Caracterización de la biomasa acumulada en el embalse Mazar

Abstract

In the dam of Mazar, there is a great accumulation of organic waste, known as driftwood, a type of biomass, and inorganic waste. This driftwood originates in the rivers that belong to Cuenca, Azogues, Paute, Chordeleg and Gualaceo whose outlet is the Paute river, tributary of this dam. These residues may signify the biomass’ shift into a vector development zone, due to wood decomposition; emission of greenhouse gases in to the atmosphere and degradation of local water, the last two as consequence of a eutrophication process. In this context, the objectives for the two zones of accumulated driftwood are: to quantify the biomass that has arrived in the last 5 years, to implement a proximate, ultimate and high heating value analysis to determine the biomass’ energetic potential to enforce its proper management. The sampling process took place in June 2021, dividing each amount of biomass in 3 sections – High, Medium and Low. Based on the methodology proposed by the Spanish Norm, UNE – EN ISO, several analyses of biomass characterization were conducted. The ANOVA and Shapiro-Wilk test were applied for data processing in order to know if there is a difference between the three sections and manage them separately. From the results, it was estimated that around 5 000 tons of biomass were accumulated. In the same light, it was determined that the residual biomass meets the ideal conditions as a raw material for electric generation and biofuel.