Imagine a small power plant for an apartment building that turns wood pellets into both heat and electricity. It uses a special fuel cell that works like a high-tech battery in reverse to get more energy out of the fuel. By pairing this with solar panels, the building can almost run itself without needing the main power grid.
Multi-family buildings struggle to achieve energy autonomy due to the inefficiency of small-scale heating and power systems and high emissions from traditional biomass burners.
A micro-scale biomass CHP system consisting of an updraft gasifier, a thermal/catalytic tar reformer, and a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) with integrated gas cleaning.
If you are a developer dealing with rising energy costs for apartment complexes — this project developed a biomass micro-CHP and PV system that allows buildings to be almost energy autonomous. It achieves overall efficiencies of more than 90%, reducing reliance on external grids.
If you are a manufacturer dealing with strict emission laws — this project developed a gas cleaning system and SOFC that results in virtually zero CO and dust emissions. It also reduces NOx emissions by 55% to 65% compared to other biomass technologies.
If you are a service provider dealing with the need for carbon-neutral heating — this project developed a 15 kW gasifier coupled with a 2.5 kWel SOFC. This setup provides a highly efficient way to supply heat and electricity for multi-family houses.
Based on available project data, specific pricing is not provided, but the project aims to make the system economically highly attractive for future users through techno-economic assessments.
The system is designed for micro-scale use in multi-family buildings, featuring a 15 kW gasifier and a 2.5 kWel solid oxide fuel cell.
Based on available project data, the project develops several key innovations including a combined thermal and catalytic tar reformer and a compact SOFC system, which typically represent patentable assets.
The system integrates a biomass micro-CHP, a state-of-the-art PV system, and energy storage solutions to cover heating, electricity, and electro-mobility needs.
The project runs from 2022-10-01 to 2026-03-31.
The consortium is heavily industry-driven with a 67% industry ratio, consisting of 4 companies (all SMEs) and 2 research organizations across 5 countries. This structure suggests a strong focus on commercial viability and practical application rather than pure academic research.
Contact BIOS BIOENERGIESYSTEME GMBH in Austria
Contact us to explore licensing opportunities for the biomass-SOFC integration.
