Environmental Impact Analysis of Flue Gases Emissions for a 20 Kwe Biomass Gasifier

Abstract

Due to the potential ability to support local development, create local employment, and contribute to climate change mitigation decentralized bioenergy CHP systems are receiving increasing attention. With bioenergy CHP systems are possible to achieve energy efficiency by converting primary energy to heat and electricity, replacing fossil fuels and reducing carbon dioxide emissions in the atmosphere. In particular, biomass cogeneration is considered a reliable efficient energy production technology and an effective alternative to reduce greenhouse gas emissions due to their low CO2 emission, using near biomass production sites (e.g., agricultural activities, forestes), avoiding long supply chains. In this paper, a techno-environmental assessment for a biomass powered micro-scale CHP system based on gasifier combined with an internal combustion engine sized for a maximum electrical and thermal output of 20 kWe and 40 kWth, is analyzed. CO2 direct emissions and CO2 equivalent emissions for NO2, CO, HC were assessed in order to obtain the final environmental impact of the plant. Several cases were considered changing biomass kind and flue gas treatment systems. Results show that biomass kind has not an impact on the toxic gas emissions, while the bioscrubber is the best flue gas treatment technology to reduce concentrations of all pollutants.