Carbon Footprint Analysis for Biomass-Fueled Combined Heat and Power Station: A Case Study

Yingying Zheng, Chang Liu, Jie Zhu, Yuanrui Sang, Jinglong Wang, Wenjing Zhao and Minghao Zhuang
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Yingying Zheng: College of Information and Electrical Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100081, China
Chang Liu: College of Information and Electrical Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100081, China
Jie Zhu: College of Information and Electrical Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100081, China
Yuanrui Sang: Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, The University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX 79925, USA
Jinglong Wang: College of Information and Electrical Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100081, China
Wenjing Zhao: College of Information and Electrical Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100081, China
Minghao Zhuang: College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100081, China

Agriculture, 2022, vol. 12, issue 8, 1-10

Abstract: Biomass could substitute fossil fuels in heat- and power-generation projects to reduce air pollution and greenhouse gas from many stages of the life cycle. The Nordjylland Power Station, one of Denmark’s largest power plants, is a 100% coal-fired combined heat and power plant. To reduce carbon dioxide emissions, this power plant is converting to be 100% biomass-fueled. However, biomass cannot be assumed as an emission-free energy source, even though it has certain advantages in terms of carbon sink capability. The environmental impacts among various biomass sources are unclear. Wheat straw and wood pellets are two of the most abundant biomass resources in Denmark. In this study, by conducting a screening life-cycle assessment, the expected savings of global warming potential emissions due to the substitution of coal with wheat straw or wood pellets are quantified. The life-cycle assessment’s results indicate that for producing 1 MJ of heat, the carbon dioxide equivalent from coal, wheat straw, and wood pellets are 117.01, 22.73, and 78.19 g, respectively. The combustion stage accounts for most of the carbon dioxide emissions. The recommendation is that wheat straw is preferred over wood pellets in terms of carbon emissions based on the current assumptions.

Keywords: agricultural residues; carbon footprint; combined heat and power; global warming potential; life-cycle assessments; wood pellets; wheat straw (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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