Evaluation of waste biomass gasification for local community development in central region of Brazil

Brazil is one of the most powerful agro-industrial countries in the world impacting important chains of food, energy, and materials supplies. Residues resulting from this manufacture attract environmental and economic concerns for those producers. Aiming to focus on decentralized bioenergy production for local communities of the Midwest region, this work reports the physicochemical characterization of fruit peels of Baru (FPB), barks of Jatoba-do-cerrado tree (BJC), and their potential as raw materials for energy generation by gasification. FPB and BJC were analyzed by proximate analysis (12.0 and 11.6% of moisture, 71.2 and 75.4% of volatiles, 2.6 and 1.1% of ashes, and 26.2 and 23.5% of fixed carbon content), lignocellulosic analysis (21.7 and 13.3% of extractives, 65.8 and 60.7% of holocellulose, and 31.8 and 38.1% of lignin), and higher heating value (HHV), 19.7 kJ g(-1)and 20.4 kJ g(-1)for FPB and BJC, respectively. Both were used as fuel in a countercurrent gasifier (updraft) for the production of synthesis gas to generate energy, achieving satisfactory results, 25% and 15% of H-2, 33% and 36% of CO, and 14% and 4% of CO(2)for FPB and BJC, respectively. These results were similar or better than other biomasses reported in the literature. Since FPB and BJC are agricultural residues without a specific purpose, this work showed that decentralized bioenergy conversion by thermochemical process can benefit local producers. Graphical abstract

Automated summary

This study focuses on decentralized bioenergy production for local communities in the Northeastern region of Brazil, utilizing gasification to convert fruit peels and barks into energy sources. The results demonstrate that converting agricultural residues into bioenergy through thermochemical processes can be beneficial for local producers.