Modelling to analyse the process and sustainability performance of forestry-based bioenergy systems

Elias Martinez-Hernandez, Jhuma Sadhukhan, Jorge Aburto, Myriam A. Amezcua-Allieri, Stephen Morse, Richard Murphy

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

13 Scopus citations

Abstract

Abstract: This study develops a novel mathematical modelling framework for biomass combined heat and power systems (CHP) that links biomass and process characteristics to sustainability assessment of the life cycle. A total of twenty-nine indicators for the process (four-indicators), economic (five-indicators), environmental (eight-indicators) and social global (five-indicators) and local (seven-indicators) aspects have been analysed for sustainability. These are technological: biomass throughput, electricity and steam generations and CHP efficiency; economic: internal rate of return, capital, operating and feedstock costs and cost of production; environmental: global warming, fossil, land and water use, acidification, urban smog, eutrophication and ecotoxicity potentials; social (global): labour rights and decent work, health & safety, human rights, governance and community infrastructure; social (local): total forest land, direct/indirect jobs, gender equality and energy-water-sanitation access for communities, from biomass characteristics (carbon and hydrogen contents), energy demands and economic parameters. This paper applies the developed methodology to a case study in Mexico. From 12.47 kt/year forestry residue, 1 MWe is generated with an associated low-pressure steam generation of 50 kt/year, at the cost of production of $0.023/kWh. This makes the energy provision “affordable and clean” for marginalised/poor communities (the UN Sustainable Development Goals, SDG7). Bioenergy can curb > 90% of the greenhouse gas emissions and primary energy use, 6 kt CO2 eq and 74 TJ annually. Bioenergy reduces other environmental impacts considerably, water consumption, acidification and eutrophication by 87–53%, and urban smog and ecotoxicity by 29–18%. Bioenergy can improve all five social themes in the Central American cluster countries. In addition to the SDG7, the forestry-based bioenergy system can also achieve the SDG6: "clean water and sanitation for all". Graphical abstract: [Figure not available: see fulltext.].

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1709-1725
Number of pages17
JournalClean Technologies and Environmental Policy
Volume24
Issue number6
DOIs
StatePublished - Aug 2022
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Community social deprivation analysis
  • Life cycle assessment (LCA)
  • Social life cycle assessment (SLCA)
  • Techno-economic analysis
  • Waste-to-energy
  • Water-energy nexus

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