Potential of biomass residues for energy production and utilization in a region of Portugal U. Fernandes, M. Costa* Mechanical Engineering Department, Instituto Superior Te ´cnico, Technical University of Lisbon, Avenida Rovisco Pais, 1049-001 Lisbon, Portugal article info Article history: Received 12 March 2008 Received in revised form 20 November 2009 Accepted 6 January 2010 Available online 29 January 2010 Keywords: Biomass residues Energy potential GIS Pellets boiler abstract This article concentrates on the evaluation of the potential of biomass residues, both forest and agricultural residues, for energy production and utilization in a region of Portugal (Marva ˜ o). Marva ˜ o has been identified as an excellent region for the installation of small- scale biomass plants for heating purposes given the relatively high potential of biomass residues that it presents. The assessment of the potential of the biomass residues was carried out using Geographical Information Systems (GIS) database and statistical analysis. It was concluded that the annual biomass residues potential for Marva ˜o is about 10,600 tonnes, which corresponds to an energy production potential of about 106,000 GJ per annum. In addition, to illustrate the potential of biomass residues for energy utilization in the region of Marva ˜ o, the heating system of a hotel located in Marva ˜ o village has been analyzed as a case study. It was concluded that the conversion of the existing fossil fuel- based heating system to a biomass-based system would have economical and environ- mental advantages for local investors. ª 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. 1. Introduction Biomass is a renewable energy source that is attracting more attention and playing an important role in Portugal in the last years. The Portuguese government has adopted the European Union (EU) strategy for renewable energy and has committed to contribute to the 12% target by the year of 2010. The Directive 2001/77/EC states that, by 2010, at least 39% of the electricity produced in Portugal should be generated from renewable sources [1]. To achieve this target, biomass will have to play a significant role. In this context, several biomass power plants, totalizing 100 MW e , are expected to be installed in Portugal within the next few years [2]. The use of biomass residues contributes to the share of renewable energy sources for energy production, decreasing the fossil fuel imports and simultaneously decreasing the risk of forest fires [3]. Furthermore, the use of biomass residues as an energy resource leads to important environmental bene- fits, particularly to the reduction of atmospheric CO 2 concentrations and, thereby, of the greenhouse effect [4]. In this context, renewable sources of energy, such as biomass, seem to be a promising option to improve the environmental situation by taking advantage of other additional positive effects. Therefore, the increased use of renewable sources of energy is on the political agenda of most of the EU member states [5,6]. Biomass is used to meet a variety of energy needs, including generating electricity, heating homes, fuelling vehicles and providing process heat for industrial facilities. Biomass includes wood, animal and plant wastes [7]. Biomass is also an indigenous energy source available in most coun- tries and its application may diversify the fuel-supply in many * Corresponding author. Tel.: þ351218417378; fax: þ351218475545. E-mail address: mcosta@ist.utl.pt (M. Costa). Available at www.sciencedirect.com http://www.elsevier.com/locate/biombioe biomass and bioenergy 34 (2010) 661–666 0961-9534/$ – see front matter ª 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.biombioe.2010.01.009