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ECN publication
Title:
De-centralised power production using low-calorific value gas from renewable energy resources in gas turbines
 
Author(s):
 
Published by: Publication date:
ECN 1-6-2001
 
ECN report number: Document type:
ECN-C--01-056 ECN publication
 
Number of pages: Full text:
34 Download PDF  

Abstract:
The technical and economic feasibility has been studied of de-central installations that produce power by gasification of biomass and use of the fuel gas in a gas turbine at a scale between 1 MWe and 10 MWe. The study starts with a market analysis in the Netherlands and the European Community. Next, atmospheric gasification in a circulating fluid bed gasifier and the gas treatment are described. The gas quality is compared with gas turbine requirements. Modifications to an existing gas turbine have been considered but are not discussed in the present report.The economy of the gas turbine installation is compared with that of a similar installation using a gas engine and of a combustion installation using a steam turbine. At 5000 operating hours per year and a fuel price of Euro 2.4/GJ, the electricity production costs for 1 MWe installations vary from Euro 0.15/kWh for the gas engine and Euro 0.16/kWh for the gas turbine to Euro 0.18/kWh for the steam turbine. At 10 MWe scale, the production costs decrease to Euro 0.09/kWh for the steam turbine and Euro 0.10/kWh for the gas engine and gas turbine. These costs are similar to the market value in the Netherlands and Germany. Production costs can drop by Euro 0.01/kWh for gas engines and nearly Euro 0.02/kWh for gas turbines if reject heat is sold at Euro 3.2/GJ. Sufficient heat demand, a larger number of operating hours or lower fuel price than assumed make installations smaller than 10 MWe economically attractive. Of the three options compared, the gas turbine is expected to yield the lowest NOx and CO emissions. Given the small differences in electricity production costs, the gas turbine becomes the best choice if stringent emission limits are to be met.


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