produced from hemp.

Science Fiction or reality?

Baden-Württemberg already has a project that has moved beyond the domain of science fiction: Baden-Württemberg scientists have developed a fuel cell for use in the human body. Such fuel cells can supply implants like cardiac pacemakers with the energy they need to operate. The cells rely purely on oxygen and glucose, which are available in sufficient amounts in human body fluids.

(Photo: SIEMENS AG)

Baden-Württemberg relies on biomass

The use of biomass as an energy source can make a considerable contribution to the type of energy that will be used in the future. The attractiveness of using biomass in Germany is on the increase thanks to the country’s renewable energy legislation. Minister of the Environment Tanja Gönner estimates that the proportion of biofuels used in Baden-Württemberg rose from 2.1 percent in 2004 to more than 3 percent in 2005.

There are different ways of turning biomass into energy: wood is burned in power plants to produce heat; maize straw – currently a very popular energy source – is fermented in biogas plants and then transformed into electricity and heat. It can also be processed into synthesis gas.

It is possible to run cars with plant oil, biodiesel or bioalcohol once the combustion engines have been adapted for use with biofuels. Plants with a high cellulose or sugar content have proved particularly useful. Rape is the basis for biodiesel production.

Renewable energy – a central topic

An effective strategy for sustainable energy supply must encompass three objectives: environmental compatibility, economic efficiency and security of supply. Renewable energy means sustainability and technological innovation. The Baden-Württemberg government has set itself the goal of doubling the proportion of renewable energy used in Baden-Württemberg by 2010. Investment in this field amounted to a total of 189 million euros between 1991 and 2004.

In Baden-Württemberg, bioenergy contributes approximately 1 percent of the total demand for primary energy in Baden-Württemberg. The following biomass types are used as energy sources: wood, plant oil and biodiesel, gas from putrefaction plants and other biogases.

Current research projects in Baden-Württemberg include the Karlsruhe Research Centre, which is investigating a process in which the rapid pyrolysis of wood or straw leads to a tar/coke condensate that is easy to transport. In December 2004, the Institute of Agricultural Technology at the University of Hohenheim put a new biogas laboratory into operation.

(Bio)hydrogen - an energy source of the future?

Hydrogen has become very popular as an energy carrier in the field of solar technology or as an environmentally friendly fuel for running cars and planes as well as block heat and power plants. Biotechnology is involved in the biological production of hydrogen gas. Hydrogen is produced by autotrophic microorganisms which get their energy from converting solar energy into chemical energy. Algae and cyanobacteria are among the most important plant solar collectors. Biohydrogen thus has the potential to be an effective and environmentally friendly energy source.