Assessing feedstock availability and cost of biomass to convert a coal-fired power plant to a biopower facility with BECCS technology

Transitioning the TES Filer City Station, a coal-fired power plant, to biopower is expected to use 680,000 green short tons (616,889 metric tons) of biomass annually. This study evaluates the availability and cost of woody biomass feedstocks over 15 years using network analysis in GIS and the Land Utilization and Resource Allocation (LURA) model across eight scenarios. Using a mix of mill residues and forest biomass is the most cost-effective approach. Softwood pulplogs dominate the feedstock mix in all scenarios. The average cost of biomass from Lower Peninsula (LP) at the gate is $27.20 per green ton (gt). The cost slightly increases ($30.14/gt) when mill residues were excluded. Adding ports in the Upper Peninsula (UP) is a strategic initiative that slightly increases biomass costs but offers supply security (35.52–103.91 million dry tons) in less competitive markets. Increasing number of ports from 1 to 4 reduces the feedstock costs ($37.41/gt to $36.99/gt and $40.15/gt to $38.76/gt when mill residues are excluded). The advantages of procurement expansion in UP could outweigh the increased costs when additional benefits (in supply chain and forest management) are accounted for. The key takeaway is that sufficient biomass is available to retrofit coal plant in Michigan.