Research into particulate matter emissions from biomass boilers

Commissioned by Stichting NMD, SHR conducted research into the particulate matter emissions released during the operation of biomass boilers, including those used in wood-processing facilities in the Netherlands.

In the ecoinvent database, emissions from this type of installation are based on outdated data that do not reflect current Dutch practice.

The study assessed the current regulatory framework and compared data from boiler suppliers and the SCIOS database with the existing ecoinvent data.

Based on these recent insights, a reference process has been developed for small-scale biomass boilers (<1 MW). Population density has a significant influence on the impact within the particulate matter characterisation factor. Therefore, two separate processes will be provided: one representing high population density and one representing low population density.

These processes will be included in the next release of the NMD Process Database and can be applied to production sites where biomass boilers are used.