An Example of Reclamation Consortium Energy Self-Sufficiency using Biomass from Riparian Vegetation

Nowadays, energy self-sufficiency cannot ignore the environmental sustainability of how it is achieved. On the other hand, one of the largest waste disposal components of a reclamation consortium is represented by residues derived from habitat maintenance. These residues are mainly formed by riparian vegetation that, from an energy point of view, can represent a renewable biomass. Some practical problems arise when passing from a theoretical approach to the development of an effective supply chain, the main of which is the biomass availability. Since the riparian ecosystem is characterized by a wide variety of landforms and biological communities, the functional supply chain must consider seasonal variability, different biomass composition depending on the land, and, hence, a mean biomass feedstock availability. The presented study has been conducted in a reclamation consortium of Northern Tuscany in Italy and examined the main characteristics of the feedstock and estimating its availability. This information has been used to propose different possible supply and utilization chains: a network of small-scale plants, biomass gasification involving external local utilizers or more complex scenarios dedicated to the production of syngas. Among the two final possible supply chains identified, gasification for syngas production and anaerobic digestion for biogas production, the first option resulted to be more profitable. The possible application to the consortium energy balance has been analyzed and commented, evidencing different technical factors that can influence its value.