Technical And Environmental Assessment Of The Electricity Generation In Fuel Cells Fed With Hydrogen Obtained From Cachaza

In the XXI United Nations Climate Change conference (COP 21) held in Paris in 2015, 195 nations of the world got engaged to keep the global temperature under 2 °C compared to the pre-industrial era, by reducing the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Colombia ratified this agreement and aims to reduce 20% of its GHG emissions1 by 2030. Carbon dioxide (CO2) is the most emitted GHG, becoming the main contributor to global warming. Specifically in Colombia, 38% of the CO2 emissions come from this sector1, demanding research in new transport models that allows the country approaching to the reduction goal. Cachaza could be an attractive biomass source for the H2 model for transport, because: i) it is produced in Trapiches, making suitable to boost the economy of the rural areas of Colombia; ii) it is produce in large quantities and it has not any added-value; and iii) it is a considerable source of carbohydrates, making it properly for ethanol production. However, only a LCA could deliver complete information of the environmental impact of this process. And the LCA data input should come from experimental data to validate its application to the local conditions. This project pretend to assess, from a technical and environmental point of view, the energy production from liquid agroindustrial wastes by using fuel cells fed with hydrogen obtained from bioethanol.

In the XXI United Nations Climate Change conference (COP 21) held in Paris in 2015, 195 nations of the world got engaged to keep the global temperature under 2 °C compared to the pre-industrial era, by reducing the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Colombia ratified this agreement and aims to reduce 20% of its GHG emissions1 by 2030. Carbon dioxide (CO2) is the most emitted GHG, becoming the main contributor to global warming. Specifically in Colombia, 38% of the CO2 emissions come from this sector1, demanding research in new transport models that allows the country approaching to the reduction goal. Cachaza could be an attractive biomass source for the H2 model for transport, because: i) it is produced in Trapiches, making suitable to boost the economy of the rural areas of Colombia; ii) it is produce in large quantities and it has not any added-value; and iii) it is a considerable source of carbohydrates, making it properly for ethanol production. However, only a LCA could deliver complete information of the environmental impact of this process. And the LCA data input should come from experimental data to validate its application to the local conditions. This project pretend to assess, from a technical and environmental point of view, the energy production from liquid agroindustrial wastes by using fuel cells fed with hydrogen obtained from bioethanol.

Bioethanol, cachaza, hydrogen, energy, fuel cell