| Summary: | Bangladesh, where only 20% of the total population are connected to grid electricity,
has a promising scope to utilise biomass for decentralised electricity generation. In this
study, sustainable biomass electricity generation model was developed for the country,
by combining tech no-econometric and optimisation modelling techniques. The
developed model addresses the biomass generation and availability, feasible
technologies, cost and efficiency correlations, economic plant size, plant economics
and sensitivity, and environmental and social impacts.
In 2003, the national total annual available biomass energy potential in Bangladesh
varies from 183.848 to 223.776 TWh. The feasible technologies are: gasification based
ICE-generator, anaerobic digestion based ICE-generator and direct combustion based
steam turbine or Stirling engine-generator. Correlations of capital investment costs and
overall conversion efficiencies with the plant electricity generating capacity have been
developed. Direct combustion technology shows the highest electricity generation
potential of 20.21 TWh/year; followed by gasification, of 14.30 TWh/year. Economic
radius of biomass collection and size of the plants has been determined for maximum
profitability. The biomass electricity plants economics have been estimated and
compared with the diesel and dual-fuelled plants. Analysis shows that, anaerobic
digestion and gasification-based electricity generation plants are economically feasible.
Biomass electricity plant is highly sensitive to changes in biomass price, selling price of
electricity, investment cost, plant lifetime, conversion efficiency and operating hours.
The employment of the biomass electricity instead of diesel generator saves significant
amount of the greenhouse gas emissions. It creates more employment than
conventional and presents other socio-economic benefits as well.
Due to the combination of electricity generation potential, promising economics and low
greenhouse gas emissions; gasification-based biomass electricity plant is
recommended for the country. Biomass availability and plant economics vary between
districts to districts. Computer programmes have been developed for district wise
biomass electricity plant analysis.
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