Use of gasifier-based electric power stations for improving the economy of autonomous power supply systems in Russia

Abstract

In Russia, significant amounts of waste of logging and woodworking that can be used for energy production are generated. In this paper, we consider an autonomous power supply system, including a wood biomass gasification power plant (BGPP), a diesel power plant (DPP), one or several wind turbines (WT), and electricity consumers with their load schedule. The mathematical formulation of the problem of optimizing the structure and modes of operation of the power supply system is reduced to minimizing the objective function with a number of additional constrains. The objective function is equal to total discounted costs for the construction and operation of the system or the cost of electricity produced. Additional constrains are balances for power, primary, secondary and final energy. The power supply system was modeled for different values of diesel and wood fuels prices, average long-term wind speed, technical and economic indicators of power plants. According to the results of calculations, the zones of technologies efficiency and the cost of electricity produced are determined. It is shown that biomass gasification power plants with gas storage tanks are much more economical than diesel power plants and can displace them at current diesel fuel prices. In areas with high average annual wind speeds, biomass gasification power plants should be used in conjunction with wind turbines.