The Experimental Production of Fuel Briquettes from Jamaican Biomass

The term ‘bioenergy’ is most often used to describe biomass, which is a carbon-based material composed of a mixture of organic molecules containing hydrogen, oxygen, carbon, and nitrogen, but may also include other atoms such as metals and alkali in porphyrins [1]. Furthermore, it may include materials such as bagasse, banana waste, grass, straw, sawdust, coconut husk, and shell and can be densified and pelletized before being combusted for energy [2]. This resulting material is however generally of low density, high moisture content, and proves difficult to store and/or transport. Nevertheless, its advantageous characteristics make it favorable for energy production. Within the Caribbean, biomass has been readily available largely due to the significance of primary industries, namely sugar and banana processing. Agricultural stakeholders have been reaping the benefits of this ‘waste product’ by using and supplying it as both feed and fuel. Despite these efforts, there are several underutilized feedstocks from a wide array of industries that can be utilized as biomass for energy production. Density is one key parameter for biomass assessment and determines the ease with which feedstock can be transported as well as the ease of storage [3]. Therefore, the densification of biomass is considered important to achieve efficient handling, transport, and storage operations. Densification can enhance volumetric calorific value and physical properties. This leads to clean, stable, and environmentally friendly fuel. Water content is another significant deciding factor for feedstock selection and should be reduced as much as possible. Water not only adds to the weight of the feedstock but can lead to its degradation while in storage and lessen the efficiency of the heating process during energy production. After pelletization the properties of the pellets and its respective biomass material are different. The pellets are considered as an “upgraded biomass fuel” since, after compression, pellets have a greater energy density than the biomass raw material [4]. The sources of biomass in Jamaica that could be used as a fuel include banana leaves, cardboard, coconut shell, corn husk, coffee husk, sawdust, sugar cane (bagasse), wastepaper, and weeds [5]. Biomass is only considered to be useful as a fuel source when it has a sufficiently high heating value, and according to the U.S. Energy Department, the heating value of a substance is the energy released per unit mass of the substance when the material is fully burnt [6]. For this investigation, due to the abundance and availability of each biomass type in Jamaica, emphasis will be placed on bagasse and banana waste. There are growing concerns over the use of biomass as fuel particularly with regards to the use of crops and the effects of deforestation [7]. However, these concerns can be eliminated by the use of biomass waste products such as bagasse, banana waste, coconut waste, corn husk, corn stalk, and sawdust. Such sources are readily available in Jamaica and their use will not be a threat to the food supply [5]. Bagasse, a waste product of the sugar refinery process, is the fiber obtained after the juice has been extracted from the plant during the processing of sugar from sugarcane [8]. A Jamaican study done by Landell Mills indicated that to control the waste from the sugar cane process, bagasse would be introduced to boilers on the plant for providing energy and is currently being used along with Bunker C Oil in the boilers of Jamaican sugar refineries [9]. Unfortunately, bagasse cannot be