A hypothetical estimation of emission reductions in a biomass power plant project Dr. Oscar Coto II National CDM Workshop Belize August 2011

General description of the project Electricity generation using rice husk that otherwise would have been burned in open sky non controlled combustion. Construction and operation of a new 20 MW with an energy conversion efficiency of 30%. Plant is scheduled to enter into operation on January 1 st Estimated electricity generation of 147,627 MWh/year equivalent to 531 TJ/year.

Rice husk has a calorific value of TJ/ton rice husk. Area of influence of the project produces around 0.9 million tons of rice husk per year and only 0.3 million tons are currently used for other uses in the area. Boilers are going to be using supplemental fuel oil at a rate of 6 m3 per start of the boilers during an estimated 5 times a year.

It is estimated that 15 ton diesel operated trucks are going to movilize the rice husk on trips that will average 120 km round trip for each trip.

Basic data Emission factor of the electricity grid is 0,5 t CO2/MWh. Emission factor of the diesel trucks transporting the rice husk is 0, t CO2/km. Density of fuel oil is 890 kg/m3. Calorific value of the fuel oil is 0,0402 TJ/t. The CO2 content of the fuel oil is 75,96 t CO2/ TJ GWP of methane is 21 times that of CO2. TJ represents J

Some basic questions to answer Quantity of energy to be supplied by the rice husk to the boilers in TJ/year? Amount of rice husk that will need to be supplied to the power plant in tons? Fraction of the available rice husk available in the area that will be used by the project?

Make a diagram of the boundaries of the project? Which types of sources and types of greenhouse gases should be considered for the purpose of emission reduction estimates?

Estimate emissions of the baseline? Estimate project emissions? Estimate leakage emissions? Estimate emissions reduction on a per year basis? If the crediting period is 10 years under the CDM what is the expected total emissions reductions for the project?

1.Quantity of energy to be supplied by the rice husk to the boilers in TJ/year? 531 TJ-year/0.3 = 1,770 TJ/year of energy in the rice husk to be supplied to the power plant.

2.Amount of rice husk that will need to be supplied to the power plant in tons Amount of energy supplied by rice husk / calorific value of the rice husk 1,770 TJ/ year x 1/0.013 TJ/ton 136,153 tons of rice husk

3.Fraction of the available rice husk in the area that will be used by the project? Available biomass in the area = 0.9 million ton (produced) – 0.3 million tons (currently being used by other users) = 0.6 millions tons rice husk available Fraction = 136,153 tons / 600,000 Fraction = 22.69% meaning that …

4. Make a diagram of the boundaries of the project

5.Which types of sources and types of greenhouse gases should be considered for the purpose of emission reduction estimates? Baseline: grid emissions Project: combustion of diesel oil in the transportation trucks, combustion of fuel oil during boiler start ups Leakage: please discuss? Which are the types of GHG involved in each of the sources?

6.Estimate emissions of the baseline? BLE= Electricity generated x grid emission factor BLE = 146,627 MWh/year x 0.5 ton CO2/MWh BLE = ton CO2/year

7.Estimate project emissions? Transportation PET = Amount of km travelled by trucks x fuel emission factor of the combustion of diesel in those trucks Amount of km travelled = tons of biomass to be moved / truck capacity x average travel distance per round trip Amount of Km travelled = 136,153 / 15 x 120 Amount of km travelled = 1,089,224 km

PET = 1,089,224 km x 0, t CO2/km PET = 1,194.8 ton CO2/year Auxiliary fuel oil use PEAF = Amount of fuel oil used per year x emission factor of the combustion of fuel oil

Amount of fuel oil used = 6 m3 x 5 = 30 m3 of fuel oil per year Amount of fuel oil = 30 m3 x 890 kg/m3 / 1000 = 26.7 tons of fuel oil/year Equivalent to 26.7 tons x TJ/ton = 1.07 TJ/year PEAF = 1.07 TJ /year x ton CO2 /TJ PEAF = ton CO2/year

Project Emissions (PE) PE = PET + PEAF PE = 1,194.8 ton CO2/year ton CO2/year PE = ton CO2 / year

8.Estimate leakage emissions? LE = ? 0

9.Estimate emissions reduction on a per year basis? Emissions reductions (ER) = Baseline emissions (BLE) – Project emissions (PE) – Leakage emissions (LE)

ER = 73,313 tons CO2/year – ton CO2/year – 0 ER = 72,037 ton CO2/year Over 10 years would amount to 720,370 tons CO2