Browsing by Author "Ottoni, Steven Aurelio"

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    Determining The Viability Of Rice Huck Bioenergy In Ecuador
    (2010) Ottoni, Steven Aurelio
    Ecuador‟s national electricity plan faces major challenges in the upcoming years: current oil derivative subsidies are economically unsustainable; and an increasing reliance on hydroelectric power can cause nationwide energy shortages, as shown 2009. It is for these reasons that this study proposes the use of decentralized forms of energy, like bioenergy, to help meet the country‟s future energy needs. Bioenergy is an attractive option because: (1) it monetizes various forms of waste (e.g. agro-waste); (2) its technology is tried and tested; (3) it reduces transition losses because energy output is used locally; and (4) it stimulates local economies. Because rice is one of Ecuador‟s largest agro-industries, its residue, rice husk, was selected as the bioenergy fuel in this analysis. Results indicate that the county of Daule- the highest rice producing region has the theoretical capacity to generate roughly 4MWe per annum; produce moderate financial returns; and provide more than 43 jobs to the region.