Analysis of agricultural waste/byproduct biomass potential for bioenergy: The case of Tunisia

Sustainable bioenergy production relies on thoroughly understanding each country's biomass resources. Among North African countries, Tunisia possesses significant biomass potential. However, the country has not fully harnessed this potential for sustainable bioenergy production due to a limited awareness and recognition of its biomass resources. This article examines the biomass potential of three of Tunisia's most important agri-food value chains: olive oil, date palm, and almonds. First, the amount of cultivated area, average annual production, high-producing governorates, harvest time, irrigation method, and their production methods are evaluated. Then, the biomass potential for bioenergy of each waste and byproduct produced is assessed and reported according to their production rate, production value, and production season. Following, the components of these wastes are introduced and analyzed via proximate and ultimate analyses. Finally, the bioenergy potential of produced biomass is estimated. The results showed that among the three studied agri-food value chains, olive oil wastes and byproducts have the greatest potential for bioenergy production at 82 %, and only 10-12 % of the total olive oil production waste in the milling stage is used as biomass fuel for bioenergy. Furthermore, olive tree pruning (1.43-2 t/ha/year), date palm fruit (7.2-29.5 t/ha/year), and almond hulls (similar to 0.76 t/ha/year) have the greatest biomass potential for bioenergy, but their potential is largely ignored by traditional methods.