Prospective study of application the direct-biogas solid oxide fuel cell system to the biogas plant in Thailand

Abstract

Abstract This research aims to study a potential of biogas in Thailand as a fueled for the Direct Biogas Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (DB-SOFC) system. The data from the Department of Alternative Energy Development and Efficiency (DEDE) were used in the study. The primary study shows that total biogas production in the country is 1,405.58 million m3/yr, which generated by 1,788 biogas plants. The electrical characteristics of the DB-SOFC systems (ES-5700 model, 200 kW and ES-5710 model, 250 kW) by the Bloom Energy were used in the study. The proper biogas plant for the DB-SOFC system was characterized by compared the biogas flow rates supply and demand. The study result shows that the biogas plant with a potentially used in the DB-SOFC system is estimated by 275 plants, which generated by 1,091.65 million m3/yr of biogas. The total installation capacity is estimated by 152.60 and 147.55 MW for the 200 and 250 kW DB-SOFC systems respectively, which has potential to produces by 1,069.42 and 1,035.32 GWh/yr of electricity respectively. Moreover, the 200 kW DB-SOFC system provides possibility to generated electricity by 45.25% higher than the typical heat engine generator. However, the DB-SOFC system has low value for economics investment due to the high LCOE value. The DB-SOFC system has a technical prospect to application in biogas plant system in Thailand. The subsidization could be increased value for economics investment of the DB-SOFC project.