Development of biomass-fueled cogeneration systems for off-grid electrification

Over the past centuries, discovery and utilization of fossil fuels has revolutionized the world pushing societies towards modernization. This source of energy that is being referred as black gold, has faced extensive consumption which consequently started to underpin the acceptance of the negative effects of our carbon society and its likely demise. Fossil fuels have costed the safety and overall health of our environment, causing serious consequences such as global warming and unsustainability. To this end, in the search for alternative generation, the potential of renewables was realized and hence, exploited in the energy sector. In recent times, development of efficient prime movers and possible utilization of renewable energy resources for both power and heat production introduced the concept of cogeneration to the energy sector. Accordingly, this comparative research elaborates on utilization of the most available and versatile renewable energy, biomass, in combined heat and power technology. There is no doubt that the integration of bioenergy and cogeneration is associated with significant advantages, namely: lower environmental impacts and primary energy savings. In this context, four different biomass-fueled configurations are developed for the purpose of electrifying the Masset village in Canada. Two well-known methods of: Direct Combustion and Gasification are considered in the model development. Further, a comparative conclusion is drawn from economic perspective.