Energy Production and Process Costing for Biomass Obtained from Underutilized Plant Species in México and Colombia

The objectives were to evaluate the energy potential of biomass and pellets produced from five underutilized herbaceous and woody plant species in México and Colombia; characterize pellet quality parameters; and calculate the preliminary production costs and energy requirement during the densification process. Harvest and sawmill residues were obtained for five non-timber and woody plant species. The volatile compounds, ash, and fixed carbon were evaluated, as well as the higher heating value (HHV) and pellet impact resistance (PIR); in addition, lignin, hemicellulose, and cellulose were quantified. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, including mean and standard deviation. The volatile compounds ranged from 65.9–77.5%, ash 2.5–17.2%, fixed carbon 5.4–19.9%, HHV 16.4–21.9 MJ kg−1, and PIR (0.6–99.1%). Considerable intra- and inter-specific differences were observed for all the variables, which expanded the options for the selection of biomass sources used in bioenergy production. Biomass processing costs ranged from 675.9 to 679.3 EUR t−1. Optimization of these processes is required to implement more efficient technologies that significantly reduce operating costs in biomass use in biofuel industry. The systematic study of different plant species, both introduced and native, will provide new sources of biomass to produce bioenergy, fertilizers, and other organic inputs.