The document discusses sources of biomass and its potential usage in Saudi Arabia. It outlines various solid biomass resources available, including agricultural residues, food processing waste, municipal solid waste, and animal waste. It notes that Saudi Arabia generates over 15 million tons of solid waste annually. The document proposes converting biomass to biogas, syngas, and biofuels like bioethanol and biodiesel through processes like anaerobic digestion and gasification to use as transportation fuels and generate power. It concludes that Saudi Arabia has significant potential to utilize waste-to-energy technologies to transform its energy and waste management.

1. KSU
Engineering College
Chemical Engineering Department
Sources of Biomass and its Possible
Usage in The Kingdom Of Saudi
Arabia

2. Contents
Introduction
Solid Biomass Resources
Biomass usage in KSA

3. Introduction
• Biomass refers to material of biological origin excluding material
embedded in geological formations and transformed to fossil.
Biomass can directly or indirectly be converted to biofuels which can
be of solid, liquid or gaseous forms. Biomass is available in abundance
and is cheap and its better utilization is to convert it to energy rich
products using suitable processes.

4. Biomass has been the most important energy source for humans since the discovery
of fire, and today it is still the main source for almost half of the world’s population.
The need to increase the use of renewable energy is fundamental to make the world
energy matrix more sustainable
Introduction

5. Solid Biomass Resources
• Agricultural Residues are the non-edible stalk type materials that
remain after the harvest of the edible portions of the crops, such as
corn, wheat, grain and sugar cane. Agricultural residues also include
plant leaves, husks, some roots and stems. The residues of dedicated
bioenergy non-food crops grown for their starches, sugars, or oils for
the conversion into bioethanol and biolubricants.

6. Solid Biomass Resources
• Food Processing Waste is the effluent wastes from a wide variety of
industrial processes ranging from breakfast and cereal bar
manufacturers to fresh and frozen vegetable manufacturers to alcohol
breweries. These residues and wastes can be in the form of either dry
solids or watery liquids. Fermentation of liquid wastes and oils from
food processing can produce Ethanol.

7. Solid Biomass Resources
• Municipal Solid Waste this is the items that are thrown away in the
garbage and trash and is collected by the dustbin men or sent to the
recycling center. Municipal solid waste such as particularly paper,
cardboard, and discarded food products, is an attractive source of
endless biomass feedstock. However, not all municipal waste is
suitable as a biomass resource, especially metallic and plastic waste.

8. Solid Biomass Resources
• Animal Waste from farms, ranches, slaughterhouses, fisheries and
dairies or any concentration of animals into giant livestock farming
facilities produces large amounts of manure and sewage sludge.
Liquid sewage, animal wastes, and also human waste from urban
areas, provides a constant source of chemical energy and gases which
can be converted into electrical power at these wastewater treatment
plants. The treatment of animal waste produces combustible
methane and biogas which can then be used for heating and
transportation.

9. Biomass usage in KSA
• Saudi Arabia experiences pollution due to fast development and
population growth, and more than 15 million tons of solid waste are
annually generated. Solid waste generation has been assessed at 1.5
to 1.8 kg per capita/day.
• Having a population of around 29 million, solid waste control is a
great challenge for the Kingdom. More than six million tons of solid
waste are annually generated in each of the major cities–Riyadh,
Jeddah, and Dammam. Recycling, reuse, and energy recovery are
getting increased attention, but they are still at an early stage.

10. Biomass conversion processes in KSA
• Production of Biogas (by anaerobic digestion) and Syngas (by
gasification) for transport applications, compressed gas cylinders
and as a feed for power plants.
• Production of Biofuels including Bioethanol (by fermentation),
Biodiesel (by trans-esterification) and Bio-oil (by flash pyrolysis) as
synthetic fuel for heavy vehicles, ships and other heavy machines.

11. Biomass future in KSA
• Saudi Arabia has tremendous waste-to-energy potential due to
plentiful availability of good quality municipal waste. Modern waste-
to-energy technologies, such as RDF-based incineration, gasification,
pyrolysis and anaerobic digestion have the ability to transform power
demand and waste management scenario in the country.