Use of Hydrochar Produced by Hydrothermal Carbonization of Lignocellulosic Biomass for Thermal Power Plants in Chile: A Techno-Economic and Environmental Study

Hydrothermal carbonization makes it possible to transform lignocellulosic biomass into hydrochar, a carbon-rich material that can be used as fuel. Hydrochar has less calorific value than standard coal but generates less ashes during combustion. This study is a pre-feasibility analysis carried out to...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Sustainability 2022-07, Vol.14 (13), p.8041
Main Authors: Carrasco, Samuel, Pino-Cortés, Ernesto, Barra-Marín, Andrés, Fierro-Gallegos, Alejandro, León, Marcelo
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Ashes
Biomass
Bituminous coal
Calorific value
Carbon dioxide
Carbonization
Cellulose
Coal
Costs
Decomposition
Economic analysis
Electricity
Emissions
Energy
Environmental studies
Feasibility studies
Industrial plant emissions
Lignin
Lignocellulose
Net present value
Power plants
Raw materials
Sulfur dioxide
Sustainability
Temperature
Thermal power
Thermal power plants
Thermoelectricity
Viscosity
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Summary:Hydrothermal carbonization makes it possible to transform lignocellulosic biomass into hydrochar, a carbon-rich material that can be used as fuel. Hydrochar has less calorific value than standard coal but generates less ashes during combustion. This study is a pre-feasibility analysis carried out to evaluate technically-economically and environmentally the use of hydrochar as fuel or co-fuel in thermal power plants in Chile. Until now there are no reports about it. The proposal of this work was to study the replacement of coal with a fuel that uses the same equipment and processes in power generation but with less air emission and with an economically profitable change. The results suggest that a plant with a supply of 104 t/h of bituminous coal could be replaced between 18 and 37 t/h of hydrochar, with a reduction of 8 and 27% in NOx and SO2 emissions, a reduction in 7 to 24% in ashes and a marginal increase in CO2 emission. The proposed use of hydrochar was economically profitable, with internal rates of return of up to 40% and with cash flows that reached USD 22 million.
ISSN:2071-1050
2071-1050
DOI:10.3390/su14138041