JOURNAL HIGHLIGHTS BY Raquel Enciso-Serradilla
Date palms could hold significant potential for sustainable energy production, particularly in regions where their cultivation is common.
As the world grapples with the urgent need for cleaner energy sources and a move away from fossil fuels, innovative solutions are emerging from many places, and one promising avenue is the utilisation of date palm waste.
The Middle East, alongside its abundant fossil fuel reserves, also possesses considerable biomass resources, notably in the form of date palm residues such as empty fruit bunches (EFB), fronds and trunks.
With the extensive cultivation of date palms generating substantial quantities of waste every year, researchers have explored the technoeconomic viability of transforming these residues into clean energy.
Globally, over 120m date palms are grown, producing vast amounts of renewable biomass. In Iraq alone, approximately 35kg of biomass residues are generated per date palm annually from its 22m trees, illustrating the potential scale of this resource.
A study published in Biofuels Bioproducts & Biorefining delved into the feasibility of harnessing the potential of EFBs, fronds, and trunks as feedstock for green hydrogen production.
The researchers conducted a comprehensive analysis, focusing on optimising the process based on crucial industrial economic factors such as the internal rate of return (IRR) and the payback period (PBT).
Results revealed significant differences in hydrogen yields depending on the type of date palm waste used. EFB waste emerged as the most promising feedstock option, yielding approximately 100kg of hydrogen per tonne of waste. Fronds and trunks followed with yields of around 91kg t−1 and 60kg t−1, respectively.
The economic evaluation revealed significant distinctions in financial viability based on the feedstock, highlighting the strong financial viability of utilising EFB.
The analysis showed a PBT of six years for an EFB-fed plant, coupled with an IRR of 14%. This makes EFB gasification a particularly appealing option for investors seeking sustainable and profitable ventures. A 20% increase in the price of hydrogen could improve profitability, reducing the PBT to less than four years.
The study provides insights for investors, policymakers, and industries aiming for a transition to low-carbon hydrogen production while capitalising on local biomass resources.
The researchers said the findings demonstrate that using EFB as feedstock can offer a competitive alternative to fossil fuels, potentially yielding annual savings of up to $3.3 million for a medium-scale plant.
The process featured involves gasification, a thermochemical conversion process that transforms organic materials into a gas mixture known as producer gas. This study modelled a system comprising three main stages: a downdraft gasifier, a gas cleaning stage and a gas processing stage.
While the study focused on the Middle East, the economic and legal insights gained could potentially be transferable to other regions with similar agricultural resources, such as North Africa, South Asia, or parts of South America, where date palm cultivation is also widespread.
Technoeconomic feasibility of date palm waste gasification: a pathway to green hydrogen production
Hend Dakhel Alhassany, Safaa Malik Abbas, Aziz Darweesh Almawash, Fatin A. Alnasrawi, David Vera, Francisco Jurado
Biofuels, Bioproducts and Biorefining
doi 10.1002/bbb.2740
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