Optimum usage and economic feasibility of animal manure-based biomass in combustion systems

Manure-based biomass (MBB) has the potential to be a source of green energy at large coal-fired power plants and on smaller-scale combustion systems at or near confined animal feeding operations. Although MBB is a low quality fuel with an inferior heat value compared to coal and other fossil fuels, the concentration of it at large animal feeding operations can make it a viable source of fuel. Mathematical models were developed to portray the economics of co-firing and reburning coal with MBB. A base case run of the co-fire model in which a 95:5 blend of coal to low-ash MBB was burned at an existing 300-MWe coal-fired power plant was found to have an overall net present cost of $22.6 million. The most significant cost that hindered the profitability of the co-fire project was the cost of operating gas boilers for biomass dryers that were required to reduce the MBB's moisture content before transportation and combustion. However, a higher dollar value on avoided nonrenewable CO2 emissions could overrule exorbitant costs of drying and transporting the MBB to power plants. A CO2 value of $17/metric ton was found to be enough for the MBB co-fire project to reach an economic break-even point. Reburning coal with MBB to reduce NOx emissions can theoretically be more profitable than a co-fire project, due to the value of avoided NOx emissions. However, the issue of finding enough suitable low-ash biomass becomes problematic for reburn systems since the reburn fuel must supply 10 to 25% of the power plant?s heat rate in order to achieve the desired NOx level. A NOx emission value over $2500/metric ton would justify installing a MBB reburn system. A base case run of a mathematical model describing a small-scale, on-the-farm MBB combustion system that can completely incinerate high-moisture (over 90%) manure biomass was developed and completed. If all of the energy or steam produced by the MBB combustion system were to bring revenue to the animal feeding operation either by avoided fueling costs or by sales, the conceptualized MBB combustion system has the potential to be a profitable venture.