Two-Phase Approach for Designing Sustainable Biomass Supply Chains for Community-Scale Biomass Power Plants in Thailand

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Abstract
This study proposes a novel two-phase model framework for designing sustainable biomass supply chains of Community-Scale Biomass Power Plants (CSBPPs) by optimization based on geospatial-based Multi-criteria Decision Making (MCDM), the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) method and the Location–Allocation Model. Phase I involved land suitability criteria prioritization and suitable land area analysis. The location–allocation model was the main tool used in Phase II to identify optimal locations, followed by the analysis of the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE). The model optimized site location based on the availability (remaining) of local crop residues, electricity demand, road networks and other key criteria for power plant development, such as the location of substations and the location of existing power plants. The results show that the estimated total remaining crop residue potential in the EEC region was 2403 kt/year, which can generate approximately 34,156 TJ. The location–allocation model identified the top five locations for CSBPPs. The total required installed capacity of these five locations was approximately 100.23 MW in order to serve the district energy demand by the residential sector of 793.82 million (kWh/year). Assuming direct combustion-steam turbine technology with an installed capacity of 6–10 MW, the average LCOE was found to be in a range of $0.076 to $0.081 USD/kWh.
Funding Information
  • Petchra Pra Jom Klao PhD Research Scholarship (46/2563)
  • King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi (KMUTT) (46/2563)
  • Center of Excellence on Energy Technology and Environment (CEE), Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation (MHESI) (46/2563)

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