Technical and preliminary economic perspective on utilizing corncob residue for biomass‐based power generation

Abstract Corncob residue is one of the most promising agro‐residues for thermochemical applications due to its high heating value (17.21 MJ kg −1 ), low ash content (3.70%), low sulfur content (0.11%), and strong physical integrity compared with other residues such as paddy straw, wheat straw, and mustard stalk. This study evaluates the technical and preliminary economic feasibility of utilizing corncob residue for thermochemical conversion, focusing on gasification and combustion. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy analysis revealed the presence of hydroxyl (OH), aliphatic (CH n ), and carbonyl (CO) functional groups, characteristic of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin structures. Ion chromatography showed the presence of a high chloride concentration (9786 mg kg −1 ), a lower sulfate concentration (48 mg kg −1 ), and a nitrate/nitrite concentration below 1000 mg k‐g. Kinetic modeling using the Flynn–Wall–Ozawa (FWO), Kissinger–Akahira–Sunose (KAS), Starink, and Friedman models estimated average activation energies of 111.31 kJ mol −1 for the FWO model, 108.16 kJ mol −1 for the KAS model, 108.08 kJ mol −1 for the Starink model, and 114.64 kJ mol −1 for the Friedman model. A conceptual biomass gasification process modeled in ASPEN Plus demonstrated that operating optimum conditions, i.e., at 0.2 equivalence ratio (ER) and 750 °C, produced syngas with CO (29.68 vol%), CH 4 (0.19 vol%), and H 2 (26.66 vol%), with a lower heating value of 6.69 MJNm −3 . Economic assessment showed lower production costs in Andhra Pradesh with INR 5.65 kWh‐1 for gasification and INR 6.03/kWh for combustion. This study highlights the potential of corncob residue for efficient gasification and combustion in sustainable energy production.