Quantitative appraisal and potential analysis for primary biomass resources for energy utilization in China

As the largest agricultural country, China has abundant biomass resources, but the distribution is scattered and difficult to collect. It is essential to estimate the biomass resource and its potential for bioenergy utilization in China. In this study, the amount of main biomass resources for possible energy use and their energy utilization potential in China are analyzed based on statistical data. The results showed that the biomass resource for possible energy use amounted to 8.87 × 108 tce in 2007 of which the crops straw is 1.42 × 108 tce, the forest biomass is 2.85 × 108 tce, the poultry and livestock manure is 4.40 × 107 tce, the municipal solid waste is 1.35 × 106 tce, and the organic waste water is 6.46 × 106 tce. Through the information by thematic map, it is indicated that, except arctic-alpine areas and deserts, the biomass resource for possible energy use was presented a relatively average distribution in China, but large gap was existed in different regions in the concentration of biomass resources, with the characteristics of East dense and West sparse. It is indicated that the energy transformation efficiency of biomass compressing and shaping, biomass anaerobic fermentation and biomass gasification for heating have higher conversion efficiency. If all of the biomass resources for possible energy use are utilized by these three forms respectively, 7.66 × 1012 t of biomass briquettes fuel, 1.98 × 1012 m3 of low calorific value gas and 3.84 × 1011 m3 of biogas could be produced, 3.65 × 108 t to 4.90 × 108 t of coal consumption could be substituted, and 6.12 × 108 t to 7.53 × 108 t of CO2 emissions could be reduced. With the enormous energy utilization potential of biomass resources and the prominent benefit of energy saving and emission reduction, it proves an effective way to adjust the energy consumption structure, to alleviate the energy crisis, to ensure the national energy security and to mitigate the global warming trend.