Energy Recovery from Invasive Species: Creation of Value Chains to Promote Control and Eradication

Leonel J R Nunes,João C O Matias,Abel M Rodrigues,Liliana M E F Loureiro,Letícia C R Sá

doi:10.3390/recycling6010021

Abstract

The use of biomass as an energy source presents itself as a viable alternative, especially at a time when the mitigation of climate change requires that all possibilities of replacing fossil fuels be used and implemented. The use of residual biomass also appears as a way to include in the renewable energy production system products that came out of it, while allowing the resolution of environmental problems, such as large volumes available, which are not used, but also by the elimination of fuel load that only contributes to the increased risk of rural fires occurrence. Invasive species contribute to a significant part of this fuel load, and its control and eradication require strong investments, so the valorization of these materials can allow the sustainability of the control and eradication processes. However, the chemical composition of some of these species, namely Acacia dealbata, Acacia melanoxylon, Eucalyptus globulus, Robinia pseudoacacia and Hakea sericea, presents some problems, mainly due to the nitrogen, chlorine and ash contents found, which preclude exclusive use for the production of certified wood pellets. In the case of Eucalyptus globulus, the values obtained in the characterization allow the use in mixtures with Pinus pinaster, but for the other species, this mixture is not possible. From a perspective of local valorization, the use of materials for domestic applications remains a possibility, creating a circular economy process that guarantees the sustainability of operations to control and eradicate invasive species.

Highlights

The use of biomass as an energy source is increasingly presented as a current alternative, in the permanent search for more sustainable forms of energy, which can somehow replace traditional sources of fossil origin, such as oil and coal [1]
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Many works are available regarding the behavior of different forms of biomass when subjected to thermochemical conversion processes, such as torrefaction, pyrolysis or gasification, such as the work of Chen et al (2014), which addresses the non-oxidative and oxidative torrefaction characterization and SEM observations of fibrous and ligneous biomass [28], or the work of Neves et al (2011), where biomass pyrolysis is addressed, regarding models, mechanisms, kinetics and some information on product yields and properties [29]

Summary

Introduction

The use of biomass as an energy source is increasingly presented as a current alternative, in the permanent search for more sustainable forms of energy, which can somehow replace traditional sources of fossil origin, such as oil and coal [1]. In the more developed countries there is an increase in the use of biomass as a source of primary energy because of, in addition to the traditional consumption associated with the heating of residential spaces in the form of firewood consumption, the consumption of fuels derived from biomass, such as wood pellets and briquettes, both for heating, and for more industrial applications, such as the production of industrial steam, and even the production of electric energy [5] These more industrial uses, have led to an increasing standardization of fuel quality criteria in order to optimize their use, defining a set of characteristics, namely its heating value, and the maximum limits of certain chemical constituents, such as the content of sulfur, chlorine and alkali metals, due to their behavior during combustion, and contribution to the occurrence of corrosive, fouling and slagging phenomena [6,7]. The use of biomass is currently very limited to selected types which meet a set of quality requirements, leaving a set of forms of biomass considered to be residual in the supply chains, as are the materials resulting from operations forest management and agricultural activity [8,9]

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion