Potential Greenhouse Gas Mitigation for Converting High Moisture Food Waste into Bio-Coal from Hydrothermal Carbonisation in India, Europe and China

Nicholas Davison, Jaime Borbolla Gaxiola, Divya Gupta, Anurag Garg, Timothy Cockerill, Yuzhou Tang, Xueliang Yuan and Andrew Ross
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Nicholas Davison: School of Chemical and Process Engineering, University of Leeds, Woodhouse Ln, Woodhouse, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
Jaime Borbolla Gaxiola: School of Chemical and Process Engineering, University of Leeds, Woodhouse Ln, Woodhouse, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
Divya Gupta: Environmental Science and Engineering Department, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai 400076, India
Anurag Garg: Environmental Science and Engineering Department, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai 400076, India
Timothy Cockerill: School of Mechanical Engineering, University of Leeds, Woodhouse Ln, Woodhouse, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
Yuzhou Tang: School of Energy and Power Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan 250061, China
Xueliang Yuan: School of Energy and Power Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan 250061, China
Andrew Ross: School of Chemical and Process Engineering, University of Leeds, Woodhouse Ln, Woodhouse, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK

Energies, 2022, vol. 15, issue 4, 1-37

Abstract: Hydrothermal carbonisation is a promising technology for greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation through landfill avoidance and power generation, as it can convert high-moisture wastes into bio-coal which can be used for coal substitution. The GHG mitigation potential associated with landfill avoidance of high-moisture food waste (FW) generated in India, China and the EU was calculated and the potential for coal substitution to replace either grid energy, hard coal, or lignite consumption were determined. Different HTC processing conditions were evaluated including temperature and residence times and their effect on energy consumption and energy recovery. The greatest mitigation potential was observed at lower HTC temperatures and shorter residence times with the bio-coal replacing lignite. China had the greatest total mitigation potential (194 MT CO 2 eq), whereas India had the greatest mitigation per kg of FW (1.2 kgCO 2 /kg FW). Significant proportions of overall lignite consumption could be substituted in India (12.4%) and China (7.1%), while sizable levels of methane could be mitigated in India (12.5%), China (19.3%), and the EU (7.2%). GHG savings from conversion of high-moisture FW into bio-coal and subsequent coal replacement has significant potential for reducing total GHG emissions and represents in India (3%), China (2.4%), and the EU (1%).

Keywords: hydrothermal carbonisation; food waste; coal substitution; GHG mitigation; methane avoidance; hydrochar (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (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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