Combination of dried water hyacinth and oil palm empty fruit bunch biomass briquette as alternative fuel

Abstract

The use of conventional fossil fuels has emitted a large amount of CO2 that contribute towards enhanced greenhouse gas effect. Thus, a green alternative fuel should substitute the conventional one as a natural way to reduce the emissions of CO2. In this present study, water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) biomass briquette in combination of palm oil mill residues of empty fruit bunch (EFB) fiber was used as the green combustion in coal-fired boilers. Blending ratio of water hyacinth and empty fruit bunch (EFB) fibers (25:75, 50:50, 75:25, 90:10) were used to determine an optimum ratio of waste materials that led to high calorific value, good fuel properties, and less toxic emissions. 100% of water hyacinth briquette act as a reference for this study while the moisture, ash content and calorific value of biomass briquette were compared with commercial sawdust briquettes. As part of the densification process, the waste material was pulverized and compacted into 41 mm diameter mould. The calorific value, proximate analysis and gas emissions were studied comprehensively. The result of calorific value (4101.5 ± 120.2 cal/g) shows that the blending ratio of 25:75 water hyacinth and EFB was significantly different (p<0.05). Proximate analysis of 25:75 briquette ratio shows a significant difference of moisture content (9.3 ± 0.03%), ash content (3.73 ± 0.54%) and volatile matter content (70.87 ± 1.02%). Combustion test shows that the least emissions of CO2 was obtained by 25:75 blending ratio (0.23 ± 0.33%) with 39% reduction emission of CO2 compared to coal. Thus, in this study, 25:75 blending ratio showed the optimum blending ratio of biomass briquette to be applied as alternative energy fuel in coal power plant. In conclusion, the combination of water hyacinth and empty fruit bunch biomass briquette can become a good source of alternative energy fuel to mitigate the emission of greenhouse gaseous towards the environment.