Introduction to

Advanced Commercial-Scale
Biomass Boiler Technologies
2012 Alaska Wood Energy Conference
Ketchikan Oct 9-11, 2012
Prepared by: David Dungate
Tel: 518-956-2507
dungate@actbioenergy.com
www.actbioenergy.com

Presentation Outline
Biomass Heating Opportunity
n Biomass Fuel Considerations
n System Performance
n Project Examples
n Conclusions/Opportunities
n

Biomass Thermal Opportunity

n

Addresses key
energy, economic
environmental and
social problems
problems at the local
and global scale

Cost/MMBtu

Fuel Price Comparison

$45.00
$40.00
$35.00
$30.00
$25.00
$20.00
$15.00
$10.00
$5.00
$Wood Chip
$70/t

Wood Pellet
$335/t

Fuel Oil
$3.35/gal

Notes: Pellets = 16.5 MMBtu/ton, chips @30% moisture = 10.9 MMBtu/ton,

Data Source: www.nyserda.org/Energy_Information/energy_prices_supplies.asp

Propane
$3.50/gal

Electricity
$.10/kW

Energy to Produce/Refine Fuels

Wood Chips
Wood Pellets
Oil/Natural Gas
Corn Ethanol

0.5-1%
2-6%
10-20%
60-100%

Refining improves the fuel quality; but also consumes energy and
releases pollution during the refining process.
Most analyses only consider emissions during fuel use and not
emissions during refining.

Source: Planning and Installing Bioenergy Systems: A guide for installers, architects and engineers. James & James. 2007

Biomass Advantages/
Disadvantages
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n

Lower cost vs. fossil fuels

Greenhouse gas reduction
Supports local economic development
Dispatchable (on-demand) renewable fuel
Supports sustainable forest management
No soil contamination from hydrocarbons
Low density = Increased transportation cost
Higher equipment cost vs. fossil fuels

Cost/MMBtu

Wood Fuel Cost at Various Moisture Contents

$14.00
$12.00
$10.00
$8.00
$6.00
$4.00
$2.00
$0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

Fuel Moisture Content

Moisture %

MBtu/t

Efficiency

Mbtu/t output

$/ton

$/MMBtu

6%

16400

83%

13612

150

$ 11.02

8%

15800

80%

12640

135

$ 10.68

13%

15700

78%

12246

120

9.80

20%

13760

77%

10595

100

9.44

30%

12040

75%

9030

80

8.86

40%

10320

72%

7430

70

9.42

50%

8600

67%

5762

60

$ 10.41

60%

6880

60%

4128

50

$ 12.11

60%

70%

European Biomass Leadership

n

Europes leaders in biomass

technology (i.e. Austria, Germany,
Sweden)
Austria Population of 8 million has
30 Wood Boiler Companies (70% of
European Wood Boiler Market)
In Austria, 25% of all heating is by
biomass and wood boilers outsell oil
boilers for residential applications.
Upper Austria Region committed to
100% renewable space heating and
electricity by 2030.

Typical Outdoor Wood Boiler

n

Unmodulated fuel
and air supply
Difficult to match
firing rate to
demand
Wet/inconsistent
fuel contributes to
low efficiency

Features of Advanced Boilers

n

High-temperature, controlled, clean

combustion (Control of time, temperature and
turbulence)
Automated operation and modulation
n
n
n
n

n
n
n

ignition
fuel feeding
monitoring pressure and oxygen levels
ash cleaning

80%+ thermal efficiency

Integrated with a BMS/Remote monitoring
Integrated with thermal storage

High-Efficiency Commercial Boilers

Pellet/dry-fuel-Type

Wet Fuel Type

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.

Fuel bin stirrer

ACT Boiler Configuration
Gear motor
Fuel auger
Fuel auger channel
Auger drive motor
Separating flap valve for the channel and intermediate
storage bin
Ultrasonic probe
Intermediate storage bin
Fuel anti-bridging device
Feeding auger
Emergency fire extinguisher
Automatic ignition
Air blower
Control panel box
Control panel
Primary combustion zone
Grating wheel
Secondary combustion zone

19.
20.
21.
22.
23.

Ash container
Exchanger flap valve
Heat exchanger with turbulators (without sheet covering)
Turbulators
Turbulator drive

Advanced Boiler Emission Comparison

PM

N0x

CO

0.7
Comparative data source:

lbs./mmBtu

0.6

US EPAs AP42 emission factors for

commercial boilers

0.5

0.3 lbs/MMBtu is NH
particulate standard for
conventional fuel boilers

0.4
0.3
0.2
0.1
0

ACT
E-Cabin
(Dry
Wood)

Typical
Wet
Wood

Typical
Dry
Wood

Distillate No. 6
Fuel Oil Fuel Oil

Natural
Gas

Propane

Chip Storage and Handling

Typical Wood Boiler Configuration

Wood Pellet Storage Silo Option

Containerized Wood Chip Boiler

0.50.5
MMBtu
MMBtu
Boiler
Wood
installed
Chip Boiler
in a 20
in ashipping
20 Shipping
container
Container with adjacent chip storage

Cayuga Nature Center

Ithaca, NY

Combustion chamber

Auger/Stirrer in
the chip fuel bin

Wood chip fuel bin

Pellet Boiler Federal Bldg. Ketchikan, AK

Hospital Wood Chip Boiler

Containerized Pellet Boiler

Greenhouse Pellet Boiler

Photos Credit: Sandri Energy

1.7 MMBtu Pellet Boiler Integrated with Solar Panels

Pellet Boiler

Natural History Museum of the Adirondacks The W!ld Center

Pellet storage

Boiler Payback Calculation

Project type
ACT Bioenergy Boiler size
ACT Bioenergy Boiler
Total annual fossil fuel demand
Main Fuel Type Replaced 1 - 4
Quantity Used or Ordered Per Year
Cost per Unit in$
Total Cost of Main Fuel Type Replaced
Annual Efficiency of Oil/Gas System %
Cost per Useful MMBtu Heat in $
Annual MMBtu Heat From Main Fuel Replaced
Annual kWh Electric Immersion Used
Cost per kWh Unit of Electricity
Conversion kWh to MMBtu (x3412)
Total Cost of Electricity Replaced
Total MMBtu Replaced

Pellets
6
1700000
7000
3
50651
3.50
177,279
80
31.66
5,600
0
13
0
0
5,600

Free Solar MMBtu

ACT Bioenergy Boiler Boiler Heating Demand
Wood Fuel Type 5-6
Annual Wood Usage in Tonnes
Cost of Wood Per Tonne
Cost of Wood Per MMBtu
ACT Bioenergy Boiler Annual Efficiency
ACT Bioenergy Boiler cost per useful MMBtu Heat in $

0
5,600
5
402
325.00
20.83
85
24.51

Full load hour operation

4118

Btu
MMBtu Project type?
.138200
4
0.75 MMBtu
gallons
5
1.0 MMBtu
$
6
1.7 MMBtu
$
%
Fuel Type?
$/MMBtu
1
Natural Gas
MMBtu
2
Kerosene Oil = 136,600 Btu/gallon
kWh
3
Fuel Oil = 138,200 Btu/gallon
/kWh
4
Propane = 92,000 Btu /gallon
MMBtu
$
5
Wood pellets = 16,400,000 Btu /ton
MMBtu
6
Chips 30% MC= 10,600,000 Btu /ton

BTUs
511800
1364800
1706000

7000
51471
50651
76087
341
528

3412

$
14.00
3.50
3.50
2.75

Units
$/MMBtu
$/gallon
$/gallon
$/gallon

325.00 $/ton
60.00 $/ton

$/MMBtu
$ 14.00
$ 25.74
$ 25.33
$ 29.89
$ 20.83
$ 5.66

www.actbioenergy.com

MMBtu
MMBtu
15.6
Tons of pellets
Ton
$/MMBtu
%
$/MMBtu

Year
Fossil fuel Cost Per MMBtu (6.6% Inflation per year)
Electric Water Heating Cost Per MMBtu (6.6% Inflation)
Wood Fuel Cost Per MMBtu (3.7% Inflation per year)
Annual fossil fuel Running Cost $
Annual Electricity Water Heating Cost $
Total Oil/Gas and Electric Heating Running Costs $
ACT Bioenergy Boiler O&M
Annual ACT Bioenergy Boiler Running Cost $

2
31.66
33.75
38.10
40.62
24.51
25.32
177,279 188,980
0
0
177,279 188,980
2000
2066
139,255 143,850

3
4
35.97
38.35
43.30
46.15
26.15
27.02
201,452 214,748
0
0
201,452 214,748
2134
2205
148,597 153,501

5
40.88
49.20
27.91
228,922
0
228,922
2277
158,567

6
43.58
52.45
28.83
244,030
0
244,030
2353
163,799

46.45
55.91
29.78
260,136
0
260,136
2430
169,205

8
49.52
59.60
30.76
277,305
0
277,305
2510
174,788

9
52.79
63.53
31.78
295,608
0
295,608
2593
180,556

10
56.27
67.73
32.83
315,118
0
315,118
2679
186,515

11
59.98
72.19
33.91
335,916
0
335,916
2767
192,670

Annual Running Cost Saving $

Cumulative Payback $
Total Initial Investment Cost $

38,024 45,129
38,024 83,154
378,000 378,000

52,855 61,247
136,009 197,256
378,000 378,000

70,355
267,611
378,000

80,231
347,842
378,000

90,932
438,774
378,000

102,517
541,291
378,000

115,051
656,342
378,000

128,603
784,945
378,000

143,246
159,058
176,124 194,533 214,380 235,769 258,809 283,616 310,315 339,039
928,191 1,087,249 1,263,373 1,457,905 1,672,286 1,908,055 2,166,864 2,450,479 2,760,794 3,099,834 $
378,000
378,000
378,000 378,000 378,000 378,000 378,000 378,000 378,000 378,000

70,355

80,231

90,932

102,517

115,051

128,603

-378,000

38,024

45,129

52,855

61,247

Installed System Cost.

Price Estimate 1

Cash Savings from your ACT Bioenergy Boiler (20yr)

Wood Boiler 220kW (0.75 MMBtu)

Wood Boiler 350kW (1.35 MMBtu)
Wood Boiler 500kW (1.7 MMBtu)

$
$

2,721,834

378,000
149000

CO2 emissions avoided from your ACT Bioenergy Boiler (20yr)

40000
189000

Yellow cells can be changed to test different scenarios

11,284

Tons GreenHouse Gases

378,000

Notes:
1. Price e stimate i ncludes fuel storage silo and i nstallation costs.
2. Building heating l oad e stimates based on Retscreen Software data(www.retscreen.net)

IRR15
NPV10
IRR10
NPV5
IRR5

19%
$406,945
13%
($110,389)
-10%

143,246

12
63.94
76.96
35.03
358,086
0
358,086
2858
199,028

159,058

13
68.16
82.04
36.19
381,720
0
381,720
2953
205,596

176,124

14
72.66
87.45
37.38
406,913
0
406,913
3050
212,381

194,533

15
77.46
93.23
38.61
433,769
0
433,769
3151
219,389

214,380

16
82.57
99.38
39.89
462,398
0
462,398
3255
226,629

235,769

17
88.02
105.94
41.20
492,916
0
492,916
3362
234,108

258,809

18
93.83
112.93
42.56
525,449
0
525,449
3473
241,833

283,616

19
100.02
120.38
43.97
560,129
0
560,129
3588
249,814

310,315

20
106.62
128.33
45.42 15 Year Running Cost
597,097
0
597,097 $
4,319,983
3706
258,058 $
2,647,697

339,039

Saving
3,099,834

Typical Project Economics

n
n
n

n
n
n
n

Boiler size 1.7 MMBtu/h

Building heat load 50651 gal/yr.
Heating Oil @$3.50/gal replaced with wood pellets
@$325/ton
Installed Cost $378,000
Simple ROI = 6 yrs. (without incentives)
20 yr savings = $2,700,000
564 t/yr of GHG reduction

Project Feasiblity Evaluation

Parameters

Info requirements

Basic Conditions

Location, energy demand, electric power

availability

Fuel Quantities

Available biomass (type and properties),

trucking distance, seasonal fuel variability

Site logistics

Fuel delivery method, type and size of

storage, fuel handling on site

System concept
design

Boiler (type, #, size, specs) exhaust

scrubbing

Site engineering

Space requirements, building, pipe

routing, fuel storage

Conclusions
n

New advanced biomass boiler systems

are available and being installed in
Alaska
Biomass market is being driven by cost
savings even without government
incentives.
Technical support is available to help
develop projects.

Thank You
David Dungate
ACT Bioenergy
Schenectady, NY
Tel: 518-956-2507
Email: dungate@actbioenergy.com
Web: www.actbioenergy.com