Food Waste to Energy through Innovative Coupling of CHP and Heat Pump

Jan Drofenik, Danijela Urbancl, Darko Goričanec, Zdravko Kravanja and Zorka Novak Pintarič ()
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Jan Drofenik: Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, University of Maribor, Smetanova 17, 2000 Maribor, Slovenia
Danijela Urbancl: Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, University of Maribor, Smetanova 17, 2000 Maribor, Slovenia
Darko Goričanec: Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, University of Maribor, Smetanova 17, 2000 Maribor, Slovenia
Zdravko Kravanja: Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, University of Maribor, Smetanova 17, 2000 Maribor, Slovenia
Zorka Novak Pintarič: Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, University of Maribor, Smetanova 17, 2000 Maribor, Slovenia

Energies, 2023, vol. 16, issue 8, 1-18

Abstract: This paper presents the conceptual design of a technological solution for the efficient conversion of food waste into heat and power. The distribution and composition of food loss and waste at different stages of the food supply chain in Slovenia and their potential for biogas production were determined. It was found that more than 50% of food waste comes from households. Therefore, a small plant was designed to convert food waste into biogas, which was innovatively coupled with a combined heat and power (CHP) unit and a heat pump. This doubles the amount of heat generated compared to conventional cogeneration. Based on the capacity of a micro commercial CHP unit, 3330 households (about 8000 residents) would supply food waste. The heat generated could replace 5% of the natural gas used for domestic water heating. The payback period would be 7.2 years at a heat price of about 80 EUR/MWh, however, for municipalities with more than 40,000 inhabitants the payback period would be reduced to less than 3 years. The cost price of the heat generated by this system would be about 25 EUR/MWh, taking into account the government subsidy for the operation of the CHP unit.

Keywords: food waste to energy; biogas; combined heat and power (CHP); heat pump; efficiency; conceptual design; preliminary economic assessment; sensitivity analysis (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: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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