Abstract
The mowing of sports fields generates a significant amount of waste biomass which requires appropriate management. On the largest scale, this problem affects golf courses with a grass surface area of up to 100 ha. Currently, the main directions for grass clippings management include composting, grass cycling, and waste. A certain alternative may be the energetic utilization of grass clippings, which not only solves the problem of organic waste management, but also brings measurable economic profits in the form of generated electricity and heat. This paper presents a techno-economic analysis of the application of a micro biogas plant, fed with grass clippings from a golf course project in Tuscany, with a grass surface of 111.21 ha. It has been shown that the annual biomass potential is 526.65 tDM∙year−1 (±45.64 tDM∙year−1), which makes it possible to build a micro biogas plant with an electric power of ca. 46 kW. The potential amount of electricity produced during the year is able to cover 16.95–37.35% (depending on the season) of electricity demand in the hotel resort, which includes two golf courses and practice facilities. The produced heat in the amount of 1388.41 GJ, in turn, is able to cover the annual heat demand in the range of 7.95–17.24% (depending on the season). In addition, the electricity and heat produced exceeds the energy expenditures for mowing, making the energy balance positive. Unfortunately, the analysis showed that the construction of a micro scale biogas plant is economically unprofitable and is characterized (in the period of 10 years) by negative IRR and ROI (−17.74% and −34.98%, respectively). However, it should be emphasized that with the additional income resulting from the avoidance of fees for the export and management of organic waste and the reduction of fertilization costs (fertilization of part of the golf course with digestate), the application of a micro biogas plant may turn out to be economically feasible (NPV > 0).
Highlights
The logistic chain profitability of building a micro biogas power plant and producing electricity and heat from anaerobic fermentation of grass clippings after mowing a golf course, is not known. Taking these arguments into account, this study aims at: (i) detailed analysis of the grass surface of a selected large-area golf course (A > 100 ha) and its characterization in terms of mowing frequency; (ii) estimating the golf course biomass potential in the form of grass clippings; (iii) determination of the coverage degree of the energy used for golf course mowing by the energy generated in own micro-biogas plant fed by biomass waste; (iv) evaluation of the profitability of building a micro-scale biogas power plant for a golf course
Golf courses, compared to sports turfs used for other sports, due to their specific construction, are much more difficult to analyze in terms of the possibility of using the biomass generated in their areas for energy production
The frequency of mowing of sports turfs, resulting from the need to maintain the height of the grass at an appropriate level, stimulates turf cover and improves resistance to trampling, and causes the generation of a large amount of waste biomass
Summary
Natural sports turf has many environmental benefits They are related to the protection of groundwater, biodegradation of synthetic organic compounds, soil erosion control and dust stabilization, and improvement of atmospheric conditions (reducing noise levels by absorption, reflection and refraction of various sounds, and carbon dioxide absorption by plants through photosynthesis) [1]. The need to precisely perform these treatments requires the use of special vehicles, as a result of which a high amount of fuel is used, which has a negative impact on the environment [9]. While in the case of most treatments, their use is limited to a few times a year, turf mowing is a very common procedure due to the need to maintain the height of the grass at a certain level [10,11,12,13]. Up to 7.2 tDM ·ha−1 grass clippings may be obtained from sports fields/courts [19]
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