Analysis of crop planting and energy conversion potential in Nanxiong City， Guangdong Province

Under the strategic guidance of China’s “dual carbon” goals， the efficient development and energy-oriented utilization of agricultural biomass resources have become a crucial pathway for promoting green and low-carbon transformation in agriculture. However， the practical application of bioenergy remains insufficient in developed areas with high energy demand， and research on the energe conversion patterns of biomass with high moisture content in the south is relatively scarce. Based on this， this study focuses on Guangdong Province， a major energy consumer within the Greater Bay Area， and on Nanxiong City， an agriculturally developed area within the province， aiming to explore the energy conversion potential and underlying patterns of agricultural biomass resources in southern China. Utilizing data from Nanxiong City’s National Economic and Social Development Statistical Bulletins and field surveys， this study systematically analyzes the cultivation status and spatial distribution characteristics of major crops in Nanxiong and assesses the conversion potential of its biomass resources. The findings reveal that Nanxiong’s grain crop output exhibited an overall upward trend from 2018 to 2022. In 2023， the theoretical annual yield of major crop straws reached 2.69×105 t， dominated by rice straw which constituted 60.22% of the total in the city. Wujing Town emerged as the township with the richest straw resources， contributing 8.61% of the city's total grain crop （rice） output and 10.31% of its economic crop output. When using rice straw from Nanxiong City as feedstock for biomass gasification， the gas production can reach （3.89-4.76）×107 m3/a. Disregarding variations in straw types， the total gas production potential from utilizable straw resources in Nanxiong can reach （4.11-5.09）×107 m3/a， demonstrating substantial production capacity with an associated carbon reduction potential of （7.81-9.67）×104 t CO2. Accordingly， recommendations for establishing biomass gasification plants are proposed to enhance resource utilization efficiency. This study can not only provide scientific basis for local decision-making regarding biomass resource development， but also offer replicable and practical approaches for exploring the large-scale， high-efficiency utilization of crop straw in southern China.