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.