ENERGY, ENVIRONMENTAL AND ECONOMIC ASSESSMENT OF THE ORGANIZATIONAL EFFECTIVENESS OF THE SOLID BIOFUEL USE

Abstract

The article contains consolidated results of the simulation of the untreated fuel raw materials use scheme in comparison with the fuel pellets production. Specific indicators and the main factors of influence on energy, ecological and economic efficiency of biofuel use are determined. It was found that the organizational scheme of sunflower husk pelleting and pellets transportation on up to 400 km distance is a more energy-efficient solution. In this case, the main energy costs will be related specifically to the pellets production, and therefore the main direction of energy costs reduction should be the production energy efficiency increasing – electricity consumption lowering. Otherwise, in case of fuel transportation on more than 400 km distance, the main attention should be paid to the motor fuels consumption lowering and the transport load optimization. The pellets production and transportation leads to an increase in total greenhouse gas emissions compared with husk transportation on up to 2000 km distance. Therefore, husk pellets production for domestic transportation is not an effective solution from an environmental point of view. The husk transportation is economically more efficient compared to the organizational scheme of pellets production and transportation on up to 300 km distances. Financially economic efficiency is the main limiting factor at decision-making on the organizational scheme of sunflower husk use.