Biomass and bioenergy potential of agricultural crop residues in Indonesia

B.Sc. Nur Farhana Abdul Hamid, BSc

Master's thesis

Abstract:

The growing population poses a serious challenge in Indonesia to produce sufficient energy, electricity, and power to supply the ever-increasing energy demand for continuing daily lives. The current situation related to energy supply and production of renewable energy in Indonesia was reviewed; it was found that the agriculture biomass residues from the production of staple food crops are favourable for the implementation of the technology for the additional bioenergy and power supply of both: urban and rural areas. This fact promotes the swift development of bioenergy generated by agricultural biomass residues on large and small-scale levels within Indonesia. Biomass residues from agricultural crops is regarded as the most sustainable source of bioenergy production due to their low production cost and high quantities after harvesting period. Five main crops were chosen in this study based on their annual production and yield in the country: oil palms, sugarcane, paddy rice, maize, and coconut. Laboratory determinations of fuel-energy properties of tested materials showed that the best material is coconut shells characterized by the highest calorific value (NCVd 19.20 MJkg-1) and very low ash content (1.18 wt%d). The second-best calorific value was measured in case of palm kernel (NCVd 18.21 MJkg-1). Relatively low ash content for herbaceous biomass was found in maize stalks and cobs (3.12 wt%d and 3.59 wt%d). However, based on the calculations and laboratory measurements’ results, the main findings in this study suggest that paddy rice straw, empty fruit bunches (EFB), and maize stover (stalks) has the higher estimated annual energy potential (473.12 TWh, 261.84 TWh and 164.60 TWh respectively). Despite coconut shells having the best characteristics of fuel-energy properties, the annual production was not enough for a competitive annual energy potential (30.51 TWh). Besides calorific value, the main driving factor in the total energy potential is biomass yield/abundant availability. In addition, majority of the respondents collected through online questionnaire manifest high interest for the utilization and application of remaining crop parts (leaves, branches, stalks, straw etc.) into livestock feeds, biofertilizer and bioenergy production. The estimated total energy yield in this work can be beneficial for further studies to broaden the knowledge in this specific agriculture-based bioenergy industry, especially to understand cost efficiency and to set-up proper implementation of technologies. Therefore, bioenergy diversifications should be encouraged. Simultaneously, biomass residues collection centres should be made available through provision of reasonable selling price and communicating added values in energy supply within Indonesia.

Keywords

bioenergy production, biomass residues, electricity, power, biofertilizer

Jazyk práce: English

Datum vytvoření / odevzdání či podání práce: 22. 4. 2022

Obhajoba závěrečné práce

• Vedúci: doc. Bc. Ing. Tatiana Ivanova, Ph.D.

Czech University of Life Sciences Prague

Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences

Master programme:
Agri-food Systems and Rural Development