Determining and Mapping Biomass Energy Potential from Agricultural Residues in Syria

Abstract

Syria faces a problem of restricted access to fossil fuels due to limited resources. In this paper, the potential of biomass and the energy value produced from agricultural residues for 32 agricultural crops has been studied. Data from the Syrian Ministry of Agriculture for the year 2016 were utilized to determine the total annual potential of field and orchard agricultural residues using the residue-to-product ratio. The study also examined the distribution of regions with the highest production of agricultural waste in the country. The research found that approximately 1.93 million tons of agricultural residues were produced, with 0.698 and 1.213 million tons for field and orchard crops, respectively. The most significant agricultural residues came from olive trees, wheat plants, and orange trees, accounting for 35%, 11%, and 10%, respectively. The possible heat value from field and orchard crops was 23972 and 44932 Btu, respectively. This quantity provides 17.6% of Syria's energy consumption. The provinces with the highest production of agricultural residues were Aleppo, Lattakia, and Tartus, with values of 12.35, 11.8, and 8.04 PJ, respectively. According to the study, agricultural residues in Syria have the potential to be a sustainable source for biomass.