Cotton (Gossypium) plant residue for industrial fuel. An economic assessment

Decreasing fossil fuel supplies have prompted research into alternative sources of fuels worldwide, including the use of biomass and agricultural residues. This paper considers the use of cotton (Gossypium) plant residue as a supplemental fuel source for a power generating plant in Southern Arizona. Potential supply is estimated and market conditions are analyzed. Partial budgets are used to estimate break-even market price of residue as a basis for comparison with commonly used fossil fuels. Though one particular cotton plant residue harvesting method results in a lower market price for residue than coal, supply constraints and switching costs may deter adoption of residue-based fuel by the power plant. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.