Potential of integrating Solid Oxide Fuel Cell based on biomass in power generation in Malaysia: A feasibility study

Although many initiatives have been launched to achieve the ambitious Net Zero 2050 target, Malaysia is still struggling to control carbon emissions, particularly from electricity and heat generation. Fortunately, the potential to generate electricity from biomass in Malaysia reduces reliance on fossil fuels for power generation. Combining biomass gasification with a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) promises sustainable and more efficient performance than the traditional approach. To ensure optimal operation, the biomass-derived fuel should be compatible with the gasification system. A numerical simulation was carried out to gain insight into the feasibility of integrating hybrid gasification (GT) with SOFC based on selected biomass-derived fuels (i) palm oil mill effluent (POME) and (ii) refuse-derived fuel. A detailed anode-based planar SOFC model is developed and adopted into a gasification system that operates with an ideal gas under steady-state conditions. The other components considered in this study are a recuperator, combustor, and high-pressure turbine. A comprehensive energy balance for each stage was prepared to determine the overall performance of the system with higher accuracy. A detailed analysis shows that POME gave better results owing to its higher calorific value, resulting in higher thermal energy production. Reducing the required fuel flow rate has a positive effect on the overall performance compared with increasing the injected air flow rate. Furthermore, reducing the fuel flow rate tends to increase the combined efficiency. The study concludes that the fuel flow rate has a significant impact on the performance of the SOFC-GT hybrid system, particularly on combined efficiency and overall performance.