LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT OF RICE HUSK GASIFICATION POWER GENERATION SYSTEM

Abstract

 This study quantified greenhouse gas (GHG) and air pollutant emissions from a rice husk gasification power generation system using a life cycle assessment method. We set three assessment scenarios: a rice husk gasification power generation scenario, a rice husk gasification-only scenario, and a conventional scenario. The functional units were 1 kg of brown rice and electricity and heat obtained from rice husks, the byproduct of brown rice. The results of the assessment showed that the introduction of a rice husk gasification power generation system or a rice husk gasification system could reduce GHG emissions by 6–7% compared to a conventional scenario. When the effects of using biochar obtained from the rice husk gasification process for soil improvement and carbon sequestration were considered, 6.5% of GHG emissions would be additionally reduced compared to a conventional scenario. In addition, scenarios with system installation can reduce air pollutant emissions by 44–45% compared to a conventional scenario. An interview survey with a farm that is using a rice husk gasification power generation system revealed that while the advantages of introducing the system were summarized as waste reduction and economic benefits from the sale of biochar, preparing storage space for rice husks would become an issue to expand the number of users.