Break-even Selling Price Research Articles

Production of volatile fatty acids by anaerobic digestion of biowastes: Techno-economic and life cycle assessments

Production of volatile fatty acids from food waste and lignocellulosic materials has potential to avoid emissions from their production from petrochemicals and provide valuable feedstocks. Techno-economic and life cycle assessments of using food waste and grass to produce volatile fatty acids through anaerobic digestion have been conducted. Uncertainty and sensitivity analysis for both assessments were done to enable a robust forecast of key-aspects of the technology deployment at industrial scale. Results show low environmental impact of volatile fatty acid with food wastes being the most beneficial feedstock with global warming potential varying from −0.21 to 0.01 CO2 eq./kg of product. Food wastes had the greatest economic benefit with a breakeven selling price of 1.11–1.94 GBP/kg (1.22–2.33 USD) of volatile fatty acids in the product solution determined through sensitivity analysis. Anaerobic digestion of wastes is therefore a promising alternative to traditional volatile fatty acid production routes, providing economic and environmental benefits.

Economic analysis of enzyme recycling during enzymatic hydrolysis of sugar beets for soluble sugars production

AbstractEnzymatic hydrolysis of sugar beets is an efficient alternative to conventional hot water extraction where overall soluble extraction is valued. The economic analysis of a sugar beet soluble sugar production plant was designed and developed using SuperPro Designer software. The commercial scale operation was sized to process 100 million metric ton (MT)/day of sugar beets. The base case process includes transportation, grinding, thermal pretreatment, enzymatic hydrolysis, solid–liquid separation, and evaporation. The final product from the model was assumed to be a sugar syrup stream at 65% total solids content. Since the breakeven selling price was sensitive to the cost of enzymes, alternative scenario A added an ultrafiltration unit operation to separate the enzymes and reuse them in subsequent batches of hydrolysis. Steam was another major contributor to the operating cost. Alternative scenario B included a natural gas boiler to generate steam from biogas produced from a co‐located dairy manure digester. The breakeven selling price of the sugar syrup from the base case, alternative scenario A, and alternative scenario B were $965, $911, and $955 per metric ton, respectively. Sensitivity analysis showed that the breakeven selling price is sensitive to the raw material cost, especially for the pectic enzymes.

Comparative techno-economic analysis of the integration of MEA-based scrubbing and silica PEI adsorbent-based CO2 capture processes into cement plants

The objective of this work was to perform the techno-economic analysis for the integration of two post-combustion carbon capture technologies into cement plants, namely monoethanolamine (MEA) scrubbing-based and silica-alkoxylated polyethyleneimine (SPEI) adsorbent-based processes. The key performance indicators were investigated, including emission abatement, energy performance, break-even selling price, CO2 capture and avoidance cost. The technical evaluation showed that the conventional MEA and SPEI-based processes required 3.53 GJ/tonne CO2 and 2.36 GJ/tonne CO2 of regeneration energy when achieving 90% of CO2 capture rate, respectively. In addition, the specific primary energy consumption for CO2 avoided was estimated at 6.5 GJ/tonne CO2 for the MEA-based and 4.3 GJ/tonne CO2 for the SPEI-based process. The CO2 capture costs of MEA and SPEI-based processes were estimated at 61.4 and 49.8 €/tonne CO2, respectively. Meanwhile, the CO2 avoidance cost of MEA and SPEI processes were estimated at 84.7 and 62.2 €/tonne CO2 respectively. The economic evaluation indicated that the cost of clinker production was increased by 108% with the integration of the solvent-based MEA-based and 84% for the SPEI-based processes. However, in the case, the maximum heat of 53.9 MWth is recovered from the reference cement plant, the costs of CO2 capture and CO2 avoidance for both the MEA and SPEI-based processes would be reduced. The CO2 capture costs of MEA and SPEI-based processes would decrease to 48.0 and 35.6 €/tonne CO2, respectively. Additionally, the CO2 avoidance costs for the MEA and SPEI-based processes would be reduced to 57.5 and 44.5 €/tonne CO2, respectively.

Life cycle assessment and techno-economic analysis of nitrogen recovery by ammonia air-stripping from wastewater treatment

Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) with anaerobic digestion of biosolids produce an ammonia-rich sidestream out of which nitrogen can be recovered through air stripping. Recovered ammonia can be used to produce ammonium sulfate (AS) for agricultural use, enabling the circular return of nitrogen as fertilizer to the food system. We investigate the cost and life cycle environmental impact of recovering ammonia from the sidestream of WWTPs for conversion to AS and compare it to AS production from the Haber Bosch process. We perform life cycle assessment (LCA) to investigate the environmental impact of AS fertilizer production by air-stripping ammonia from WWTP sidestreams at varying sidestream nitrogen concentrations. Techno-economic analysis (TEA) is performed to assess the break-even selling price of sidestream AS production at a WWTP in the City of Philadelphia. Greenhouse gas emissions for air-stripping technology range between 0.2 and 0.5 kg CO2e/kg AS, about six times lower than the hydrocarbon-based Haber-Bosch process, estimated at 2.5 kg CO2e/kg AS. Further reduction of greenhouse gas emissions is feasible by replacing fossil-based energy use in air-stripping process (82–98 % of net energy demand) with renewable sources. Also, a significant reduction in mineral depletion and improvement in human and ecosystem health are observed for the air-stripping approach. Furthermore, the break-even selling price for installing sidestream-based AS production at the Philadelphia's WWTP, considering capital and operating costs, is estimated at $0.046/kg AS (100 %), which is 92 % lower than the 2014 estimate of AS's average selling price at farms in the United States. We conclude that even with varying ammonia concentrations and high sidestream volume, air-stripping technology offers an environmentally and economically favorable option for implementing nitrogen recovery and simultaneous production of AS at WWTPs.

A techno-economic assessment of nutrient recovery from wastewater using microalgae: scenario in India collected from published literature.

The true potential of the microalgae-based wastewater treatment (MWT) process is determined based on whether the process will provide a positive energy output and whether it is economically viable. The objectives of this study are dynamic modelling of microalgae growth based on initial wastewater concentration, temperature, solar radiation and a techno-economic assessment for an MWT scheme for application in a hot, dry climate. Through reference to relevant literature data on MWT in the Indian subcontinent, a selection of appropriate microalgal species Chlorella and Scenedesmus was made. The dynamic model developed was successfully calibrated and validated using independent experimental data collected from the published literature. Cost of production of bio-crude from microalgae grown in a hybrid photobioreactor and pond system in kitchen wastewater of Indian Institute of Technology, Hyderabad was calculated. A break-even selling price (BESP) of US$0.549/kg was obtained for the microalgae biomass. The cost of production of 1 L bio-crude was US$0.96 (Rs 69-74), which is comparable with crude oil cost. The model developed can be used by practising engineers to predict biomass growth and nutrient removal, thereby achieving a break-even point for cost efficiency.

Gas Turbine Compressor Washing Economics and Optimization Using Genetic Algorithm

Abstract Studies have shown that online compressor washing of gas turbine engines slows down the rate of fouling deterioration during operation. However, for most operators, there is a balancing between the performance improvements obtained and the investment (capital and recurring cost). Washing the engine more frequently to keep the capacity high is a consideration. However, this needs to be addressed with expenditure over the life of the washing equipment rather than a simple cost-benefit analysis. The work presented here is a viability study of online compressor washing for 17 gas turbine engines ranging from 5.3 to 307 MW. It considers the nonlinear cost of the washing equipment related to size categories, as well as nonlinear washing liquid consumption related to the variations in engine mass flows. Importantly, the respective electricity break-even selling price of the respective engines was considered. The results show that for the largest engine, the return of investment (RoI) is 520% and the dynamic payback time of 0.19 years when washing every 72 h. When this is less frequent at a 480-h interval, the investment return and payback are 462% and 0.22 years. The optimization study using a multi-objective genetic algorithm shows that the optimal washing is rather a 95-h interval. For the smallest engine, the investment was the least viable for this type of application.

Gasification of Biowaste Based on Validated Computational Simulations: A Circular Economy Model to Handle Poultry Litter Waste

Converting waste biomass resources through downdraft gasification can generate a producer gas for a combined heat and power unit. The study includes feedstock analysis, process modelling using ECLIPSE simulation software, and experimental analysis of materials in a pilot-scale fixed-bed downdraft gasifier. Anaerobic digestate and miscanthus were investigated for comparing the gasification potential of poultry litter as an energy source. Models validated through experimental analysis were applied to a case study based on a typical poultry farm in Northern Ireland.; Results found producer gas with a lower heating value up to 4.15 MJ/Nm3 can be generated. Sufficient poultry waste is generated on-site to produce the required heat and electricity for each shed, allowing the farm to switch from fossil fuels to a local renewable resource and addressing the waste disposal issue.; Downdraft gasification coupled with cogeneration could have a payback period of 4–5 years given the correct conditions. The net present value is positive for all technologies considered (i.e. internal combustion engine and the Organic Rankine cycle combined heat and power unit) under different subsidies, showing the economic viability of the solution. The break-even selling price could be lower than the current grid electricity selling price (£120/MWh) when incentives such as: (i) avoiding disposal cost of £30/tonne, (ii) selling the biochar by-product at £200/tonne and (iii) fuel displacement costs of 1.5p/kWh are considered.Graphical abstract

Methanol Production from Solid Recovered Fuel and Lignite: Techno-Economic and Environmental Assessment

The main purpose of this work is to examine the techno-economics and environmental assessment of the Solid Recovered Fuel and Lignite to methanol pathway. Methanol is produced by gasifying the solid fuels to carbon monoxide and hydrogen and then reacting to produce methanol under pressure during the methanol synthesis process. The data obtained from the partners is used to adapt this study for the liquid fuel synthesis application. The in-house personal computer-based process simulation package, ECLIPSE, is used to perform process modelling and the techno-economic assessment of methanol production. The @Risk 8.2© software is used to estimate the cost contingency of the project. The SimaPro© software package was used to carry out the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). The gasifier plant contributes significantly to the capital costs. The results show that increased Solid Recovered Fuel (SRF) in the feedstock mix has favourable economics due to the negative SRF charges resulting in a lower break-even selling price (BESP) than feedstock mixes with higher ratios of Lignite. Plant availability, capital investment and the time value of money are the factors that have the greatest impact on BESP. Increasing the SRF in the feedstock mix decreases the Global Warming impact of the methanol production compared to higher proportions of Lignite. However, the resultant impact is much greater than that of a natural gas reformer. Furthermore, the employment of off-gas recovery and carbon capture can further reduce both the Global Warming impact and the overall Single Score of the process, making it favourably comparable to the natural gas water gas shift configurations.Graphical abstract

Techno-Economic Assessment of Offshore Wind Energy in the Philippines

The technical and economic assessments for emerging renewable energy technologies, specifically offshore wind energy, is critical for their improvement and deployment. These assessments serve as one of the main bases for the construction of offshore wind farms, which would be beneficial to the countries gearing toward a sustainable future such as the Philippines. This study presents the technical and economic viability of offshore wind farms in the Philippines. The analysis was divided into four phases, namely, application of exclusion criteria, technical analysis, economic assessment, and sensitivity analysis. Arc GIS 10.5 was used to spatially visualize the results of the study. Exclusion criteria were applied to narrow down the potential siting for offshore wind farms, namely, active submerged cables, local ferry routes, marine protected areas, reefs, oil and gas extraction areas, bathymetry, distance to grid, typhoons, and earthquakes. In the technical analysis, the turbines SWT-3.6-120 and 6.2 M126 Senvion were considered. The offshore wind speed data were extrapolated from 80 m to 90 m and 95 m using power law. The wind power density, wind power, and annual energy production were calculated from the extrapolated wind speed. Areas in the Philippines with a capacity factor greater than 30% and performance greater than 10% were considered technically viable. The economic assessment considered the historical data of constructed offshore wind farms from 2008 to 2018. Multiple linear regression was done to model the cost associated with the construction of offshore wind farms, namely, turbine, foundation, electrical, and operation and maintenance costs (i.e., investment cost). Finally, the levelized cost of electricity and break-even selling price were calculated to check the economic viability of the offshore wind farms. Sensitivity analysis was done to investigate how LCOE and price of electricity are sensitive to the discount rate, capacity factor, investment cost, useful life, mean wind speed, and shape parameter. Upon application of exclusion criteria, several sites were determined to be viable with the North of Cagayan having the highest capacity factor. The calculated capacity factor ranges from ~42% to ~50% for SWT-3.6-120 and ~38.56% to ~48% for 6.2M126 turbines. The final regression model with investment cost as the dependent variable included the minimum sea depth and the plant capacity as the predictor variables. The regression model had an adjusted R2 of 90.43%. The regression model was validated with existing offshore wind farms with a mean absolute percentage error of 11.33%. The LCOE calculated for a 25.0372 km2 offshore area ranges from USD 157.66/MWh and USD 154.1/MWh. The breakeven electricity price for an offshore wind farm in the Philippines ranges from PHP 8.028/kWh to PHP 8.306/kWh.

Sustainability and life cycle assessment (LCA) of macroalgae-derived single cell oils

Marine macroalgae (seaweed) has many advantages over terrestrial crops as a source of renewable biomass but is severely underutilised at present, especially within Europe. In particular, macroalgae has elevated poly- and monosaccharide content, making it an ideal feedstock as a heterotrophic fermentation sugar source for the production of higher value chemicals. Recent reports have detailed the suitability of seaweeds as a feedstock for the production of single-cell oils (SCOs) which have application in food, oleochemicals and fuels. It is proposed that a biorefinery system based on the production of SCOs alongside other secondary metabolites, has the potential to provide a sustainable replacement to terrestrial oils such as palm oil.This work therefore evaluates, for the first time, the environmental and economic sustainability of a production process for SCOs from seaweed Saccharina latissima using the oleaginous yeast Metschnikowia pulcherrima. Two alternative fermentation systems were considered, and uncertainties associated with the seasonal variation in seaweed carbohydrate yield and fermentation performance were integrated into the analysis. From an environmental perspective, the work indicates that seaweed derived SCO lipids and fats can be comparable to a terrestrial oil mix, with a potential climate change impact ranging between 2.5 and 9.9 kg CO2 eq. kg−1 refined SCO. Interestingly and of particular significance, environmental impacts are mainly dominated by energy demand within fermentation and upstream processing steps. From an economic perspective, a break-even selling price for the oil was determined as between €5,300-€31,000 tonne−1 refined SCO, which was highly dependent on cost of the seaweed feedstock.Overall, we demonstrate that key uncertainties relating to seaweed cultivation costs and hydrolysate fermentation at scale result in a large range in values for environmental impact and economic return on investment. Yet even within the constraints and limitations of current knowhow, seaweed already offers a viable proposition for the competitive production of exotic oils similar to cocoa or shea butter in price and nature.

A technoeconomic assessment of microalgal culture technology implementation for combined wastewater treatment and CO2 mitigation in the Arabian Gulf

A technoeconomic assessment (TEA) has been conducted of the feasibility of large-scale application of microalgal culture technology (MCT) to the combined mitigation of CO2 emissions from flue gases and nutrient discharges from wastewater in the Arabian Gulf. The assessment has incorporated the selection of the algal species and MCT technologies, the extent of nutrient removal, and the biomass/biofuel production rate. The cost benefit of the abatement of pollutants (in the form of CO2 and nutrient discharges) was included by assigning appropriate credits to these contributions. The overall economic viability was quantified as the break-even selling price (BESP) of the generated biocrude, taken to be the price at which the product must sell to cover the operating expenditure (OPEX). Based on available information and optimal operational conditions, the BESP was calculated as being $0.544 per kg biomass, equating to $0.9 L−1 for the extracted biocrude, the credited items contributing ˜14% of this figure. The BESP was found to be most sensitive to the algal growth rate μ, the BESP changing by ±24% in response to a ±20% change in μ. Whilst the terms of reference of the study are limited to OPEX contributors, the potential for sustainability associated with the innately reliably high levels of natural light in the Gulf region appear to provide auspicious circumstances for large-scale implementation of MCT. For emerging economies with a comparable climate but without a mineral oil-based economy a greater financial benefit from the proposed scheme would arise.

Techno-Economic Assessment of Co-Hydrothermal Carbonization of a Coal-Miscanthus Blend

Co-Hydrothermal Carbonization (Co-HTC) is a thermochemical process, where coal and biomass were treated simultaneously in subcritical water, resulting in bulk-homogenous hydrochar that is carbon-rich and a hydrophobic solid fuel with combustion characteristics like coal. In this study, technoeconomic analysis of Co-HTC was performed for a scaled-up Co-HTC plant that produces fuel for 110 MWe coal-fired power plant using Clarion coal #4a and miscanthus as starting feedstocks. With precise mass and energy balance of the Co-HTC process, sizing of individual equipment was conducted based on various systems equations. Cost of electricity was calculated from estimated capital, manufacturing, and operating and maintenance costs. The breakeven selling price of Co-HTC hydrochar was $117 per ton for a 110 MWe. Sensitivity analysis indicates that this breakeven selling price could be as low as $106 per ton for a higher capacity plant. Besides plant size, the price of solid fuel is sensitive to the feedstock costs and hydrochar yield.

Waste Paper to Antibiotics: A Design and Feasibility Study of a Penicillin Production Facility in Trinidad and Tobago

Approximately 90,000 tonnes of waste paper is generated yearly in Trinidad and Tobago which has become a waste disposal challenge. A possible solution is to utilize waste paper as a feedstock to locally manufacture penicillin-based drugs which Trinidad and Tobago, like most Caribbean and Latin American territories, import for treatment of bacterial infections. Due to low foreign exchange reserves, adequate importation of these drugs has suffered. A market survey was conducted to determine the most consumed penicillin derivative. The method of production of the penicillin derivative and the quantity of glucose required was then used to generate a plant design for waste paper conversion to glucose and its subsequent utilisation for antibiotic production. A financial analysis was then completed to determine the economic feasibility of such a plant. The plant was designed for Amoxicillin with an estimated local consumption at 30,000 kg/year. A financial analysis for the process design at this capacity was unfavourable. A breakeven analysis showed that production must exceed 123,000 kg to generate an IRR of 15% with a breakeven selling price of US $85/kg. A production capacity of 150,000 kg resulted in an annual revenue of US $32 million with NPV of US $40 million, IRR of 26%, and Payback period of 3 years. An Amoxicillin plant with production capacity of 150,000 kg operating in Trinidad and Tobago is an economically beneficial and feasible venture and also presents a sustainable disposal strategy for waste paper.

Assessment of bagasse and trash utilization for ethanol production: A case study in india

Retrofitting existing sugar mills to produce ethanol from sugarcane bagasse provides a significant opportunity in India to meet the nation's liquid transportation fuel demands. Utilization of sugarcane trash in the sugar mill can enhance the economic feasibility of this approach. This work developed an optimization model to determine the optimal distribution of bagasse and trash for ethanol production while simultaneously ensuring energy sufficiency of the sugar mill. A superstructure of sugar mill integrated with a second generation ethanol facility along with trash utilization and lignin valorization processes is developed. The model determines the break‐even selling price (BESP) of ethanol by optimizing the distribution of bagasse and trash subjected to the mass and energy balance constraints and cost functions. The application of the model for a sugar mill with a throughput of 150 Mg (Mega grams)/h of sugarcane showed the ethanol BESP to be Rs. 63/L when trash and lignin was available along with bagasse for heat production. Trash retention on farm increased the BESP to Rs. 117/L, indicating the economic value of trash utilization. However, on‐farm trash retention led to about 82% savings in GHG emissions due to reduced fertilizer use. Lignin valorization was found to be economically infeasible. © 2018 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Environ Prog, 37: 1901–1907, 2018

Waste-to-biofuel integrated system and its comprehensive techno-economic assessment in wastewater treatment plants

Combining wastewater treatment and biofuel production is considered the cost-effective way for better waste remediation and lowering the environmental impact for biofuel production. In this study, an innovative integrated system incorporating sludge, scum and centrate treatment and biofuel production was developed. A comprehensive techno-economic analysis was conducted to evaluate the technology and economic feasibility of the integrated system with the consideration of biofuel production, wastewater treatment improvement, tax credits, carbon credit, and coproducts utilization. Benefited from the integrated system that the intermediate byproducts can be used in between the sub-systems, such as the glycerol generated from the scum-to-biodiesel production can be used as an organic carbon for the centrate-to-algae production, the estimated breakeven selling price of the bio-oil ($1.85/gallon) is very close to the 5-year averaged crude oil price. The assessment result showed the payback period and the IRRs of the integrated system are superior in comparison with others.

Economic improvement of continuous pharmaceutical production via the optimal control of a multifeed bioreactor.

Projections on the profitability of the pharmaceutical industry predict a large amount of growth in the coming years. Stagnation over the last 20 years in product development has led to the search for new processing methods to improve profitability by reducing operating costs or improving process productivity. This work proposes a novel multifeed bioreactor system composed of independently controlled feeds for substrate(s) and media used that allows for the free manipulation of the bioreactor supply rate and substrate concentrations to maximize bioreactor productivity and substrate utilization while reducing operating costs. The optimal operation of the multiple feeds is determined a priori as the solution of a dynamic optimization problem using the kinetic models describing the time-variant bioreactor concentrations as constraints. This new bioreactor paradigm is exemplified through the intracellular production of beta-carotene using a three feed bioreactor consisting of separate glucose, ethanol and media feeds. The performance of a traditional bioreator with a single substrate feed is compared to that of a bioreactor with multiple feeds using glucose and/or ethanol as substrate options. Results show up to a 30% reduction in the productivity with the addition of multiple feeds, though all three systems show an improvement in productivity when compared to batch production. Additionally, the breakeven selling price of beta-carotene is shown to decrease by at least 30% for the multifeed bioreactor when compared to the single feed counterpart, demonstrating the ability of the multifeed reactor to reduce operating costs in bioreactor systems. © 2017 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 33:902-912, 2017.

Technoeconomic analysis of camelina oil extraction as feedstock for biojet fuel in the Canadian Prairies

This study presents a technoeconomic analysis of commercial extraction of camelina oil as an aviation fuel feedstock. An engineering economic model was designed in Superpro Designer® to quantify capital investment, scale, production cost, and profitability for a 120,000–1,500,000 tonnes annum−1 solvent extraction plant. The corresponding estimated capital investment was $24.7 - $155 million. Feedstock cost ($0.29–0.40 kg−1), seed yield (1400–2100 kg ha−1), oil content (38–47%), scale, and camelina meal revenue are key factors in the break-even selling price (BESP) and competitiveness of camelina oil as a feedstock. Feedstock represented 81–90% of operating cost. The BESP ranges from $0.43 -$1.22 L-1. Larger plants have lower BESP compared to smaller plants which require higher breakeven prices. This suggests better economies of scale associated with higher plant scale. Camelina can be introduced into underutilized summerfallow land of semiarid Canadian Prairies of Saskatchewan. Swift Current is an ideal extraction plant location. These results can guide R&D and investment decisions for advancing camelina as an industrial feedstock within the innovation value chain.

Harvest of crayfish as an ecosystem service of wetlands compared to production systems with planted forage

ABSTRACTCrayfish harvest as an ecosystem service of moist-soil wetlands in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley (MAV) was evaluated using estimates of crayfish yield and operational costs to create enterprise budgets. The average daily yield of crayfish was 2.13 lb/acre (95% CI = 1.19–3.00) and yield did not differ between wetlands dominated with Red Swamp Crayfish or White River Crayfish. Four hypothetical scenarios of harvest operations revealed annual costs associated with harvesting crayfish to be $163.89–370.75/acre. Although these costs were lower than estimated costs currently associated with harvesting crayfish from fields with planted forage in Louisiana ($749.96/acre), a three-fold reduction in crayfish yield (lb/trap/day) from moist-soil wetlands resulted in an increase in the break-even selling price from $1.25/lb in Louisiana to $1.70–$3.86/lb in the MAV. Although this enterprise will likely not compete with the Louisiana rice-crayfish industry, harvesting crayfish from moist-soil wetlands may contribute to ecosystem services provided by wetlands and aid in the reduction of the quantity of crayfish products imported into the U.S. market.

Biochar and renewable energy generation from poultry litter waste: A technical and economic analysis based on computational simulations

The technical and economic analysis of generating biochar together with electricity and/or heat from poultry litter (PL) waste is the subject of this study. To carry out this study, the process simulation software ECLIPSE is used. Modelling and simulation have been conducted over the selected system: the pyrolysis/gasification process integrated with an Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC). The facility will be capable of processing 1500kg of PL every hour. The simulation shows that when a reference PL is used the yield of biochar from the process is around 398kg/h with a 38% carbon content. Electricity generated by the ORC system is 388kWhe. Recovered low grade heat for space heating is estimated at 1831kWhth. The results of the economic analysis suggest that when paying £20/tonne for handling and storing the feedstock without any options of selling either heat or electricity, the break-even selling price (BESP) of biochar is around £218/tonne. If the sale of electricity and heat produced is considered to be around £60/MWhe and £5/MWhth, the BESP will decrease to £178/tonne. The case studies also indicate that when a gate fee of £10/tonne is introduced the BESP can be further reduced to £65/tonne, equivalent to a 63% reduction. On the other hand if biochar generated has an average price of £150/tonne in the market and the plant receives one Renewable Obligation Certificate (ROC) from the Government, the Levelised Cost of Electricity (LCOE) for the electricity generation will be £46/MWhe, which is compatible with electricity generated by fossil fuel power plants.

Techno-economic Analysis of BioChar Production and Energy Generation from Poultry Litter Waste

The technical, environmental and economic analysis of generating electricity and/or heat together with biochar from poultry litter (PL) waste is the subject of this study. To carry out this study, the process simulation software ECLIPSE is used. Modelling and simulation have been conducted over the selected system: the pyrolysis/gasification process integrated with an Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC). The facility will initially be capable of processing 1500kg of PL waste at 30% moisture content every hour. The expansion plans of the facility are underway to deal with 3000kg of PL waste per hour. Based on the data gathered, the key technical, environmental and economic issues have been examined. The ECLIPSE simulation shows that when using the reference PL the yield of biochar in the process is around 391kg per hour with 37% of carbon content and the producer gas has a calorific value of 4.72MJ/Nm3. Electric power generated by the ORC system is 398kWhe. Recovered low grade heat for space heating is estimated at 1879kWhth.The results of the economic analysis demonstrate that when using the reference PL and paying 20£/tonne for receiving, handling and storing the feedstock without options of selling either heat or electricity, the Break-even selling price (BESP) of the biochar is estimated at £222 per tonne. If the sales of electricity and heat produced are considered to be about 60£/MWhe and 10£/MWhth, the BESP value will go down to £155 per tonne. The case studies also indicate that when a gate fee of 10£/tonne is introduced the BESP can be further reduced to £40 per tonne, accounting for 74% reduction. On the other hand if biochar generated has an average price of £120 per tonne in the market, the plant is still paying a receiving and handling fee of 20£/tonne for the PL feedstock but will receive one Renewable Obligation Certificate (ROC) from the UK Government, the Levelised Cost of Electricity (LCOE) for the electricity generation will be 51£/MWhe, which is compatible with electricity generated by fossil fuel power plants.