FAKULTI TEKNOLOGI KEJURUTERAAN

ELEKTRIK DAN ELEKTRONIK

UNIVERSITI TEKNIKAL MALAYSIA
MELAKA

RENEWABLE ENERGY SYSTEM MAINTENANCE

BEEM 1245 SEMESTER 2 SESSION 2020/2021

ASSIGNMENT:
(BIOMASS ENERGY)

NO. STUDENTS’ NAME MATRIC. NO.

1. SITI AISYAH BINTI ABDUL RAHMAN B082010382

2. SITI ZULAIKHA BINTI ZULKHAIRI B082010235

3. NOREZATI BINTI DAGANG B082010329

4. MUHAMMAD SHAHRUL AIZZAT BIN MOHD AZMI B082010165

5. LUQMAN NUL IMAN BIN ZAHARI B082010402

PROGRAMME 2 BEEM
SECTION/
1/1
GROUP
DATE 30 / 11 / 2021 (PRESENTATION DATE)

NAME OF TS. ASRI BIN DIN

INSTRUCTOR(S)
EXAMINER’S COMMENT(S) TOTAL MARKS

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 ACKNOWLEGDEMENT

First and foremost, we would like to praise and thank the Almighty God for giving
usthe strength and because of His blessing, we finally managed to accomplish this
assignment. Without His blessing, we wouldn‘t have gone this far. This assignment cannot
complete without effort and cooperation from our group member, which are consist of Siti
Aisyah binti Abdul Rahman, Siti Zulaikha binti Zulkhairi, Norezati binti Dagang, Luqman
Nul Iman bin Zahari, and Muhammad Shahrul Aizzat Bin Mohd Azmi. We always work
hard to produce a good assignment with our full commitment and respondsibility.

Therefore, we would like to acknowledge with thanks tou our lecturer Ts, Asri bin
Din because without his guide our assignment cannot be done properly like this. He always
give us supports and guide on how to do our assignment in purpose to produce a good
outcome. He inspired us greatly to work in this project. We also like to thank him for
teaching us in this course.

Last but not least, we would like to express out thankfulness to University Technical
Melaka (UTeM) campus for giving us opportunity to conduct this writting report
assignment. Finally, an honorable mention goes to our friends for the support.

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 ABSTRACT

The use of renewable energy sources is becoming increasingly necessary, if we are to

achieve the changes required to address the impacts of global warming. Biomass is the most
common form of renewable energy, widely used in the third world but until recently, less
so in the Western world. Latterly much attention has been focused on identifying suitable
biomass species, which can provide high-energy outputs, to replace conventional fossil fuel
energy sources. The type of biomass required is largely determined by the energy
conversion process and the form in which the energy is required. In the first of three papers,
the background to biomass production (in a European climate) and plant properties is
examined. In the second paper, energy conversion technologies are reviewed, with
emphasis on the production of a gaseous fuel to supplement the gas derived from the
landfilling of organic wastes (landfill gas) and used in gas engines to generate electricity.
The potential of a restored landfill site to act as a biomass source, providing fuel to
supplement landfill gas-fuelled power stations, is examined, together with a comparison of
the economics of power production from purpose-grown biomass versus waste-biomass.
The third paper considers particular gasification technologies and their potential for
biomass gasification.

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS

NO. TITTLE PAGE

1. Acknowledgement 2

2. Abstract 3

3. Table of Contents 4

Introduction 6
4.
i. History of Biomass 8

The fundamentals, main characteristics and main

components of renewable energy sources and systems by the
aid of figures and diagrams.

5. i. Fundamentals Biomass Renewable Energy From 10

Plants And Animals
ii. Converting biomass to energy 12
iii. How much biomass is used for energy 14

The present maintenance activities and the proposed

maintenance that can be contributed to the cost effective and
minimal impact to the environment.

i. Type Of Maintenance 15
ii. Operation And Maintenance 16
6.
iii. Maintenance For Biomass And Boiler 18
iv. Typical Maintenance Tasks For A Biomass Boiler 19
v. Maintaining Efficient Operation 21
vi. Contracting For Operation And Maintenance 22
vii. Swot Analysis 23

7. Simple techno-economical assessments and compare

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 environmental assessments of renewable energy systems.

i. What is techno-economical
ii. Environmental impacts of biomass 34
iii. Is biomass/bioenergy carbon-neutral 34
iv. Additional environmental consequences of biomass 35
energy 37
v. Making biomass more environmentally friendly
vi. Techno-Economic Feasibility Of Biomass Based 38
Power Generation In Malaysia 39
vii. Research Article (Inside Power Point/Presentation)
64

The potential of the renewable energy resources and

successful implementations throughout the world. Then
discuss its potential to be implemented in Malaysia.
8. 68
i. Successful implementations throughtout the world
ii. Other Regions Dependent On Traditional Biomass 69
For Fuel
iii. Potential to be implemented in Malaysia 71

9. Conclusion 73

10. References 74

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1.0 INTRODUCTION

Biomass is the material derived from plants that use sunlight to grow which include
plant and animal material such as wood from forests, material left over from
agricultural and forestry processes, and organic industrial, human and animal wastes.
Biomass energy is a type of renewable energy generated from biological (such as,
anaerobic digestion) or thermal conversion (for example, combustion) of biomass
resources.

Biomass comes from a variety of sources which include:

 Wood from natural forests and woodlands

 Forestry plantations
 Forestry residues
 Agricultural residues such as straw, stover, cane trash and green agricultural
wastes
 Agro-industrial wastes, such as sugarcane bagasse and rice husk
 Animal wastes
 Industrial wastes, such as the food industry produces, black liquor from paper
manufacturing
 Municipal solid wastes (MSW)
 Food processing wastes

In nature, if biomass is left lying around on the ground it will break down over a long
period of time, releasing carbon dioxide and its store of energy slowly. By burning
biomass its store of energy is released quickly and often in a useful way. So
converting biomass into useful energy imitates the natural processes but at a faster
rate.

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 Diagram 1: Biomass comes from a variety of sources.

Biomass can be transformed into clean energy and/or fuels by a variety of

technologies, ranging from conventional combustion process to advanced biofuels
technology. Besides recovery of substantial energy, these technologies can lead to a
substantial reduction in the overall biomass waste quantities requiring final disposal,
which can be better managed for safe disposal in a controlled manner while meeting
the pollution control standards.

Biomass conversion systems reduces greenhouse gas emissions in two ways. Heat
and electrical energy is generated which reduces the dependence on power plants
based on fossil fuels. The greenhouse gas emissions are significantly reduced by
preventing methane emissions from decaying biomass. Moreover, biomass energy
plants are highly efficient in harnessing the untapped sources of energy from biomass
resources and helpful in development of rural areas.

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1.1 History of Biomass

Initially, humanity concentrated on using biomass for cooking and warmth.

We began looking at more contemporary uses of biomass materials in the mid-
nineteenth century. From the 1700s through the 1960s, pine sap was a valuable
renewable resource. Prior to the discovery of oil, nations battled for pine sap. Pine sap
was employed in the shipbuilding process in its unprocessed form. When the sap was
distilled, it produced numerous very valuable compounds at the time, the most
significant of which was turpentine. Turpentine had several applications, but lamp oil
was the most essential one as an alternative energy source.

While it may appear that oil has been around for a long time, it has only been
refined and used for roughly 150 years. The need for energy, like that for ethanol and
turpentine, prompted a huge expansion in oil output. It's worth noting that petroleum
wasn't helpful until humans figured out how to break it down into its constituent parts.
A variety of refined fuels were used in a variety of steam and internal combustion
engines. Rudolf Diesel beat all of these when he invented the diesel engine.

The early 1900s was a watershed moment in bioenergy history, when biomass
fuel resurfaced as a prominent source of energy. Scarce resources forced carmakers to
revert to bioenergy due to a growth in the automobile sector and the wars. Henry
Ford, who used liquid biofuel and ethanol to power his automobiles, is the most
famous example of this. When fossil fuels were limited during WWI, this was
especially true. The hardships and struggles of the time resulted in a significant
increase in ethanol consumption.

Renewable energy initiatives that were gaining popularity at the time held a lot
of promise. Commercialization and large-scale mining, on the other hand, propelled
coal and crude oil to the forefront of the energy landscape. They flooded the market,
lowering prices. Furthermore, these non-renewable fuels have shown to be very
efficient and practical for daily usage. This resulted in a decrease in bioenergy use and
an increase in the use of fossil fuels. In most nations, fossil fuels became the preferred
fuel, and they dominated energy use until the 1970s.

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 In the 1970s, a fuel crisis arose as a result of geopolitical warfare. The
Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) decreased oil shipments as a
result of this. This drew the attention of governments as well as academics. Many
people began to investigate the possibility of producing more renewable energy
sources. Many green energy advances were made as a result of this movement,
including solar panel electricity, geothermal power plants, offshore wind farms, and
hydroelectric power. Scientists developed a methodical approach to energy at this
time and coined the word biomass. As things stand now, contemporary biomass
energy generation is a critical renewable energy source. In truth, the hunt for
renewables has extended far beyond wind and solar energy. It is the most widely used
alternative energy source. A variety of methods are used to process biomass feedstock
and convert it to energy. While burning woody biomass (forest biomass materials,
wood pellets, etc.) remains the most common method of utilising this renewable
energy source, significant progress has been made in the field of biomass energy.

Lastly, Biomass is a significant source of renewable energy in today's globe.

Biorefineries, processing facilities, and enterprises will need systems to assure
appropriate handling and production as it becomes a more feasible and popular energy
source. Cablevey Conveyors specialises in solid biomass handling, including flake,
powder, and wet forms. Our tubular conveyor systems can help you keep operations
clean, safe, and silent while assuring efficient, high-speed, and high-volume
production.

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2.0 Describe the fundamentals, main characteristics and main components of
renewable energy sources and systems by the aid of figures and diagrams.

Fundamentals Biomass Renewable Energy From Plants And Animals

Biomass is renewable organic material that comes from plants and animals. Biomass
was the largest source of total annual U.S. energy consumption until the mid-1800s.
Biomass continues to be an important fuel in many countries, especially for cooking
and heating in developing countries. The use of biomass fuels for transportation and
for electricity generation is increasing in many developed countries as a means of
avoiding carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuel use. In 2020, biomass
provided nearly 5 quadrillion British thermal units (Btu) and about 5% of total
primary energy use in the United States.

Biomass contains stored chemical energy from the sun. Plants produce biomass
through photosynthesis. Biomass can be burned directly for heat or converted to
renewable liquid and gaseous fuels through various processes.

Biomass sources for energy include:

 Wood and wood processing wastes — firewood, wood pellets, and wood chips,
lumber and furniture mill sawdust and waste, and black liquor from pulp and
paper mills

 Agricultural crops and waste materials — corn, soybeans, sugar cane, switch
grass, woody plants, and algae, and crop and food processing residues

 Biogenic materials in municipal solid waste — paper, cotton, and wool products,
and food, yard, and wood wastes

 Animal manure and human sewage

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Source: Adapted from The National Energy Education Project (public domain)

Source: Adapted from The National Energy Education Project (public domain)

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Converting biomass to energy

Biomass is converted to energy through various processes, including:

 Direct combustion (burning) to produce heat

 Thermochemical conversion to produce solid, gaseous, and liquid fuels

 Chemical conversion to produce liquid fuels

 Biological conversion to produce liquid and gaseous fuels

Direct combustion is the most common method for converting biomass to useful energy. All
biomass can be burned directly for heating buildings and water, for industrial process heat,
and for generating electricity in steam turbines.

Thermochemical conversion of biomass includes pyrolysis and gasification. Both are thermal
decomposition processes in which biomass feedstock materials are heated in closed,
pressurized vessels called gassifiers at high temperatures. They mainly differ in the process
temperatures and amount of oxygen present during the conversion process.

 Pyrolysis entails heating organic materials to 800–900oF (400–500 oC) in the near
complete absence of free oxygen. Biomass pyrolysis produces fuels such as charcoal,
bio-oil, renewable diesel, methane, and hydrogen.

 Hydro-treating is used to process bio-oil (produced by fast pyrolysis) with hydrogen

under elevated temperatures and pressures in the presence of a catalyst to produce
renewable diesel, renewable gasoline, and renewable jet fuel.

 Gasification entails heating organic materials to 1,400–1700oF (800–900oC) with

injections of controlled amounts of free oxygen and/or steam into the vessel to
produce a carbon monoxide and hydrogen rich gas called synthesis gas or syngas.
Syngas can be used as a fuel for diesel engines, for heating, and for generating
electricity in gas turbines. It can also be treated to separate the hydrogen from the gas,
and the hydrogen can be burned or used in fuel cells. The syngas can be further
processed to produce liquid fuels using the Fischer–Tropsch process.

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A chemical conversion process known as transesterification is used for converting
vegetable oils, animal fats, and greases into fatty acid methyl esters (FAME), which
are used to produce biodiesel.

Biological conversion includes fermentation to convert biomass into ethanol and

anaerobic digestion to produce renewable natural gas. Ethanol is used as a vehicle
fuel. Renewable natural gas—also called biogas or biomethane—is produced in
anaerobic digesters at sewage treatment plants and at dairy and livestock operations. It
also forms in and may be captured from solid waste landfills. Properly treated
renewable natural gas has the same uses as fossil fuel natural gas.

Researchers are working on ways to improve these methods and to develop other
ways to convert and use more biomass for energy.

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How much biomass is used for energy?

In 2020, biomass provided about 4,532 trillion British thermal units (TBtu), or about 4.5
quadrillion Btu and equal to about 4.9% of total U.S. primary energy consumption. Of that
amount, about 2,101 TBtu were from wood and wood-derived biomass, 2,000 TBtu were
from biofuels (mainly ethanol), and 430 TBtu were from the biomass in municipal wastes.

The amounts—in TBtu—and percentage shares of total U.S. biomass energy use by
consuming sector in 2020 were:

 industrial—2,246 TBtu—50%

 transportation—1,263 TBtu—28%

 residential—458 TBtu—10%

 electric power—424 TBtu—9%

 commercial—141 TBtu—3%

The industrial and transportation sectors account for the largest amounts, in terms of energy
content, and largest percentage shares of total annual U.S. biomass consumption. The wood
products and paper industries use biomass in combined heat and power plants for process
heat and to generate electricity for their own use. Liquid biofuels (ethanol and biomass-based
diesel) account for most of the transportation sector's biomass consumption.

The residential and commercial sectors use firewood and wood pellets for heating. The
commercial sector also consumes, and in some cases, sells renewable natural gas produced at
municipal sewage treatment facilities and at waste landfills.

The electric power sector uses wood and biomass-derived wastes to generate electricity for
sale to the other sectors.

Last updated: June 8, 2021

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3.0 The present maintenance activities and the proposed maintenance that can be
contributed to the cost effective and minimal impact to the environment.

3.1 Type of maintenance

In general, there are three basic categories of maintenance in ensuring that the system is at
its best, which is:-

i. Preventive maintenance

Preventive maintenance is the process of maintaining equipment and assets on a regular

basis in order to keep them functioning and avoid costly unplanned downtime due to
unexpected equipment breakdown.

Daily inspection maintenance

ii. Condition-based maintenance

Condition-based maintenance is a technique for determining what maintenance is

required based on the actual condition of an asset.

System monitoring and daily checking

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iii. Corrective maintenance

Corrective maintenance refers to actions that are carried out to rectify and fix
malfunctioning systems and equipment. Corrective maintenance is used to repair systems
that have malfunctioned.

Maintenance repair and replacement

3.2 Operation and maintenance

i. Integrated Operation and Maintenance of the plant.

 Preventive Maintenance, Minor Corrective Services and Major Corrective

Services.
 Maintenance of safety elements and infrastructures.
 Predictive maintenance
 Plant operation and reporting.
 Plant performance study, efficiency analysis and continous improvement.
 Provision of stock, the supply of spares, consumables and components.
 Management of purchasing, logistics and repairs.
 Enviromental management. Chemicals analysis.
 Operation and Management of Biomass Plants

ii. Support for Preventive technical shuts-down.

iii. Preventive maintenance, according to the manufacturer‘s manual, our own criteria and
that of our customers.

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iv. Document Management.

 Definition of maintenance ranges

 Creation of maintenance plans
 Implantation of computer-aided maintenance systems
 Creation and updating of technical instructions, safety procedures and
environment

v. Overhaul or major revision where all the systems of the central are analyzed.

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3.3 Maintenance for biomass and boiler

Option Suitability Advantages Disvantages

Original installer This is suitable for • Requires minimal • Is likely to be the

operates and clients with little or interaction with the highest cost solution.
maintains the heating no knowledge of biomass system from
system biomass systems and the site staff. • Offers a low level
available staff. This of control to the
is a relatively • Should ensure a client and may cause
common solution. high-performing delays in identifying
Distance of O&M system due to a and rectifying issues
operator should be strong knowledge of due to possible
taken into the technology. remote nature of
consideration contractor.

In-house operation of This is suitable for • Lower costs than • Requires a level of
heating system with sites with a member having everything knowledge and
original installer of staff, such as done by the installer. training of
providing facilities manager, member(s) of staff.
maintenance who can be trained to • May allow more
operate the system rapid identification • May result in issues
and provide basic of issues and not being spotted or
checks and rectifying minor incorrectly rectified.
maintenance. This is issues.
a common solution.
• Offers greater
control of system.

In-house operation of This solution is • Offers flexibility to • Care needs to be

heating system with usually undertaken choose the taken not to void any
third party rather when the original contractor. warranties.
than original installer installer is no longer
providing available/ too costly. • May result in • Knowledge level of
maintenance. As such, it is less lower costs and/or the system may not
common. better service. be as good as original
installer.

• May not be capable

of the same levels of
remote monitoring as
the original installer.

In-house operation This is suitable for a • Likely to be lowest • This may void a
and maintenance of site that has strong cost solution. system‘s warranties
heating system biomass capabilities. unless written
This is less common • Offers complete dispensation is
and is still usually control over received. Requires
supported by external operation and staff with biomass
contractors in the maintenance process. capabilities if good
cases of severe performance is to be
breakdowns. maintained.

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3.4 Typical maintenance tasks for a biomass boiler

1. Basic checks:

 Walk-around inspection looking for anything unusual

 Heating system pressure
 Leaks
 Heat meter operation
 System operation

2. Empty ash bin(s)

3. Check safety devices:

 Safety and relief valves

 Fire protection/prevention in fuel transport mechanisms

4. Flue:

 Check integrity of flue components.

 Clean flue path to stack.
 Clean stack condensate drain

5. Clean combustion chamber:

• Clean grate
• Clean combustion air openings
• Clean ignition tubes
• Check refractory linings for damage

6. Clean the heat exchanger:

• Clean the heat exchanger tubes and channels

• Clean the lambda probe
• Check heat exchanger tubes for damage
• Check operation of heat exchanger cleaner (where fitted)
• Check integrity of cover seals

7. Clean flue-gas recirculation piping (where fitted)

8. Clean induced-draught fan.

9. Clean temperature sensors.

10. Check operation of primary and secondary combustion air valves.

11. Check and lubricate mechanical drives.

12. Check functioning of de-ashing systems.

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13. Clean and check ignition.

14. Check fitting and sealing of boiler doors.

15. Calibrate lambda probe.

16. Check and adjust specified mechanical clearances.

17. Reset maintenance interval counter (if fitted).

18. Test boiler and heating system post-service.

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Maintaining efficient operation

 Well-planned maintenance and monitoring are vital to ensure the boiler

functions smoothly.
 Site staff can provide some of the ongoing manual input, which may be
less costly but requires a certain level of training. Alternatively, it can be
conducted by a contractor, which is likely to cost more.
 When selecting a contractor, consider their credentials, remote monitoring
capabilities, helpline facilities, charges and ability to consistently provide
access to support engineers.
 Boiler operators should be familiar with the manufacturer‘s guidance for,
the individual components of the heating system, including the boiler, the
flue, metering and fuel handling equipment.

Like any equipment, properly planned maintenance and monitoring of a biomass

system is vital in ensuring that:

 The safe operation of the system is maintained.

 The system continues to function as designed and commissioned.
 Outages (breakdowns) are minimised.
 The service lifetime of plant is maximised.

This section provides guidance on how to ensure optimum operation. The

organisation undertaking the day-to-day operation of the boiler is referred to as
the ‗operator‘. This could be the site owner/occupier or a services company to
whom responsibility for the boiler operation has been contracted out. The
services company may provide qualified staff itself or sub-contract this to others.

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Contracting for operation and maintenance

It is common for the boiler owner to operate the system but contract out
servicing and repairs to the company that installed the system.
Alternatively, operation and maintenance may be contracted out to a third-party
services company, which may or may not be a fuel supplier. Through remote
system monitoring the responsible party can carry out simple adjustments without
the need for a permanent presence on site.

It is common for that site staff to take responsibility for some of the operational
duties related to the biomass heating system (i.e. ash removal). This can be a
less costly option, but staff will require a certain level of training. Alternatively,
it can be conducted by a contractor, which will incur higher costs. Table 3
details the options for operation and maintenance.

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SWOT ANALYSIS

A. Strength of Biomass Energy in Malaysia

1) Abundance of biomass resources in Malaysia:

According to the U.N. FAO report, the total forested area of Malaysia could
reach up to 62.3% or 20,456,000 ha of lands. Among this coverage, 18.7%
(3,820,000 ha) is classified as primary forest, the most biodiversity and
carbon-dense form of forest. The area covered with planted forest reaches
1,807,000 ha land. The amount of biomass waste generated from this source
reaches 207.68 million tons which potentially has 938.7 x 106 GJ energy
content. Malaysia has a great opportunity to tap this resource and generate
significant amount of energy by using appropriate technologies such as
combustion, gasification, pyrolysis, fermentation, mechanical extraction of
oils, etc. Particularly in palm oil production Malaysia is known as one of the
largest palm oil producer and exporter country in the world. Palm oil sector
generates a very huge amount of waste from its plantation and milling
activities. Table 1 shows summary of biomass wastes in Malaysia.

Table 1. The annual biomass waste generated in Malaysia

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 Table 1. The annual biomass waste generated in Malaysia

Figure 1 shows the energy potential and availability in different types of oil
palm biomass. In the year 2014, Malaysia had accessibility of oil palm
biomass in a total of approximately 48.03Mt that could potentially generate a
roughly about 834 PJ of energy. Figure 2 shows oil palm planted areas by
states in the year 2016.

Fig. 1. Types of fresh fruit bunches versus energy potential and availability.

2) Biomass is a renewable energy source:

Biomass is a renewable energy source that can be replenished as long as

efforts are made to maintain the resource through dedicated replanting.
Malaysia has two key forest policies to maintain the forest coverage of the
country. The National Forestry Act of 1984 and the National Forestry Policy
of 1978, plus all subsequent amendments, are the two primary laws related to
forestry activities in Malaysia. These policies are designed to ensure that
forest management areas should be protected from illegal harvesting,

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unauthorized settlement, and other unpermitted activities. Hence, the energy
generation from biomass waste would remain sustainable without potential
danger as far as the policies are fully implemented in the country.

3) Environmental Friendly:

Using biomass for power generation can reduce pollution and promote
sustainable energy development. The net emission of carbon dioxide in
biomass power generation is near to zero as the emitted carbon dioxide is
absorbed in the re-growing process. Moreover, the sulfur content in biomass
is very low, thus there is almost no sulfur emissions. Therefore, the use of
biomass as an alternative energy for power generation would be effective in
improving the environment condition and decreasing the greenhouse effect.

4) Creates Job Opportunity and Increasing Income:

Biomass is harvested in rural areas where the main income sources of the
community is agriculture. Using biomass byproducts as a source of energy
generates additional income for farmers and plantation owners. In addition,
collecting, preparing and transporting of the biomass and its byproduct will
create new job opportunities for the community. According to The World
Bank report, the unemployment rate of Malaysia was about 3.4% in the year
2017. According to the Statista report, the distribution of employment in
Malaysia by economic sector in 2015 is 12.47% in the agricultural sector,
27.52% in manufacturing industry and 60% in the service sector. Hence, as
agriculture is the lowest in accommodating employee, using biomass as a
source of energy will create additional employment opportunity in the sector.

Fig. 2. Oil Palm planted areas by States, as of 2016.

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B. Weakness of Biomass Energy

1) High Cost of Biomass Power Plant:

In Malaysia, despite of having great potential in development of biomass

power plant, high capital investment is one of barriers for further
development of biomass energy compared to that of conventional energy
sources, such as burning of fossil fuels. This is due to the paradigm shifting
from conventional fuel technologies to biomass technology, requiring
intensive research and developments. For example, a biomass plant is more
capital intensive when compared to fossil fuel heating technologies. Besides,
there are under developed states in Malaysia, such as Kedah, Perlis, Negeri
Sembilan, Sabah etc. Hence, it could not be easy for Malaysia to invest in
biomass power plant as there are cheap resources of conventional fuels. In
addition to the high cost of biomass power plant, transportation is required to
supply the biomass from its origin to the power plant locations. Biomass
fuels such as straw, stalks and corn are usually packed in stack or roll which
are large in size and heavy in weight, and hence inconvenient for long-
distance transportation resulting in higher packing, storage and
transportation costs. For instance, the price rate for transportation offered by
Rani Transport Company, which operates in Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore
and Thailand, is 800 MYR (200 USD) for 10 ton per trip to transport stalk
from Klang Valley to Malacca, which is approximately 130 km. The cost
doesn‘t include loading and unloading expenses. A biomass residue such as
rice straw has 15,213 kJ/kg of higher heating value (HHV). Assuming 45
MW power demand of a small city with 80000 population, the amount of
biomass required for the power plant to operate for one hour using
gasification process with 50% overall efficiency reaches 20 ton of rice straw.
This would bring the daily expense of biomass transportation to reach 38400
MYR (9600 USD). Therefore, it is obvious that transportation cost
contributes significant and is major part of operating cost of biomass power
plants. Moreover, as the demand for biomass waste for power generation
increases, the cost would also increase. In china, it is observed that the
commercial value of biomass waste has increased with the rapid increase of

26
biomass power plants. Furthermore, biomass is seasonal and the cost is
fluctuating accordingly.

2) Unmatching between the Location of Biomass Resource and Power

Supply Demand:

East Malaysia, the states of Sarawak and Sabah, contributes 53% of the oil
palm industry in Malaysia. However, the need for power supply in west
Malaysia or Peninsular Malaysia is much higher than that for east Malaysia.
The pick demand of Peninsular Malaysia reaches 17 GW, whereas the pick
demand of state of Sabah and Sarawak doesn‘t surpass 4 GW. Consequently,
if substitution of the conventional fuel with biomass is to be planned in
Peninsular Malaysia the availability of biomass may not be significant as
opposed to east Malaysia.

3) Lack of Experience on Biomass Power Generation Technology

Biomass power generation technology is still under development in Malaysia

as much research and development are yet required for further insight of the
conversion principles, and to obtain more efficient biomass conversion
technologies with less operating costs. There is lack of overall understanding
and in-depth analysis concerning the distribution of biomass resources and
its potential in power generation. Although the biomass resource in Malaysia
is abundant, utilizing the resource efficiently lacks scientific planning and
management which significantly affects the cost of biomass power
generation. The lack of research and development in a particular biomass
conversion technology would also hinder the efficient uses of variety of
biomass resources to ensure uninterrupted and efficient power generation.
For example, the challenges in power generation using gasification
technology require more study to remove the tar and improve the syngas
quality. Identifying all biomass sources that could be used as a feedstock for
power generation will also help to minimize the threat of interruption of the
power plant as a result of seasonal shortage of feedstock. In Sarawak there
are still biomass wastes such as cocoa husks, sago wastewater, landfill gas

27
and sewage sludge which are not yet considered as sources of energy
generation.

4) Low Power Efficiency of Biomass Power Generation:

The efficiency of biomass energy depends on the process of converting into

power, heat, fuel, and chemicals using a variety of thermochemical and
biochemical conversion methods. Conversion efficiency of biomass to heat
could reach up to 80%, while it will not exceed 25% for power generations .
Conversion to liquid fuels for transportation applications such as biofuel and
biogas would even have less overall efficiencies. Moisture content, quantity
of organic matter, energy content and chemical composition are the main
properties affecting its suitability for an efficient conversion processes. The
moisture content of fresh biomass is typically quite high at around 50% for
green wood, and 50– 80% for green crops, such as sugar cane, rapeseed and
maize. Obviously the moisture content is very high (more than 80%) for
aquatic based biomass and liquid wastes. The moisture content in these wet
biomass feedstock can be reduced to just few percent by natural drying. In
some biomass conversation plants, the drying process can be enhanced by
using the waste heat to enhance the biomass conversion efficiency. For
example, in gasification process the heat that is removed from the gasifier
can be used to dry the biomass. Due to the low efficiency conversion, the
huge quantity of biomass is required to generate a certain amount of electric
power which in turn increases the transportation and handling cost. In
comparison, only 350 gram of coal is required to generate one kWh power,
whereas the amount of biomass feedstock required reaches 1200 gram in
China. Hence, improving the efficiency of biomass conversion does have
multiple advantage.

28
C. Opportunities of Biomass Energy

1) Tax Incentives for Green Industry:

During the Budget year 2014 the Prime Minister of Malaysia announced that
there would be a Green Technology Tax Incentive for purchase and use of
green technology. Investment Tax Allowance (ITA) is provided by the
government when green technology equipment/assets are being purchased,
and Income Tax Exemption (ITE) is provided for green service providers.
The incentives announced in Budget 2014 cover broader scope of green
technology activities in the areas of energy, transportation, building, waste
management, and supporting services activities. The government set forward
with this notion of tax incentives in order to encourage and motivate the
investment on green technologies based on projects for either individual
consumption or business purposes. In addition, it also motivates companies
to replace assets powered by conventional fuels with renewable sources. The
intention to further develop the biomass industry ever since 2001 was made
after realizing the potential of the industry. Newer policies following the
global need have been continuously introduced to replace the older policies
pertaining to the biomass industry. In order to promote the operation of
renewable energy resources in Malaysia, the Small Renewable Energy
Program (SREP) was also designed and implemented in the year 2001. In
this regard, it is identified that biomass, in particular wastes generated from
the palm oil plantation and industry, is one of the major renewable sources.
Through the implementation of SREP policy, a maximum capacity of 10MW
of electricity is allowed to generate and sell to the national grid by the
renewable energy based producer. In addition, the Green Technology
Financing Scheme (GTFS) was introduced since 2010. With the intention to
benefit more than 140 Malaysian companies, the scheme offers funding for
both green technology users and producers. A sum of 500 million USD was
allocated for the financial funding of this scheme. As a result, the above

29
favorable conditions and incentives can be taken as a good opportunity for
companies to invest on the available biomass resources for power generation.

2) Institutional Research in Palm Oil Biomass:

In recent years many institutions are involving in searching of new

knowledge and technology in the usage and conversion of palm oil biomass
[38]. Malaysia is focusing on palm oil industry and takes the lead position in
South East Asia [36]. On the National Biomass Strategy it is stated clearly
that Malaysia is focusing on utilization of oil palm biomass for its strategic
development [39]. Following this strategy, researches on conversion of oil
palm waste into various value added products and energy have been
conducted by various institutes. The research area by local institutes mainly
focus on Palm Oil Mill Effluent (POME), Palm Biomass Supply Chain, Palm
Biomass Process Optimization, Palm Biomass Hydrogen Generation, Palm
Biomass Bio-oil Production, Palm Biomass Value-Added Products [36]. The
research outputs can help in the effort of using biomass for energy
generation. 3) The Market Potential: Malaysia has abundant and promising
potential in biomass resources, though the sector is yet to be developed and
utilized when compared with other energy sources. Over the last decade,
government policies in promoting the renewable energy sector as well as in
addressing waste disposal issue have tried to encourage the participation of
large plantation companies, and Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in
the industry. The growth of formal and informal linkages between industry
players and other stakeholders coupled with ongoing positive developments
such as introduction of new technologies will open wider market access and
increased investment deals. The oil palm industry, in particular, offers a wide
range of potentials in both the biomass and biogas sectors. Conversion of
biomass to pellets allows producers to immediately capitalize on available
biomass. In Malaysia, many pellet producers generate about 1,000 to 3,000
tons of pellets per month – these pellets are made using sawdust as feedstock
for export. The export demand for these pellets comes mainly from Europe,
Japan, Korea, and China. There are also areas where supply of electricity is

30
 still lacking because of insufficient transmission and distributing
infrastructures. This creates demand for autonomous and decentralized
solutions (or hybrid solutions) for generating energy and supplying
electricity, especially to small and remote villages. One such solution is to
make use of the locally available renewable energy sources, such as solar
energy, and biomass for generating electricity. In filling these gaps large,
medium and small companies can be benefited.

D. Threats of Biomass

1) Deforestation:

The contributions of forests to the well-being of humankind are far-reaching.

Carbon that presents in the global forest is as much as 296 Giga tons. Forests
play a critical role in keeping the carbon balance in the atmosphere by
sinking the carbon released from other sources. Deforestation is clearing
Earth's forests on a massive scale, often resulting in damage to the quality of
the land. Forests still cover about 30 percent of the world‘s land area, but
swaths half the size of England are lost each year. The world‘s rain forests
could completely vanish in a hundred years at the current rate of
deforestation. Deforestation can have a negative impact on the environment
and drives climate change adversely. Removing trees deprives the forest of
portions of its canopy, which blocks the sun‘s rays during the day, and holds
in heat at night. This disruption leads to more extreme temperature swings
that can be harmful to plants and animals. In this regard an excessive
utilization of biomass for energy production will have its impact on
conservation of forests.

2) Health Effect:

In the process of using biomass for energy generation there would be adverse
effects on human health if the necessary precaution is not taken. Some
studies show that there is an association between exposure to endotoxins and
fungi and respiratory disorders among workers in biomass-fired power
plants. An accidental leakage of hydrogen sulfide in biogas plants may lead
to fatalities or severe health impacts. In addition, living near biomass power

31
plants, and the accompanied odorous and air pollution may result in an
increased risk for several symptoms and odor annoyance, mediated by
perception about air pollution or an evaluation of a resulting health risk.

3) Price Rise in Food and Forest Products :

Unless the type of biomass is carefully selected when producing power, the
prices for food products, wood fiber and products in the forestry sector are
expected to rise, mainly due to an increased demand for biomass in the
energy sectors. The possible shift from food production towards biomass
production results in potential increased competition for agricultural land in
developing countries, and this consequently concerns on adequacy of food
supplies. In some countries such as US exports of corn to Mexico have
already led to an upsurge in the price of tortillas, a decline in the value of the
peso, and food riots. In Italy, the price of pasta is expected to increase by
20% in the short term due to competition for cereals in the biofuel industry.

4) Policies for biomass based energy:

Probable solutions for the above barriers can be achieved with proper strategy
formulation. The ministry of Energy, Green Technology and Water
(KeTTHA) is responsible formulating the policies and legal frameworks to
protect the natural environment and industrial development. KeTTHA is
constantly emphasizing the development of green technologies to reduce
environmental degradation as well to boost the country‘s economy.
Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation and Ministry of Higher
Education support the research for promoting renewable energy. These
ministries provide research grants to the institutions engaged in biomass and
other renewable energy routes.

5) Recommendations for enhanced use of biomass as fuel in power generation:

 More campaigns, roadshows, seminars and conferences to promote

the use on biomass as an alternative source of energy.

32
 Selected institutions can setup demonstration plants and develop
skilled work force who can market the idea to the entrepreneurs.
These institutions will ensure technological innovation, research and
development. Economic benefits and practical viability can be
promoted through demonstration of success stories. With more
success stories, more interest can be generated leading to more
involvement in developing biomass based generations.
 A system study can be performed to identify the best supply chain of
the biomass based generation from sources to end.
 Mapping of available biomass resources would be useful for the
improvement of the performance of the existing facilities with possible
extension. An assessment of the current and potential market will open
up new facilities in the unexplored area.
 The proper mapping can assess a better and cost effective logistics for
both supplier and user of the resources.

33
4.0 Perform simple techno-economical assessments and compare environmental
assessments of renewable energy systems.

What is techno-economical?

Techno-economic assessment or techno-economic analysis (abbreviated TEA) is a

method of analysing the economic performance of an industrial process, product, or
service. It typically uses software modelling to estimate capital cost, operating cost,
and revenue based on technical and financial input parameters.[1] One desired
outcome is to summarize results in a concise and visually coherent form, using
visualization tools such as tornado diagrams and sensitivity analysis graphs.

At present, TEA is most commonly used to analyse technologies in

the chemical, bioprocess, petroleum, energy, and similar industries. This article
focuses on these areas of application.

Environmental impacts of biomass

Bioenergy is a unique type of renewable electricity: unlike solar, wind, and

hydropower, generating power from biomass emits greenhouse gases and pollutants
into the air. However, because of the renewable nature of biomass, many consider it
to be a carbon-neutral source of electricity.

34
Is biomass/bioenergy carbon-neutral?

When we burn biomass for heat or electricity, it releases carbon dioxide into the
atmosphere. However, sources of biomass, such as agricultural crops and trees, also
capture carbon dioxide during the process of photosynthesis and sequester carbon
dioxide. If trees and other plants absorb as much carbon dioxide as they emitted
during the biomass combustion process, then the carbon cycle remains in balance.

However, in real-life practice, it‘s not that simple: the carbon impact of bioenergy
depends on the combustion technology, how the biomass is harvested, any re-growing
efforts, the type of biomass used, timing, and the energy resource it‘s displacing.

For example, consider electricity from woody biomass: burning wood to produce
electricity emits carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, but trees will re-grow and
capture the emitted carbon dioxide. However, forests can take decades to regrow and
sequester carbon, so the carbon neutrality of that source of bioenergy depends on the
time frame you‘re looking at. If companies burn trees at a faster rate than they‘re
being re-planted and grown or burning trees that would otherwise be left untouched in
a forest, the carbon neutrality is compromised. Trees and other plants also capture
differing amounts of carbon depending on their age, which makes carbon accounting
for woody biomass even more complicated.

35
Now, compare woody biomass to biogas generated from animal waste in anaerobic
digesters: burning biogas for electricity also emits carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
However, this process often results in net negative greenhouse gas emissions because
of the potency of methane. Biogas is made mostly of methane which, if not burned as
biogas, has a more negative impact on the greenhouse effect.

If you‘re being offered ―green‖ electricity from biomass energy plants, it‘s important
to remember that it‘s not necessarily clean like other types of renewable energy.

36
Additional environmental consequences of biomass energy

Outside of the greenhouse gas emission implications of using bioenergy, there are a number
of additional environmental consequences to consider:

1.0 Deforestation

There are plenty of bioenergy plants that use waste –whether that be agricultural or animal–
as a fuel source. However, many energy companies use forest timber for fuel and clear-cut
mature trees that, if left untouched, remove carbon dioxide emissions from the atmosphere.
Actions like these lead to deforestation, causing habitat loss, soil erosion, destruction of
natural beauty, and more.

2.0 Pollution

Outside of contributing carbon dioxide emissions, burning biomass in a solid, liquid, or

gaseous state can also emit other pollutants and particulate matter into the air, including
carbon monoxide, volatile organic compounds, and nitrogen oxides. In some instances, the
biomass burned can emit more pollution than fossil fuels. Unlike carbon dioxide emissions,
many of these pollutants cannot be sequestered by new plants. These compounds can lead to
a number of environmental and human health issues if not properly contained.

3.0 Water use

Plants require water to grow; when energy companies grow trees and other crops for a bio-
energy plant, they use a lot of water for irrigation. On a large scale, this exacerbates drought
conditions, impacting aquatic habitats and the amount of water supply available for other
purposes (food crops, drinking, hydropower, etc.).

37
Making biomass more environmentally friendly

Not all biomass energy solutions are created equal; some of the environmental downsides of
bioenergy can be mitigated through more sustainable forest management, and making careful
choices about the type of biomass we harvest for fuel and how we harvest it. Advancements
in research and technology, along with policy development, can help ensure that future
investments in bioenergy are more environmentally friendly.

38
 TECHNO-ECONOMIC FEASIBILITY OF BIOMASS BASED POWER
GENERATION IN MALAYSIA

ABSTRACT
Renewable sources are going to play a significant role as a primary source of energy in the
coming days. These sources deliver energy sustainably and having least impact on
environment and ecology. As these sources are renewable they are carbon neutral in nature.
Malaysia is abandoned with a mixed mode of biomass based renewable resources. The mixed
mode availability of the biomass sources necessitates evaluating their compositions and
separating them for a particular conversion process design. Importantly, the distributed
sources are to be connected to a network to ensure continuous supply of feedstock to the
plant. The network will have to ensure the availability of the raw material for a particular
generation in its vicinity. Several feedstock delivery chains developed thus will eventually
lead to particular types of end products, at least add value to the feed stock. This paper
highlights the existing technologies and the biomass based raw materials that can be used for
promoting sustainable development of the energy sector of Malaysia.

Key words: biomass feedstock, net calorific value, conversion efficiency, feed in tariff (FiT),
Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), sustainable development.

INTRODUCTION
The demand of energy can be supplied from numerous sources. The sources can be of
nonrenewable type or renewable type. The latter is derived from natural resources and is
replenished constantly. The trend developed world wide to cut down the dependency on fossil
fuels. As, the sources are not unlimited and also not being carbon neutral in nature. The price
sensitivity of these fuels is high. For example, the surges in oil price in 2011 from $82 a
barrel to $ 112 within six months. The other side of the coin is that the recent nuclear energy
plant accident in Fukushima gave a stern back of the countries who were trying to harness
nuclear energy as it is the most economic one and also sustainable one[1]. In this context the
use of renewable energy are steadily increasing in the world energy mix. Particularly in the
power sector, some of the countries achieved double digit growth[2].

39
Malaysia is abandoned with a mixed mode of renewables. The biomass resources availability
is high due to the presence of palm oil plantation on a large scale. Other sources are forest
residue, rubber plantation, crops cultivation. It is necessary to evaluate the distributed
sources to be connected to a network of feedstock supply chain. The network will have to
ensure the availability of the raw material for a particular generation in its vicinity. Several
feedstock delivery chains developed thus eventually lead to particular type of end products; at
least add value to the feed stocks.
It is crucial to contemplate new innovative ideas for harnessing sustainable energy
from biomass sources dispersedly distributed in different areas of the country. So, the
current energy policy for the recuperation and prosperity should be analyzed carefully.
However, at a scale suited to biomass applications, such plants are expensive and
inefficient, and their penetration has restricted to niches combining low feedstock costs
with high electricity prices.
Renewables must compete in a price system set by the costs of fossil fuels. This is not
an easy task, because of the concentrated nature of fossil energy resources and the potential
for massive scale of economy.
The multiple value-added product lines means a better utilization of current feedstock
and it will put a strain on the feedstock delivery supply chain. The problems of
proper renewable energy biomass sector lies in the weakness of strategy formulation for
distributed power generation schemes. As rural areas are not directly connected to national
grid there electricity needs should fulfilled locally with the renewable energy sources. The

40
forms for generation of power available are solar, mini hydro and biomass. Wind
energy can be supporting to the base load systems.
The use of renewables as primary sources of energy is from the very
beginning of civilization. The cities with water supply system based on solar energy are
found in the Babylon. They use the wind power for water pumping is not new. The systems
for modern adaptability losses the attractiveness when the extraction of fossil fuels became
easy and economic.
The palm oil industry dispose about 1.1 ton of empty fruit bunches for every ton of
crude palm oil produced. This biomass waste could be utilized to fuel a power plant
generating electricity to form a local grid perhaps a smart grid. A palm oil mill processing
200,000 ton/year fresh fruit bunches (i.e. producing 40,000 ton of CPO per year) could
supply a power plant with 50,600 ton/year fresh EFB (60% moisture content). As the heating
value of dry EFB is 6.40 MJ/kg then with 65% MC and with a system efficiency of 25%, this
amount of EFB is equivalent to 80.96 MWh.
In a larger scale a 10 MW plant will require about 220,000 ton/year empty fruit
bunches to be burnt in a high pressure boiler to run steam turbo-generator. The estimated life
of the plant is 20 years. The plant can reduce about 55,650 ton CO2 equivalent per year.
These types of projects fit well to the principles and rules of Clean Development Mechanism
(CDM) under UNFCCC ratification.

It is estimated that 5.2 million ha. Plantation to take place in 2020. Around 50-70
tonnes of waste is produced from each hectare of plantation. The capacity potential is around
3700MW. The projected capacity can further be enhanced by including other agricultural
wastes like bagasse, rice husk and forest [Link] recent study indicates that the projected
biomass waste from oil palm plantation will be around 100 million dry tonnes per year by the
year 2020. The ambition for the enhancement of the biomass sector to grow up to 2080MW
by the year 2020[9].Malaysian government has a target to upgrade renewable based
production to 13% of total generation within 2030. SEDA amended the schedule for tariff
rate in 2014 to augment the process.

The formulation in this regard is nearly complete. The implementation of the schemes
is well under way. The KeTTHA (Ministry of Energy, Green Technology and Water) has
planned to increase renewable energy generation to 985 MW by 2015 and to 2080MW by
2020. The sector wise allocation of 985MW is as below:

41
Biomass: 330 MW

Solid wastes: 200MW

Biogas: 100 MW

Mini hydro: 290 MW

Solar PV: 65 MW

The above figure illustrates the urgency GoM put on the sector. The establishment of a
mature industry in this context needs huge investigations and analyses.

To turn a biomass resource into productive heat and/or electricity requires a number
of steps and considerations, most notably evaluating the availability of suitable biomass
resources; determining the economics of collection, storage, and transportation; and
evaluating available technology options for converting biomass into useful heat or electricity.

Any choice of biomass fuelled power plant depends upon the scale of operation and
the feedstock characteristics[10]. At larger capacities, there are scale factors which favors the
choice of newer fluidized bed gasification plants as compared to traditional fixed or moving

42
grate furnaces[11]. There are operational benefits from adopting gasification systems where
the applications are retrofits to existing fossil fuel burning plant or co-firing installations. The
latest development in this regard is the implementation of special projects under the
UNFCCC surveillance.

The sector is still underutilized and need to be explored. The technologies that are in
use are only a particular type and in a limited scale. The large scale production facility is yet
to be established in proper locations. The sites and the technologies are to be chosen wisely.
Therefore, a thorough investigation of the techno-economic feasibility is to be done. Biomass
resource availability is the most important issue in terms of economics and longterm project
sustainability.

This paper critically analyses the different techno-economic issues and tries to
establish the correlations among the elements of power supply chain. The chain of supplying
the required raw materials in right amount (upstream of the chain) for the generation of
power economically (downstream of the chain) is analyzed in details. The financial analysis
of the project is done with different financing scenario to get an insight of the project
operation in its production life.

METHODOLOGY

2.1 Model development

The model is a simple renewable energy supply chain based on palm oil biomass. The supply
chain model for biomass based generation of power based on steam turbine. The supply chain
for biomass based power generation starts at the raw material procurement and pre-treatment.
Then the raw materials are dispatched to a collection center and then to a plant. The
transportation of biomass is a complex task and thus the network part in the downstream of
the chain is important to put considerable amount of concern.

Model development:

43
 Table: Technologies for biomass based power generation
*biomass feed rate is taken as oven dry ton basis

The study in this paper is based on direct combustion of palm biomass based steam turbine
cycle. The cycle can be presented with simple block diagram as figure below.

Figure: Figure 2.2 The block diagram of a biomass based power plant

44
2.2 Data collection

The data for the study was collected from the existing biomass plants. The plants are
operating in different parts of Malaysia. The formulations and tables are from the research
papers, reports, online articles and presentations. Table: equivalent expenses for the
generation of each MWh in USD (base year 2012)[12]

The table clearly indicates that the cost of generation for biomass based power plant is
minimum one. The study of levelised cost of electricity reveals that combined cycle plants
give the advantage of greater efficiency and hence lower the average production cost. The
biomass integrated gasification combined cycles still not commercially available but they are
good options for near future use. The levelised cost of electricity in USD/kWh is figured out
for different generation types are presented in the figure forecasted to 2022.

Figure 2.3 Levelised cost of electricity for different types of generation

45
The figure illustrates how the prices of power generation will continue in the next few years.
The combined cycle gas turbine based generation having a higher efficiency( 53%); low fuel
cost (8-9 USD/MBTU); high load factor(85%) will continue to grow in the market but the
continuous reduction of cell price and very low maintenance cost solar PV generation will
catch up the CCGT in levelised cost of electricity(LCOE) within 2018 [13].

Table : The price of energy as presented by Robert Rapier in Forbes[14].

Energy conversion factor matrix

Table: Biomass requirement for the operation of the 10 MW ST plant

46
FiT facility from government:

TABLE : Feed-in-Tariff( FiT) rates and duration[22]

A new gazette has been recently unveiled stating the amendments made in the FiT schedule
to enhance renewable energy based generation in the country. Sustainable energy
development authority (SEDA) is promoting renewable energy from every corner. The target
that SEDA set for the coming years to collect much fund that can be used for the
enhancement of renewable energy based power generation.

Table : Amended rate effective from Jan 01, 2014[23]

47
Biomass heating value and material requirement planning for 10 MW capacity

The steam generators (boilers) can be run on solid biomass wastes produced at the palm oil
mills in the surrounding of the power plant i.e. EFBs, Fibres and palm kernel shells. The
chemical compositions of these raw materials are different so the amount of heat that can be
recovered is different. For this paper the gross calorific value of 35% wet fiber is 11.1 GJ/ton;
the gross calorific value of 10% wet shell in 17.3 GJ/ton; the gross calorific value of 45% wet
EFB is about 8.8 GJ/ton and the gross calorific value of wood in 10GJ/ton. On the basis of
this estimation the fuel requirement is calculated and presented in the table. A typical steam
turbine with capacity around 50 ton/hour will need a steam boiler that can supply the required
steam in superheated condition. The total amount of raw material needed for the total heat
required can be calculated from the following table.

48
2.3.1 Cost of procurement of biomass fuel

The biomass raw materials are dispersed in a vast area. The procurement of the required raw
material in a sustainable manner is a challenge for the power producers. The price is also
differential. If the plant site is integrated with a number of palm oil processing mills then the
amount needed can be assured by the abundance of raw biomass wastes produced in the FFB
processing stages. The procurement starts from the collection of EFBs, mesocarp fibres,
kernel shells and other associate biomasses. These elements contains varied amount of
moisture and are of different bulk density. The raw material transportation system requires
that the loose EFBs to be compacted before being loaded to the large truck which hauls
around 100 km.

Table: Cost of biofuel required for the plant with capacity of 10 MW [Cost base year: 2007]

The EFB supply is to be made available for the smoother running of the project. So, the
option of outsourcing is considered as shown in the table. The dependent on a third party for
biomass will increase the fuel cost.

49
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

3.1 Effect of moisture content in biomass in the calorific value

The biomass fuel used for the project is a mixture of four categories. Empty fruit bunch is the
primary fuel which is mostly collected from the nearby palm oil mills. If not possible to
collect from a close area then the feedstock is outsourced and the cost of procurement
increases significantly. The other raw materials used are mesocarp fibres, palm kernel shells,
shredded trunks and fronds (as soft wood category)

Figure 3.1Moisture content and calorific value of biomass fuels

The EFB is collected after the FFB is sterilized with steam. The moisture content in this
condition in high ( 65%-70%) and afterwards they are kept in air for drying. The boiler for
steam can be fed with EFBs in varied condition. The fibres are released after oil extraction
and thus contain less moisture. The palm kernel shells are almost dry when separated from
mills. Thus a mix condition of the fuels is a general feature for steam turbine based power
generation system.

50
3.2 Price variation for EFB based power production at 25% conversion efficiency

Figure 3.2 Cost of input energy (Sen/kWh) using EFB as the fuel
The raw material cost influences the cost of energy. The supply of raw materials and
the source should be ample for the continuous operation of the plant. If the raw materials are
to be outsourced then the cost of procurement will be high which will hamper the economic
production cost of electricity.
Moreover, these raw materials are bulky. The outsourcing of these bulk materials in
bulk amount is not going to be easy for the sustenance of a plant which is built with a
relatively high investment.

51
 Figure 3.3 Variation of per unit energy cost using PKS as fuel

3.3 Efficiency analysis for biomass based generations

The biomass based power generation plants can attain an efficiency range 20% - 40%. The
direct combustion based steam plants of smaller sizes (20 MWe) can attain as high as 40%
conversion efficiency[4]. The large scale plants need dedicated supply of raw materials with a
transportation network built around. This type of plant is likely in the palm oil plantation
areas for the presence of huge palm biomass wastes. The analysis is done on a 10 MW steam
turbine which can have an efficiency range 25% -35% based on the steam superheat
conditions and turbine efficiency.

Figure 3.4 Mass flow rate of EFB with 65% MC needed for target system efficiency

The hourly EFB requirement for the system to run at overall efficiency of 32% is 25.34
tonnes and that amount for 33% efficiency is 24.57 tonnes. The 1% efficiency improvement
can save 6143 tonnes of EFB annually. The fuel cost saved there by is RM 184,290.00 @
RM30/ton purchase rate. If this amount of EFB is outsourced at RM 110/ton then the cost
savings is RM 675,730 per year.

52
 Figure 3.5 Yearly requirement of raw EFB (65% MC) for a target efficiency of the system

A typical 10MWe plant running at 25% conversion efficiency will require 240,000 – 260,000
tonnes of biomass annually. This amount of biomass can be easily procured if a
transportation network is built in the vicinity of the plants and the mills are in a strategic long
term supply contract.

Table (a): Year wise cash flow analysis of the plant operation with no loan condition

The financial analysis with a 50% loan financing is re-evaluated for the same set of
performance parameters. The changes are significant for loan financing conditions.

53
 Table (b): Revised assessment considering a loan (50%) at 3% p.a. for 10 years

The financial scenario presented in the tables clarifies some critical issues:
Loan financing with favourable interest rate:
The annualized cost of capital for the project investment is the determinant for the internal
rate return (IRR). If the project is independent of any loan financing the IRR is higher
(12.4%) and which is more than the minimum attractive rate of return (generally >10%), but
if the project in financed by borrowed capital and compound interest basis then the return is
significantly below the minimum attractive rate of return. The calculation shows that, the
same project with a fifty percent loan financed (3% annually compounded and 10 years basis)
the IRR is only 4.31%.

CER credit for CDM enlisted projects

The revenue income of a project is affected with the selling price of electricity. The
projects with biomass as a fuel generally enlisted in the UNFCCC-CDM scheme. The
certified emission reduction (CER) rate is set for the first seven to ten years of the project life.
This CER value generated is a positive cash flow for the project. The CER rate is set by the
CDM executive board. Whenever, the CER is withdrawn the revenue income of the project
face a setback.
The figure below shows the cost components year by year. The net earning line
declines from third year of the project as the direct material cost increases steadily. The
maintenance cost is considered to increase at 3% per year. The first ten year of a renewable
project is tax exempted and the tax rate after ten years is 25% of the net earnings. The
certified emission reduction (CER) is paid only for first 10 years of the project.

54
 Figure 3.6 Revenue earning and expenditures for a biomass based plant

3.3.1 The sensitivity analysis for biomass power system A sensitivity analysis is done
with the following parameters in a ±10% basis.
 Revenue from generation
 Cost of goods sold
 Operational Expenses

Table: sensitivity analysis of the project for IRR and payback period

The sensitivity analysis aimed at investigating how the above parameters could be altered so
that the project IRR could match the minimum attractive rate of return that justify the
wellbeing of the project. The analyses of the results reveal that the selling price of the energy
generated needs to be upgraded. Investment cost would need to be reduced to attain the target
IRR level. As the operational cost of a plant run on biomass cannot be expected to decrease
over the years, the first cost of project installation must be curtailed. These can happen if the
government ensures the tax credit and subsidy in the import items of the equipment needed.

55
 Figure: Sensitivity of IRR

Figure: Sensitivity of payback period

The operating expenses do not affect the IRR and PBP significantly. The green lines in both
of the figures are mostly flat. The most sensitive is the selling price of the electricity to the
grid and cost of producing the electricity.

56
3.3.2 Raw material characteristics for biomass based power generation systems
The common parameters of interest are temperature and pressure in the boiler, raw
material properties, particle size, heating rate, operating pressure and pressure in the
turbine[28]. Raw material handling
The handling of biomass is cumbersome. The bulk density of the raw material is low
and needs to be densification for safe handling of the bulk material from source to plant. The
-3 -1 1 3 5 7 9 11 -10% -5% 0% 5% 10% IRR(%) Revenue earning Cost of generation
Operational cost 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 -10% -5% 0% 5% 10% payback period(years)
Rev. from generation COGS Operational cost components with a lower bulk density are not
suitable from logistical point view. So the raw feedstock is to undergo a drying and
pretreatment process for easy transportation. Drying improves the net calorific value of the
fuel and densifying of the biomass makes the material to be handled with ease.

Table: comparison of bulk density with densification[29]

The small scale biomass projects use moist raw materials in the boiler and it reduces the
efficiency of the boiler. But drying of the biomass is an energy intensive task. Hot air drier or
superheated steam extracted from the back pressure turbine can be used to dry the fuels that
have high moisture content (> 60% wet basis)[30].
3.4 Barriers in biomass based power generation schemes

The problems in establishing a sustainable system based on purely biomass feedstock faces
multiple barriers. The barriers indeed can be divided in to the following categories [31, 32]:
 Economic
 Technical
 Socio-political

57
Economic
The generation of electricity from biomass and its economy is based on the costs involved.
The renewable based generation cannot compete with fossil fuel based generation from
economy of scale and price competency. The principle element is capital cost (project
installation and infrastructure), the other costs are regular costs as operational cost,
maintenance cost, fuel cost etc. The biomass raw materials cause the system to be maintained
at regular basis. This type of solid and particularly irregular fuelled operation makes the
system work at variable loading condition. The system with a boiler needs an additional
water treatment plant. The economic production always favour large production unit. But the
availability of the raw material and its procurement limits the size of the plant.

Table: comparative price of fuel and unit energy cost [ref.]

The above table gives an idea of unit cost of energy from different biomass based fuels and
compares the unit price with the unit price from coal.

Figure: comparative cost of energy from different sources

58
Loan financing for biomass based power projects
The investment cost of technology is the principle barrier for making renewable energy based
power generation an attractive one. Different European nations came forward to solve this
problem with subsidies, FiT, soft loans (at 4% – 5% interest rate), interest reduced mortgages.
Green technology financing scheme (GTFS):
To encourage the companies/commercial sectors to implement renewable based
technologies, GTFS was introduced in 2010 with a fund size of RM1.5 billion. This fund is
expected to 0.00 5.00 10.00 15.00 20.00 25.00 coal Pellete EFB [Link] Wood chip
Sen/kWh Minimum cost per unit maximum cost per unit help the companies that are user of
renewable based technologies. The size of a single loan is about RM 50 million per Producer
Company with loan tenure of 15 years. As of July 2011, 76 projects have been approved for
financing and 13 other under review[33]. The criteria for qualifying any project under GTFS
are as follows:
 Minimize the degradation of the environment;
 Reduce greenhouse gas emissions;
 Be safe for use and promote a healthy and improved environment for all forms
of life;
 Conserve the use of energy and natural resources
 Promote the use of renewable resources

The price of energy is a strong parameter for energy choices for the government also for the
entrepreneurs who target a business around the issue. Though it is not environmental friendly
but most of the countries still building coal power plants. This is the basic that the traditional
generation systems cannot be replaced with renewable based one[34]. One reason is that
biomass generally more difficult to use from logistical point of view. Another point is that the
seamless supply of biomass feedstock cannot be ensured without proper strategy formulation
in the long time horizon. If consumers have a choice and supply that is convenient, they will
tend toward the cheaper energy source they can get.

Technical limitations
The main technical limitation for proper exploitation of biomass based power generation is
the unavailability of efficient commercial technology in a large scale. Lack of local expertise,
local manufacturer, and un-availability of bulk material handling equipment are the other top
counted technical limitations.

59
Policies for biomass based energy:
Probable solutions for the above barriers can be achieved with proper strategy formulation.
The ministry of Energy, Green Technology and Water (KeTTHA) is responsible formulating
the policies and legal frameworks to protect the natural environment and industrial
development. KeTTHA is constantly emphasizing the development of green technologies to
reduce environmental degradation as well to boost the country‘s economy. Ministry of
Science, Technology and Innovation and Ministry of Higher Education support the research
for promoting renewable energy. These ministries provide research grants to the institutions
engaged in biomass and other renewable energy routes.

Recommendations for enhanced use of biomass as fuel in power generation:

 More campaigns, roadshows, seminars and conferences to promote the use on
biomass as an alternative source of energy.
 Selected institutions can setup demonstration plants and develop skilled work force
who can market the idea to the entrepreneurs. These institutions will ensure
technological innovation, research and development. Economic benefits and practical
viability can be promoted through demonstration of success stories. With more
success stories, more interest can be generated leading to more involvement in
developing biomass based generations.
 A system study can be performed to identify the best supply chain of the biomass
based generation from sources to end.
 Mapping of available biomass resources would be useful for the improvement of the
performance of the existing facilities with possible extension. An assessment of the
current and potential market will open up new facilities in the unexplored area.
 The proper mapping can assess a better and cost effective logistics for both supplier
and user of the resources.

The initiatives will bring benefits to the country‘s social and economic development and
future energy security.

60
 Table: Ranks of each RE source in each criteria and overall[35]

The comparison place in the table clearly shows that from techno-economic point of view the
biomass based generation is a favorable option other than solar energy. The regional priorities
are also in a position to favour biomass based generation of power.

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3.5 Sustainability issues for biomass based power generation systems

The sustainability of power generation unit is evaluated in context of the following

parameters:
 Unit energy cost
 Carbon dioxide emission
 Availability
 Efficiency
 Fresh water consumption
 Land use
 Social effects

Unit Energy cost is a decision tool in choosing the right alternative for power generation.
The power generations from coal based plants are increasing both in developing and
developed countries. The cause is availability at low cost. The developed countries are
adapting new technologies for the reduction of emission and capturing the emitted carbon
from the exhaust. They are attaining a higher efficiency using integrated gasification
combined cycle and other latest technology. But less developed countries with their
scarcity of wealth are increasingly using less efficient technology without consideration
of the effect of higher emissions[36]. The net assimilation of CO2 in oil palm plantation
is higher (64.5 tonnes/ha/year) than virgin rain forest (42.4 tonnes/ha/year).The
environmental value of biomass based power generation lies in its ability to produce
energy from the heat which comes from the fuel that is generally not used purposefully.
The average grid connected sources produce electricity and their emission is high. If the
biomass is used for power generation it will replace a part of the emission.

62
CONCLUSION

The progress in the research works reported shows that there exist significant potential to
use the biomass power for sustainable development. Government has been playing a lead
role in the case of initial investment and there is a scope to manage big funds
internationally through clean development mechanism (CDM). To promote biomass
based power generation we need advanced energy technologies to be prompted locally. It
is time to start an integrated energy planning approach and network development for the
sector to be attracted by the investors. We conducted a techno-economic analysis and
optimization design of a biomass based power generation system using different types of
fuels with their availability consideration. This study is based on the principles of
thermodynamics and economic principles. The data from the existing 10 MW plant has
been manipulated for analysis purpose.

From the results of the study, important conclusions derived and some of the interesting
points of analysis can be summarized as:

1. The effect of the moisture content has a severe effect on the overall efficiency.
2. The seamless operation of the plant needs to develop a network of transportation
of the biomass raw materials from the source to plant.
3. The size of the biomass particles is important for easy combustion and tar
formation.
4. The techno-economic analysis reveals that the economic performance of the
project mainly depends on the selling price of the power to the grid, CER pricing,
subsidy in the capital investment cost from the financing institutes.
5. The cost of capital investment is the critical point to be considered in these types
of projects. If the interest rate is high the projects cannot be a competitive choice.
The limiting value of compound interest rate is 4% to 6% per year.
6. The CER is credited only for the first 7- 10 years of the project life. The rate of
the CER if not above US$18/ton CO2 and the cost of capital is above 8% annually
compounded then the project will not attain the minimum attractive rate of return(
generally 10% – 12%) in its life time. The payback period for this type of project

63
 if not less than 7 -10 years then the project cannot be competitive for other
mutually exclusive projects.
RESEARCH ARTICLE (INSIDE POWER POINT/PRESENTATION)

Hot Solar Biomass Gasifier Makes Clean Hydrogen-Rich Syngas

Posted on November 17, 2021
Author Susan Kraemer

Biomass gasification using steam and oxygen is an already mature technology for extracting
hydrogen, which requires heat at above 700°C.
To generate the heat for gasification, traditionally, some of the biomass itself is burnt.
But this combustion emits several greenhouse gases, which can be quite high, depending on
the carbon and hydrogen content of the biomass used, whether from animal and organic
wastes, municipal solid wastes or the various different kinds of agricultural crop residues.
The heat requirement of this hydrogen process makes it a great candidate for
decarbonization with solar thermal energy. So researchers are investigating a way to reduce
using heat from biomass combustion, by substituting heat from concentrated solar thermal
(CST) energy due to its demonstrated ability to generate temperatures up to 1500°C.
―In the conventional gasification process, about 30 to 40 percent of the biomass is
used to provide heat,‖ said Stéphane Abanades from the French solar research facility at

64
CNRS-PROMES. ―So our core idea is to develop a solar setup and process for gasification to
have a clean production of hydrogen and syngas.‖
CST focuses solar flux reflected from mirrors and concentrator up to a receiver or solar
reactor. This solar heat can be used in a thermochemical process to extract hydrogen from
even complex carbonaceous gases or liquids or solids like waste biomass.

This is why research is going into this form of solar hydrogen; it is a promising future
alternative to electricity-driven electrolysis, which depends on extremely pure water to
produce hydrogen. Waste biomass is an abundant resource that has recycled carbon dioxide
naturally via photosynthesis, so the solar-driven gasification process is a sustainable way to
convert carbon dioxide captured by biomass into carbon-neutral fuels.
The challenge for gasifying biomass using heat from a solar intermittent and variable
source is that – as with many thermochemical reactions – the gasification process should be
continuous, day and night. To solve this, some researchers in solar thermochemistry have
included thermal energy storage to provide continuous heat round the clock for these kinds of
industrial heat applications and solar hydrogen production.

Why the researchers favored a solar hybrid

Instead of storage, what Abanades‘ team proposed and have now tested is a hybrid
process.―Storage must be compatible with such high temperatures, which it‘s really not yet,‖
explained Abanades, who has authored a great deal of solar thermochemistry research. ―So
currently the storage solutions are not adapted for such high temperatures. These
thermochemical processes require a temperature usually above 1000°C, so now research is
more and more devoted to how to develop continuous processes.‖
The team adapted a standard 1.5 kW (thermal) spouted-bed biomass reactor to accept
hybrid heat sources so that it transitions smoothly between solar heat (allothermal) and heat
coming partly from internal combustion (allothermal-autothermal)
In their paper published at Science Direct; Experimental assessment of woody
biomass gasification in a hybridized solar powered reactor featuring direct and indirect
heating modes, the team presents their experimental results from continuous wood
gasification, and proved the efficacy of their hybrid reactor design.
―For example, when a cloud passes, decreasing the solar power input, we show that we can
maintain the internal temperature thanks to partial combustion inside the reactor. So we show
the feasibility of continuous operation,‖ he said.

65
Solar to fuel efficiency over 27%

The team demonstrated solar to fuel efficiency in this process of over 27% at lab scale during
on-sun operation with continuous wood biomass feeding. This is much more efficient than
other solar thermochemical processes.
―You have currently different solar processes developed for solar fuel production,
such as thermochemical water splitting where the solar to fuel energy conversion efficiency
currently doesn‘t exceed maybe five to ten percent,‖ he said.
This efficiency level is remarkable because typically, a lab scale demo like this – at
just 1.5 kWth – actually shows lower efficiency, because there is more chance of thermal
losses in a smaller volume.
―So these values are very promising for this scale,‖ Abanades commented. ―Because
of these higher efficiencies even at small scale, biomass gasification is interesting. And we
can further improve them, because when you upscale a reactor; automatically the solar to fuel
efficiency is improved because you reduce thermal losses.‖

The researchers adapted the spouted bed biomass reactor so that it can operate with
both solar and biomass-derived heat. This kind of reactor is originally closed using a cavity to
hold the biomass being converted in a restricted volume. To make it able to operate on solar
heat as well, the researchers engineered a way to enable it to directly receive the heat flux
focused by reflecting sunlight with a solar field of mirrors and a concentrator.
The research determined that focusing solar radiative heat directly on the
continuously-fed biomass within the cavity through a glass window was better than indirect
heating via an intermediate heat transfer wall. The direct heat improved the H2 and CO yields
and improved the stability of the produced syngas output from which the hydrogen gets
extracted. But the reactor also needs to be able to close at night to reduce radiation losses
when it‘s operated in autothermal mode. The reactor design work thus continues, as detailed
in the paper.

Solar heat at 1300°C yielded clean hydrogen-rich syngas output

66
A limitation with a lab scale test is that because its volume is small; the residence time of the
gas inside is short. The researchers compensated for this kinetic limitation by operating the
test at a higher temperature; about 1300°C, in order to have a good conversion of the
secondary products into hydrogen-rich syngas.
This higher temperature then proved to have advantages in both solar and hybrid
mode, as high temperature resulted in better reaction kinetics that improved the yields of both
H2 and CO, along with less CO2.
Although conventional biomass gasification is now run at below 1000°C, Abanades believes
these advantageous results suggest that when this solar hybrid biomass gasification is scaled
up, it should still be run at high temperatures between 1200-1300°C.
―High temperatures are favorable for a high yield of syngas,‖ he explained. ―When
you decrease too much the temperature, you have secondary products that are formed by the
reactions, such as tars. But we want to produce a pure syngas, composed of carbon monoxide
and hydrogen.‖

Experimental assessment of woody biomass gasification in a hybridized solar powered reactor featuring direct
and indirect heating modes
Their results showed good production of hydrogen at the 1.5 kWth lab scale of the adapted
spouted bed gasifier, with efficient solar energy storage into the syngas. This means the calorific value
of the gas products is higher than that contained in the biomass feedstock, thanks to the solar energy
supply.
―We are around 1.5 liters per minute of hydrogen produced for about 1 gram per minute of
biomass fed in the reactor during allothermal operation,‖ he noted. ―This is a good result because we

67
have optimal utilization of the feedstock; approaching the maximum output reachable by the reaction
given its stoichiometry.‖
For the next step, Abanades sees further experimental work to control the reactor
automatically in real time under variable solar energy resource; so this new solar hybrid biomass
gasification process can adapt itself to changing conditions day and night in an automated continuous
process.

Further Reading:
 Boujjat H., Rodat S., Abanades S., Techno-economic assessment of solar-driven steam
gasification of biomass for large-scale hydrogen production, Processes, 2021, 9(3),
462. DOI: 10.3390/pr9030462
 Boujjat H., Mitsuyoshi Yuki Junior G., Rodat S., Abanades S., Dynamic simulation and
control of solar biomass gasification for hydrogen-rich syngas production during
allothermal and hybrid solar/autothermal operation, International Journal of Hydrogen
Energy, 2020, 45(48), 25827-25837. DOI: 10.1016/[Link].2020.01.072
 Boujjat H., Rodat S., Chuayboon S., Abanades S., Experimental and Numerical Study of a
Directly Irradiated Hybrid Solar/Combustion Spouted Bed Reactor for Continuous Steam
Gasification of Biomass, Energy, 2019, 189, 116118. DOI: 10.1016/[Link].2019.116118
 Chuayboon S., Abanades S., Rodat S., Comprehensive performance assessment of a
continuous solar-driven biomass gasifier, Fuel Processing Technology, 2018, 182, 1–14.
DOI: 10.1016/[Link].2018.10.016

68
5.0 Discuss the potential of the renewable energy resources and successful
implementations throughout the world. Then discuss its potential to be implemented in
Malaysia.

5.1. Successful implementations throughtout the world

Ever since humanity harnessed the power of fire, it has depended upon it to cook, stay
warm, and provide energy for other uses. Through many parts of the third world, the
traditional practice of burning biomass and waste to produce heat and other forms of
energy continues to help meet the need of such arising from a lack of reliable modern
energy services. Though lower income regions are beginning to use more modern
forms of energy, biomass and waste still remain a common source of energy, and
account for 14% of worldwide energy output. Wood, forestry residue, animal dung,
human excrement, and agricultural residues in the form of crop waste like stalks and
coconut husks are used. Though these are renewable energy sources, the stoves used
for burning these fuels are the inefficient 'three stone stoves'. These stoves have an
energy efficiency of only 10%, so 90% of the biomass burnt is wasted. Most of the
biomass is used as the primary energy source by people for heating and cooking,
ranging from 65% in Haiti, 72% in Kenya, 78% in Democratic Republic of Congo,
81.5% in Nigeria, 85% in Tanzania, to 89% in Kenya and Niger. In all the countries,
rural households are more dependent on biomass than peri-urban and urban areas for
cooking. Its use in rural households varies in different countries, from 99% of the
population in Ethiopia, to 95% in Mozambique. While in urban Ethiopia biomass is
used by 84% of the population. In addition, 12% and 6% of the biomass is used for
transportation in Haiti and Nepal, respectively. Industrial use of biomass for heating is
prevalent in Haiti (4%), Nepal (6%), Myanmar (20%) and Sudan (20%). These are
usually small scale industries like sugar mills, sawmills, brick production, and tobacco
curing. Other users of biomass are commercial services like restaurants, and baking,
as well as arts and crafts. Nepal also uses 1% of its wood in agriculture.

Other Regions Dependent On Traditional Biomass For Fuel

69
Traditional biomass use as fuel is the strongest in Africa, where the extraction of
wood from forests and savannas is seen more for fuel than for timber. 15 out of the 20
countries listed as heavy users of biomass are in Africa. Two Central American
countries, Haiti

70
(81%) and Guatemala (62.8%), and three Asian countries, Nepal (80.6%), Cambodia (66.9%) and Myanmar (65.3%), also depend heavily on
biomass.

20 Countries Turning Waste And Biomass Into Energy

Biomass and Biomass and

Combustible Waste Combustible Waste
Rank Country Rank Country
as Percentage of as Percentage of
Energy Supply Energy Supply

1 Ethiopia 92.9% 13 Kenya 72.2%

2 DR Congo 92.2% 14 Cambodia 66.9%

3 Tanzania 85.0% 15 Myanmar 65.3%

4 Nigeria 81.5% 16 Cameroon 65.0%

5 Haiti 81.0% 17 Sudan 62.9%

6 Nepal 80.6% 18 Guatemala 62.8%

7 Togo 79.9% 19 Zimbabwe 61.8%

8 Mozambique 79.8% 20 Republic of Congo 59.2%

9 Eritrea 78.2%

10 Zambia 76.9%

11 Ivory Coast 73.6%

12 Niger 73.2%

71
5.2. Potential to be implemented in Malaysia

Past and current economic growths of Malaysia have been primarily energized by fossil
fuels. Malaysia has very substantial potential for biomass energy utilization given its
equatorial climate that is ideal for dense tropical forest growth and agricultural
vegetation. There are five major sectors contributing wastes to biomass energy in
Malaysia: forestry (wood products), rubber cultivation, cocoa cultivation, sugar cane
cultivation and oil palm cultivation. Biomass in Malaysia contributes about 14% of the
approximately 340 million barrel of oil equivalent (boe) of energy used every year.

Malaysia produces approximately 168 million tons of biomass, including resources

from palm oil waste, rice husks, coconut waste, sugar cane waste, municipal waste and
forestry waste [1]. Malaysia being the largest palm oil producer in the world has huge
potential resources from biomass. Biomass has an advantage over other types of RE in
terms of availability and huge resources, plus this type of resources can easily be stored.
In terms of RE technology deployment via the FiT mechanism in Table 1, biomass has
shown significant deployment status compared to other technologies which is
approximately 17% of total deployment. In terms of potential, biomass potential in
Malaysia can generate up to 2400 MW [1]. Biomass has potential for the pelleting
conversion process and has attractive potential for co-firing in conventional power
plants, which traditionally use coal or natural gas. This is a huge benefit and advantage
in terms of using waste for electricity generation. Co-firing several environmental
benefits such as reducing the carbon dioxide, Sulfur Oxides (SOx) and Nitrogen Oxides
(NOx) emissions that can reduce the GHG level. Other than that, if this technology is
compatible and feasible for deployment, it can additional benefits such offering energy
security. This is because part of the fuel can come from local resources compared to
coal which is mainly an imported resource for Malaysia. Co-firing with biomass also
can potentially reduce electricity generation cost due to a lower biomass pallet price
compared to coal and natural gas. Although huge benefits can be demonstrated, it will
also provide some negative impact on the efficiency of the power plant machinery,
cause corrosion for boilers and generate fly ash [2]. The recent issue of the Malaysian
palm oil ban from the European Union (EU) may have impacted the supply and demand
of this commodity. Malaysia practices sustainability in managing palm oil.
Furthermore, most of the deforestation is contributed by beef production industries and

72
not by any other agriculture activities, as claimed by the EU regarding this matter [3].
Malaysia as the second largest country producing palm oil after Indonesia has a huge
source of waste from palm oil that can potentially be used for biomass.

Table 1. Installed capacity (MW) of commissioned RE installations. Reproduced

with permission from [4]. Sustainable Energy Development Authority, 2018.

Received: 28 April 2019; Accepted: 24 May 2019; Published: 25 June 2019

73
6.0 Conclusion
The innovation (biomass industry) has advantages and disadvantages. Biomass
industry is renewable and harmless to living things. A biomass industry is able to
produce a lot of energy with a small amount of biomass material. Although biomass
industry will be expensive it can be a very big step in protecting the resources in the
world and reducing greenhouse gases that affect the environment greatly. Even
though biomass industry will be releasing emissions into the atmosphere, but will be
much less than any other industry as the innovation will be using the emissions also to
produce energy . I think by building biomass industries with this concept , it will
overcome the challenge of the depletion in energy resources in Africa because the
electricity generated will be with a renewable resource and will be able to power the
homes in South Africa. The issue of depleting fossil fuels will surely be controlled
and electricity problem can be resolved in South Africa if more people are inspired
and more eco-friendly industries are built.

74
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1.0 ABSTRACT
1. [Link]

2.0 Introduction
1. [Link]
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3.0 Describe the fundamentals, main characteristics and main components of renewable
energy sources and systems by the aid of figures and diagrams.
1. [Link]
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[Link]
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4.0 Explain the present maintenance activities and the proposed maintenance that can be
contributed to the cost effective and minimal impact to the environment. You may
perform the SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) analysis in
your report if relevant.
1. [Link]
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ysia-A_SWOT_Analysis

5.0 Perform simple techno-economical assessments and compare environmental

assessments of renewable energy systems.
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impacts-biomass/
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_BASED_POWER_GENERATION_TECHNOLOGIES_IN_MALAYSIA
4. [Link]
rich-syngas/

75
6.0 Discuss the potential of the renewable energy resources and successful
implementations throughout the world. Then discuss its potential to be implemented
in Malaysia.
1. Ozturk, M.; Saba, N.; Altay, V.; Iqbal, R.; Hakeem, K.R.; Jawaid, M.; Ibrahim,
F.H. Biomass and bioenergy: An overview of the development potential in
Turkey and Malaysia. Renew. Sustain. Energy Rev. 2017, 79, 1285–1302.
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utilising in co-firing with coal and its impact on environment—A review.
Renew. Sustain. Energy Rev. 2017, 71, 732–741.
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Scoring America‘s Top Brands on Their Deforestation-Free Beef Commitments
and Practices; Union of Concerned Scientists: Cambridge, UK, 2016; p. 18.
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of Commissioned RE Installations; Sustainable Energy Development Authority:
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 2019; p. 2019.
5. Wan Syakirah Wan Abdullah; Miszaina Osman; Mohd Zainal Abidin Ab Kadir;
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