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Process Economy of Alternative Fuel Production from Sewage Sludge and Waste Celluloses Biomass

Author

Listed:
  • Kamila Vávrová

    (Silva Taroucy Research Institute for Landscape and Ornamental Gardening, 252 43 Pruhonice, Czech Republic)

  • Tomas Králík

    (Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Czech Technical University in Prague, 166 27 Prague, Czech Republic)

  • Lukáš Janota

    (Silva Taroucy Research Institute for Landscape and Ornamental Gardening, 252 43 Pruhonice, Czech Republic)

  • Olga Šolcová

    (Institute of Chemical Process Fundamentals of the CAS, 165 00 Praha, Czech Republic)

  • Milan Čárský

    (Institute of Chemical Process Fundamentals of the CAS, 165 00 Praha, Czech Republic)

  • Karel Soukup

    (Institute of Chemical Process Fundamentals of the CAS, 165 00 Praha, Czech Republic)

  • Miroslav Vítek

    (Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Czech Technical University in Prague, 166 27 Prague, Czech Republic)

Abstract

The treatment and disposal of sewage sludge is one of the most important and critical problems of wastewater treatment plants. 8.7 million tonnes of dry matter of sewage sludge were produced annually in the European Union in the year 2020. Due to the fact that sewage sludge contains a large number of substances that are not beneficial for human health, the conditions for sludge management will be significantly tightened in the EU countries. One option for sludge liquidation is the production of biofuel in a form of granules or pellets from sewage sludge enriched by waste celluloses. The achieved results show that the resulting quality of such alternative biofuel is fully comparable to conventional fossil fuels. The economic analysis is based on the simulation of cash flows associated with the implementation of the project over the lifetime and the calculation of levelised cost (LCOE). Results shows (under the current economic situation) that solar dryer technology ensures the lowest LCOE at the level of 26 EUR/GJ in fuel. If the LCOE of the alternative biofuel includes the price of the saved emission allowance and the future costs of sewage sludge disposal, the resulting price is directly competitive with lignite. The results thus clearly show that there is an ecological and economically competitive substitute for solid fossil fuels, which may be an important step for the future use of local combustion sources such as district heating plants.

Suggested Citation

  • Kamila Vávrová & Tomas Králík & Lukáš Janota & Olga Šolcová & Milan Čárský & Karel Soukup & Miroslav Vítek, 2023. "Process Economy of Alternative Fuel Production from Sewage Sludge and Waste Celluloses Biomass," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(1), pages 1-12, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:16:y:2023:i:1:p:518-:d:1023117
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Bejbl, Jan & Bemš, Julius & Králík, Tomáš & Starý, Oldřich & Vastl, Jaromír, 2014. "New approach to brown coal pricing using internal rate of return methodology," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 133(C), pages 289-297.
    2. Piotr Sakiewicz & Krzysztof Piotrowski & Mariola Rajca & Izabella Maj & Sylwester Kalisz & Józef Ober & Janusz Karwot & Krishna R. Pagilla, 2022. "Innovative Technological Approach for the Cyclic Nutrients Adsorption by Post-Digestion Sewage Sludge-Based Ash Co-Formed with Some Nanostructural Additives under a Circular Economy Framework," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(17), pages 1-28, September.
    3. Werle, Sebastian & Wilk, Ryszard K., 2010. "A review of methods for the thermal utilization of sewage sludge: The Polish perspective," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 35(9), pages 1914-1919.
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    1. Johan De Greef & Quynh N. Hoang & Raf Vandevelde & Wouter Meynendonckx & Zouhir Bouchaar & Giuseppe Granata & Mathias Verbeke & Mariya Ishteva & Tine Seljak & Jo Van Caneghem & Maarten Vanierschot, 2023. "Towards Waste-to-Energy-and-Materials Processes with Advanced Thermochemical Combustion Intelligence in the Circular Economy," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(4), pages 1-19, February.

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