Raw Materials For Energy Production Research Articles

Enhancing energy recovery from Wastewater Treatment Plant sludge through carbonization

The Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) uses a dewatering machine to separate sludge from water. The resulting sludge is used as raw material for Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF), while the separated water is treated in the subsequent WWTP unit. However, the sludge from the WWTP is currently only processed into briquettes as per policy and then disposed of in landfills. Our investigation centers on the effects of carbonization temperature on sludge characteristics in a dewatering unit. Initial analysis revealed that 1-day-old sludge possesses a high moisture content (87.72 %) and a low calorific value (3.44 MJ/kg). Carbonization at 300 °C significantly enhanced the sludge's calorific value to 12,504 MJ/kg, reduced its moisture content to 60.72 %, and increased its carbon percentage to 22.76 %, indicating a direct correlation between carbonization temperature and both energy recovery and carbon content. Comparative analysis showed sludge carbonized at lower temperatures (200 °C and 100 °C) yielded lower carbon percentages (22.23 % and 21.66 %, respectively) and energy values, underscoring the efficiency of higher temperature carbonization in optimizing energy recovery.. This research contributes to developing sustainable organic waste recycling practices and supports achieving Sustainable Development Goals 11 and 12 targets. This research promotes sustainable development by improving sludge utilization from WWTPs as a raw material for energy production rather than being directly disposed of in landfills. This study provides insight into the potential for energy recovery from organic waste, technology, and policy's role in achieving a circular economy.

Study on the composition of gasoline fractions obtained as a result of waste tires pyrolysis and production bitumen modifiers from it

Waste tires pose a significant threat to the environment. On the other hand, they are a potential raw material for energy production. Pyrolysis is one of the most promising methods for utilizing waste tires in a circular economy. The aim of the research was to study in detail the composition of gasoline fractions obtained during waste tires pyrolysis, and to search for effective methods of their application/processing without the use of catalysts and scarce hydrogen. Pyrolysis of waste tires was carried out on a pilot-scale industrial unit with a productivity of up to 15 tons/day of raw material. The liquid pyrolysis products were separated into several fractions: boiling below 140 0C, boiling at the range of 140–200 0C and fraction boiling above 200 0C. The residual fraction, based on its performance indicators, can be used as a component in fuel oils. The gasoline fractions (<140 0C and 140–200 0C) cannot be used as components in commercial fuels due to their high content of unsaturated and aromatic compounds. The obtained components of the gasoline fractions were analyzed with the usage of infrared spectroscopy and/or chromatography. Modifiers were synthesized from the gasoline fractions to improve the adhesive properties of bitumen. It was found that the resulting products (residue after obtaining bitumen modifiers) contain lower amounts of aromatic and unsaturated compounds compared to the initial gasoline fractions. This will allow reducing the content of these harmful components in the further use of gasoline fractions. Addition of the received modifiers to road bitumen brand BND 70/100 in the amount of 1% wt. Makes it possible to obtain bitumen with improved adhesive properties of the BNDA 60/90 brand.

Feeding a Membrane-less Microbial Fuel Cell by Mixed Municipal and Industrial Wastewater

Due to the constant growth of the world's population, the amount of generated wastewater is also constantly increasing. One of the devices that can use wastewater as a raw material for energy production is a microbial fuel cell (MFC). MFCs technology is constantly evolving. However, to increase its use, it is necessary to improve its efficiency. There are various possibilities to ensure this, such as the use of new electrode materials, new cell designs, or the use of wastewaters from different sources. In this paper the analysis of MFC operation (cell voltage, power, and current density) fed by mixed municipal and industrial wastewaters was shown. Moreover, the change in time of COD was analyzed. Due to cost reduction the membrane-less microbial fuel cell (ML-MFC) was chosen. It was noted that the addition of concentrated process wastewater increases the COD reduction time in the ML-MFC. An increase of generated bioelectricity during fed ML-MFC by mixed municipal and industrial (process wastewater from yeast production) wastewater was demonstrated. The highest values of average cell voltage (598 mV), maximum power (4.47 mW) and maximum current density (0.26 mA·cm-2) were obtained for a 10% share of yeast process wastewater in the mixed wastewater, which fed the ML-MFC.

Oat as a Potential Source of Energy

Oat (Avena sativa L.) is one of the agricultural crops that can be grown in marginal areas. Grain and straw are used mainly for food and fodder purposes. However, due to the high-fat content in the grain and the small amount of ash, it can be an attractive raw material for energy production. The biomass can be straw and oat grain. Grain should be intended for food purposes, but if it does not meet the quality requirements, it can be used for energy purposes. The aim of the experiment was to evaluate the energy usefulness of four oat cultivars depending on the applied level of nitrogen fertilization. The research results show that oat grain and straw can be used as fuel for energy purposes. The average calorific value of grain was 18.7 MJ·kg−1, and the ash content in dry matter was 2.03%. With the increase in the dose of nitrogen fertilization, a decrease in the calorific value of oat and straw grains and a decrease in ash content were noted. The findings show significant varietal differences. Oat straw had a lower calorific value and a higher ash content, which indicates its lower usefulness for energy purposes compared to grain.

Potential use of bamboo resources in energy value‐added conversion technology and energy systems

AbstractBamboo has been identified as a promising solution to the energy crisis and climate change as a source of biomass energy. Due to its rapid growth and high‐value products, bamboo is considered as a potential source of biomass energy. Bamboo contains a significant amount of cellulose and hemicellulose, which can be converted to sugar constituents, making it an ideal raw material for energy production. This article reviews the different processes of producing bioethanol, biogas, biochar, and bio‐oil from bamboo biomass using techniques such as pyrolysis, hydrothermal liquefaction, fermentation, and anaerobic digestion, and discusses the opportunities and challenges of these conversion technologies. It also reviews the main types and morphological characteristics of energy bamboo species and proposes an evaluation system for energy bamboo species, which optimizes the utilization efficiency of bamboo biomass energy and maximizes benefits by adopting appropriate methods for producing bioenergy based on the characteristics of different bamboo species.

Biomass from Green Areas and Its Use for Energy Purposes

In the current situation, fossil fuels are the primary source for electricity production. As a result of activities related to environmental protection, other sources are also used to produce energy. One of the renewable sources is biomass, which is becoming more and more popular for economic reasons. Biomass produced in green areas is a source of energy that has not been used in an appropriate way so far. This scientific article presents the possibility of using biomass from parks and gardens for the production of pellets and the assessment of their properties in terms of the possibility of using them for energy purposes. Coniferous sawdust was an additional component of the pellets. The produced pellets were tested for mechanical, thermogravimetric, and calorimetric properties. It was found that pellets made of biomass consisting of fir (493.12 N) and pine (450.84 N) cones with an addition of coniferous sawdust were the most resistant to mechanical damage. The amount of ash in the analyzed pellets was below 3%, and their calorific value ranged from 16.95 to 19.54 MJ·kg−1. Additionally, during pellet combustion, the lowest emission of sulfur dioxide was recorded for pellets made of sawdust from coniferous trees and acorns (1.01 mg·m3), while the lowest emission of nitrogen oxides was recorded for pellets made of a mixture of coniferous sawdust and pinecones (65.33 mg·m3). The emission of the tested gases decreased as a result of the addition of coniferous sawdust to the tested types of biomass. On the basis of the conducted research, it was noted that waste biomass formed in green areas can be a raw material for energy production.

Forestry products as renewable energy sources

Forestry products as renewable energy sources

Effect of pH and Temperature on Bioethanol Production: Evidences from the Fermentation of Sugarcane Molasses using Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Bioethanol is increasingly seen as a competitive alternative to gasoline due to rising concerns about the greenhouse effect, the price of crude oil, and other issues. Due to improvements in the agricultural sector, millions of tons of trash and byproducts are produced annually, with the potential to be used as inexpensive energy sources and raw materials for energy production. In the sectors that produce sugar, sugarcane molasses is widely available as a feedstock for the commercial generation of low-cost bioethanol. In order to examine the impact of temperature and pH on the output of bioethanol, this study fermented sugarcane molasses to make bioethanol. In the experiment, fermentation was accomplished using the fungus Saccharomyces cerevisiae (yeast). Following fermentation, ethanol was extracted using distillation at a temperature of 78oC. The impact of pH on the ethanol yield was studied using five samples at five different pH levels (3.0, 3.5, 4.0, 4.5, and 5.0) at a temperature of 35oC. Five more samples were utilized to investigate the impact of temperature on the production of ethanol; the pH was maintained at 4.0 while the temperature was changed (25, 30, 35, 40, and 45oC). The percentage of ethanol yield was observed to grow with increasing pH and temperature until the optimum conditions were attained, at which point it began to decline. The study also found that the best conditions for Saccharomyces cerevisiae to make ethanol were pH 4.5 and temperature 35oC, yielding the highest amount of ethanol (81%).

Coordination of Configurations of Technologically Integrated “European Green Deal” Projects

An analysis of the state of affairs in the theory and practice of implementation of technologically integrated projects in various applied fields was carried out. The peculiarities of the implementation of the technologically integrated projects of the “European Green Deal” for the production of ecologically clean fuel from agricultural waste were analyzed. The expediency of developing a method of coordinating the configurations of technologically integrated “European Green Deal” projects for the production of ecologically clean energy from agricultural waste on the territory of a given region, taking into account their specific project environments, was substantiated. As a result of the conducted research, a method of coordinating configurations of the technologically integrated “European Green Deal” projects for the production of ecologically clean energy from agricultural waste in the territory of a given region, taking into account their specific project environment, was developed. This method involves the implementation of five stages, which ensure consideration of the specific design environment of each region and the type of agricultural raw materials for energy production. This method involves the modeling of individual projects, which makes it possible to increase the accuracy of determining their value indicators, taking into account risk. The balancing of the technologically integrated projects of the “European Green Deal” for the production of clean energy from agricultural waste was carried out on the basis of maximizing value for stakeholders and minimizing risk. On the basis of the proposed method, the computer program “Balancing technologically integrated projects” was developed. The use of this computer program for the given project environment (conditions of LLC “Lutsk Agrarian Company” of the Volyn region, Ukraine) made it possible to forecast the specific value and risk of individual projects involving harvesting raw materials from corn waste. The statistical characteristics of the distribution of the projected specific value of the project of harvesting raw materials from corn waste were established: the estimate of mathematical expectation—EUR 9/ton; dispersion—EUR 25/ton; the estimation of root mean square deviation—EUR 5/ton. The technologically integrated projects of the “European Green Deal” for the production of ecologically clean energy from corn waste with the greatest interconnections in terms of value were identified. The ranking of raw material procurement projects from corn waste was carried out according to their specific values and risks. Among the considered projects, priority was given to project #7 and project #1, which provided the greatest values, 37.6% and 36.6%, respectively, of the total value of the considered projects. The obtained results made it possible to establish priority projects and carry out their balancing by value and risk.

Nanosensor Applications in Plant Science

Plant science is a major research topic addressing some of the most important global challenges we face today, including energy and food security. Plant science has a role in the production of staple foods and materials, as well as roles in genetics research, environmental management, and the synthesis of high-value compounds such as pharmaceuticals or raw materials for energy production. Nanosensors—selective transducers with a characteristic dimension that is nanometre in scale—have emerged as important tools for monitoring biological processes such as plant signalling pathways and metabolism in ways that are non-destructive, minimally invasive, and capable of real-time analysis. A variety of nanosensors have been used to study different biological processes; for example, optical nanosensors based on Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) have been used to study protein interactions, cell contents, and biophysical parameters, and electrochemical nanosensors have been used to detect redox reactions in plants. Nanosensor applications in plants include nutrient determination, disease assessment, and the detection of proteins, hormones, and other biological substances. The combination of nanosensor technology and plant sciences has the potential to be a powerful alliance and could support the successful delivery of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. However, a lack of knowledge regarding the health effects of nanomaterials and the high costs of some of the raw materials required has lessened their commercial impact.

Energy Production from Biodegradable Waste as an Example of the Circular Economy

A growing population, technological progress and economic development result in a constant increase in energy demand. Energy is mostly obtained from fossil energy resources such as coal, natural gas, and crude oil. Burning them leads to air pollution with greenhouse gases (CO2, CH4, NH3 and N2O) and dust (PM2.5 and PM10). They are recognized as the cause of global warming and air pollution. Wind, water, solar and biomass energy are used to eliminate harmful emissions. The latter may come from special plant crops or from biodegradable waste from farming, animal husbandry, the agrifood industry and households. These wastes are transformed into biogas in biogas plants, the basic ingredient of which is methane. Most often, biogas is burned in a cogeneration process, providing electricity and heat. After purification of admixtures, it can be injected into the high-methane gas network or converted into hydrogen in the steam reforming process. In this way, environmentally harmful waste becomes a raw material for energy production, which is an example of a circular economy. The article discusses the functioning of biogas plants in selected EU countries. The current biogas production in Poland was assessed and compared with the production potential of dairy farms. The aim of this article was to show that the production of biogas reduces the emission of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere and the electricity produced from it is not burdened with the cost of purchasing CO2 emission allowances applicable in the EU.

Bioenergy Crops as a Promising Alternative to Fossil Fuels in Louisiana: A Geographic Information System (GIS) Perspective

Rising greenhouse gas emissions are causing climate change, and the world’s focus has shifted to the need to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels. There has been a rise in the published literature on the utilization of crops for bioenergy production in Louisiana. However, very few scholarly documents have used Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to map the distribution of potential bioenergy crops in Louisiana. This study seeks to fill the void by evaluating the potential of bioenergy crops in Louisiana for energy production using GIS. Given this objective, the agricultural census data for 1999, 2009, 2019, and 2020 obtained from the U.S. Department of Agriculture were used in the analysis. The quantities of various crops produced in the state were loaded into an attribute table and joined to a shapefile using ArcGIS software. The symbology tool’s graduated option was used to create five maps representing each of the bioenergy crops in Louisiana. The findings of the GIS analysis show that some of the parishes, such as Franklin produced the most bushels of corn (13,795,416), Iberia produced the most tons of sugarcane (1,697,980), East Carroll produced the most bushels of soybean (8,237,991), Tensas harvested the most bales of cotton (80,898) and Avoyelles produced the most bushels of sorghum (630,694). The abundance and availability of crops as raw materials for energy production will translate into lower prices in terms of energy use, making bioenergy crops a promising alternative to fossil fuels. In addition, gasoline price data from 1993-2022 was obtained from U.S. Energy Information Administration. A regression model for the average annual gasoline price over the years was constructed. The results show that the average annual gasoline price variation with respect to years is statistically significant (p 0.05). This suggests that gasoline prices will generally rise despite a price drop over the years. The paper concludes by outlining policy recommendations in the form of assessing the availability and viability of other crop types, such as wheat, oats, and rice, for energy production in the state.

Pilot-scale cultivation of water-net in secondary effluent using an open pond raceway for nutrient removal and bioethanol production

Although microalgae are seen as a potential alternative source of energy and other materials currently sourced from petroleum, issues still remain with industrialization because of difficulties in developing commercially operational microalgal production systems. We set up a pilot-scale study that involved the simultaneous reuse of wastewater and production of algae under different light and harvesting conditions. We cultivated Hydrodictyon reticulatum (H. reticulatum), a type of water-net algae, using secondary effluent from a wastewater treatment plant in a raceway open pond combined with an underwater light device. Experimental results showed that the underwater light device maintained some level of underwater light throughout the year. Photoinhibition of algal growth only occurred when the sunlight exceeded 1270 μmol m−2 s−1. During the non-harvest process, the maximum algal concentration was 1700 mg L−1 at 20 days after the experiment began, the maximum specific growth rate was 0.18 d−1 and the maximum productivity was 21.3 g m−2 d−1. Conversely, periodic harvesting decreased the concentration of nutrients in the effluent more as the days of cultivation increased, but the productivity of algae also decreased to 11.7 g m−2 d−1. The maximum yield of bioethanol using three kinds of fermentation strains was 93.5% and, thus, the commercial value of H. reticulatum as a raw material for energy production was excellent.

"Energy Development In Tanzania: Present and Future "

Improvement of access to energy in Africa is only plausible if there is an implementation of renewable energy technologies. This study focuses on renewable energy sources in Tanzania. There are several projects that are ongoing by the government and stakeholders all over the country to improve access to renewable energy technologies. However, there are some hindrances to the energy development programs that have been identified and discussed in this review. Hydropower is the largest supplier of energy in Tanzania and constitutes over 70% of the total energy distribution in the country. However, with a centralized national grid, it is inconvenient to locals living in rural areas. Solar energy comes second, but its challenges are due to its expense and locals lack of awareness of the technology. Biofuel is another promising sector since the country is a more agriculturally-based economy, hence plenty of raw materials for energy production. Several energy policies have also been implemented to ensure efficient energy development in Tanzania. The policies considered environmental conservation, accessibility and affordability, and marketing and awareness programs. Overall all these implementations are to boost energy production that will boost the economy of Tanzania.

Перспективи розвитку екологічного оподаткування в Україні

The development of technologies entails the deterioration of both the global environmental situation and at the regional level. The solution of environmental issues is directly related to the use of natural resources, as well as the utilization of the economic system, including through the transformation of waste into raw materials for energy production, various materials, reduction of toxic emissions into the air, water, biodiversity, etc. The main economic instruments of environmental protection and improvement of the ecological situation, which are used in world practice for these purposes, are analyzed. Among them are special taxes, pledge-refundable schemes and expanded business responsibility. The analysis of economic instruments of state regulation of nature management and sources of funding for environmental measures in Ukraine suggests that it needs to be revised and systematized with a scientifically sound definition of the parameters of mandatory payments in favour of the state and the proportions of natural distribution resource payments between the parts of the budget system to prevent the scattering of financial resources and their targeted use to finance environmental protection programs and improve the environmental situation in Ukraine. The expediency of strengthening the integration of such payments into the structure of existing taxes on goods (excise tax on gasoline), while maintaining environmental incentives, in particular, coordination with the taxation of corporate profits, for example, in the form of a reduction factor in the case of their include cost. In this case, the environmental component of taxation should correspond to the scale of environmental damage and is the basis of the mechanism for calculating tax payments or other economic incentives. This can be ensured by deepening the differentiation of tax rates depending on the damage to the environment, as well as the conditions of use of natural resources, the availability of certification of nature management enterprises according to ISO 14000 standard.

On The Road to Recovery of Organic Waste into a Growth Substrate - Öland Case Study

The CONTRA- Baltic Beach Wrack- Conversion of Nuisance to a Resource and Asset project aims to transform Beach Wrack into a Resource. In collaboration with CONTRA project, the Environmental Science and Engineering Group (ESEG) aims to demonstrate the technological and economic feasibility of using beach wrack raw materials for energy production and bio-based compost as practical approaches towards the circular economy. In the present study, the purpose is to concentrate the nutrients from four different biological materials (beach wrack, sawdust or wood chips, degraded sediments and Coffee powder), through the composting process.

Willow Cultivation as Feedstock for Bioenergy-External Production Cost

Biomass remains one of the most important materials for the production of renewable energy in the European Union. Willow can be one of the sources of biomass, and its production can also be profitable on soils with low quality. A proper selection of raw material for energy production should be based not only on the cost effectiveness or crop yield, but also on the environmental impact and the cost it incurs. The aim of this work was to evaluate the external environmental costs of the production of willow chips of seven willow genotypes, produced for energy generation on marginal cropping lands. The environmental external costs of chips production were estimated against the amount of emissions calculated according to the LCA method (ReCiPe Midpoint) and its monetary value. The external environmental cost of willow chips production amounted to €212 ha−1 year−1, which constituted 23% of the total production cost of willow chips. The external cost of production of 1 Mg d.m. of willow chips for the best yielding variety averaged €21.5, which corresponded to 27% of the total production cost. The research demonstrated that a proper selection of an optimal variety may lead to the reduction of the external cost.

The Bioenergy ‘Blind Spots’ in EU Climate and Energy Law

This article analyses how the climate performance of forest-based bioenergy is treated under the revised European Union (EU) climate and energy law in the form of the recast Renewable Energy Directive and the new land-use, land-use change and forestry (LULUCF) Regulation on land use and forestry. Forest-based bioenergy exemplifies the troubled relationship between bioenergy, forest management and emissions and removals from the land use and forestry sector. The article focuses on the climate-related legal challenges that arise from the regulatory approach taken to the use of forest-based bioenergy as a widely available renewable raw material for energy production. The article argues that this regulatory approach does not fully consider the underlying climate-related concerns and hence the current approach risk weakening the overall ambition of the EU’s legislative approach to the challenge of climate change. This article exposes the ‘blind spots’ in the link between the Renewable Energy Directive and the LULUCF Regulation both to support this argument and to point out the grave challenges related to the current legal approach on bioenergy. forest-based bioenergy, carbon neutrality, climate change, climate law, energy law, the Renewable Energy Directive, the LULUCF Regulation

Enzymatic in-situ transesterification of neutral lipids from simulated wastewater cultured Chlorella emersonii and Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata to sustainably produce fatty acid methyl esters

Alternative, more sustainable and environmentally positive, sources of energy are one of the current global challenges. One approach to achieving more sustainable sources of energy is to use waste from one system as a raw material for energy production, following the circular biosystem philosophy. This study successfully adopted this approach whereby microalgae strains Chlorella emersonii and Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata were bioprospected and metabolically engineered in simulated wastewater supplemented with glucose to produce neutral lipids. Using a two-step cultivation approach neutral lipid content was enhanced in Chlorella emersonii and Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata biomass. Via in-situ transesterification, these neutral lipids were subsequently bioconverted to biodiesel feedstock fatty acid methyl esters using novel solvent stable lipase(s) from Pseudomonas reinekei and Pseudomonas brenneri. The culturing of appropriate microalgae on wastewater, and bioconversion via organo-stable lipases may provide a commercially viable and sustainable biodiesel feedstock to help address the current global energy challenge.

Minimum Lignin and Xylan Removal to Improve Cellulose Accessibility

The lignocellulosic biomass, such as provided by the sugarcane, is an abundant source of raw materials for energy production. Milling and pretreatments can be employed to alter the structure of the materials, remove lignin, and hemicellulose. This pretreatment effect exposes the cellulose and raises its accessibility, which is one of the most important properties to ensure enzymatic digestibility. However, the biomass generated from the sugarcane has different physicochemical characteristics, giving different responses to the pretreatments. In this context, this study aimed to verify the effects of lignin and hemicellulose removal from the sugarcane biomass (external fraction, node, internode, and leaf) on cellulose accessibility. Each fraction was pretreated with acid (5, 10, and 20% w/w, at 121 °C/30 min), alkali (5, 10, 20, and 30% NaOH w/w) and oxidative (0.5, 1, 2, and 3 h charged with 30% sodium chlorite). Accessibility was determined by dye adsorption of Direct Orange (external specific surface) and Direct Blue (internal specific surface). Enzymatic hydrolysis was used to verify the effects of pretreatments and cellulose accessibility on the glucose yield. Delignification by sodium chlorite (oxidative) resulted in lignin removal, with almost complete removal from leaf samples. Accessibility determined indicated that pretreatments that are more aggressive improved cellulose accessibility. The less recalcitrant fraction, the internode, showed 1333.3 mg/g of Direct Orange adsorbed and 746.3 mg/g of Direct Blue. Glucose yield during enzymatic hydrolysis improved with higher cellulose accessibility. Lignin and xylan removal (down to 10% and 1%, respectively) resulted in higher glucose yield, with delignified internode samples showing almost complete cellulose conversion. Hemicellulose and lignin removal by the pretreatments directly influenced cellulose accessibility, resulting in better enzymatic hydrolysis across all fractions. This study successfully showed that lignin and hemicellulose removal of 15% and 10%, respectively, resulting in at least 60% of glucose yield, reaching desired accessibility levels based on dye adsorption of 2079.6 mg/g.