Pyrolysis of Waste Biomass: Technical and Process Achievements, and Future Development—A Review

Pyrolysis has been applied in the human economy for many years, and it has become a significant alternative to the production of chemical compounds, including biofuels. The article focuses mostly on recent achievements in the technical and processing aspects of pyrolysis. The aim of the review is to present the latest research on the process of waste biomass pyrolysis to fuel production. The paper describes the mechanisms of the pyrolysis process, composition, and properties of the obtained fractions, namely pyrolysis gas, bio-oil, and biochar. Additionally, the technical aspects of the pyrolysis process are mentioned, with particular attention to the construction of the reactors. The process of waste biomass pyrolysis allows for obtaining many chemical compounds (second-generation biofuels). Optimization of the pyrolysis process allows obtaining the desired products that are applied in the chemical industry, energy, and transport. The application of pyrolysis gas, oil, and biochar as valuable chemical compounds are related to the intensifying effects of climate change, biofuel production, and waste management in accordance with the principles of sustainable development. In recent years, there has been large-scale research into the use of renewable energy sources through pyrolysis. This will make it possible to significantly reduce the carbon footprint and produce second-generation biofuels in a sustainable manner. Current research into the mechanisms of pyrolysis processes is promising, and will therefore provide access to clean and low-cost compounds that will have broad applications in the energy, chemical, agricultural, and transportation industries

Proecological aspects of citric acid technology

Citric acid (CA) is one of the most important commercial products. The food industry is the largest consumer of the acid, using almost of 70% of the total production, followed by about 12% by the pharmaceutical industry and 18% for other applications. CA is manufactured commercially by the fermentation of carbohydrates, mainly saccharose and molasses, by Aspergillus niger using surface, submerged and solid-state fermentation medium. The currently used process causes environmental problems such as production of highly impure post-fermentation waste including dirty CaSO4. The aim of the article was to present alternative production methods for CA, which are more environmental-friendly. Fermentation using the yeast of Yarrowia lipolytica is currently undergoing intensive research as an alternative to the classic technology of CA. Extraction by organic solvents is also a promising method of CA production from aqueous solutions. Solvent extraction process is used to eliminate calcium hydroxide and sulphuric acid in the precipitation process. Due to the development of membrane techniques, membranes have been widely used in many branches of industry, including CA technology. CA release and condensation can be obtained by means of electrodialysis, ultrafiltration or/and nanofiltration as well as using liquid membranes. The electrodialysis with a bipolar membrane is another promising method of obtaining CA. Its main strengths are the simplification of technological cycles, waste elimination and creating high-quality products. Selected membrane systems are shown; the BP-A-C system was characterized by the lowest energy consumption (membranes: bipolar, anion exchange and cation exchange). New methods of management of waste biomas from CA production technology towards biogas production are described. Biogas and the biomethane derived from it are widely used: for the production of electricity and heat (cogeneration), as network gas (a substitute for natural gas) and as fuel in vehicles

Management of Waste Wood in the Energy and Fertilizer Industries. Case Study of Poland

The energy transition requires the provision of stable energy production, which can be ensured by the production of energy from waste biomass. Physicochemical analysis was carried out and the heat of combustion was determined for 11 different tree species. The moisture content of the biomass was within wide limits: from 9.41% for elderberry to 43.92% for sweet cherries. In turn, the ash content ranged from 0.77% for pine to 3.58% for elderberry. The lowest heat of combustion was found for oak biomass: 18.82 MJ/kg, and the highest for pine: 21.23 MJ/kg. A fertilizer called phytoash obtained from biomass combustion contains large amounts of fertilizing calcium and magnesium and has an alkaline reaction. Phytoash can be used as fertilizer in the fertilizer industry on acidic soils in Poland. The largest amounts of calcium and magnesium for fertilizer purposes can be used in the Zachodniopomorskie Voivodeship (2,023 Mg/year and 2.86 Mg/year), the Warmińsko-Mazurskie Voivodeship (1,625 Mg/year and 2.30 Mg/ year), and the Wielkopolskie Voivodeship (1,612 Mg/year and 2.29 Mg/year) and Lubuskie Voivodeship (1,609 Mg/year and 2.28 Mg/year). Calculations indicate a fairly large energy potential from waste biomass, which allows its use in the energy mix or industry, e.g. food, in Poland. The calculated amount of electricity from waste biomass would cover Poland’s needs by 6% and heat by 20%

Physicochemical Properties and Application of Silica-Doped Biochar Composites as Efficient Sorbents of Copper from Tap Water

This article concerns research on new sorption materials based on silica-doped activated carbon. A two-stage synthesis involved pyrolysis of plant material impregnated in a water glass solution, followed by hydrothermal activation of the pyrolysate in KOH solution. The resulting composite can be used as a sorbent in drinking water filters. The proposed method of synthesis enables the design of materials with a surface area of approximately 150 m2·g−1, whose chemical composition and structure were confirmed by scanning electron microscopy/energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM/EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetry/differential thermal analysis (TG/DTA) and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The sorption properties of the obtained materials were determined relative to copper ions using the batch experiment method. The optimal operating parameters of the obtained materials relative to copper ions are T = 313.15 K, pH = 5, S:L ratio = 4 g·dm−3 and t = 120 min. The research shows that the sorption kinetics of copper ions can be described by a pseudo-second-order model. The plotted copper(II) sorption isotherm clearly indicates the Langmuir model. Under optimal conditions, the maximum sorption of copper ions was 37.74 mg·g−1, which is a satisfactory result and confirms the possibility of using the obtained material in drinking water filters

Comparison of Metals Content in Peatlands with Different Anthropo pressure in Welski Landscape Park (Poland)

Analiza metali ciężkich na torfowiskach

Energia odnawialna w województwie zachodniopomorskim, 168 s.

W książce przedstawiono stan aktualny i perspektywy rozwoju energetyki odnawialnej w województwie zachodniopomorskim.Województwo może w 100% pokryć potrzeby energetyczne z energii odnawialnej i dodatkowo być eksporterem tej energii

The assessment of solar photovoltaic in Poland: the photovoltaics potential, perspectives and development

The following article explains the current condition of the photovoltaics sector both in Poland and worldwide. Recently, a rapid development of solar energy has been observed in Poland and is estimated that the country now has about 700,000 photovoltaics prosumers. In October 2021, the total photovoltaics power in Poland amounted to nearly 5.7 GW. The calculated technical potential of photovoltaics in Poland is 153.484 PJ (42.634 TWh). This would cover 26.04% of Poland’s electricity needs. The main aim of the article is to assess the level of development of the photovoltaic market in Poland, the genesis of its creation, description of the current situation and determination of the development opportunities. As part of the aim, programs supporting the development of solar energy in Poland have been described and the SWOT analysis has also been performed. The strengths of photovoltaics include high social acceptance and low costs of photovoltaics system operation, while opportunities include rapidly increasing technological efficiency and decreasing cost of solar systems. On the other hand, weaknesses include the high costs of photovoltaics systems and the disparities in the amount of solar energy reaching the market during the year, whereas climate change and the coronavirus pandemic are threats. In 2020, PV became an investment hit in the energy sector and an economic driver in Poland. In the difficult time of two lockdowns caused by the global pandemic, domestic PV made a significant contribution to the maintenance of investment processes in the amount of PLN 9.5 billion and provided Poland with 35 thousand jobs. In 2020, 1.5% of the country’s electricity came from PV sources. In 2021, it will be 3.5%, and by 2025, solar energy will provide approx. 10% of Poland’s electricity. It is worth examining the development of photovoltaics from a broad and long-term perspective. The spectacular development of photovoltaics in Poland is due to hitting the right time window and reducing technology costs, but most of all, it is based on the cooperation of stakeholders and trust in the regulatory environment

The assessment of renewable energy in Poland on the background of the world renewable energy sector

The issues of the article are associated with the development of the renewable energy source (RES) sector in the world and in Poland. The subject is undoubtedly connected with the problem of the energy transformation taking place in most countries nowadays. Energy transformation processes are mainly associated with an increase in the share of energy production from RES and increased awareness of energy use by end consumers. This means that the systematic development of the RES sector is a necessary condition for linking the effective course of energy transition processes with simultaneous socio-economic development. The main objective of this study is to present the status of the RES sector in Poland against the background of worldwide development tendencies. The implementation of the objective made it possible to indicate key trends in the production and use of energy from individual RES and to assess to what extent Poland follows global trends. Poland is one of the European countries where hard coal and lignite constitute the main source of energy. On the other hand Poland, as a Member State of the EU, is obliged to implement the energy strategy within the framework of the European Green Deal, where all Member States are to become climate neutral

Energia odnawialna w województwie pomorskim, 177 s.

Stan aktualny, perspektywy rozwoju i potencjał energii odnawialnej w województwie pomorskim. Analiza PEST energii odnawialnej

How to Meet the Green Deal Objectives - Is It Possible to Obtain 100% RES at the Regional Level in the EU?

The subject matter discussed in the article concerns the problem of the energy transformation of the European Union (EU) countries. In the case of the EU, the energy transformation has specific characteristics due to formal legal and institutional provisions. This means that the member states are obliged to implement the adopted Community Energy Strategy, which was defined under the European Green Deal. According to the EU policy, all member states are to have climate-neutral and zero-gas-emission economies by 2050. The energy transformation is to be largely based on the diversification of the energy sources used, with a dominance of renewable energy sources (RES). The article presents a research problem, where the question was asked whether achieving climateneutral energy independence based solely on RES is possible at the regional level. It seems that the positive answer is an important argument in the discussion about the possibility of all member states achieving the goals set under the European Green Deal. Additionally, stating the possibility of energy independence from RES for a selected region is an important argument to promote just and bottom-up initiatives in order to carry out the energy transformation more effectively. The assessment of the energy potential from renewable sources at the regional level was carried out on the example of a selected NUTS 2 region, the Greater Poland Voivodeship in Poland. The main objective of the study is to analyze the possibility of obtaining independence from RES by the selected Greater Poland Voivodeship. The implementation of the objective consists of determining the energy potential from RES in the Voivodeship under study on the basis of the methods of a geographic information system (GIS). GIS methods were selected due to the fact that they allow for the spatial positioning of point, line, and surface structures in relation to the potential of RES, thus ensuring high accuracy of the obtained estimates. The analysis carried out in the study shows that the technical potential of RES in the Greater Poland Voivodeship is higher than the current electricity and heat usage. This means that by focusing solely on RES in the region, the Greater Poland Voivodeship can fully meet the energy demand thanks to its green resources. It should be emphasized that the Greater Poland Voivodeship is one of the coal-dependent regions in Poland that has already prepared a structured plan of just transformation. A locally and bottom-up prepared strategy assumes the conversion of the region from a “Coal Energy Region” into a “Green Energy Valley” in which economic development will be strictly connected to RES energy independence