Electricity Generation Potential from Agricultural Residues: A Comparative Review of Biomass Characteristics and Conversion Technologies

Abstract

Agricultural residues have emerged as promising renewable energy resources due to their abundance and potential to reduce dependence on fossil fuels. This review evaluates the potential utilization of agricultural waste biomass for electricity generation by comparing feedstock characteristics, pretreatment strategies, and conversion technologies. Various residues, including oil palm residues, rice residues, corn residues, and coconutresidues, were analyzed based on moisture content, ash content, heating value, and lignocellulosic composition. The results indicate that biomass properties significantly influence conversion performance, where residues with lower moisture content, lower ash content, and higher heating value generally exhibit better fuel quality. Palm kernel shell (PKS) and coconut shell showed favourable characteristics for thermochemical conversion due to their high energy density, while rice husk and field residues require additional treatment to overcome ash and handling limitations. Pretreatment methods, such as drying, densification, torrefaction, and carbonization, improve biomass quality by enhancing storage characteristicsand conversion efficiency. Different electricity generation pathways, including combustion, gasification, co-firing, and combined heat and power (CHP), demonstrate varying performance depending on feedstock characteristics and system scale. Overall, agricultural residues provide significant opportunities for sustainable electricity production; however, future implementation requires integrated consideration of biomass availability, conversion efficiency, environmental impacts, and economic feasibility.