IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/energy/v86y2015icp539-547.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Comparing the life cycle costs of using harvest residue as feedstock for small- and large-scale bioenergy systems (part II)

Author

Listed:
  • Cleary, Julian
  • Wolf, Derek P.
  • Caspersen, John P.

Abstract

In part II of our two-part study, we estimate the nominal electricity generation and GHG (greenhouse gas) mitigation costs of using harvest residue from a hardwood forest in Ontario, Canada to fuel (1) a small-scale (250 kWe) combined heat and power wood chip gasification unit and (2) a large-scale (211 MWe) coal-fired generating station retrofitted to combust wood pellets. Under favorable operational and regulatory conditions, generation costs are similar: 14.1 and 14.9 cents per kWh (c/kWh) for the small- and large-scale facilities, respectively. However, GHG mitigation costs are considerably higher for the large-scale system: $159/tonne of CO2 eq., compared to $111 for the small-scale counterpart. Generation costs increase substantially under existing conditions, reaching: (1) 25.5 c/kWh for the small-scale system, due to a regulation mandating the continual presence of an operating engineer; and (2) 22.5 c/kWh for the large-scale system due to insufficient biomass supply, which reduces plant capacity factor from 34% to 8%. Limited inflation adjustment (50%) of feed-in tariff rates boosts these costs by 7% to 11%. Results indicate that policy generalizations based on scale require careful consideration of the range of operational/regulatory conditions in the jurisdiction of interest. Further, if GHG mitigation is prioritized, small-scale systems may be more cost-effective.

Suggested Citation

  • Cleary, Julian & Wolf, Derek P. & Caspersen, John P., 2015. "Comparing the life cycle costs of using harvest residue as feedstock for small- and large-scale bioenergy systems (part II)," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 86(C), pages 539-547.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:energy:v:86:y:2015:i:c:p:539-547
    DOI: 10.1016/j.energy.2015.04.057
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0360544215005125
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.energy.2015.04.057?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Taljan, Gregor & Verbič, Gregor & Pantoš, Miloš & Sakulin, Manfred & Fickert, Lothar, 2012. "Optimal sizing of biomass-fired Organic Rankine Cycle CHP system with heat storage," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 41(C), pages 29-38.
    2. Moore, Steven & Durant, Vincent & Mabee, Warren E., 2013. "Determining appropriate feed-in tariff rates to promote biomass-to-electricity generation in Eastern Ontario, Canada," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 63(C), pages 607-613.
    3. Mabee, Warren E. & Mannion, Justine & Carpenter, Tom, 2012. "Comparing the feed-in tariff incentives for renewable electricity in Ontario and Germany," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 40(C), pages 480-489.
    4. Marbe, Å & Harvey, S & Berntsson, T, 2004. "Biofuel gasification combined heat and power—new implementation opportunities resulting from combined supply of process steam and district heating," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 29(8), pages 1117-1137.
    5. Danon, Gradimir & Furtula, Mladen & Mandić, Marija, 2012. "Possibilities of implementation of CHP (combined heat and power) in the wood industry in Serbia," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 48(1), pages 169-176.
    6. Johanna Routa & Antti Asikainen & Rolf Björheden & Juha Laitila & Dominik Röser, 2013. "Forest energy procurement: state of the art in Finland and Sweden," Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Energy and Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 2(6), pages 602-613, November.
    7. Gan, Jianbang, 2007. "Supply of biomass, bioenergy, and carbon mitigation: Method and application," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 35(12), pages 6003-6009, December.
    8. Adams, P.W. & Hammond, G.P. & McManus, M.C. & Mezzullo, W.G., 2011. "Barriers to and drivers for UK bioenergy development," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 15(2), pages 1217-1227, February.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Dias, Goretty M. & Ayer, Nathan W. & Kariyapperuma, Kumudinie & Thevathasan, Naresh & Gordon, Andrew & Sidders, Derek & Johannesson, Gudmundur H., 2017. "Life cycle assessment of thermal energy production from short-rotation willow biomass in Southern Ontario, Canada," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 204(C), pages 343-352.
    2. Kung, Chih-Chun & Mu, Jianhong E., 2019. "Prospect of China's renewable energy development from pyrolysis and biochar applications under climate change," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 114(C), pages 1-1.
    3. Guizani, Chamseddine & Haddad, Khouloud & Jeguirim, Mejdi & Colin, Baptiste & Limousy, Lionel, 2016. "Combustion characteristics and kinetics of torrefied olive pomace," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 107(C), pages 453-463.
    4. Casas-Ledón, Yannay & Flores, Mauricio & Jiménez, Romel & Ronsse, Frederik & Dewulf, Jo & Arteaga-Pérez, Luis E., 2019. "On the environmental and economic issues associated with the forestry residues-to-heat and electricity route in Chile: Sawdust gasification as a case study," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 170(C), pages 763-776.
    5. Anand, Abhijeet & Kumar, Vivek & Kaushal, Priyanka, 2022. "Biochar and its twin benefits: Crop residue management and climate change mitigation in India," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 156(C).
    6. Keller, Victor & Lyseng, Benjamin & English, Jeffrey & Niet, Taco & Palmer-Wilson, Kevin & Moazzen, Iman & Robertson, Bryson & Wild, Peter & Rowe, Andrew, 2018. "Coal-to-biomass retrofit in Alberta –value of forest residue bioenergy in the electricity system," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 125(C), pages 373-383.
    7. Martín-Gamboa, Mario & Marques, Pedro & Freire, Fausto & Arroja, Luís & Dias, Ana Cláudia, 2020. "Life cycle assessment of biomass pellets: A review of methodological choices and results," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 133(C).
    8. Xueliang Yuan & Leping Chen & Xuerou Sheng & Mengyue Liu & Yue Xu & Yuzhou Tang & Qingsong Wang & Qiao Ma & Jian Zuo, 2021. "Life Cycle Cost of Electricity Production: A Comparative Study of Coal-Fired, Biomass, and Wind Power in China," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(12), pages 1-15, June.
    9. Roy, Poritosh & Dias, Goretty, 2017. "Prospects for pyrolysis technologies in the bioenergy sector: A review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 77(C), pages 59-69.
    10. Cleary, Julian & Caspersen, John P., 2015. "Comparing the life cycle impacts of using harvest residue as feedstock for small- and large-scale bioenergy systems (part I)," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 88(C), pages 917-926.
    11. Hunt, Julian David & Guillot, Vincent & Freitas, Marcos Aurélio Vasconcelos de & Solari, Renzo S.E., 2016. "Energy crop storage: An alternative to resolve the problem of unpredictable hydropower generation in Brazil," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 101(C), pages 91-99.
    12. Koytsoumpa, E.I. & Magiri – Skouloudi, D. & Karellas, S. & Kakaras, E., 2021. "Bioenergy with carbon capture and utilization: A review on the potential deployment towards a European circular bioeconomy," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 152(C).
    13. Mohsin Raza & Abrar Inayat & Ashfaq Ahmed & Farrukh Jamil & Chaouki Ghenai & Salman R. Naqvi & Abdallah Shanableh & Muhammad Ayoub & Ammara Waris & Young-Kwon Park, 2021. "Progress of the Pyrolyzer Reactors and Advanced Technologies for Biomass Pyrolysis Processing," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(19), pages 1-42, October.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Mosayeb Dashtpeyma & Reza Ghodsi, 2021. "Forest Biomass and Bioenergy Supply Chain Resilience: A Systematic Literature Review on the Barriers and Enablers," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(12), pages 1-21, June.
    2. Tańczuk, Mariusz & Ulbrich, Roman, 2013. "Implementation of a biomass-fired co-generation plant supplied with an ORC (Organic Rankine Cycle) as a heat source for small scale heat distribution system – A comparative analysis under Polish and G," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 62(C), pages 132-141.
    3. Wild, Phillip, 2017. "Determining commercially viable two-way and one-way ‘Contract-for-Difference’ strike prices and revenue receipts," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 110(C), pages 191-201.
    4. Garcez, Catherine Aliana Gucciardi, 2017. "What do we know about the study of distributed generation policies and regulations in the Americas? A systematic review of literature," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 75(C), pages 1404-1416.
    5. Ouyang, Xiaoling & Lin, Boqiang, 2014. "Levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) of renewable energies and required subsidies in China," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 70(C), pages 64-73.
    6. Sathre, Roger & Gustavsson, Leif & Truong, Nguyen Le, 2017. "Climate effects of electricity production fuelled by coal, forest slash and municipal solid waste with and without carbon capture," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 122(C), pages 711-723.
    7. Rahman, Abul & Khanam, Tahamina & Pelkonen, Paavo, 2017. "People’s knowledge, perceptions, and attitudes towards stump harvesting for bioenergy production in Finland," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 70(C), pages 107-116.
    8. Scott, James & Ho, William & Dey, Prasanta K. & Talluri, Srinivas, 2015. "A decision support system for supplier selection and order allocation in stochastic, multi-stakeholder and multi-criteria environments," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 166(C), pages 226-237.
    9. Leino, M. & Uusitalo, V. & Grönman, A. & Nerg, J. & Horttanainen, M. & Soukka, R. & Pyrhönen, J., 2016. "Economics and greenhouse gas balance of distributed electricity production at sawmills using hermetic turbogenerator," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 88(C), pages 102-111.
    10. Sun, Zeyi & Li, Lin & Bego, Andres & Dababneh, Fadwa, 2015. "Customer-side electricity load management for sustainable manufacturing systems utilizing combined heat and power generation system," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 165(C), pages 112-119.
    11. Damiete Emmanuel-Yusuf & Stephen Morse & Matthew Leach, 2017. "Resilience and Livelihoods in Supply Chains (RELISC): An Analytical Framework for the Development and Resilience of the UK Wood Fuel Sector," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(4), pages 1-18, April.
    12. de Oliveira, Lucas Guedes & Aquila, Giancarlo & Balestrassi, Pedro Paulo & de Paiva, Anderson Paulo & de Queiroz, Anderson Rodrigo & de Oliveira Pamplona, Edson & Camatta, Ulisses Pessin, 2020. "Evaluating economic feasibility and maximization of social welfare of photovoltaic projects developed for the Brazilian northeastern coast: An attribute agreement analysis," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 123(C).
    13. Bougette, Patrice & Charlier, Christophe, 2015. "Renewable energy, subsidies, and the WTO: Where has the ‘green’ gone?," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 407-416.
    14. Mirkouei, Amin & Haapala, Karl R. & Sessions, John & Murthy, Ganti S., 2017. "A review and future directions in techno-economic modeling and optimization of upstream forest biomass to bio-oil supply chains," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 67(C), pages 15-35.
    15. Ghasemi, Hadi & Paci, Marco & Tizzanini, Alessio & Mitsos, Alexander, 2013. "Modeling and optimization of a binary geothermal power plant," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 50(C), pages 412-428.
    16. Li, Jinke & Liu, Guy & Shao, Jing, 2020. "Understanding the ROC transfer payment in the renewable obligation with the recycling mechanism in the United Kingdom," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 87(C).
    17. Nicolini, Marcella & Tavoni, Massimo, 2017. "Are renewable energy subsidies effective? Evidence from Europe," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 74(C), pages 412-423.
    18. Ghasemi, Hadi & Sheu, Elysia & Tizzanini, Alessio & Paci, Marco & Mitsos, Alexander, 2014. "Hybrid solar–geothermal power generation: Optimal retrofitting," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 131(C), pages 158-170.
    19. Lin, Tyrone T. & Huang, Shio-Ling, 2011. "Application of the modified Tobin's q to an uncertain energy-saving project with the real options concept," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 39(1), pages 408-420, January.
    20. Aouss Gabash & Pu Li, 2016. "On Variable Reverse Power Flow-Part I: Active-Reactive Optimal Power Flow with Reactive Power of Wind Stations," Energies, MDPI, vol. 9(3), pages 1-12, February.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:energy:v:86:y:2015:i:c:p:539-547. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.journals.elsevier.com/energy .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.