Intern: Yiniva Camargo Caicedo Mentor: PhD.

Sunil Dhingra

Project: Assessment of biomass resources potential as an energy source in Colombia

Objective 2. Identify the major sources of biomass in Colombia

2.1. Review technical reports and other documents related to the main sources of
biomass in Colombia

2.2. Write a short report about sources of biomass in Colombia

_______________________________________________________________________

A review on biomass energy resources in Colombia

Yiniva Camargo-Caicedo1

Faculty of Environmental Sciences. Technological University of Pereira, Calle 27 No. 10-02, Pereira-
Risaralda, Colombia

Abstract

Colombia has a wealth of natural resources and wide flows of potential feedstock for use as
renewable energy sources. This report presents an overview about biomass energy
resources in Colombia, including the main biomass sources available obtained of
agricultural crop, livestock, municipal solid wastes, forestry and wood industry. Currently,
in this country exists opportunities in R&D&I, development of agricultural projects,
deployment of (new) technologies and government policies about biomass energy. In the
same way, they are identified barriers that give us a work scenario to take advantages of the
opportunities about the biomass valorisation as energy resource.

Keywords: biomass, energy resources, policies, residues, unconventional renewable

energies

1
Corresponding author. Tel.: +57 3012523474
E-mail address: yiniva.camargo@utp.edu.co (Y. Camargo-Caicedo).
 1. Introduction

Colombia has a wealth of energy sources despite this it is heavily reliant on installed
hydropower with 65% of annual consumption which provides cost effective electricity.
Other main energy source is represented by thermal energy that uses conventional energy
resources such as coal, liquid fuels or gas. However, Colombia has strong potential for non-
conventional sources of energy generation, particularly solar, wind and biomass [1].

Currently, unconventional renewable energies are emerging in Colombia so the installed

capacity in unconventional renewable energy has been developed on the small scale. The
‘Indicative Plan 2010-2015 PROURE’ established targets for unconventional renewable
energies in the National Interconnected System besides of an increase of renewable
energies participation in the energy matrix by 3,5%, and 6,5% for 2020. This plan has
considered small hydroelectric (<10 MW), and wind, solar, biomass, geothermal and wave
energy as unconventional renewable resources [2].

Besides, National Development Plan 2014-2018 established targets for unconventional

renewable energies aiming to increase the installed capacity in non-interconnected zones to
11113 MW in 2018, besides of stablishes Renewable Energy Fund and Efficient Energy
Management (Fondo de Energías Renovables y Gestión Eficiente de la Energía – FENOGE
in Spanish), and public-private partnership initiatives that will attract private investment for
energy efficiency [3]. Strengthening these objectives, Colombian Congress enacted Law
1715 of 2014 to regulate the integration of unconventional renewable energies into the
national electricity system [4].

In recent years, the electricity generation requirements have led to use unconventional
sources such as wind power, biomass and biogas. Thus in 2015 the total electricity
generation by wind energy was 68,6 GWh [2], and in 2016 biomass was used in
cogeneration, thermal generation and others generation systems [5]. The aim of this work is
to present a review about on biomass energy resources in Colombia and potential use in
several activities such as agricultural crop, livestock, municipal solid wastes, and forestry
and wood industry. Fig. 1 shows the energy generation using biomass (GWh) from April to
December 2016.

2. Available biomass resources in Colombia

Biomass is defined as bio residue available by water based vegetation, forest or organic
waste, by product of crop production, agro or food industries waste [6]. Colombia has
various biomass sources available obtained of agricultural crop, livestock, municipal solid
waste and forestry and wood industry. Neverless Colombian know-how is lacking when it
comes to a better utilization of residual biomass from its huge by-products flows, so
biomass is used in the form of wood and charcoal, mainly for cooking and heating water. In
the sugar-cane and palm-oil industries, it is also used in the form of agroindustry residues
for power generation and cogeneration. While in the transport sector, it is used as
bioethanol and biodiesel.

The Mining and Energy Planning Unit -UPME identified a potential of residual biomass in
the country of about 448410 TJ per year, including agricultural residues (331000 TJ),
livestock residues (117000 TJ) and urban solid wastes (410 TJ) [7].

However, there is still a significant potential to be explored, particularly in respect of

residual biomass, but knowledge and capacity building are required in valorisation, in
available biomass conversion technologies and in optimal exploitation of biomass residues.

Biomass Cogeneration Biomass Thermal Biomass Others

0,10

0,10
0,10
60,40 0,10
56,40
52,50 42,20

55,70 42,30
33,50 36,00 42,40

APRIL MAY JUNE JULY AUGUST SEPTEMBER OCTOBER NOVEMBER DECEMBER

Fig. 1. Energy generation using biomass in Colombia, 2016 (Author's elaboration) [2]

2.1 Residue of agricultural crop

Colombia is a diversified country in terms of climate, soil, geology, topography, vegetation

cover and current land use characteristics. Of its arable land, 44,6% is used for agriculture
and its main farming activities are coffee, dairy, sugar, bananas, flowers, cotton and
livestock [8]. Thus, biomass energy has a positive outlook due to the large quantities of
agricultural and forestry waste produced in the country.

All the organic materials produced as the by-product from processing harvesting of
agricultural crop are termed as agricultural residue. These agricultural residues can further
be categorized as primary and secondary residue. Residue which is obtained in the field at
the time of yield are field based or primary residue, whereas those are assembled during
processing are defined as processing based or secondary residue [9]. For example, sugar
cane tops are primary residues whereas bagasse is a secondary residue. Table 1 shows
agricultural production in Colombia, which it observes Coffee, Palm oil, Sugar cane, Corn
and Banana are the sectors with the major cultivated area, so these agricultural crops
generate more amounts of residues, both primary and secondary, with potential biomass
use.

Table 1. Agricultural production in Colombia, 2012

Annual
Sector Product Cultivated area
production
Palm oil 942000 tons 427367 ha
Palm oil
Biodiesel 443037 tons
Coffee Coffee beans 469000 tons 921060 ha
Banana Bananas 95 million Boxes 47000 ha
Sugar cane 22728758 tons 223905 ha
Sugar 2339998 tons
Sugar cane Molasses 254206 tons
Bioethanol 341190 m3
Panela 1227313 tons 240428 ha
Cocoa Cocoa 41800 tons 96000 ha
Corn 918072 tons 295082 ha
Sorghum 16411 tons 3939 ha
Soy 39555 tons 18538 ha
Wheat 23350 tons 10348 ha
Grains
Pea 56250 tons 14360 ha
Kidney bean 77584 tons 59659 ha
Oats 2672 tons
Barley 5681 tons
Source: AUGURA, ASOCAÑA, National Federation of Biofuels Colombia, FENALCE, BMI Colombia Agribusiness Q2,
2013

Due to that primary residues are also used as animal feed and fertilizers, its availability for
energy application is low. While secondary residues are obtained in large quantity at
yielding site and can be confined as energy source. Based in crop data collected for the
2010, it has compiled in Table 2 estimated biomass potential from agricultural residues.

Table 2. Estimated biomass potential from agricultural residues

(based in crop data 2010) [7]

Amount of residue
Agricultural crop Residue type
(million tonnes/yr)
Palm oil Residues 1,7
Bagasse 7,0
Sugar cane
Leaves 8,5
 Bagasse 5,7
Panela sugar cane
Leaves 3,8

Trunks. 3,0
Banana
Fibre 6,8

Coffee residue Husk 13,6

The most suitable places for generating this form of energy are the departments of
Santander and Norte de Santander, Valle del Cauca, Eastern Llanos, and the Caribbean
coast. There are some existing biomass projects, such as the Ingenio Mayagüez
cogeneration plant, which became operational in 2011 [1].

2.2 Livestock

Animal manure is principally composed of organic material, moisture and ash.

Decomposition of animal manure can occur either in an aerobic or anaerobic environment.
Under aerobic conditions, CO2 and stabilized organic materials are produced, while extra
CH4 is also produced under anaerobic conditions. Potential of CH4 production is obtained
of the production of animal manure (cattle, pork, poultry and equine), which enables the
huge energy potential. The availability factor for each biomass resource in livestock is
show in Table 3:
Table 3. Availability factor for each biomass resource in livestock [10]

Current Potential availability

Resource
use for energy production
Cattle Waste √
Pork Waste √
Poultry Fertilizer ×
Equine Waste ×

It has estimated that energy from cattle, pork and poultry residues is 84, 4 and 29 PJ/yr,
respectively. Besides, for the same resources have estimated the power potential obtaining
532, 25 and 184 MW, respectively [11]. To calculate the energy potential, a plant
utilization factor of 80% and a 25% thermal to electricity efficiency were assumed.

2.3 Municipal solid wastes

Millions of tons of household waste are collected each year and an amount is disposed of in
rural open fields, while other it is dispose on landfills where can be converted into energy
either using anaerobic digestion or direct combustion processes. In Colombia, the main
landfills are in Bogotá, Medellin, Cali and Barranquilla and it is estimated to have the
potential to provide for installed capacity of 47 MW (0.3% of current installed capacity)
[12].

On the landfills, CH4 and CO2 are produced by natural decomposition (1:1 ratio) and these
are collected from the stored material, and are swabbed and cleaned before feeding into
engines or gas turbines to generate energy. The organic fractional part of solid waste can be
stabilized anaerobically in a biomass digester to obtain biogas for generation of steam and
electricity. It has estimated that energy and power potential from market residues and
storage facilities is 0,09 PJ/yr and 0,5 MW, while pruning residues have 0,1 PJ/yr and 0,6
MW, assuming a plant utilization factor of 80% and a 25% thermal to electricity efficiency
[11]. The table below shows the results of availability factor obtained for the solid waste
resources (Table 4).

Table 4. Availability factor for each biomass resource in solid waste [10]

Potential availability
Resource Current use
for energy production
Landfill Waste √
Market residues Animal feed x
Pruning Animal feed x

2.4 Forestry and wood industry

Residues from forestry operations include loose material, stumps and the round wood
balance, consisting of the stem wood balance, its crown mass and stump wood. Forestry
operations are not fully mechanized in Colombia, so only 20% of extracted wood (mostly
from primary forest) is effectively traded. The remaining 80% is left on the field in the
form of leaves, branches and stumps, or produced as residues in the form of bark, sawdust
and wood chips at the sawmills [12].

Table 5 shows the results of availability factor obtained for each biomass in forestry and
wood industry, using residues and wood fuel.

Table 5. Availability factor for each biomass resource in forestry and wood industry [10]

Potential availability
Resource Current use
for energy production
Forestry residues Soil replenishment √
Waste, Marketable by-
Industrial residual wood √
product
Wood fuel Heat √
 3. Opportunities and barriers for the use of biomass resources in Colombia

In recent years, some biomass projects are leading in Colombia according with Ministry of
Environment and Sustainable Development (MADS, for its acronyms in Spanish) show in
Table 6:
Table 6. Biomass project in Colombia [8, 13]
Biomass project Lead organisation
Utilization of the energy content of waste from the National Federation of Coffee Growers of Colombia
coffee industry (abbreviated FEDECAFE)
Cafetanol: ethanol and biological fertilizer from
Company Cafetanol
coffee industry waste
Electricity generation based on rice husks at Neiva
Areva T&D/ ONF International
and Villavicencio
Gasification of wood residues in Necoclí IPSE
Substitution of coal with harvest residues from sugar
INCAUCA (sugar refinery)
cane plantations
Electricity out of harvest residues from sugar cane in
IPSE
Solita, Amazonas
Pilot project: gasification of market residues, Bogotá Institute for Social Economy (IPES)
Substitution of fossil fuel with rice husks in a cement
CEMEX (Cement factory)
factory
Substitution of fossil fuels with biomass in a brick
Ladrillera Alcarraza (brick factory)
factory in Cundinamarca
Substitution of coal with oil palm waste in
Empresa Calderas JCT (boiler factory)
Bucaramanga
Generation and application of biogas from Palm Oil
NL Agency
Mill Effluent (POME)
The Energy Research Centre of the Netherlands
Pilot project: Torrefaction of bamboo pellets (ECN), Technological University of Pereira (UTP)
and Colombian Bamboo Society (CBS)
Cleaner production methods for sugar cane trapiches GSMP’s Harold Martina/NL Agency

Besides, Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development contracts a firm to present

a view on the further development of biomass in Colombia [13], which proposes several
biomass projects classified as shows Table 7:

Table 7. Biomass project propose for Colombia [13]

Category Biomass project
Co-generation using agricultural residues
Investment projects Biomass co-firing in industrial combustion
processes
Transfer of technology in gasification
Electricity from biogas
Transfer of technology
Utilization of Urban Solid Waste for electricity
generation (W2E)
Biofuels
R&D&I Fast Growing Energy Crops
Energy densification
Most of these projects would require a collaboration between private sector investors and
companies, the Government (MADS for rules and incentives), COLCIENCIAS (Colombian
R&D&I institute), and Bancoldex (private sector development bank).

In summary, the opportunities for biomass use or valorisation are list to following:

➢ The agricultural sector is interesting for energy and bio-based economy applications
(specially, the palm oil, sugarcane, coffee and banana sectors) both scale medium
and large.
➢ Local R&D&I opportunities in e.g. pellets, torrefaction, gasification, carbonization,
pyrolysis and other technologies.
➢ Technology transfer on the use or valorisation of biomass
➢ Entrepreneurial development in the biomass production chain (include rural areas)
with initiatives in bamboo for rural energy applications.
➢ Capacity building by means of developing biomass valorisation scenarios, biomass
conversion technologies (e.g. second-generation biofuels), sustainability criteria and
certification.
➢ The Colombian policies for the integration of unconventional renewable energies
into the national electricity system with the support of Renewable Energy Fund and
Efficient Energy Management (Law 1715 of 2014).

Despite all the opportunities, the main barriers were identified for the further development
of biomass resources in Colombia are summarized in the following items: i) Low energy
density of biomass (one third of fossil fuels); ii) Costs for harvesting, processing, storage
and treatment (listed as EUR 8-40 /ton); iii) Lack of knowledge experience and
demonstration projects that use of biomass; and iv) Other solutions appear more profitable
[11]. These barriers give us a work scenario to take advantages of the opportunities about
the use or valorisation of biomass as energy resource.

References

[1] Norton Rose Fulbright. (2017) Renewable energy in Latin America. Retrieved 13 06, 2017, from Norton
Rose Fulbright Web site: http://www.nortonrosefulbright.com/files/renewable-energy-in-latin-america-
134675.pdf

[2] The Mining and Energy Planning Unit (Unidad de Planificación Minero Energética-UPME in Spanish).
(2010). Indicative Plan 2010-2015 PROURE-May 2010. Bogotá: SIEL.

[3] National Planning Department (Departamento Nacional de Planeación-DNP in Spanish). (2014). Web
site: https://www.dnp.gov.co/Plan-Nacional-de-Desarrollo/Paginas/Que-es-el-Plan-Nacional-de-
Desarrollo.aspx
[4] The Mining and Energy Planning Unit (Unidad de Planificación Minero Energética-UPME in Spanish).
(2014). Web site: http://www.upme.gov.co/Normatividad/Nacional/2014/LEY_1715_2014.pdf

[5] The Mining and Energy Planning Unit (Unidad de Planificación Minero Energética-UPME in Spanish).
(2016, January). Informe Mensual de Variables de Generación y del Mercado Eléctrico Colombiano -
December 2015. Bogotá: SIEL.

[6] Kumar, A., Kumar, N., Baredar, P. & Shukla, A. (2015). A review on biomass energy resources, potential,
conversion and policy in India. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 45, 530-539.

[7] Escalante, H., Orduz, J., Zapata, H. J., Cardona, M. C., & Duarte, M. (2010). Colombian Resiudal
Biomass Energy Potential Atlas (in Spanish). Bogotá.

[8] NL Agency, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2013). Biomass Opportunities in Colombia. Retrieved 13 06,
2017, from NL Agency Web site:
https://english.rvo.nl/sites/default/files/2013/12/Factsheet%20Biomass%20Opportunities%20Colombia%202
013.pdf

[9] Murali, S., Shrivastava, R., & Saxena, M. (2008). Quantification of agricultural residues for energy
generation—a case study. Journal of the Institution of Public Health Engineers, 2007–08(3), 27.

[10] Gonzalez-Salazar, M.A., Morini, M., Pinelli, M., Spina, P.R., Venturini, M. Finkenrath, M., &
Ponganietz, W.R. (2013). Methodology for Biomass Energy Potential Estimation: Assessment of Current
Potential in Colombia. International Conference on Applied Energy, July 1-4, 2013.

[11] MetaSus-European Sustainable Solutions. (2011). Opportunities in waste management and biomass in
Colombia: Market special. Retrieved 13 06, 2017, from MetaSus Web site: www.metasus.nl

[12] Global Network on Energy for Sustainable Development (GNESD)/UNEP. (2015). Energy Plus
Approach: Brazil and Colombia Case Study. Country report 2015. Retrieved 13 06, 2017, from Global
Network on Energy for Sustainable Development Web site: http://www.gnesd.org/PUBLICATIONS/Energy-
Plus

[13] Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development. 11 November 2009: Bio-energy seminar:
promotion of the use of residual biomass for energy generation.