Abstract

Increasing global energy demand and its associated environmental impact have motivated research on the use of biomass-derived raw materials as energy sources for replacing fossil fuels. Colombia is a country with a high potential for the development of agricultural activities which originate significant amounts of biomass that can be exploited as an alternative source of renewable energy. Despite its low energy density and high oxygen content, biomass constitutes a promising partial substitute for coal gasification processes. This study is aiming at analyzing the potential of three biomasses (sugar cane bagasse, palm residues and rice husks) as coal substitutes in a gasification process by an energetic, exergetic and thermoeconomic assessment. Process efficiencies ranging from 40% to 50% and exergy efficiencies between 70 and 80% were obtained for the biomass gasification process.