Towards Electricity from the Combustion of Agricultural Waste in Boilers with Low CO2 Emissions

Abstract

To meet the growing energy needs of the world’s population, international governments have turned to biomass energy from agricultural waste as a form of renewable energy. To this end, this study is based on the experimental and practical determination of certain physicochemical properties of three agricultural residues (cocoa cortex, oil palm fibres and sugar cane bagasse) using approximate and structural analysis methods. Then, using a METERK electronic detector, the small quantities of CO₂ emitted during combustion in 0.5 g boilers of each of these waste products used to produce energy (heat and/or electricity) were determined. The gross and net calorific values of these biomasses were also determined. Here are some of the results obtained for these three agricultural residues: variable moisture content (from 3.6% to 43.12%), variable organic matter content (from 76.12% to 90.31%), cellulose content (from 32.74% to 55.91%), lignin content (from 8.26% to 27.05%), variable net calorific values (from 6.581 kWh/kg to 10.461 kWh/kg) and low CO₂ gas emissions (from 439 ppm to 447 ppm). This proves that these three agricultural residues are very good potential sources of energy that can be used as fuel in boilers to produce large quantities of heat that can be converted into electricity by turbines connected to alternators using electromagnetic induction phenomena. Finally, this work provides credible information for public and private decision-makers in the field of electricity production from the combustion of these agricultural residues in boilers.