TY - JOUR TI - Techno-economic analysis of olive pomace gasification for cogeneration applications in small facilities AU - Cardoso João AU - Silva Valter AU - Eusébio Daniela AU - Trninić Marta R AU - Carvalho Tiago AU - Brito Paulo JN - Thermal Science PY - 2019 VL - 23 IS - 15 SP - 1487 EP - 1498 PT - Article AB - A mathematical model approach was employed to simulate olive pomace gasification in a bubbling fluidized bed reactor. To validate the model a set of gasification experiments were performed in a 250 kWth quasi-industrial gasifier. The cold gas efficiency of the gasifier and tar production were evaluated to assess the energy potential of olive pomace while determining its most suitable end-use applications. A techno-economic analysis addressing the comparison of two different commercially manufactured gasifying unit sizes (100 kW and 1000 kW) and a Monte Carlo sensitivity analysis were employed to assess both the feasibility of each application size and also foresee the main investment risks in conducting olive pomace gasification in small rural facilities. Olive pomace gasification showed to be more suitable for personal household purposes. The low cold gas efficiency (around 20%) makes this producer gas more appropriate for small cogeneration facilities applications. The use of olive pomace residues in gasification showed viable economic performance in small cogeneration solutions at a scale of 1000 kW for agriculture waste-to-energy recovery in olive oil agriculture cooperatives, while 100 kW showed to be unable to reach an economically sustainable scenario. Final remarks point out that despite the feasibility of the venture at a scale of 1000 kW special concerns must be considered regarding the study attractiveness to potential investors.