Utilization of Timber Residue on Thermoelectric Energy Production in the City of Marcelândia-MT

Abstract

The expansion of human activities on the quest for development causes an increase in generation of waste which can be reused, in most cases, as inputs to other economic activities, making them more sustainable. In this sense, the research aimed to analyze the environmental and economical conditions that favor the production of electricity from the use of wood waste generated in the municipality of Marcelândia-MT. For that, the existing waste stocks in this county were quantified from data provided by the Ministry of Environment. Then, by the statistical method, the time of extraction of the total area covered by vegetation in the city was estimated. Finally, the costs and revenues were analized to demonstrate the profitability of the establishment of a thermal power plant. It was found that in Marcelândia-MT, the wood waste generated between May 2007 and June 2012 add up to 8,914,743.13 m³. In this municipality, there are 18 forest managements, amounting to 15,935,080 m³, with the potential to be exploited in a managed way for at least 189 years. Considering in this scenario, the average utilization of total log (58.54%) would have a complete generation of 6,606,684.57 m³ of wood waste, enough to sustain a thermal power plant for about 43 years, this without considering the waste generated in the continuity of timber production and those generated by forest, which would be enough to supply a plant for a period of 32 years. The use of wood waste generated in Marcelândia-MT as input of the power plant is presented as a viable proposal, with internal rate of return close to the minimum expected rate of attractiveness, positive net present value and return on investment from the sixth year, with income of R$ 13,240,654.00. In this way, the city’s energy demand (1,382,268 kWh) could be supplied by the power plant and the generated surplus power could be marketed.