OPTIMIZED UTILIZATION OF BIOMASS as an ECONOMICAL FUEL

FOR POWER GENERATION: POTENTIAL TECHNOLOGIES and

EFFECTS on CO2 and POLLUTANT EMMISIONS

Dr. Muhammad Kashif

M. Bilal Awan
University of Central Punjab, Lahore
Experts Conference on Economical Fuels for Power Plants in Industries

SUSTAINABLE
The draining of fossil fuel resources and increased global warm-
ing are becoming critical issues in the power generation industry.
Coal appears to be the major energy source for fossil power plants
because of its large reserves. Accordingly, more environmentally
friendly and energy efficient use of coal is needed to meet escalat-
ing environment regulations and the needs of an increasingly com-
petitive power generation market. In this regard, the integrated
gasification combined cycle (IGCC) is a promising technology to
generate electric power from coal while minimizing environmental
effects such as the emission of pollutants and greenhouse gases,
especially carbon dioxide

Economical Energy Security

Environmental Renewable
Friendly
 Why Sustainable Resources ?

Why In 2014-2015 Pakistan has spent about 36% of its import

Economical budget on fuel import resulting in high prices of electricity and
other basic items, making them unaffordable for most of the
population.
Why
Environment
al Friendly

Why Modern studies confirmed that present hydrocarbon resources

Renewable will deplete in next 100 years.
Outline:

 Rice Husk, Wheat Straw, Bagasse and Corn Stover as a

potential cheap partial replacement fuel for coal to
generate power in industries and total power generation
potential of biomass in Pakistan.
 Modern methodologies like moving or vibrating grate-fired
furnaces, integrated gasification combined cycle,
pulverized and fluidized bed combustor’s impact on boiler
efficiency.
 Ways to increase energy density of biofuel resources.
 Emissions related to biomass fuel.
Industrial use of biomass:

 Engro Eximp PVt Ltd has installed a plant of 4MW based

on rice husk.
 India is planning to produce 5000 MW energy from
Bagasse.
 Ely Power Station UK is producing 38 MW power from
Straw.
 Corn Stover is converted into ethanol and ethanol is used
as fuel.
Potential of Crop residue as Biomass
fuel:
Research has shown that each kg of rice, wheat, corn and sugar cane produces 0.2 kg of
rice husk, 0.8 kg of wheat straw, 1 kg of corn stover and 0.35 kg of bagasse respectively.
Table represents the waste generation of last 15 years based upon 70% recovery.
Waste Generation in “million Tonnes”
Year (Season) Rice Husk Wheat Straw Corn Stover Sugar Cane
1999-2000 0.78 15.85 1.24 11.6
2000-2001 0.72 14.28 1.23 10.9
2001-2002 0.6 13.73 1.23 12.1
2002-2003 0.68 14.4 1.3 13
2003-2004 0.73 14.6 1.42 13.4
2004-2005 0.77 16.2 2.1 11.8
2005-2006 0.83 16 2.33 11.2
2006-2007 0.82 17.5 2.3 13.7
2007-2008 0.84 15.8 2.7 16
2008-2009 1.05 18 2.7 12.5
2009-2010 1.04 17.5 2.5 12
2010-2011 0.72 18.2 2.8 13
2011-2012 0.93 18.2 3.3 14.2
2012-2013 0.83 17.5 3.15 16
2013-2014 1.02 19.1 3.4 16.9
Chemical Composition of crop
residue:

Fuel Type Carbon Hydroge Nitroge Oxyge Sulph Moistur GCV NCV Ash

% n n n ur e kcal/kg kcal/kg %

% % % % %

36.17-37.72 3.7-4.3 0.05-0.08 31-34 0.08-0.1 10-12 2917-3400 2362-2754 19-24

Rice Husk

35-40 4.35-6 0.60-0.9 33-40 0.1-0.15 15-19 3145-3675 2775-3500 8.9-11

Wheat

Straw

39.45-42.15 5.12-6.3 0.60-1 40-47 0.01-0.03 16-19 4230-4577 3946-4200 5.58-6.85

Corn

Stover
Energy Forecasting For
Biomass:
 
Year Power Power generation Power Power generation Total
generation using Corn stover generation using Wheat Generated
using Rice (MW) using Bagasse straw (MW) Power
husk (MW) (MW) (MW)
2015 126.337 361.2381 1551.143 1526.232 3564.95
2016 128.924 378.3095 1579.786 1552.438 3639.458
2017 131.511 395.381 1608.429 1578.644 3713.965
2018 134.098 412.4524 1637.071 1604.85 3788.471
2019 136.685 429.5238 1665.714 1631.055 3862.978
2020 139.272 446.5952 1694.357 1657.261 3937.485
2021 141.859 463.6667 1723 1683.467 4011.993
2022 144.446 480.7381 1751.643 1709.672 4086.499
2023 147.033 497.8095 1780.286 1735.878 4161.007
2024 149.62 514.881 1808.929 1762.084 4235.514
2025 152.207 531.9524 1837.571 1788.29 4310.02
2026 154.794 549.0238 1866.214 1814.495 4384.527
2027 157.381 566.0952 1894.857 1840.701 4459.034
2028 159.9679 583.1667 1923.5 1866.907 4533.542
2029 162.5549 600.2381 1952.143 1893.112 4608.048
2030 165.1419 617.3095 1980.786 1919.318 4682.555
 Energy Forecasting For Biomass
5000
4500
Power generated (MW)

4000
3500
3000
2500
2000
1500
1000
500
0
2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

2024

2025

2026

2027

2028

2029

2030
Years
Rice Husk Boiler Efficiency Comparison With Conventional Resources

30 %
Cortez and Gomez (2009) [bagasse]
84 %

25 %
Balkrishna (2009) [Coal]
80.8 %

30 %
Aljundi (2009b) [Heavy Fuel]
84 %

24.89 %
Saidur (2009) [Coal]
72.46 %

38.9 %
Durmus Kaya (2014) [Coal+coke gas]
85.9 %

24.24 %
Present work [Rice husk]
69.29 %
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

effeciency %

energy exergy
CO Emission of Rice Husk

SO2 Emission of Rice Husk

NOx Emission of Rice Husk
Flue Gas Analysis of
Biomass
Fuel Type CO2 O2 CO SO2 NO

% % % (mg/nm3) (mg/nm )
3

Rice Husk 11.2 8.8 0.8 3 220

Wheat 7.4 13.7 2 3.42 287

Straw

Corn 6.7 17 1.3 1.8 317

Stover
Modern Technologies
 Fluidized Bed Combustion
 Pulverized Bed Combustion
 Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle
 Vibrating Bed Combustion
Fluidized Bed Functionality Pulverized Bed Functionality
Integrated Gasification Combined
Cycle
 Why Modern Technologies for
Biomass
Helps to co fire biomass with coal in environmentally friendly way.
Have Higher ratio of sulfur to chlorine that reduces risk of corrosion.
Ways to Increase Energy Density of
Biomass

Pelleting
Briquetting
Torrefacation
Bio-oil
Pyrolysis
 Conclusion

Mentioned fuels have calorific value from 3000-4500 kcal/kg which makes them
suitable for burning in boilers.
Electricity generation capacity of mentioned biomass resources is more than 4000
MW
These biomass resources have less emissions as compared to coal and other
hydrocarbon fuels and can be co-fired with coal.
Being local and cheap source of energy, per unit electricity price will fall down that
will help to stabilize the country economically.
Modern Technologies like fluidized or pulverized bed will enhance biomass fuel
efficiency and will reduce ash generation.
Energy density can be increased by ..% when converted into ……..
Biomass resources ash is rich in silica that can be utilized in cement and glass
industries.