Article #24

By. A. Kaupp, IGEN

How much biomass does a biomass power plant need to generate one MWh.


We quite often receive requests from people performing feasibility assessments inquiring to what
extent a certain biomass supply is sufficient for a biomass power plant. Biomass power plants with
capacities between 3 MW to 7 MW are typically the most economical if the crop density within the
command and control area of the plant is high enough. There is a fairly simple and accurate way to
calculate the biomass required.

Mother nature puts about the same amount of Carbon, Hydrogen and Oxygen into any biomass no
matter whether it is a husk, or a straw, wood, water lilly or a nut. On a moisture and ash free basis
(maf) it is 50% Carbon, 44% Oxygen and 6% Hydrogen by weight. The Gross Calorific Value (GCV)
of biomass is about 20 MJ /kg on a moisture and ash free basis (maf). Furthermore, 3.6 MJ =1 kWh.
A power plant in the 3 MW to 7 MW size has a system efficiency () of about 20% - 25% based on
GCV and gross generation.

Consequently at =25%, the biomass energy requirement is (3.6 MJ )/0.25 =14.4 MJ of maf biomass
to generate 1 kWh of electricity. This is equivalent to (14.4 MJ )/(20 MJ /kg) =0.72 kg of maf biomass
,independent of which biomass is fired.

In the last and final step, take the biomass you want to combust in an as fired state and calculate how
much biomass is needed.

You may use the following table and expand it by your biomass or biomass mix depending on
seasonal availability.

Biomass fuel HHV
MJ /kg maf
Moisture
% weight
Ash
% weight
as fired HHV
MJ /kg
kg fired per
kWh
Rice husks 20 14% 20% 13.2 1.09
Bagasse 20 50% 3% 9.4 1.53
Rice straw 20 10% 13% 15.4 0.94
Wood 20 25% 1% 14.8 0.97
Coconut shell 20 8% 0.5% 18.3 0.79

These figures are fully sufficient to get an overview how much biomass is needed to support a 5 MW
power plant. Be aware that the inaccuracy lies not in the numbers, but in the resolve of the operator to
check the moisture content of the biomass at the power plant gate and reject very wet biomass which
has not been adequately sun dried, or biomass loaded with tramp ash. Neither tramp ash nor high
water content are good for the operation.

Assuming a plant load factor of 68%, i.e. 29,784 MWh/year electricity are generated by a 5 MW plant,
between 23,529 tons to 45,569 ton of biomass depending on the biomass and condition (see list)
delivered to the gate are required to sustain operation. It is assumed that the thermal efficiency of the
boiler is about the same independent of which fuel is fired. This assumption is not quite correct
because firing a wet, or high ash fuel lowers the thermal efficiency of the boiler.