Thermochemical characterization and assessment of residual biomass energy in Paraguay

Residual lignocellulosic biomass is an abundant and renewable source that plays a strategic role in energy policy in the developing countries. As a result, there is a need to increase biomass participation into the energy matrix. This work reports an overview on available residual biomass from agricultural fields and agro-industries in Paraguay, which can be used to produce energy by direct combustion. The total amount of residual biomass in agricultural fields from six traditional crops (soybean, sugarcane, corn, wheat, rice, and cassava) was estimated at an average of 46.6 million tonnes per year for the period 2016-2020. In addition, the spatial distribution of estimated residual biomass for the year 2020 is presented on maps. Furthermore, thermochemical profiles of thirty-seven residual biomass samples from agro-industries, including bulk density, moisture, ash content, heating values, and energy density, are reported. The high heating values (HHV) experimentally obtained ranged from 7 to 21 MJ/kg and the calculated energy density reached up to 12,560 MJ/m(3). All residual biomass exhibited good characteristics to be used as solid fuel. Finally, the available thermal energy from the biomass residues in Paraguay was analyzed under different scenarios of biomass utilization. The thermal energy potential (TEP) using 35% of the selected agricultural residues by direct combustion could generate 225,686 TJ/year, and the electrical energy potential (EEP) by thermoelectric power plant could generate 20,896 GWh/year.

Automated summary

This study provides an overview of available residual biomass from agricultural fields and agro-industries in Paraguay and presents the thermochemical profiles of these biomass samples. The results suggest that the residual biomass can be used as solid fuel and has the potential to generate a significant amount of thermal and electrical energy.