Statement by IEA Bioenergy Task 32 on biomass cofiring

When considering the broad range of experiences with cofiring biomass in coal fired power plants of various configurations worldwide, one can conclude that

Cofiring has been demonstrated successfully in over 150 installations worldwide for most combinations of fuels and boiler types.
Cofiring offers among the highest electrical conversion efficiencies of any biomass power option.
Cofiring biomass residues in existing coal-fired boilers is among the lowest cost biomass power production options.
Well-managed cofiring projects involve low technical risk
In addition to mitigation of CO₂ emission, cofiring biomass in existing coal-fired boilers usually also leads to reduced emissions of NO_x, SO₂ and other flue gas components.

It is therefore the opinion of IEA Bioenergy Task 32 that:

Cofiring biomass in existing coal-fired boilers provides an attractive approach to nearly every aspect of bioenergy project development.