Study Shows Waste Cardboard Could be Effective for Power Generation
By Science Correspondent
Engineers at the University of Nottingham say waste cardboard could be put to work as a fuel for large-scale biomass power generation.
Their study, published in Biomass and Bioenergy, is the first to give a detailed picture of how cardboard behaves as a fuel and to offer a practical way of assessing its makeup.
The team found that cardboard differs from more common biomass fuels in several ways.
It has “lower carbon content, reduced heating value, and a high prevalence of calcium carbonate fillers, particularly in printed grades.” Calcium carbonate is added during manufacturing to improve stiffness and appearance, but it turns into ash when burned, which can affect boiler performance.
To address this, the engineers have developed a new thermogravimetric method to measure calcium carbonate levels, describing it as “a practical tool for fuel assessment for cardboards.”
Biomass remains a major part of the UK’s renewable energy mix, generating 31.1 terawatt-hours of electricity in 2022.
Around 8.3 million tonnes of biomass are used each year in pulverised fuel combustion, accounting for 21% of the global wood pellet market. Wood pellets and wood chips dominate the sector, with most pellets imported from the United States and Canada. Other types of biomass make up only about 1% of what is used.
The reliance on imports has led to calls for more domestic biomass sources. With 5.4 million tonnes of paper and cardboard packaging waste produced in the UK in 2021 alone, the material represents an abundant home-grown option.
Cardboard can only be recycled between five and seven times before its fibres become too short to be reused. After that point, it is usually composted or burned with other materials as refuse-derived fuel.
The new research suggests it could instead have a more direct and valuable role in renewable power generation.
To see more from Nottingham University click here
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