Chapter 1 1.1 Identification of possible residual feedstocks for gasification purposes
In this chapter an analysis of the residual feedstocks, performed at national level, will be presented. The aim of the analysis is to identify, in a first step, the major residual biomasses and starting from those data to analyze the possibility of a local application for the chosen technology (gasification process). The analyzed materials belongs to a macro category of ligno-cellulosic based matter but can be divided into three different natures:
Agricultural residues; Forestry industry chain residues (bark); Materials treated into anaerobic digestion plants as structural component, separated by screening/sieving.
The treatment of the last mentioned material represents a cost for waste management plants. The others are instead often disposed directly on the land or not processed at all for economic reasons.
1.2 Agricultural residues 1.2.1 Applied methodology and results The estimation of the data relative to the biomass residuals availability have been performed, for the woody agricultural residues, starting from national databases made available from ISTAT (Istituto Nazionale di Statistica) [14]. National databases present the cultivated surface for the different crops for each region. This data have than been used to compute the availability of residues by means of the application of factors expressing the production of pruning residues in tonspruning/residue per hectare of cultivated land (data of 2018). Apple trees and grapevine cultivations are the most representative and spread in Trentino-Alto Adige region. Grapevine together with other cultivations such as peach and pear are instead more representative if North Italy in general is considered. Finally, Citrus and Olive trees are mostly concentrated in South Italy.
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