This study presents a prospective study for the potential exploitation of pelagic Sargassum spp. as a solid biofuel energy source. It was carried out in three stages. First we conducted a morphological, physical-chemical, and structural characterization using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and X-ray diffraction (DRX), respectively. Second we evaluated the material’s functional properties as a solid biofuel based on its calorific value and the quantification of polymeric components like hemicellulose, cellulose, and lignin, as well as thermogravimetric and differential analysis to study the kinetics of its pyrolysis and determine parameters like activation energy (E_a), reaction order (n), and the pre-exponential factor (Z). Third we analyzed the energetic potential considering the estimated volume of pelagic Sargassum spp. that was removed from beaches along the Mexican Caribbean coast in recent years. Results of the kinetic study indicate that Sargassum spp. has an enormous potential for use as a complement to other bioenergy sources. Other results show the high potential for exploiting these algae as an energy source due to the huge volumes that have inundated Caribbean, West African, and northern Brazil shorelines in recent years. As a solid biofuel, Sargassum spp. has a potential energy the order of 0.203 gigajoules (GJ)/m³. In the energy matrix of the residential sector in Mexico, its potential use as an energy source is comparable to the national consumption of firewood. The volume of beachcast Sargassum spp. that was removed from ~8 km of coastline around Puerto Morelos, Mexico in 2018–2019, could have generated over 40 terajoules/year of solid biofuel.

The energy utilization of residual woody biomass is a relevant strategy for the decentralized energy transition and local waste management in rural areas. The objective of this study was to characterize (physically, chemically, and energetically) five types of residual biomass: pine branches, huinumo (this material refers to the long, thin pine needles that, after drying and falling, form a layer on the forest floor), cherry branches and leaves, and grass waste generated in the community of San Francisco Pichátaro, Michoacán, Mexico, in order to evaluate its viability for the production of densified solid biofuels. A comprehensive analysis was conducted, including moisture content, higher heating value, proximate characterization, structural chemical analysis (using the Van Soest method), elemental CHONS analysis, ash microanalysis (by ICP-OES), and a multicriteria analysis with normalized energy and compositional indicators. The results showed that huinumo and cherry leaves were the most outstanding biomasses, presenting the highest heating values (20.7 MJ/kg) and low moisture and ash contents. Pine branches obtained the most balanced results, characterized by their equilibrium in fixed carbon and lignin, as well as their low potassium content. The multicriteria analysis showed that there is no absolute optimal biomass; however, it indicates that pine branches and huinumo are the most robust feedstocks for the production of briquettes or pellets. The results confirm the significant technical and environmental potential of local lignocellulosic residues for the production of solid biofuels and for contributing to sustainable energy solutions at the local scale.

The use of alternative fuels in the face of a growing energy demand associated with population growth and unbridled industrialization is becoming more and more necessary. Environmental impacts are increasing and energy resources more expensive, which requires the development of alternative energy resources such as solid biofuels [ 1-2], which are a key component on the path to a sustainable and just energy transition and can contribute to complementing the demand for biomass used for energy purposes. which is present in millions of families worldwide. The use of bioenergy in Mexico comes almost entirely from firewood, and incipiently from solid biofuels, most of which is the use of wood for cooking and water heating in rural areas [ 3], which maintains a rootedness towards biomass fuels, and makes the use of organic materials for combustion purposes interesting, such as agricultural and agro-industrial waste. In this sense, the present investigation shows an analysis of the energy content of agro-industrial waste of Mangifera indica L. generated in the city of Zamora, in the state of Michoacán, in western Mexico, one of the multiple agro-industrial regions of the country [ 4].