The environmental perspective on biomass co-firing operations at coal-fired power plants in the Banten region, Indonesia: a life cycle approach

Abstract

The Indonesian government is implementing the national biomass co-firing program to rapidly reduce greenhouse gas emissions in power plants on a significant scale in a short time. Unfortunately, the environmental impacts of this program, under actual conditions, have not yet been thoroughly assessed and evaluated. This study involved collaborating with a coal-fired power plant (CFPP) operator in Banten to study actual conditions using life cycle assessment analysis with a cradle-to-gate system. The product category rules were used to determine the environmental impact category. Operational data was used from two coal-fired power plant units, each operating coal-firing and sawdust co-firing with a co-firing ratio (CR) of 11.80%. The results of comparing both units revealed a reduction in the impact of global warming potential by − 19.83%, acidification potential by − 27.67%, eutrophication potential by − 10.85%, photochemical ozone formation potential by − 28.73%, abiotic depletion potential (ADP) fossil by − 7.35%, water scarcity by − 3.05%. However, there were increases in ADP elements by 69.66%, ozone depletion potential (ODP) by 36.30%, and land use (LU) by 1926.74%. A sensitivity analysis was conducted to analyze the environmental impact of increasing the CR from 11.80 to 20.0%, where the study results showed the highest increase in LU. A scenario analysis was employed to estimate the environmental impact of fuels, where the results were sequential as follows: coal, rice husk pellets, sawdust, and woodchips co-firing, with values of 1.23, 1.03, 0.99, and 0.98 kg-CO₂-eq, respectively. Based on the actual conditions, this study's results provide insight into the environmental impact of biomass co-firing operations. It is expected that the results will be used as a reference for developing a strategy to maintain the sustainability of this program for the long term.

Keywords

Biomass / Co-firing / Coal-fired / Power plant / Life cycle assessment / Environmental impact

References

[1] Agbor E, Zhang X, Kumar A. A review of biomass co-firing in North America. Renew Sustain Energy Rev, 2014, 40: 930-943

[2] Arifin Z, Insani VFS, Idris M Techno-economic analysis of co-firing for pulverized coal boilers power plant in Indonesia. Int J Renew Energy Dev, 2023, 12: 261-269

[3] Arteaga-Pérez LE, Vega M, Rodríguez LC Life-cycle assessment of coal-biomass based electricity in Chile: focus on using raw vs torrefied wood. Energy Sustain Dev, 2015, 29: 81-90

[4] Balcioglu G, Jeswani HK, Azapagic A. Energy from forest residues in Turkey: an environmental and economic life cycle assessment of different technologies. Sci Total Environ, 2023

[5] Baumann H, Tilman A-M (2004) The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to LCA: An orientation in LCA methodology and application. Studentliteratur

[6] Beagle E, Belmont E. Comparative life cycle assessment of biomass utilization for electricity generation in the European Union and the United States. Energy Policy, 2019, 128: 267-275

[7] Boulay AM, Lenoir L, Manzardo A. Bridging the data gap in the water scarcity footprint by using crop-specific AWARE factors. Water, 2019, 11(12): 2634

[8] Van Den Broek R, Faaij A, Wijk A Van (1996) Biomass combustion for power generation

[9] Budget Office Congressional (2022) Emissions of carbon dioxide in the electric power sector at a glance

[10] Budiarto AW, Surjosatyo A (2021) Indonesia’s road to fulfill national renewable energy plan target in 2025 and 2050: current progress, challenges, and management recommendations—a small review. In: IOP conference series: earth and environmental science. IOP Publishing Ltd

[11] Chowdhury MSR, Azad AK, Karim MR Reduction of GHG emissions by utilizing biomass co-firing in a swirl-stabilized furnace. Renew Energy, 2019, 143: 1201-1209

[12] Cristobal-Garcia J, Reale F, Sala S, et al (2016) Life cycle assessment for the impact assessment of policies. Publications Office

[13] Darmawan A, Asyhari T, Dunggio I Energy harvesting from tropical biomasses in Wallacea region: scenarios, technologies, and perspectives. Biomass Convers Biorefin, 2023

[14] Demeter CP, Lindsey CA, Comer KS (1999) The Dollars and sense of cofiring. In: 16th International Pittsburgh coal conference. University of Pittsburgh

[15] Diana R, Rusdianasari, Kalsum L (2023) The Effect of Palm Shell and Empty Fruit Bunch Composition Ratio on the Quality of Biopellets for Co-firing. In: IOP conference series: earth and environmental science. p 12006

[16] EPD International (2021) Product Category Rules (PCR)

[17] Fitrianingrum Y, Surjasatyo A. Techno-economic analysis of co-firing waste refused derived fuel (RDF) in coal-fired power plant. Int J Eng Bus Soc Sci, 2023, 1: 2980-4272

[18] Gil M V., Rubiera F (2019) Coal and biomass cofiring. In: New trends in coal conversion. Elsevier, pp 117–140

[19] Hakam DF, Nugraha H, Wicaksono A Mega conversion from LPG to induction stove to achieve Indonesia’s clean energy transition. Energ Strat Rev, 2022, 41

[20] Hariana H, Prayoga MZE, Darmawan A Combining experimental and analytical methods to evaluate coal co-firing with sorghum waste. J Therm Anal Calorim, 2023, 148: 6347-6369

[21] Hartmann D, Kaltschmitt M. Electricity generation from solid biomass via co-combustion with coal: Energy and emission balances from a German case study. Biomass Bioenergy, 1999, 16: 397-406

[22] Helmy B, Aminata J, Windarta J. Economics analysis of coal to biomass subtitution: system dynamics approach. OPSearch Am J Open Res, 2023, 2: 149-154

[23] Huang Y, McIlveen-Wright D, Rezvani S Biomass co-firing in a pressurized fluidized bed combustion (PFBC) combined cycle power plant: a techno-environmental assessment based on computational simulations. Fuel Process Technol, 2006, 87: 927-934

[24] Huijbregts MAJ, Steinmann ZJN, Elshout PMF ReCiPe2016: a harmonised life cycle impact assessment method at midpoint and endpoint level. Int J Life Cycle Assess, 2017, 22: 138-147

[25] Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (2006) 2006 IPCC guidelines for national greenhouse gas inventories, energy. Intergovernmental panel on climate change

[26] International Organization for Standardization (2020a) ISO 14040:2006/Amd1:2020 Environmental Management: Life cycle assessment

[27] International Organization for Standardization (2020b) ISO 14044:2006/Amd2:2020 Environmental Management: Life cycle assessment—Requirements and guidelines

[28] Irawan A. Potential and opportunity of co-firing power plant in Indonesia through torrefaction of empty fruit bunch (EFB)—a review. World Chem Eng J, 2021, 5: 25-32

[29] Joko Purwanto A, Kimura S (2022) Forecast of biomass demand potential in Indonesia: Seeking a business model for wood pellets

[30] Khorshidi Z, Ho MT, Wiley DE. Techno-economic study of biomass co-firing with and without CO₂ Capture in an Australian black coal-fired power plant. Energy Procedia, 2013, 37: 6035-6042

[31] Kommalapati RR, Hossan I, Sai V Life cycle environmental impact of biomass co-firing with coal at a power plant in the greater houston area. Sustainability, 2018, 10: 1-18

[32] Koundouri P, Pittis N, Plataniotis A (2021) The Impact of ESG performance on the financial performance of european area companies: an empirical examination. In: ICSD 2021. MDPI, Basel Switzerland, p 13

[33] Lempp P, Kempener R, Simbolotti G, Tosato G (2013) Biomass co-firing: technology brief

[34] Livingston W, Middelkamp J, Willeboer W (2016) The status of large scale biomass firing. IEA Bioenergy

[35] Loeffler D, Anderson N. Emissions tradeoffs associated with cofiring forest biomass with coal: a case study in Colorado, USA. Appl Energy, 2014, 113: 67-77

[36] Mann M, Spath P. A life cycle assessment of biomass cofiring in a coal-fired power plant. Clean Prod Process, 2001, 3: 81-91

[37] Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (2020) GHG emission inventory of energy sector. Jakarta

[38] Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (2021) Decree of minister of energy and mineral resources number 188.K/HK.02/MEM.L/2021 Year 2021

[39] Mo W, Du K, Sun Y Technical-economic-environmental analysis of biomass direct and indirect co-firing in pulverized coal boiler in China. J Clean Prod, 2023, 426

[40] Morrison B, Golden JS. Life cycle assessment of co-firing coal and wood pellets in the Southeastern United States. J Clean Prod, 2017, 150: 188-196

[41] Narendra BH, Siregar CA, Salim AG (2020) The potency of wood based electricity production from critical land in Indonesia. In: IOP conference series: materials science and engineering. IOP Publishing Ltd

[42] Pesonen H-L, Ekvall T, Fleischer G, et al (2000) Framework for Scenario Development in LCA

[43] Pratiwi NT, Faturohman T. Strategy of PT PLN (Persero) to achieve a renewable energy mix through the co-firing program. Rev Integr Bus Econ Res, 2022, 11: 285-290

[44] Rhofita EI, Rachmat R, Meyer M, Montastruc L. Mapping analysis of biomass residue valorization as the future green energy generation in Indonesia. J Clean Prod, 2022, 354

[45] Roni MS, Chowdhury S, Mamun S Biomass co-firing technology with policies, challenges, and opportunities: A global review. Renew Sustain Energy Rev, 2017, 78: 1089-1101

[46] Rosendahl L. Biomass combustion science, technology and engineering, 2013 Sawston Woodhead Publishing

[47] Roychoudhury S, Khanda DK (2016) Application of life cycle assessment (LCA) in coal mining

[48] Royo J, Sebastián F, García-Galindo D Large-scale analysis of GHG (greenhouse gas) reduction by means of biomass co-firing at country-scale: application to the Spanish case. Energy, 2012, 48: 255-267

[49] Ruhul Kabir M, Kumar A. Comparison of the energy and environmental performances of nine biomass/coal co-firing pathways. Bioresour Technol, 2012, 124: 394-405

[50] Sala S, Garcia JC (2016) Life cycle assessment for the impact assessment of policies. https://doi.org/10.2788/318544

[51] Sato I, Aikawa T, Goh CS, Kayo C. Life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions in power generation using palm kernel shell. GCB Bioenergy, 2022, 14: 875-892

[52] Seok Lee J, Hyeok Lee M, Chun Y-Y, Mo Lee K. Uncertainty analysis of the water scarcity footprint based on the AWARE model considering temporal variations. Water (Basel), 2018

[53] Setiawan AAR, Munawar SS, Ariesca R A life cycle assessment of cofiring in a coal power plant to estimate purchasing cost of empty fruit bunch pellets. Nihon Enerugi Gakkaishi/J Jpn Inst Energy, 2023, 102: 84-95

[54] Shafie SM, Mahlia TMI, Masjuki HH. Life cycle assessment of rice straw co-firing with coal power generation in Malaysia. Energy, 2013, 57: 284-294

[55] Siarudin M, Awang SA, Sadono R, Suryanto P. Renewable energy from secondary wood products contributes to local green development: the case of small-scale privately owned forests in Ciamis Regency, Indonesia. Energy Sustain Soc, 2023

[56] Simbolotti G, Tosato G, Gielen D. Biomass co-firing in coal power plants, 2013 Masdar City International Renewable Energy Agency

[57] Soleh M, Ahmad AH, Juangsa FB Impact of different kinds of biomass mixtures on combustion performance, interaction and synergistic effects in cofiring of coal and biomass in steam power plants. Clean Energy, 2023, 7: 1136-1147

[58] Sugiyono A, Febijanto I, Hilmawan E, Adiarso (2022) Potential of biomass and coal co-firing power plants in Indonesia: a PESTEL analysis. In: IOP conference series: earth and environmental science. IOP Publishing Ltd

[59] Taleb MA, Shauqi Zaki M, Zaki M Potential and utilization of biomass for heat energy in Indonesia: a review. Int J Sci Technol Res, 2020, 2(10): 331-344

[60] Tang L, Yokoyama T, Kubota H, Shimota A (2014) Life cycle assessment of a pulverized coal-fired power plant with CCS technology in japan. In: Energy procedia. Elsevier Ltd, pp 7437–7443

[61] Tillman DA. Biomass cofiring: the technology, the experience, the combustion consequences. Biomass Bioenergy, 2000, 19: 365-384

[62] Tumiran, Na’Iem M, Sarjiya S, et al (2021) Potential of biomass as re source for sustainable electricity supply in eastern Indonesia. pp 22–27

[63] Wang W. Integrated assessment of economic supply and environmental effects of biomass co-firing in coal power plants: a case study of Jiangsu, China. Energies (Basel)., 2023

[64] Wang X, Rahman ZU, Lv Z Experimental study and design of biomass co-firing in a full-scale coal-fired furnace with storage pulverizing system. Agronomy, 2021

[65] Whelan T, Atz U, Holt T Van, Clark C (2015) ESG and financial performance: uncovering the relationship by aggregating evidence from 1,000 plus studies

[66] Wiloso EI, Setiawan AAR, Prasetia H Production of sorghum pellets for electricity generation in Indonesia: a life cycle assessment. Biofuel Res J, 2020, 7: 1178-1194

[67] Yang B, Wei YM, Hou Y Life cycle environmental impact assessment of fuel mix-based biomass co-firing plants with CO2 capture and storage. Appl Energy, 2019, 252

[68] Yudisaputro H, Saputra AT, Satyadi H (2022) Boiler performance optimization with expert combustion tuning (X-Toni) method to support implementation of coal switching & co-firing program. In: ICT-PEP 2022—international conference on technology and policy in energy and electric power: advanced technology for transitioning to sustainable energy and modern power systems, proceedings. Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc., pp 89–94

[69] Zhang X, Meloni S. Technology developments in the cofiring of biomass, 2020 London Gloucester