Decision making tool adapted to biomass energy technology dissemination - Asean case study

Tropical country economies are still based on agro-industries and wood industries. These industries generate a urge amount of waste which create damage to the environment when they are incinerated. In the same time conventional energies and technologies hardly cover their energy requirements. The rational use of these residues through biomass energy technology would be an appropriate solution. The scope of this work has consisted in the setting up of a simple decision making methodology adapted to tropical country economies. The economic framework of the Asean countries has been selected as case study. Figures show that agro- based industries offer a large potential of renewable energy sources. It has also enlighten that due to the economic growth of the region, the energy demand is skyrocketing with subsequent supply problems. Meanwhile, the different proven biomass energy technologies available are able to match with the energy requirement of the endusers and the technical constraints of the biofuel. Due to the number of technical options, decision makers are facing a choice problem. It consist in the selection of the best technology available between competing and alternative solutions. This choice constitute a real deadlock to biomass energy technology dissemination. Therefore, a decision making methodology tool adapted to tropical countries is proposed. Technical, micro-economic and also macro-economic criteria have been considered and a computer application developed. Seven technologies, for heat generation, power generation with or without cogeneration, using sugar cane residues, rice husk, wood wastes, palm oil residues in substitution to conventional technologies (coal, gas and petroleum products fired) are compared and ranked. Criteria considered are : cost/benefit ratio, environmental benefit vis a vis greenhouse gas emission impact (CO, C02, NOx, S02, COV and total C02 equivalent). Results have been validated through figures gathered from the demonstration projects supported by the European Union in Asean and will be discussed in the present paper. (Résumé d'auteur)