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Solid biofuels in Mexico: a sustainable alternative to satisfy the increasing demand for heat and power

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A Correction to this article was published on 08 June 2018

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Abstract

Bioenergy is the largest renewable energy source in Mexico with an estimated 4–9% of total current energy demand. There are large uncertainties and contrasting estimates regarding its current extent and end-uses, particularly with traditional uses. However, a large potential exists to improve the efficiency of existing uses and, at the same time, to diversify the use of SBF in the industrial and power sectors. This paper aims at: providing the first updated and comprehensive estimate of current SBF demand in Mexico including traditional and modern uses; providing a consistent estimate of actual SBF supply potential; estimating the total potential substitution of fossil fuels that could be achieved by SBF considering an integrated “modernization scenario”; and finally describing the main barriers limiting SBF to fully triggering its potential. Results show that current SBF consumption reached 481 PJ/yr in 2015; SBF supply potential reaches 3622 PJ/yr, out of which 883 PJ/yr could be used to substitute up to 29% of current demand of FF, mitigating 66 MtCO2e/yr of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, or near 88 MtCO2e/yr if mitigation from traditional uses is added.

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Change history

  • 08 June 2018

    In the original publication of the article, the second sentence of four paragraph in the subsection Energy and GHG mitigation benefits from a diversified SBF portfolio should be “Fuel oil has the biggest substitution potential for SBF: It could be substituted in the industrial and power sectors. However, within the power sector, there is strong competition with natural gas, as currently old fuel oil power plants are being replaced with combined cycle natural gas (CCNG) plants” instead of “Fuel oil has the biggest substitution potential for SBF: It could be substituted in the industrial and electric sectors, although few power plants are still burning fuel oil and there is strong interest to replace them with combined cycle natural gas (CCNG) plants”.

Notes

  1. IPCC (Chum et al. 2011): Technical potential considers the limitations of the biomass production practices assumed to be employed and also takes into account concurrent demand for food, fodder, fiber, forest products and are requirements for human infrastructure. Restrictions connected to nature conservation and soil/water/biodiversity preservation can also be considered. In such cases, the term sustainable potential is sometimes used.

  2. It is worth noting that this paper does not aim at providing a thorough economic analysis of fossil fuels substitution by SBF. SBF prices are just a reference. Logistic costs must be added, mainly transport cost to the final users.

Abbreviations

BC:

Black carbon

CHP:

Combined heat and power

FF:

Fossil fuels

FW:

Fuelwood

GHG:

Greenhouse gases emissions

ICS:

Improved cookstoves

LPG:

Liquefied petroleum gas

MtCO2e :

Million tons of equivalent carbon dioxide

MtDM:

Million tons of dry matter

MtFWDM:

Million tons of fuelwood dry matter

NG:

Natural gas

PJ:

Petajoule

SBF:

Solid biofuel

SEMARNAT:

Mexico’s Federal Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources

USD:

United States Dollar

Yr:

Year

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported by the projects: Fondo Sectorial CONACYT-SENER-FSE No. 219797 and Fondo Sectorial CONACYT-SENER-FSE (CEMIE-Bio) No. 246911. We would like to thank Enrique Riegelhaupt and René Martínez Bravo for their valuable feedback and comments to the paper.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas y Sustentabilidad, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (IIES-UNAM), Antigua Carretera a Pátzcuaro 8701, CP 58190, Morelia, Michoacán, Mexico

    Raúl Tauro & Omar Masera

  2. Centro de Investigaciones en Geografía Ambiental, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (CIGA-UNAM), Antigua Carretera a Pátzcuaro 8701, CP 58190, Morelia, Michoacán, Mexico

    Montserrat Serrano-Medrano

  3. Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (FI-UNAM), Avenida Universidad 3000, Cd. Universitaria, CP 04510, Ciudad de México, D.F., Mexico

    Raúl Tauro

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  1. Raúl Tauro
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Correspondence to Raúl Tauro.

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Tauro, R., Serrano-Medrano, M. & Masera, O. Solid biofuels in Mexico: a sustainable alternative to satisfy the increasing demand for heat and power. Clean Techn Environ Policy 20, 1527–1539 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10098-018-1529-z

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