CARBON DIOXIDE EMISSIONS REDUCTION POTENTIAL OF COGENERATION PLANTS FUELLED WITH BIOGAS

As fuel availability is bound to be a very important issue in the future, the study of multi-fuel operation is becoming a necessity. Cogeneration plants feature high overall thermal efficiency and, therefore, much lower carbon dioxide emissions. A further reduction in CO2 emissions can be achieved by using biofuels. This fuel class, however, features specific problems and needs more or less extensive modifications to the combustion system. Given their environmental benefits, the use of biofuels in cogeneration systems is very likely to increase. A theoretical comparison is made between biogas fuelling and gasoline, diesel and natural gas use for different technologies such as internal combustion engines, gas turbines and steam generators. CO2 emissions are calculated, taking into consideration different factors such as fuel conversion efficiency, part load operation, fuel type, etc. By using biogas, carbon neutral operation can be achieved, with very high overall thermal efficiency levels.