IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jeners/v17y2024i17p4416-d1470415.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Improving the Economic Feasibility of Small-Scale Biogas-Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Energy Systems through a Local Ugandan Biochar Production Method

Author

Listed:
  • Henry Wasajja

    (Water Management Department, Sanitary Engineering Section, Faculty of Civil Engineering and Geosciences, Delft University of Technology, Stevinweg 1, 2628 CN Delft, The Netherlands
    Department of Electrical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Ndejje University, Kampala P.O. Box 7088, Uganda)

  • Vipin Champatan

    (Centre of Excellence in Systems, Energy and Environment, APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University, Kannur 670563, Kerala, India)

  • Rob Verhorst

    (Water Management Department, Sanitary Engineering Section, Faculty of Civil Engineering and Geosciences, Delft University of Technology, Stevinweg 1, 2628 CN Delft, The Netherlands)

  • Ralph E. F. Lindeboom

    (Water Management Department, Sanitary Engineering Section, Faculty of Civil Engineering and Geosciences, Delft University of Technology, Stevinweg 1, 2628 CN Delft, The Netherlands)

  • Jules B. van Lier

    (Water Management Department, Sanitary Engineering Section, Faculty of Civil Engineering and Geosciences, Delft University of Technology, Stevinweg 1, 2628 CN Delft, The Netherlands)

  • Purushothaman V. Aravind

    (Energy and Sustainability Research Institute Groningen, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 6, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands)

Abstract

A small-scale (up to 5 kWe) biogas-solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) energy system is an envisioned system, which can be used to meet both electrical and thermal energy demand of off-grid settlements. SOFC systems are reported to be more efficient than alternatives like internal combustion engines (ICE). In addition to energy recovery, implementation of biogas-SOFC systems can enhance sanitation among these settlements. However, the capital investment costs and the operation and maintenance costs of a biogas-SOFC energy system are currently higher than the existing alternatives. From previous works, H 2 S removal by biochar was proposed as a potential local cost-effective alternative. This research demonstrates the techno-economic potential of locally produced biochars made from cow manure, jackfruit leaves, and jack fruit branches in rural Uganda for purifying the biogas prior to SOFC use. Results revealed that the use of biochar from cow manure and jack fruit leaves can reduce H 2 S to below the desired 1 ppm and substitute alternative biogas treatments like activated carbon. These experimental results were then translated to demonstrate how this biochar would improve the economic feasibility for the implementation of biogas-SOFC systems. It is likely that the operation and maintenance cost of a biogas-SOFC energy system can in the long run be reduced by over 80%. Also, the use of internal reforming as opposed to external reforming can greatly reduce the system capital cost by over 25% and hence further increase the chances of system economic feasibility. By applying the proposed cost reduction strategies coupled with subsidies such as tax reduction or exemption, the biogas-SOFC energy system could become economically competitive with the already existing technologies for off-grid electricity generation, like solar photovoltaic systems.

Suggested Citation

  • Henry Wasajja & Vipin Champatan & Rob Verhorst & Ralph E. F. Lindeboom & Jules B. van Lier & Purushothaman V. Aravind, 2024. "Improving the Economic Feasibility of Small-Scale Biogas-Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Energy Systems through a Local Ugandan Biochar Production Method," Energies, MDPI, vol. 17(17), pages 1-20, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:17:y:2024:i:17:p:4416-:d:1470415
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/17/17/4416/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/17/17/4416/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Casisi, M. & Pinamonti, P. & Reini, M., 2009. "Optimal lay-out and operation of combined heat & power (CHP) distributed generation systems," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 34(12), pages 2175-2183.
    2. Giarola, Sara & Forte, Ornella & Lanzini, Andrea & Gandiglio, Marta & Santarelli, Massimo & Hawkes, Adam, 2018. "Techno-economic assessment of biogas-fed solid oxide fuel cell combined heat and power system at industrial scale," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 211(C), pages 689-704.
    3. Papadias, Dionissios D. & Ahmed, Shabbir & Kumar, Romesh, 2012. "Fuel quality issues with biogas energy – An economic analysis for a stationary fuel cell system," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 44(1), pages 257-277.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Marta Gandiglio & Fabrizio De Sario & Andrea Lanzini & Silvia Bobba & Massimo Santarelli & Gian Andrea Blengini, 2019. "Life Cycle Assessment of a Biogas-Fed Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) Integrated in a Wastewater Treatment Plant," Energies, MDPI, vol. 12(9), pages 1-31, April.
    2. Costas Athanasiou & Christos Drosakis & Gaylord Kabongo Booto & Costas Elmasides, 2022. "Economic Feasibility of Power/Heat Cogeneration by Biogas–Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) Integrated Systems," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(1), pages 1-30, December.
    3. Papurello, Davide & Lanzini, Andrea & Drago, Davide & Leone, Pierluigi & Santarelli, Massimo, 2016. "Limiting factors for planar solid oxide fuel cells under different trace compound concentrations," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 95(C), pages 67-78.
    4. Westner, Günther & Madlener, Reinhard, 2011. "Development of cogeneration in Germany: A mean-variance portfolio analysis of individual technology’s prospects in view of the new regulatory framework," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 36(8), pages 5301-5313.
    5. Pérez-Iribarren, E. & González-Pino, I. & Azkorra-Larrinaga, Z. & Gómez-Arriarán, I., 2020. "Optimal design and operation of thermal energy storage systems in micro-cogeneration plants," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 265(C).
    6. Guelpa, Elisa & Verda, Vittorio, 2019. "Compact physical model for simulation of thermal networks," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 175(C), pages 998-1008.
    7. Guoliang Zhang & Suhua Lou & Yaowu Wu & Yang Wu & Xiangfeng Wen, 2020. "A New Commerce Operation Model for Integrated Energy System Containing the Utilization of Bio-Natural Gas," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(24), pages 1-13, December.
    8. Piacentino, Antonio & Barbaro, Chiara & Cardona, Fabio & Gallea, Roberto & Cardona, Ennio, 2013. "A comprehensive tool for efficient design and operation of polygeneration-based energy μgrids serving a cluster of buildings. Part I: Description of the method," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 111(C), pages 1204-1221.
    9. Bedoić, Robert & Dorotić, Hrvoje & Schneider, Daniel Rolph & Čuček, Lidija & Ćosić, Boris & Pukšec, Tomislav & Duić, Neven, 2021. "Synergy between feedstock gate fee and power-to-gas: An energy and economic analysis of renewable methane production in a biogas plant," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 173(C), pages 12-23.
    10. Calbry-Muzyka, Adelaide & Tarik, Mohamed & Gandiglio, Marta & Li, Jianrong & Foppiano, Debora & de Krom, Iris & Heikens, Dita & Ludwig, Christian & Biollaz, Serge, 2021. "Sampling, on-line and off-line measurement of organic silicon compounds at an industrial biogas-fed 175-kWe SOFC plant," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 177(C), pages 61-71.
    11. Ding, Xiaoyi & Lv, Xiaojing & Weng, Yiwu, 2019. "Coupling effect of operating parameters on performance of a biogas-fueled solid oxide fuel cell/gas turbine hybrid system," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 254(C).
    12. Brouwer, Anne Sjoerd & Kuramochi, Takeshi & van den Broek, Machteld & Faaij, André, 2013. "Fulfilling the electricity demand of electric vehicles in the long term future: An evaluation of centralized and decentralized power supply systems," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 107(C), pages 33-51.
    13. Ito, Masakazu & Takano, Akihisa & Shinji, Takao & Yagi, Takahiro & Hayashi, Yasuhiro, 2017. "Electricity adjustment for capacity market auction by a district heating and cooling system," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 206(C), pages 623-633.
    14. Papurello, Davide & Lanzini, Andrea & Tognana, Lorenzo & Silvestri, Silvia & Santarelli, Massimo, 2015. "Waste to energy: Exploitation of biogas from organic waste in a 500 Wel solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) stack," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 85(C), pages 145-158.
    15. Wu, Qiong & Ren, Hongbo & Gao, Weijun & Ren, Jianxing, 2017. "Benefit allocation for distributed energy network participants applying game theory based solutions," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 119(C), pages 384-391.
    16. Rotunno, Paolo & Lanzini, Andrea & Leone, Pierluigi, 2017. "Energy and economic analysis of a water scrubbing based biogas upgrading process for biomethane injection into the gas grid or use as transportation fuel," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 102(PB), pages 417-432.
    17. Buonomano, Annamaria & Calise, Francesco & Ferruzzi, Gabriele & Palombo, Adolfo, 2015. "Molten carbonate fuel cell: An experimental analysis of a 1kW system fed by landfill gas," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 140(C), pages 146-160.
    18. Hoffmann, Maximilian & Priesmann, Jan & Nolting, Lars & Praktiknjo, Aaron & Kotzur, Leander & Stolten, Detlef, 2021. "Typical periods or typical time steps? A multi-model analysis to determine the optimal temporal aggregation for energy system models," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 304(C).
    19. Fazlollahi, Samira & Mandel, Pierre & Becker, Gwenaelle & Maréchal, Francois, 2012. "Methods for multi-objective investment and operating optimization of complex energy systems," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 45(1), pages 12-22.
    20. Marquant, Julien F. & Evins, Ralph & Bollinger, L. Andrew & Carmeliet, Jan, 2017. "A holarchic approach for multi-scale distributed energy system optimisation," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 208(C), pages 935-953.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:17:y:2024:i:17:p:4416-:d:1470415. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.