Technical and economical values of harvesting agricultural biomass for energy
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.46299/j.isjea.20260504.04Keywords:
agricultural biomass, lignocellulosic biomass, straw, intermediate crops, crop residues, biomass harvestingAbstract
Agricultural biomass accounts for the largest part of the bioenergy potential in many regions of the world. Its consumption enables the production of a wide range of solid, liquid, and gaseous biofuels for energy and use in the transportation sector. The involvement of agricultural biomass in the energy sector contributes to the implementation of countries’ national goals for the share of renewable energy sources in the total primary energy supply. Types of biomasses that provide a significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions compared to fossil fuels and do not compete with food production are of particular interest. Such types of agricultural biomass include, among others, intermediate crops and lignocellulosic crop residues. The first step towards using biomass for energy is its harvesting, which should be cost-effective. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to estimate the specific costs of harvesting different types of agricultural biomass. The tasks of the study include determining the structural schemes of harvesting and the required set of technical means, as well as estimating specific production costs for individual expenditures and technological operations. The feasibility study of harvesting intermediate crops was carried out using the example of winter wheat and vetch-oat mixture, and that for crop residues was done based on wheat straw and corn stover. It was determined that for by-products of wheat and corn production, the main expenditures are costs for fuel and lubricants, maintenance and repair, as well as depreciation of equipment. In the case of intermediate crops, another large area of spending is the purchase of seeds and plant protection products. This is due to the inclusion of the cultivation stage in the general chain of harvesting. Further research directions lie in carrying out a feasibility study of harvesting agricultural biomass at regional levels, taking into account relevant local conditions.References
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