EFFICIENT BIOMASS CONVERSION PROCESS TO SUSTAINABLE ENERGY

Abstract

A greener approach to sustainable energy production is by processing and burning biomass. Readily abundant across the globe, biomass can be obtained largely from agricultural, domestic and industrial processes. The growing concern for an energy source that is environmentally friendly, socially acceptable, and economically feasible, prompts researchers to explore the conversion of everyday biomass wastes in the form of municipal solid waste (MSW) and agricultural wastes (such as poultry litters, wood pellets) to useful energy(i.e., heat or electricity). This research work studied the two broad biomass conversion processes- thermochemical and biochemical. A comparative study was performed using poultry litter as the biomass feedstock in both conversion processes. The obtained data was justified considering the environmental, economic and social impacts of the biomass-to-energy source. At an industrial scale, biochemical processes are capital intensive as pre-treatment and post-treatment of both feedstocks and products are required. In addition, more reaction time is required for product formation and high volume of secondary wastes (sludge) are generated during the process. On the other hand, burning of biomass waste has been largely considered as a better approach due to the fact that the CO2 generated during the process is being balanced by an equivalent amount that plants capture through photosynthesis while they are growing, thus making biomass a carbon-neutral energy source. However, raw biomass possesses low density (30–50 kg/m3) and high moisture content that limits its usage for thermochemical processes. Therefore, the inclusion of a pelletizing process which allows easier economic storage, transportation, and energy conversion characteristics, is considered as an efficient and sustainable approach to biomass-to-energy conversion