Abstract
Tons of organic wastes are being generated from household, domestic and industrial waste. This waste if left untreated results in the emission of greenhouses gases such as methane and carbon dioxide, in overall resulting in climate change effects. On the other hand, the organic waste provides a valuable source of raw material for the production of bio coal, which is green and is renewable. In this study, brewery waste was converted to bio coal using the hydrothermal carbonization technology. Bio coal with a heating value of 26.1 MJ/kg was then produced. An economic assessment indicated that a total capital investment of USD 7.58 million is required for a plant that produces 69 tons/day. The production cost is USD 190.60 per tonne; the selling price was pegged at USD 200.00 which is less than the market value of fossil coal by USD10.00. The net present value of utilising brewery waste as a raw material in bio coal production was positive; with a payback period of 4.62 years and a 21.7% return on investment.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 1-9 |
| Number of pages | 9 |
| Journal | South African Journal of Chemical Engineering |
| Volume | 40 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Apr 2022 |
Keywords
- Bio coal
- Climate change mitigation
- Economic feasibility
- Solid waste management
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Catalysis
- Education
- Energy (miscellaneous)
- Process Chemistry and Technology
- Fluid Flow and Transfer Processes
- Filtration and Separation
