Fuel-bound nitrogen partitioning and NO_x emissions during biomass cofiring

In the Netherlands, cofiring of biomass fuels will play a strategic role in reaching the national CO2 targets imposed by the Kyoto Protocol. While mitigating CO2 emissions, biomass cofiring can also contribute to reducing NOx emissions from power generation. The aim of this work is to investigate the partitioning of the fuel-bound nitrogen during the devolatilization of coal and biomass fuels and to characterize coal-biomass mixtures for the NOx emissions during cofiring. Biofuels present wide differences with regard to their fuel-N partitioning in combustion. Results show that biomass cofiring may contribute to NOx emissions reduction if the combustion process is properly optimized.