Olive Biomass Fuel

 The ultimate salvation of the world lies in transition to a hydrogen based energy regime. This might involve sustainable fusion, third generation nuclear plants, or renewable energy sources (solar, wind, tides and other methods that harness the energy of the waves). However, until the complete overhaul of our energy regimes around the world our best course of action seems to be integrating the use of biomass fuels with our existing infrastructure based on fossil fuels. One such fossil fuel alternative is the co-burning of olive biomass  (olive cake) in power plants.

It is estimated that around five million metric tons of olive pomace (the waste of olive oil industry and the basis for olive biomass fuel) is produced every year. Once the remaining oil extracted using a solvent like hexane gas what we are left with is a clean biomass fuel with high calorific value. The seedy parts (seeds and meaty parts are generally separated) are measured at 4500 – 5000 kCal/kg. At this rate olive biomass is comparable to medium quality lignite and it compares favorably with other biomass fuels produced from woody residues.

 

 Real Net Zero Emission

One great advantage of olive pomace is that it is a truly zero net carbon emission fuel. Net zero emissions usually relate to the fact plants use up carbon dioxide build tissue. When this tissue is oxidized the fuel releases carbon compounds which in turn will be absorbed by the plants. This equation is only true if we burn only the plants we grow. Burning firewood is only potentially a zero emission practice. It all depends on whether we burn more than we grow. A net decrease in forest area that is utilized for biomass fuel production means that we are releasing more carbon than we are absorbing from the atmosphere. Biomass fuels based on crops or agricultural residue generally cannot consume what is not grown. Olive residue fuels are in this category. The industry can only process the remains of already grown and used olives.

In addition unlike the production of bio diesel which is an energy intensive process olive biomass industry is relatively energy shy. In fact in many more traditional plants the energy needed for drying the olive cake and extracting oil is supplied by burning olive cake in the first place. This makes olive pomace (olive cake) a very attractive candidate for a renewable, clean alternative for fossil fuels.

In fact the first olive cake power plant started to operate in Spain in 1995. The share of biomass fuels in Spain’s energy production is around 3 percent (not very admirable) and a substantive portion of this three percent comes from olive cake burning. Similarly, England imports around 200.000 metric tons of olive biomass (mostly from Spain) for co-burning in coal plants.

In short olive biomass offers a clean, sustainable, and truly renewable fossil fuel alternative.

Olive Biomass Fuel