The economics of biomass for power and greenhouse gas reduction

The power cost and optimum plant size for power plants using straw fuel in western Canada was determined. The optimum size for agricultural residues is 450 MW (the largest single biomass unit judged feasible in this study), and the power cost is {dollar}50.30 MWh-1. If a larger biomass boiler could be built, the optimum project size for straw would be 628 MW. For a market power price of {dollar}40 MWh-1 the cost of the GHG credit generated by a straw-fired plant is {dollar}11 tonne-1 CO2.; Straw was evaluated as a possible supplement to the primary coal fuel at the Genesee power station in order to reduce the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions intensity. Cofiring straw at the Genesee power station does not compete favorably with other GHG abatement technologies, even the lowest cost option is estimated at {dollar}22 tonne-1 CO2.; The cost of transporting wood chips by truck and by pipeline as a water slurry is determined. The pipeline would be economical at large capacity (>0.5 M dry tonnes per year for a one way pipeline, and >1.25 M dry tonnes per year for a two way pipeline that returns the carrier fluid to the pipeline inlet), and at medium to long distances (>75 km (one way) and >470 km (two way) at a capacity of 2 M dry tonnes per year). Pipelining was determined to be unsuitable for combustion applications.; Pipeline transport of corn is evaluated against a range of truck transport costs. At 20% solids, pipeline transport of corn stover costs less than trucking at capacities in excess of 1.4 M dry tonnes/yr when compared to a mid range of truck transport. Pipelining of corn stover gives the opportunity to conduct simultaneous transport and saccharification (STS) but would require a source of waste heat at the pipeline inlet in order to be economical. Transport of corn stover in multiple pipelines offers the opportunity to develop a large ethanol fermentation plant, avoiding some of the diseconomies of scale that arise from smaller plants whose capacities are limited by issues of truck congestion.; Development of biomass projects at optimum size and technology enhances the role that biomass can make in mitigating greenhouse gas (GHG). The cost of power from the gasification and direct combustion of boreal forest wood chips are compared. Optimum size is a function of plant cost and the distance variable cost (DVC) of the biomass fuel; distance fixed costs (DFC) such as acquisition and harvesting do not impact optimum size. At low values of DVC and DFC direct is favored. At higher values of DVC and DFC, gasification is favored.