Maejo International Journal of Energy and Environmental Communication

Comparative analysis of biochar production from agricultural residues: yield optimization and physicochemical characterization using modified barrel pyrolysis in Northern Thailand

2026-01-04T12:20:35+07:00

Improper management of agricultural waste leads to greenhouse gas emissions and soil degradation and therefore, this study aims to investigate biochar production from rice husk, rice straw, corn husk and longan wood using a modified barrel pyrolysis system in Chiang Rai, Thailand. Around 4.5-15 kg of each residue underwent pyrolysis at oxygen-limited conditions for 2.5-3 hours, with biochar yields being determined by weight and physicochemical properties being analyzed by Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Longan wood exhibited the highest biochar yield (43.3%), followed by rice straw (40.0%), corn husk (36.0%) and rice husk (31.1%) with FTIR revealing the presence of distinct functional group, such as peaks of silica of rice husk biochar (~1050 cm^-1), enhanced aromatic structure (1600-1650 cm^-1) of Longan wood biochar and O-H (~3400 cm^-1) and C=C stretching in all samples, which are typical of carbonaceous materials. The effectiveness of the modified barrel pyrolysis system in the conversion of agricultural waste into biochar with feedstock-specific properties for soil amendment and carbon sequestration.

Comparative study of water quality and phytoplankton composition across distinct sites of Srinagar Garhwal, Uttarakhand, India

2026-02-21T16:49:46+07:00

Freshwater ecosystems are dynamic and susceptible to human effects; therefore, conducting a quality analysis in these ecosystems is essential. The article highlights the evaluation of the quality of the water as well as phytoplankton diversity of four different areas in Srinagar Garhwal: Madhi Chauras, Sri Yantra Tapu, Chauras Bridge, and Billkedar from February to July 2025. The physical parameters used in the determination of the variation include temperature, turbidity, pH, alkalinity, hardness, nitrates, calcium, magnesium, chlorides, and total dissolved solids. On the same note, phytoplankton collection was performed. A total of 47 phytoplankton species belonging to the classes of Bacillariophyceae, Chlorophyceae and Cyanophyceae were found. Ecological metrics such as Shannon-Wiener index, Simpson Diversity index and Pielou evenness calculated by using PAST software revealed heterogeneity in the spatial distribution of algal abundance dominated by diatoms. Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA) also showed strong relationships of nutrient enrichment, turbidity and phytoplankton composition. Use of the Algal Genus Pollution Index (AGPI) showed high organic pollution in Sri Yantra Tapu and Chauras Bridge, but Madhi Chauras and Billkedar indicated non-polluted or less-polluted conditions. Thus, the study emphasises the potential of phytoplankton as biological indicators of water quality status and marks a first attempt to record a set of basic data on the algal composition of a particular Alaknanda River segment in Srinagar, Garhwal.

Valorization of spent mushroom substrate via anaerobic digestion: Process stability, co-digestion strategy, and energy recovery

2026-02-27T21:03:49+07:00

Spent mushroom substrate (SMS), an abundant lignocellulosic waste material from the mushroom production process, is an interesting feedstock for renewable biomethane production. This study cracks performance of anaerobic digestion (AD) of SMS under mesophilic conditions (35±1°C) during batch fermentation for 45 days. The impact of inoculum type and co-digestion with nitrogen-rich livestock manures (cow, pig, and chicken) was evaluated with regard to the optimization of the methane yield. Raw SMS had moderate methane potential because of fungal delignification; however, mono-digestion resulted in an unstable input because of a high C/N ratio and VFA accumulation. Methane yields from raw SMS only ranged between 140-180 mL CH4 g-1 VS. Co-digestion showed a significant improvement in the performance, especially for chicken manure at a ratio of 1:1 in volatile solids. 300-350 mL of methane gas per g of volatile solids was obtained, representing more than a fourfold increase in comparison to SMS mono-digestion. Optimum mixtures have had balanced C/N ratios (25-30), stable pH (7.0-7.5), low VFA build-up, and improved volatile solids reduction (up to 65%). Manure digestate had superior buffering and a rapid onset of methane compared to using sewage sludge inoculum. Energy analysis revealed 55% of the energy content of SMS could be recovered in the form of biomethane as a result of co-digestion. The digestate contains mineral nutrients that are suited for biofertilizer circular agriculture. This study results in the confirmation of the potential of SMS co-digestion in improving biomethane production and stability, showing the feasibility for biogas production while supporting biomass vaporization.

High-rate biogas production from water hyacinth via co-digestion with cattle manure: Kinetic assessment, process stabilization, and energy recovery in an invasive-plant biorefinery

2026-03-24T13:05:33+07:00

In this study, co-digestion of chopped water hyacinth (WH) and cattle manure (CM) is assessed with the help of an integrated framework that consisted of triplicate biochemical methane potential (BMP) analyses, kinetic interpretation, semi-continuous completely stirred tank reactor (CSTR)-based validation, and scenario-resolved energy assessment. The highest yield of the mixture was the 50:50 mix of the WH-CM (VS basis) (304 ± 9 mL CH4 g-1 VSadded), which was much greater than the yield of WH mono-digestion (192±7 mL CH4 g-1 VSadded). Gompertz parameters were the most preferred kinetics in the 50:50 blend, which were in line with a fast adaptation of microbes and a harmonious environment of co-substrates. With semi-continuous daily feeding of 10 L working-volume mesophilic CSTRs at 60 rpm, constant performance was observed between 1.0 and 2.0 g VS L⁻¹ d⁻¹, with pH 7.2-7.6, VFAs of less than 1.5 g L-1 as acetic acid and specific yields of methane of 270. Only slight VFA accumulation and a significant decrease of the yield were noticed at 2.5 g VS L⁻¹ d⁻¹. Mass-energy balance indicates that the experimentally based base case of 10 t d-1 fresh WH fed on 10 t d-1 fresh CM would generate about 367 m³ CH₄ d⁻¹ (13.1 GJ d-1) as compared to a not previously mentioned 2,400 m³ d⁻¹, which is a different scale-up equivalent that would require a much higher throughput. The findings indicate that the co-digestion with cattle manure is a feasible pathway towards stabilizing the digestion of the WH and the combination of invasive-plant suppression with renewable energy and nutrient retrieval.

Circular bioeconomy valorization of coffee bark residues: Soil chemical transformation and yield enhancement in highland arabica coffee systems

2026-02-09T21:23:44+07:00

Comparative research on the effect of coffee bark composting on the yield of Arabica coffee in Phu Oi Village, Pak Chan District, Champasak Province was conducted. The objectives of the study were as follows: 1) to evaluate the quality of coffee bark compost and 2) the impact of the application of this compost on coffee yield. The research was conducted on a farmer's coffee farm in Phu Oi Village, Paksong District, with the comparative model on a 1-hectare plantation of Arabica coffee. The trees were planted with a spacing of 1.5 m x 1 m, totaling 6,600 trees. The coffee grounds compost was analyzed and determined to have 1.42% total nitrogen (% Total N), 6.32 ppm of useful phosphorus, 0.04 ppm of useful potassium, 28.35% organic matter and pH= 7.27. When comparing with the standards of the organic fertilizer of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of Lao PDR (2000), the nitrogen, organic matter, and pH values were close to the standards. Compost changed the chemical characteristics of the soil, including P, N, and organic matter content, etc. Nitrogen content increased from 0.17% to 0.95% and phosphorus from 15.45 ppm to 19.50 ppm of soil. Organic matter content was increased from 3.33% to 15.75%. The pH of the soil was changed from 4.67 to 6.25 by the compost. The employment of coffee bark compost resulted in an increase in the Arabica coffee yield as compared to unfertilized farms. In 2022, the yield was 12 T/ha, this yield increased to 15 T/ha in 2023 with the application of compost, whereas in unfertilized farms, the yield was 11.5 T/ha. Thus, the use of compost in coffee cultivation contributes to the enhancement of nutrients and soil fertility, and consequently to improvement in coffee production, with the content of nutrients being equivalent to organic fertilizers.

Evaluation of public understanding of renewable energy use in sub-Saharan Africa

2026-02-09T21:22:48+07:00

This work was on information circulation and energy economics by the evaluation of public understanding of renewable energy use, environmental impacts and investments in sub-Saharan Africa. The scope was only on Kenya, Ghana, Nigeria and the Benin Republic. The objectives cover the desire to find out the most common of the types of energy consumption in the affected countries; to find out the level of public understanding about renewable energy; to find out the level of investments on renewable energy as well as to know the knowledge about the environmental impact of energy usages. The method of research was an online survey of, and 14,814,460 persons and sample size are 1000 persons. The instrument of research was the structured questionnaire proportionately shared and mailed electronically to respondents of the affected counties. Two theories were applied being the diffusion of innovations and technological determinism. The major findings were that public understanding of renewable energy was critically low in Sub-Saharan Africa though some moderate awareness exists. It was concluded that the biggest barrier in the use of RE in Sub-Saharan Africa is due to lack of public awareness, followed by regulatory barriers and cost. Unawareness is an invisible but powerful obstacle to the mainstream adoption of renewable energy in Sub-Saharan Africa. Beyond the technical and financial limitations, lack of understanding and exposure is one of the key factors that delays the energy transition. Energy education, targeted communication and grassroots outreach are important in overcoming this hurdle and ensuring that sub-Saharan Africa draws on its enormous renewable potential for sustainable development. Recommendations included that renewable energy companies, with the help of governments, could engage in awareness-raising as part of their market expansion strategies.

Towards a circular economy for end-of-life solar panels: Governance frameworks and techno-economic pathways

2025-09-15T14:27:58+07:00

Rapid growth in the deployment of photovoltaic (PV) technologies is speeding up the development of end-of-life (EoL) waste streams, resulting in governance challenges if we consider emerging economies. This study gives a comparative techno-economic and institutional evaluation of PV circularity in Taiwan using an operational extended producer responsibility (EPR) regime in Taiwan, and a policy in Thailand that is still in development and not yet complete. The integrated system of Taiwan with prepaid recycling fees, a digital life-cycle registry (PVIS), and accredited treatment facilities has allowed enforcing take-back and high mass-recovery of glass and aluminum. However, flat capacity-based fees provide poor incentives for eco-design and a poor economic return of high-value materials such as silver and high-purity silicon during the recovery phase, due to the delamination energy and refining costs. In Thailand, although the expansion of renewables and PDP 2024 (51% renewables electricity share by 2037) is known, PV-specific EoL governance has yet to be matched. The absence of EPR legislation and treatment capability creates the risk of material leakage and fiscal liabilities. Analysis of a recovery pathway through the use of solvent delamination and hydrometallurgical refinement at an industrial scale. Thai EPR framework with eco-fees, registry system and informal actor integration is proposed by the study. In absence of producer responsibility, environmental and economic risks will arise through the next decade.

Artificial intelligence–driven energy systems for accelerating sustainable development in business

2026-03-30T19:44:50+07:00

Artificial intelligence (AI) technologies have become revolutionary in helping the intelligent management of energy and making decisions in real-time for modern energy systems. This research focuses on artificial intelligence-based energy systems and enables sustainable business development through optimizing energy, predicting renewable energies and smart operating control. A mixed-method approach was adopted, which involved a combination of literature synthesis of AI applications, machine learning modelling of energy prediction, and statistical analysis of the optimization scenarios. The results suggest that energy consumption in the commercial and industrial sectors can be saved by about 15-30% through AI-based energy management systems, and the accuracy of forecasting the use of renewable energies can be increased by more than 90%. Furthermore, smart energy platforms that use AI make it possible to have predictive maintenance, automated demand response, and better integration of renewable energy resources. These capabilities are part of the reduced operational costs and measurable carbon emission reductions to support corporate sustainability strategies as well as global sustainability targets, especially SDG 7 and SDG 12. The increasing energy consumption demands of AI infrastructure, as well as data centers, make it necessary to have stringent regimes around governance and "net-sustainability". Future research must focus on the integration of AI with digital twins, energy storage systems, and blockchain-enabled markets, for realizing a secure and sustainable business energy ecosystem.