MOI UNIVERSITY

SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING

DEPARTMENT OF CHEMICAL AND PROCESS ENGINEERING

COURSE CODE: CHP 444

COURSE TITLE: NON-FOSSIL ENERGIES TECHNOLOGIES.

TASK: BIOENERGY

PRESENTED TO: PROFESSOR ANIL KUMAR

GROUP MEMBERS;

1.Benard Kiprotich Kigen – CPE/17/19.

2. Muteti S. Keli - CPE/28/19

3. Vincent Kemboi -CPE/16/19

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ABSTRACT.

Bioenergy is a form of renewable energy that comes from biomass(organic matter from plants or
animals). There are many different ways to use bioenergy, including producing electricity ,heating homes
and fueling vehicles.

Bioenergy is important to economical growth . It can be used over and over again and does not produce
greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change. Bioenergy also supports local economies by creating
jobs in the agricultural and forestry industries.

Conversion of biomass include ; Densification of biomass, Combustion and incineration, Thermo-

chemical conversion (includes pyrolysis, gasification and liquefaction )and Bio-chemical
conversion(includes anaerobic digestion and ethanol fermentation.

Contents
ABSTRACT....................................................................................................................................................2

Introduction:...............................................................................................................................................4

Bioenergy use..........................................................................................................................................4

Conversion of Biomass................................................................................................................................5

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Bioenergy with reference to Kenya.............................................................................................................8

Solid Biomass Fuels..................................................................................................................................8

Wood Fuel (Fuelwood and Charcoal)...................................................................................................8

Liquid Biofuels............................................................................................................................................9

Biodiesel..............................................................................................................................................9

Bioethanol...........................................................................................................................................9

Gaseuos Biofuels.....................................................................................................................................9

Biogas..................................................................................................................................................9

Engineering aspects of the application of Bioenergy.................................................................................10

Biofuels..................................................................................................................................................10

Biomass power generation....................................................................................................................10

Bioremediation......................................................................................................................................10

Bioplastics..............................................................................................................................................10

Biochemicals..........................................................................................................................................10

Biochemical processes...........................................................................................................................11

Hydrogen production............................................................................................................................11

Waste treatment...................................................................................................................................11

Bioreactors............................................................................................................................................11

Challenges faced in production and use of bioenergy...............................................................................11

POSSIBLE SOLLUTIONS...........................................................................................................................12

CONCLUSION.............................................................................................................................................12

Advantages of bioenergy.......................................................................................................................13

REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................................14

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 BIOENERGY
Introduction:

Bioenery is one of the diverse resources available to help meet our demand for energy. It is a form of
renewable energy that is derived from recently living organic materials known as Biomass, which can be
used to produce transportation fuels, heat, electricity and products. Abundant and renewable bio energy
can contribute to a more secure, sustainable and economically sound future by;

-Sipplying domestic clean energy sources

-Reducing dependence on foreign oil

-Generating jobs

-Revitalizing rural economics.

Bioenergy use falls into two main categories: traditional and modern.
-Traditional use refers to the combustion of biomass in such forms as wood, animal waste and traditional
charcoal.

-Modern biomass technologies include liquid biofuels produced from bagasse and other plants;
biorefineries; biogas produced through anaerobic digestion of residues; wood pellet heating systems and
other technologies.

About three-quarters of the world's renewable energy use involves bioenergy, with more than half of that
consisting of traditional biomass use.Bioenergy accounted for about 10% of total final energy
consumption and 1.9% of global power generation in 2015.Biomass has significant potential to boost
energy supplies in populous nations with rising demand such as Brazil, India and China.It can be directly
burned for heating or power generation, or it can be converted into oil or gas substitutes. Liquid biofuels,
a convenient renewable substitute for gasoline, are mostly used in the transport sector.Brazil is the leader
in liquid biofuels and has the largest fleet of flexible-fuel vehicles which can run on bioethanol- an
alcohol mostly made by the fermentation of carbohydrates in sugar or strach crops such as corn,
sugarcane or sweet sorghum.

For bioenergy to play it's essential roles, we need to produce and use it sustainably. Bioenergy must
significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions.The use of organic fuel to create bioenergy releases carbon
dioxide into the air. This is offset by new plants that consume carbon dioxide during growth. But
improper sourcing and processing of biomass for energy can also pose a risk to our climate.

There are four(4) types of biomass that can be made into biomass fuel:

a) Wood residue- Low value tree parts are sourced from forests during felling and as part of forest care.

b) Farm waste- This includes animal manures, straw and food production leftovers.

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c) Energy crops- Wheat, Oil seed rape, willow, miscanthus and silage can create different fuels.

d) Organic waste- Food waste, used cooking oil and wood by-products.

Conversion of Biomass

Biomass sources for energy include;

a) Wood and wood processing wastes

b) Agricultural crops and waste materials

c) Biogenic materials in municipal solid waste

d) Animal manure and human sewage for producing biogas/renewable natural gas.

- Biomass is converted to energy through various processes:

1. Direct combustion (burning) to produce heat

2. Thermochemical conversion to produce solid, gaseous and liquid fuels.

3. Chemical conversion to produce liquid fuels

4. Biological conversion to produce liquid and gaseous fuels.

- Direct combustion is the most common method for converting biomass to useful energy. All
biomass can be burned directly for heating buildings and water, for industrial process heat and for
generating electricity in steam turbines.

- Thermal conversion of biomass includes pyrolysis and gasification. Both are thermal
decomposition processes in which biomass feedstock materials are heated in closed, pressurized vessels
called gassifiers at high temperatures.

They mainly different in the process temperatures and amount of oxygen present during the conversion
Process.

a) Pyrolysis entails heating organic materials to 800-900°F(400-500°C) in the near complete absence
of free Oxygen. Biomass pyrolysis produces fuels such as charcoal, bio-oil, renewable diesel, methane
and hydrogen.

b)Hydro-treatingis used to produce bio-oil with hydrogen under elevated temperatures and
pressures in the presence of a catalyst to produce renewable diesel, renewable gasoline and renewable jet
fuel.

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c) Gasification entails heating organic materials to 1400-1700°C(800-900°C) with injections of
controlled amounts of free Oxygen and/or steam into the vessel to produce a carbon monoxide and
hydrogen rich gas called synthesis gas or syn gas. Syn gas can be used as a fuel for diesel engines, for
heating and for generating electricity in gas turbines.It can also be treated to separate the hydrogen from
the gas and the hydrogen can be burnt or used in fuel cells. The syn gas can be further processed to
produce liquid fuels using the Fischer-Tropsch process.

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A chemical conversion Process known as transesterification is used for converting vegetable oils,
animal fats and greases into fatty acid methyl esters(FAME), which are used to produce biodiesel.

Biological conversion includes fermentation to convert biomass into ethanol and anaerobic digestion to
produce renewable natural gas. Ethanol is used as a vehicle fuel. Renewable natural gas- also called
biogas or biomethane- is produced in anaerobic digesters at sewage treatment plants and at diary and
livestock operations.

It also forms in and may be captured from solid waste land fills. Properly treated renewable natura

l gas has the same uses as fossil

fuel natural gas.

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Bioenergy with reference to Kenya.

Kenya recognises the important role played by bioenergy and has put in place mechanisms to promote
modern bioenergy services.The National Energy Policy 2018 recognises biomass fuels as the largest
source of primary energy in the country. The policy further notes that wood fuel supply management is
crucial to ensure sustainable supply to meet the growing demand.

Solid Biomass Fuels.

Wood Fuel (Fuelwood and Charcoal).

The country is highly dependent on biomass energy, which comprises 68% of the total energy supply.
Apart from being used by majority of kenyans for cooking, Industries are also using wood for their
thermal processes and the tea industry is one of the largest consumers of fuelwood. There are over 90 tea
factories in Kenya consuming an average of 10,900 m3 of fuelwood per year; about 550,000 tons every
year. Some of the industries also use briquettes as a source of fuel. Other high consumers of fuelwood are
the cottage industries which include brick-making, tobacco-curing, fish smoking and bakeries.

Briquettes
There are two main sub-types of briquettes, namely the carbonized and non-carbonized briquettes.
Carbonized briquettes are made from biomass raw materials that have undergone pyrolysis, which is
then typically mixed with a binding element, moulded into various shapes then dried. Non-carbonized
briquettes are processed directly from biomass sources through various casting and pressing processes,
also known as compaction or solidification and are mainly for industrial use.

There are ongoing briquetting activities across the country mainly driven by the private sector. Biomass
briquettes made from sustainable sources such as bagasse, sisal waste, wheat , rice, husks,pineapple plant
waste, coffee husks, coconut husks and sawdust can offer alternative fuel for many domestic and
institutional cooking and industrial heating processes.

Some of the barriers to sustainable production and consumption of briquettes include inadequate biomass
feedstock quantities, lack of capacity to fabricate and maintain briquetting machines and the high cost of
briquettes compared to competition from other alternative and often cheaper forms of fuels.

Pellets
Pellets are a heating and energy fuel made from compressed wood fibres. Wood pellets are used in pellet
stoves, boilers and furnaces to heat in homes, businesses and commercial locations. Pellets are at a
nascent stage of production and use in the country.The feedstock for making pellets sustainably in the
country are waste residues from agricultural and woody biomass, and energy crops. Due to the pressure
already exerted on wood resources and dwindling forest cover, the use of these resources for pellets is not
encouraged. The woody feedstock comprises woodchips, sawdust, wood shavings and other woody
wastes. Non-woody feedstock includes agricultural residue from sugarcane, coffee husks, maize straws
and stalks and rice straws and husks.

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Agricultural Waste for Cogeneration
Cogeneration is the generation of electricity and useful heat jointly, especially the utilisation of the steam
left over from electricity generation for heating. One successful co-generation example in the country is
Mumias Sugar Company in Western Kenya. It took advantage of its co-generation potential from
sugarcane bagasse by installing a 38 MW capacity.no major environmental or health concerns have been
associated with co-generation in industrial plants.

Liquid Biofuels

Biodiesel
Biodiesel has a higher oxygen content which aids in the completion of fuel combustion, hence lower
emission of particulate air pollutants, carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons. Biodiesel can be blended with
traditional diesel fuel or burned in its pure form in ordinary compression ignition engines. Castor Seed
Kenya ltd with approximately 700 acres of castor seed under cultivation in the coastal region of Kenya, is
an example of a biodiesel project.

challenges of biodiesel in Kenya include:

a. High cost of raw material and production, making biodiesel less attractive than
the readily-available fossil diesel.

b. Insufficient volumes of biodiesel resulting in low impact on the market.

c. Lack of market for the product

d. lack of awareness on production of oil seeds, collection from forests and the
market channels available.

Bioethanol
In Kenya, ethanol is currently exclusively produced using molasses feedstock, a by-product of sugar
production. Ethanol production is therefore inextricably linked to sugar production. Ethanol as a cooking
fuel is still nascent with just 1.2 million litres produced annually.

A constraint to production is the national shortage of molasses due to the inefficient performance of
public mills and reduction in sugarcane farming.

Companies producing ethanol domestically are Kisumu Molasses Plant, the Agro Chemical and Food
Company and Mumias Sugar Company.

Gaseuos Biofuels.

Biogas
Biogas is produced through the anaerobic fermentation of biomass, animal dung and other organic waste.
Biogas-based electricity generation potential has been identified in municipal waste, sisal and coffee

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production, and is estimated at 29-131 MW. The Biojule plant in Naivasha, which produces 2 MW of
power, is an example of a grid-connected biogas plant utilising flower-waste as feedstock.

Engineering aspects of the application of Bioenergy.

Bioenergy is one of many diverse resources available to help meet our demand for energy. It is a form of
renewable energy that is derived from recently living organic materials known as biomass, which can be
used to produce transportation fuels, heat, electricity, and products.

bioenergy provides a promising avenue for engineers to develop sustainable and renewable energy
solutions, as well as innovative products and technologies.

Bioenergy has numerous applications in engineering, including:

Biofuels: Biofuels are fuels that are derived from biomass, which can be used to power vehicles,
generators, and other machinery. Examples of biofuels include ethanol, biodiesel, and biogas. Engineers
can design and develop biofuel production systems, as well as optimize the efficiency and sustainability
of these systems.

Biomass power generation: Biomass can be used to generate electricity through a variety of
methods, such as combustion, gasification, and anaerobic digestion. Engineers can design and develop
biomass power generation systems, as well as improve the efficiency and reliability of these systems.

Bioremediation: Bioremediation is the use of microorganisms to break down or remove pollutants

from the environment. Engineers can design and develop bioremediation systems for contaminated sites,
as well as optimize the effectiveness of these systems.

Bioplastics: Bioplastics are plastics that are derived from renewable biomass sources, such as
cornstarch, sugarcane, or vegetable oil. Engineers can design and develop bioplastic production systems,
as well as optimize the properties and performance of these materials.

Biochemicals: Biochemicals are chemicals that are derived from biomass, such as cellulose, lignin,
and sugars. Engineers can design and develop biochemical production systems, as well as optimize the
efficiency and sustainability of these systems.

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Biochemical processes: Bioenergy can be used to power the fermentation and bioprocessing
steps of biochemical processes. For example, in the production of biofuels such as ethanol, bioenergy is
used to power the fermentation process that converts the sugar in feedstock such as corn or sugarcane into
ethanol.

Hydrogen production: Bioenergy can be used to produce hydrogen through the gasification of
biomass. In this process, biomass is heated in the presence of steam and oxygen to produce a gas mixture
that contains hydrogen, carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide. The hydrogen can then be separated from
the gas mixture and used as a fuel.

Waste treatment: Bioenergy can be used in the treatment of waste, such as municipal solid waste
and agricultural waste, through anaerobic digestion. Anaerobic digestion is a process that breaks down
organic waste in the absence of oxygen to produce biogas, which can be used to produce heat and
electricity.

Bioreactors: Bioenergy can be used to power bioreactors, which are vessels used in chemical
engineering for the production of bioproducts. Bioreactors are used for the cultivation of microorganisms
or cells that produce chemicals, pharmaceuticals, or enzymes. Bioenergy can be used to provide the heat
and agitation required in bioreactors.

Biochemical processes: Bioenergy can be used to power the fermentation and bioprocessing steps of
biochemical processes. For example, in the production of biofuels such as ethanol, bioenergy is used to
power the fermentation process that converts the sugar in feedstock such as corn or sugarcane into
ethanol.

Hybrid systems: Bioenergy can be used in hybrid systems that combine different renewable energy
sources. For example, a system can combine solar, wind, and bioenergy to provide electricity to remote
areas where grid power is not available.

Energy storage: Bioenergy can be used for energy storage in the form of biogas. Biogas can be stored in
tanks and used later to produce electricity when demand is high or when there is no sunlight or wind for
solar or wind power.

Challenges faced in production and use of bioenergy

In Kenya, bioenergy plays a critical role in meeting the country's energy needs, particularly in rural areas
where access to modern forms of energy is limited. However, several challenges face the bioenergy sector
in Kenya, including:

1. Land Use: The production of bioenergy requires large amounts of land, which can lead to
competition with food production, biodiversity conservation, and other land uses.

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 2. Feedstock Availability: The availability of feedstocks for bioenergy production can be uncertain
and dependent on factors such as weather, pests, and land use changes.
3. Environmental Impacts: The production and use of bioenergy can have significant environmental
impacts, such as soil erosion, water pollution, and greenhouse gas emissions.
4. Technological Barriers: The development and deployment of bioenergy technologies require
significant investments in research and development, infrastructure, and regulatory frameworks.
5. Cost Competitiveness: Bioenergy technologies are often more expensive than fossil fuels, making
it challenging for them to compete in the market.
6. Sustainability: Ensuring the sustainability of bioenergy production and use requires careful
consideration of social, economic, and environmental factors.
7. Policy Support: The lack of consistent policy support for bioenergy development can hinder
investment and deployment, and can lead to uncertainty in the market.

POSSIBLE SOLLUTIONS

There are several possible solutions to address the challenges associated with bioenergy production and
use, including:

1. Sustainable Feedstock Production: Ensuring the sustainable production of feedstocks is critical to

reducing the environmental impacts of bioenergy. This can be achieved through practices such as
crop rotation, conservation tillage, and integrated pest management.
2. Improved Conversion Technologies: Research and development efforts should focus on
improving the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of bioenergy conversion technologies, such as
bioreactors and biomass gasification.
3. Policy Support: Governments can provide policy support to incentivize the development and
deployment of bioenergy technologies, such as tax credits, subsidies, and mandates.
4. Carbon Pricing: Implementing a carbon price or carbon tax can make bioenergy more competitive
with fossil fuels, by reflecting the true cost of greenhouse gas emissions.
5. Sustainable Land Use Planning: Planning land use to ensure that bioenergy production does not
compete with food production or conservation goals can help to mitigate land use challenges.
6. Integrated Approaches: Developing integrated approaches that consider the entire bioenergy
value chain, from feedstock production to end-use, can help to address multiple challenges
simultaneously.
7. Public Awareness and Engagement: Raising public awareness and engaging stakeholders in the
development of bioenergy policies and projects can help to build public support and address
social and economic challenges.

Overall, addressing the challenges associated with bioenergy will require a combination of technological,
policy, and social innovations, as well as a commitment to sustainability and careful planning.

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CONCLUSION.

As evident above , bioenergy can offer renewable,low-carbon energy systems as well as offer numerous
environmental and socioeconomic benefits and therefore supporting global climate.

Advantages of bioenergy

 Biomass is a renewable resource

Biomass is an abundant resource: organic matter surrounds us, from forests and croplands to waste and
landfills. All biomass originally gets its energy from the sun – thanks to photosynthesis, biomass
resources regrow in a relatively short timespan compared to fossil fuel resources that take hundreds of
millions of years to replenish. As such, we won’t run out of biomass to use for energy production.

 Biomass helps reduce waste

Landfills have a number of negative impacts on the environment, including contamination of nearby air,
soil and water, and the emission of greenhouse gases. Many products that end up in landfills are
hazardous and toxic; depending on how these materials are managed, they can end up contaminating our
land, air, and water, which eventually leads to adverse environmental and human health
consequences.Additionally, landfills are a large contributor to greenhouse gas emissions in our
atmosphere. When organic matter in landfills decomposes, it emits methane–one of the most potent
greenhouse gases–as well as carbon dioxide and other compounds. Diverting waste to biomass energy
plants instead of landfills not only helps reduce the size of landfills and alleviates these risks, but also
takes materials that would otherwise sit around and uses them productively.

 It is carbon neutral.

As a natural part of photosynthesis, biomass fuels only release the same amount of carbon into the
atmosphere as was absorbed by plants in the course of their life cycle.

 Biomass production adds a revenue source for manufacturers .

Producers of waste can add value by channeling their garbage to create a more profitable use in the form
biomass energy.

 It reduces the overreliance of fossil fuels.

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Not only is there is a limited supply of fossil fuels, but fossil fuels come with environmental baggage,
including the release of large amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and the pollutants that result
from removal, transportation and production.

 Biomass is a reliable source of electricity

In many instances, biomass energy plants are dispatchable, meaning they can easily be turned on or off.
This allows electricity grid operators to use electricity from these plants during times of peak demand.
Bioenergy is not intermittent or variable unlike other sources of renewable energy like solar and wind: the
sun isn’t always shining, and the wind isn’t always blowing. In the absence of storage technologies, you
can’t always use solar or wind energy when you need it. In comparison, while the availability of some
biomass resources may be susceptible to seasonality, biomass energy plants can always turn on to provide
power, regardless of the weather outside.

REFERENCES

1. www.synthechbiology.com.

2. Report on Bioenergy strategy 2020 by ministry of Energy.

3. Biomass explained – U.S Energy Information Administration(EIA)

www.eia.gov.energyexplained

4. Sustainable Energy Authority, www.seai.technologies

5. Handbook of Bioenergy: Bioenergy Supply Chain - Models and Applications by Sandra

D.Eksioglu

6. Biomass and Bioenergy by khalid Rehman khaleed

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