A Review of the Energy Potential of Residual Biomass for Coincineration in Kazakhstan

Abstract

Although it has access to hydrocarbon reserves, Kazakhstan has developed a strategy for the transition to a low-carbon economy, which should include the use of renewable energy sources. In this framework, the use of biomass from waste could have the potential to reduce emissions from traditionally fueled energy generation, as well as adding value to the generated waste, which also improves waste management according to the principles of a circular economy. The analysis of the resources and energy potential from residual biomass in Kazakhstan presents an annual production of 37.26 × 106 tons of residual biomass, which could be capable of producing an energy potential of 466.74 PJ/year, little more than half to the total production from all the installed power plants in the country. Agricultural, animal and municipal solid waste are available to produce energy in Kazakhstan based on combustion technologies; however, animal waste and agricultural are the main potential sources with 61.02% and 38.34% of the theoretical total biomass potential energy analyses, respectively. Considering that 80% of Kazakhstan’s electricity generation comes from coal-fired plants, energy from agriculture could be co-fired for the gradual replacement of coal with biomass in operational power plants, without substantially increasing costs or infrastructure investments, thereby making the transition to a low-carbon economy and renewable energy sources in the country easier.