The Optimal Development Paths and Processing Strategies of Competing Biofuel and Biopower Technologies in Taiwan

Bioenergy has the potential to lower emissions and contribute to climate change mitigation. This study investigates the role of biofuel and biopower possibilities and their role in greenhouse gas net emissions reduction in Taiwan. We examine how alternative ethanol, electricity, and emission prices would alter production choices. Several findings arise. First, we find that at lower (higher) emission prices, producers favor fast pyrolysis (torrefaction), which yields high biopower (biochar and emission reduction) production. Net biopower production ranges from 9118 to 11,455 GWh at lower emission prices, of which intermediate pyrolysis contributes 2765 GWh and fast pyrolysis contributes 6352 to 8690 GWh. Second, biofuel production decreases as emission price increases, as it competes for biomass supply with pyrolysis and torrefaction. The results show that approximately 5.07 million tons of biomass would be used in torrefaction when emission price is high. Finally, among the tested energy and emission price scenarios, biopower can provide as much as 4.45 % of total electricity, reducing the domestic electricity deficit in Taiwan.