Proximate analysis of the fuel energy potential of Azadirachta indica

The world is now moving into alternative energy sources. Wood biomass has seen a great interest in its utilisation as a source of energy. Ghana is endowed with vast natural resources in the form of trees both in the forests and as ornamental plants. Wood has the potential as fuel for electricity production. When the wood undergoes combustion, some biogas in the form of methane, carbon dioxide, and other trace gases are produced which are environmentally friendly. An analysis of the heating value of Azadirachta indica or Neemwood species from Ghana was done to ascertain the potential of its biomass to be used as a solid, natural, and renewable fuel. This species is abundant in this region and are even grown as an ornamental plant. It is also being used as a construction material with a lot of waste which can be made use of in the form of energy. The calorific value of this tropical species was determined using an oxygen bomb calorimeter. A. indica had a high calorific value of 18.194 MJ/kg. An analysis of the ash contents produced a value of 2.47 %. The volatile matter emitted by the wood species under study was 68.09 % with a fixed carbon content of 18.34 %. Greater biomass volatile content was shown to lead to greater gas production instead of the solid phase. The results showed that the wood of this species can be considered a good potential as a renewable energy resource.