Assessment of the Potential of Forage Maize Residues as an Alternative Biomass Fuel for Mitigating Haze Pollution in Chiang Mai

Abstract

This study aims to assess the potential of maize residues in Chiang Mai as an alternative biomass fuel for small-scale combustion systems (< 50 kW), as an alternative to conventional open-field burning practices. The results indicate that the total amount of agricultural residues generated in Chiang Mai during the 2023–2024 cropping season was approximately 1,159,316.84 tons, of which maize residues accounted for 731,910.66 tonnes. Analysis of their thermal properties shows an average lower heating value for maize residues of approximately 17.15 MJ/kg. Based on this value, the estimated thermal energy potential from maize residues is approximately 12,552,267.82 GJ. In terms of air pollution, utilizing maize residues as biomass fuel could reduce air pollutant emissions by approximately 31,387.55 tons, representing a reduction of about 63.08% compared to open-field burning. Furthermore, the environmental impact assessment using the ReCiPe 2016 methodology indicates that using maize residues as biomass fuel could mitigate human health impacts by 2.43x10-6 DALY/kg and ecosystem impacts by 6.63x10-10 species·y/kg, relative to open-field burning. The findings reveal that maize residues possess significant potential for energy production and environmental impact mitigation, representing a sustainable alternative to open-field burning.