Comprehensive investigation on the techno economic and emission parameters for implementing biomass gasifier based power generation unit in ice plant industries

Abstract

Electrification using renewables has gained interest due to environmental pollution, global warming, and rising prices of conventional fuels. Electrifying rural areas with renewable energy can provide a significant share to the global energy mix, making it essential to conduct further research in this area. With high power consumption, the industrial sector is an effective target for powering with renewables. In a detailed survey conducted in a study region, the ice plant industry was identified as one of the primary consumers of electricity and diesel, leading to increased carbon emissions and operating costs. The survey identified over 40 ice plant industries along the coast line, categorized into five groups based on capacity, and obtained technical and economic specifications. newlineBiomass energy is attractive in rural areas due to abundant availability. The survey estimated the potential of various biomass resources like forestry waste, agricultural waste, animal manure, and municipal solid waste for maximizing their use as biomass energy potential. Rice husk (RH), coconut shell (CS), and rubber shell (RS) were identified as major agricultural biomass resources suitable for gasification, which is an effective thermochemical method for converting biomass to energy. Existing ice plant industries typically use vapour compression refrigeration systems. There are only a few studies on powering these systems with renewables. Biomass gasifiers have been identified as a potential source of power generation due to their higher load and longer duration of operation. Based on these findings, this research aims to retrofit ice plant industries with a biomass gasifier-based power generation system that utilizes locally available biomass as feedstock material. newline newline