Abstract
A global interest can be observed in alternative management of agro-industrial wastes in the context of the accomplishment of the 2030 sustainable development goals. Reducing these wastes by turning them into solid biofuels for energy production is a viable solution for global environmental issues. In this work, brewers’ spent grain (BSG) and its blends with lignite, in several proportions, were in depth assessed as sustainable solid biofuels through energy content analysis, proximate analysis, ultimate analysis, ion chromatography, thermogravimetric/derivative thermogravimetric analysis, and scanning electron microscope/energy-dispersive spectrometer. Arrhenius kinetic modeling and thermodynamic analysis were performed. The potential maximum emission factor for CO2, SO2, and NO was calculated using the results of the ultimate analysis and expressed per produced energy. The environmental footprint regarding secondary solid wastes was expressed per produced energy. Furthermore, empirical chemical formulas of BSG and its blends with lignite were determined, and several case studies for sustainable management of BSG were developed for the first time in the literature. The experimental results fulfill the scientific gap regarding an alternative utilization of solid waste produced from brewery industry. The results indicate that BSG could be used as an alternative solid biofuel, and BSG blends with lignite could enhance the fuel quality. Moreover, the results of case studies showed that BSG could cover a small amount of energy demand in Greece and Europe; thus, consequently, this waste could be used for local energy needs, e.g., district heating in industrial regions or beer industry energy needs.
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Notes
hl = 100 L.
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Acknowledgements
This research is co-financed by Greece and the European Union (European Social Fund— ESF) through the Operational Programme «Human Resources Development, Education and Lifelong Learning» in the context of the project ‘Strengthening Human Resources Research Potential via Doctorate Research – 2nd Cycle’ (MIS-5000432), implemented by the State Scholarships Foundation (ΙΚΥ). Dedicated to late Dr. Iordanidis Andreas.
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Vasileiadou, A. Energy recovery from brewers’ spent grain combustion/co-combustion with lignite. Int. J. Environ. Sci. Technol. 21, 5335–5350 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13762-023-05368-9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13762-023-05368-9