Technology Status - NET Nowak Energie & Technologie AG

Electricity generation cost in USD cents
per kWh
15
12
9
6
3
0
108
● € 0.185 per kWh for 1-MW biopower plant with forest timber wood in
Germany;
● € 0.07 per kWh for 20-MW biopower plant with discarded timber in Germany.
Figure 39
Approximated Generation Costs for Biopower
USD 500 USD 1,000 USD 1,500 USD 2,000USD 2,500 USD 3,000 USD 3,500 USD 4,000
System investment per kW installed capacity
3,500 kWh per kW and year
4,500 kWh per kW and year
5,500 kWh per kW and year
6,500 kWh per kW and year
7,500 kWh per kW and year
Note: O&M costs are assumed to be 8% of system investment. Fuel costs are 1.5 USD cents per kWh.
Source: NET Ltd., Switzerland.
● Industry
There are few specialised biomass technology manufacturers, but the main
equipment manufacturers see biomass as a secondary activity. Thus, if
biomass is not sufficiently profitable, it is relatively easy for these companies
to stop biomass activities and produce systems for other fuels. On the other
hand, the biopower industry relies heavily on the agricultural sector and
steady supply of inputs.
The Nordic countries in the EU are likely to become major producers and
exporters of equipment and services for biomass power generation. This is
due to their strong position in the related timber, paper and pulp industries;
their abundance of domestic biofuel supply; and national policies that have
historically favoured bioenergy. This combination has resulted in:
● Danish companies being the world market leaders for straw-fired boilers;
● Finnish companies being market leaders for multifuel fluidised-bed
boilers;
BIOPOWER X5