Abstract
Argentina has rangelands with high biomass production and low profitability such as the «Bajos Submeridionales», a depressed 33,000 km2 area mostly dominated by a perennial grass, Spartina argentinensis. In this work, we assessed the technoeconomic feasibility of S. argentinensis pellets gasification for combined heat and power purposes. The energy balance was estimated, resulting in an Energy Return On Investment (EROI) of 5.43. Breakeven energy price (BEPE) was calculated for:(i) business as usual (BAU) and (ii) alternative scenario (AS) considering an international natural gas price of 0.2 and 0.47 USD.m-3 respectively. Investment net present value (NPV) was calculated and a sensitivity analysis was performed. BEPE resulted in 149 and 126.2 USD.MWeh-1 for BAU and AS respectively. NPV was -4.4 and -1.6 million dollars for BAU and AS respectively, showing the relevance of natural gas price on economic results. Power efficiency and electricity selling price were the variables with higher impact on NPV.
Highlights
Liquid biofuels, biogas, pellets, chips and briquettes made either from woody or herbaceous materials are one of the most promising sources of renewable energy
Sosa & Feldman (2013) reported 10 Mg.ha-1 of aboveground net primary productivity (ANPP) for S. argentinensis grasslands; we considered 60 % of it could be harvested with 40 % moisture content
We considered that 60 % of ANPP of S. argentinensis could be harvested and bought to farmers with a fee established at 50 % of the rental value of land used for beef cattle production (25 kg of meat per ha per year)
Summary
Liquid biofuels (biodiesel and bioethanol), biogas (methane), pellets, chips and briquettes made either from woody or herbaceous materials are one of the most promising sources of renewable energy. Biofuels obtained from sources that could be used for human alimentary purposes, such as sugar cane and corn, are named first generation biofuels and have low acceptance among a large proportion of society and scientific community (Tilman et al, 2009). Many researchers are studying lignocellulosic alternatives to obtain energy, which are not intended for human consumption. It is necessary to seek for renewable energy sources with a low environmental impact with a neutral or negative carbon balance in order to meet the optimistic scenario of CO2 for year 2100. These energy sources should generate growth and development and, if possible, utilize unexploited or unprofitable resources
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