Modelling to analyse the process and sustainability performance of forestry-based bioenergy systems

• Published in: Clean technologies and environmental policy 2022-08, Vol.24 (6), p.1709-1725
• Main Authors: Martinez-Hernandez, Elias, Sadhukhan, Jhuma, Aburto, Jorge, Amezcua-Allieri, Myriam A., Morse, Stephen, Murphy, Richard
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acidification; Biomass; Carbon dioxide; Case studies; Clean energy; Climate change; Cogeneration; Costs; Earth and Environmental Science; Economics; Emissions; Energy; Energy consumption; Environment; Environmental Economics; Environmental Engineering/Biotechnology; Environmental impact; Environmental policy; Eutrophication; Forest residues; Forestry; Gender inequality; Global warming; Greenhouse effect; Greenhouse gases; Human rights; Hydrogen; Hydrogen-based energy; Indicators; Industrial and Production Engineering; Industrial Chemistry/Chemical Engineering; Life cycle assessment; Life cycles; Low income areas; Low pressure; Mathematical models; Original Paper; Production; Production costs; Renewable energy; Sanitation; Smog; Steam electric power generation; Steam generation; Sustainability; Sustainable Development; Water; Water consumption; Water use
• ISSN: 1618-954X; 1618-9558
• DOI: 10.1007/s10098-022-02278-1

This study develops a novel mathematical modelling framework for biomass combined heat and power systems (CHP) that links biomass and process characteristics to sustainability assessment of the life cycle. A total of twenty-nine indicators for the process (four-indicators), economic (five-indicators), environmental (eight-indicators) and social global (five-indicators) and local (seven-indicators) aspects have been analysed for sustainability. These are technological: biomass throughput, electricity and steam generations and CHP efficiency; economic: internal rate of return, capital, operating and feedstock costs and cost of production; environmental: global warming, fossil, land and water use, acidification, urban smog, eutrophication and ecotoxicity potentials; social (global): labour rights and decent work, health & safety, human rights, governance and community infrastructure; social (local): total forest land, direct/indirect jobs, gender equality and energy-water-sanitation access for communities, from biomass characteristics (carbon and hydrogen contents), energy demands and economic parameters. This paper applies the developed methodology to a case study in Mexico. From 12.47 kt/year forestry residue, 1 MWe is generated with an associated low-pressure steam generation of 50 kt/year, at the cost of production of $0.023/kWh. This makes the energy provision “affordable and clean” for marginalised/poor communities (the UN Sustainable Development Goals, SDG7). Bioenergy can curb > 90% of the greenhouse gas emissions and primary energy use, 6 kt CO 2 eq and 74 TJ annually. Bioenergy reduces other environmental impacts considerably, water consumption, acidification and eutrophication by 87–53%, and urban smog and ecotoxicity by 29–18%. Bioenergy can improve all five social themes in the Central American cluster countries. In addition to the SDG7, the forestry-based bioenergy system can also achieve the SDG6: "clean water and sanitation for all". Graphical abstract