Techno-Economic Analysis for the Optimal Design of a National Network of Agro-Energy Biomass Power Plants in Egypt

Abstract

Extensive studies are conducted to investigate the potential and techno-economic feasibility of bioenergy routes in different countries. However, limited researches have been focused on the whole national agricultural bioenergy resources in Egypt. This research provides an assessment of the potential agricultural biomass resources for electric energy production in Egypt. It provides a strategic perspective for the design of a national network of biomass power plants to utilize the spatially available agricultural residues throughout a country. A comprehensive approach is presented and is applied to Egypt. First, the approach estimates the amount, type, and characteristics of the agricultural residues in each Egyptian governorate. Then, a techno-economic appraisal for locating a set of collection stations, and installing a direct combustion biomass power plant in each governorate is conducted. SAM simulation software is used for the technical and economic appraisals, and preliminary plant capacities are estimated assuming one plant in each governorate. Secondly, a new mixed integer linear programming (MILP) model is proposed and applied to optimally design a biomass supply chain national network to maximize the overall network profit. The network is composed of the collection stations, the potential biomass power plants, and the flow distribution of residues to supply the selected plants. Results indicate that the Egyptian agricultural residue resources can produce 10 million ton/year of dry residues, generate 11 TWh/year, an average levelized cost of electricity () of 6.77 ¢/kWh, and supply about 5.5% of Egypt’s current energy needs. Moreover, the optimization results reveal that a network of 5 biomass power plants with capacities of 460 MW each should be established in Egypt. This approach is thought to be particularly suitable to other developing countries whose energy demand depends on fossil fuels and poses a heavy economic burden, and whose residues are massive, wasted, and not industrialized. The obtained results may also enrich future comparative research that studies the impact and feasibility of implementing agro-residue based biomass electric energy generation.

Torrefaction and Thermochemical Properties of Agriculture Residues

“…Thermochemical conversion processes are the primary ways of producing biofuel, except in the case of combustion wherein heat is the main product. These processes are mainly categorized into gasification, pyrolysis, combustion, hydrothermal treatment, and torrefaction [1][2][3][4][5], and possess promising qualities, such as a small environmental footprint, a short residence time, the capacity to handle a variety of wastes, and the ability to produce a final product with a high energy yield. Out of these thermochemical conversion processes, torrefaction possesses the mildest operating conditions and is considered to be the process that has the lowest global warming potential [3].…”

Tools for Optimization of Biomass-to-Energy Conversion Processes

“…Abdelhady et al [69] used MILP to design a national biomass supply chain network in Egypt with the aim of maximizing profit through an optimal configuration. The decision of whether or not to install a power plant with different capacity levels in each location available was an output (decision variable) of the algorithm.…”

A Review of the Sustainable Utilization of Rice Residues for Bioenergy Conversion Using Different Valorization Techniques, Their Challenges, and Techno-Economic Assessment

“…Rice residue is not an exception, owing to being one of the most commonly grown crops in the world. Different approaches and models have been utilized to evaluate the techno-economic capacity of agro-residues; the preliminary economic assessment involves the estimation of the Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE) for energy production from the available crop residues [ 198 ]. Suzan et al [ 198 ], utilized this method to assess CO 2 emissions and energy balance based on life cycle assessment (LCA) and savings in the tonne of oil equivalent (toe) of primary energy estimation, and comparison with conventional energy sources, in Egypt.…”

“…Different approaches and models have been utilized to evaluate the techno-economic capacity of agro-residues; the preliminary economic assessment involves the estimation of the Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE) for energy production from the available crop residues [ 198 ]. Suzan et al [ 198 ], utilized this method to assess CO 2 emissions and energy balance based on life cycle assessment (LCA) and savings in the tonne of oil equivalent (toe) of primary energy estimation, and comparison with conventional energy sources, in Egypt. The average LCOE for the biomass power plant was evaluated as (¢/kWh) 6.77; for fossil fuel power plants (¢/kWh) as 8.5 PV; for power plants as (¢/kWh) 8.3; for wind power plants as (¢/kWh) 5.5; and for CSP plants as (¢/kWh) 16.0 [ 199 ].…”