Biomass energy potential of agricultural residues in the Dominican Republic

Abstract

The Dominican Republic has significant potential for energy generation from residual biomass, with sugarcane, rice, and coconut waste having the highest energy potential. The Eastern, Northeastern, and Southern regions were identified as the areas with the most significant potential for energy generation. This potential can be harnessed to complement intermittent or unmanageable renewable energies in distributed generation networks. Biomass generation plants can be hybridized with other sources, such as wind and solar, to provide a more stable and reliable electricity supply. The methodology developed to evaluate the energy potential of residual biomass in the Dominican Republic integrates a rigorous review of the literature and agricultural databases, incorporating criteria such as annual production, residue-to-product ratio, higher calorific value, and dry matter content, culminating in a formula that synthesizes normalized data to optimize the selection and projection of biomass sources based on their potential energy contribution. The study found that the Dominican Republic has significant potential for energy generation from residual biomass, which can be leveraged to provide a more stable and reliable electricity supply.