Thailand, and updated in 2012 based on the cogeneration
technology development in each existing bagasse power
plant [12-14].
(a)
(b)
(c)
Fig. 4. Total power generation potential using sugarcane field residues,
Total power generation capacity from bagasse, and Total installed
capacity in Northern (a), Northeastern (b), and Central (c) regions of
Thailand.
To estimate the power generation potential of open
burned sugarcane field residues, the low heating value
(LHV) of 15.48 MJ/kg reported by Energy for
Environment Foundation (EFE) was used [15]. Assuming
an annual operation time of 24 h per day for at least 330
days per year generally in use by bagasse power plants
[3], the power generation potentials of sugarcane field
residues in the northern, northeastern, and central regions
of Thailand were estimated. The power potential of using
sugarcane field residues as fuel, and total power
generated by bagasse-fuel, and total installed capacity of
power plants classified by sugar mills in each region are
summarized in Fig.
4.
From Fig. 4, it can be noticed that the power
generation potential of open burned sugarcane field
residues is larger than the amount of electricity sold by
sugar mills to the national grid. The highest power
potential of sugarcane field residues in each region was
72.95 MW for the northern, 55.67 for the central, and
46.74 MW for the northeastern, respectively. The total
power generation potential using sugarcane field residues
as fuel in Thailand represents 1,035.79 MW per year.
This energy potential of sugarcane field residues can
sufficiently substitute bagasse fuel for heat and power
requirements of sugar mills and for excess electricity sold
to the national grid.
Based on the fact that sugarcane field residues can be
used in the same combustion technology as bagasse, and
the existing installed capacity of bagasse power plants of
1,404.19 MW, the large amount of open burned
sugarcane field residues can serve as secondary fuel for
these bagasse power plants. In addition, it would give the
opportunity to sell electricity at full installed capacity of
bagasse power plants to the national grid.
C
ONCLUSION AND
R
ECOMMENDATIONS
This study estimated the air pollutants and GHG
emissions from sugarcane field residues open burning
during 2002/03 to 2011/12 in Thailand using 2006 IPCC
Guidelines for National GHG Inventories. The annual
amount of sugarcane field residues subject to open
burning, which can be used as fuel in current bagasse
power plants in Thailand, represents approximately
11,833 ktons. During open burning of sugarcane field
residues, large quantity of air pollutants including CO,
NO
x
and TPM, and GHG composed of CO
2
, CH
4
and
N
2
O emissions are released to the atmosphere annually.
In terms of GHG, about 146.98 ktons CO
2eq
are emitted
from open burning of sugarcane field residues. The
annual sugarcane field residues open burning mainly
occur during January to March. The total sugarcane field
residues open burned each year can be used in existing
bagasse power plants, and generate 1,035.79 MW of
electricity. From this study, it was found that the annual
total amount of sugarcane field residues is sufficiently
high enough to be proposed as the main or secondary fuel
to complement bagasse feedstock for existing bagasse
power plants.
To use the sugarcane field residues at their full
potential, some limitations should be first resolved.
Examples of barriers to this energy resource utilization
are: (i) Barrier related to sugarcane field residues supply
chain, especially due to difficulty in collection and
transportation because of the sharpness and bulkiness of
the sugarcane leaves; (ii) Barrier related to the seasonal
availability of open burned sugarcane field residues,
considering that the significant period of their open
burning during December to April annually, i.e. only five
months and not throughout the year.
2013 International Conference on Alternative Energy in Developing Countries and Emerging Economies
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