Exploitable Potential of Biomass Energy in Electrical Energy Production in the Mediterranean Region of Turkey

Abstract

Turkey is targeting to generate 30% of its total electricity production from renewable energy sources by 2023. The replacement of electrical energy in the Mediterranean Region of Turkey according to exploitable biomass data was determined in this study. Data from the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Turkish Statistical Institute, measurements and literature were used in the study. The technical potential of plant residues and animal-originated biomass in the region was analyzed. It is estimated that the existing plant and animal residues in Turkey correspond to 39% and 9%, respectively. These residues can meet 6.9% of the energy demand of the region, i.e. about 8.3 PJ/year. Employment can be established from the technologies to be used here. By generating electrical energy from biomass, 2 644 302 tons of CO2/year can be reduced by generating electrical energy from biomass. The amount of biofertilizer that can be obtained after biogas production is 1 184 049 ton/year of biofertilizer can be obtained after biogas production. The calorific values measured to determine the energy values of agricultural residues were found to be between 13.0-20.7 MJ/kg.