IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/renene/v151y2020icp715-730.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Evaluation of technology, economics and emissions impacts of community-scale bioenergy systems for a forest-based community in Ontario

Author

Listed:
  • Blair, M. Jean
  • Mabee, Warren E.

Abstract

Biomass is often considered as an alternative to fossil heating fuels such as oil and propane but is rarely considered to displace lower cost natural gas. Using a case study approach, options for utilizing local forest biomass to reduce emissions related to natural gas heating are evaluated. The options considered include heat-only biomass boilers to fuel district heating networks, combined heat and power (CHP) connected to district networks and a microgrid or the provincial grid and production of renewable natural gas (RNG). The systems are evaluated in terms of technology readiness, break-even heat cost and GHG reduction potential. Other factors that could improve competitiveness, such as carbon pricing and low carbon fuel policies, are discussed. The systems that utilize a district heating network were found to be lower cost than RNG-producing systems, despite the need for significant infrastructure investment. While conversion of forest biomass to RNG results in a significantly higher heat cost than biomass district energy scenarios, these prices are competitive with other RNG technologies utilizing other feedstocks. The CO2 abatement cost for some DH and CHP scenarios was found to be lower than that of producing electricity using solar photovoltaic and wind power technologies in Ontario.

Suggested Citation

  • Blair, M. Jean & Mabee, Warren E., 2020. "Evaluation of technology, economics and emissions impacts of community-scale bioenergy systems for a forest-based community in Ontario," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 151(C), pages 715-730.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:renene:v:151:y:2020:i:c:p:715-730
    DOI: 10.1016/j.renene.2019.11.073
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960148119317665
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.renene.2019.11.073?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Sarah Hitchner & John Schelhas & J. Peter Brosius, 2017. "“Even our Dairy Queen shut down”: Risk and resilience in bioenergy development in forest-dependent communities in the US South," Economic Anthropology, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 4(2), pages 186-199, June.
    2. Moore, Steven & Durant, Vincent & Mabee, Warren E., 2013. "Determining appropriate feed-in tariff rates to promote biomass-to-electricity generation in Eastern Ontario, Canada," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 63(C), pages 607-613.
    3. Teghammar, Anna & Forgács, Gergely & Sárvári Horváth, Ilona & Taherzadeh, Mohammad J., 2014. "Techno-economic study of NMMO pretreatment and biogas production from forest residues," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 116(C), pages 125-133.
    4. Hendricks, Aaron M. & Wagner, John E. & Volk, Timothy A. & Newman, David H. & Brown, Tristan R., 2016. "A cost-effective evaluation of biomass district heating in rural communities," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 162(C), pages 561-569.
    5. Onursal Yakaboylu & John Harinck & K. G. Smit & Wiebren De Jong, 2015. "Supercritical Water Gasification of Biomass: A Literature and Technology Overview," Energies, MDPI, vol. 8(2), pages 1-36, January.
    6. Zheng, Yingying & Jenkins, Bryan M. & Kornbluth, Kurt & Træholt, Chresten, 2018. "Optimization under uncertainty of a biomass-integrated renewable energy microgrid with energy storage," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 123(C), pages 204-217.
    7. Stephen, James D. & Mabee, Warren E. & Pribowo, Amadeus & Pledger, Sean & Hart, Randy & Tallio, Sheldon & Bull, Gary Q., 2016. "Biomass for residential and commercial heating in a remote Canadian aboriginal community," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 86(C), pages 563-575.
    8. Ahlström, Johan M. & Pettersson, Karin & Wetterlund, Elisabeth & Harvey, Simon, 2017. "Value chains for integrated production of liquefied bio-SNG at sawmill sites – Techno-economic and carbon footprint evaluation," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 206(C), pages 1590-1608.
    9. International Finance Corporation, 2017. "Converting Biomass to Energy," World Bank Publications - Reports 28305, The World Bank Group.
    10. Näyhä, Annukka & Pesonen, Hanna-Leena, 2014. "Strategic change in the forest industry towards the biorefining business," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 81(C), pages 259-271.
    11. Upadhyay, Thakur Prasad & Shahi, Chander & Leitch, Mathew & Pulkki, Reino, 2012. "Economic feasibility of biomass gasification for power generation in three selected communities of northwestern Ontario, Canada," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 44(C), pages 235-244.
    12. Kenneth Gillingham & James H. Stock, 2018. "The Cost of Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 32(4), pages 53-72, Fall.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Vikas Menghwani & Chad Walker & Tim Kalke & Bram Noble & Greg Poelzer, 2022. "Harvesting Local Energy: A Case Study of Community-Led Bioenergy Development in Galena, Alaska," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(13), pages 1-17, June.
    2. Liang Meng & Ahmed Alengebawy & Ping Ai & Keda Jin & Mengdi Chen & Yulong Pan, 2020. "Techno-Economic Assessment of Three Modes of Large-Scale Crop Residue Utilization Projects in China," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(14), pages 1-19, July.
    3. M. Jean Blair & Bruno Gagnon & Andrew Klain & Biljana Kulišić, 2021. "Contribution of Biomass Supply Chains for Bioenergy to Sustainable Development Goals," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(2), pages 1-28, February.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. M. Jean Blair & Bruno Gagnon & Andrew Klain & Biljana Kulišić, 2021. "Contribution of Biomass Supply Chains for Bioenergy to Sustainable Development Goals," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(2), pages 1-28, February.
    2. Liu, Liansheng & Wang, Dongji & Gao, Liwei & Duan, Runze, 2020. "Distributed heating/centralized monitoring mode of biomass briquette fuel in Chinese northern rural areas," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 147(P1), pages 1221-1230.
    3. Shizhong Song & Pei Liu & Jing Xu & Linwei Ma & Chinhao Chong & Min He & Xianzheng Huang & Zheng Li & Weidou Ni, 2016. "An Economic and Policy Analysis of a District Heating System Using Corn Straw Densified Fuel: A Case Study in Nong’an County in Jilin Province, China," Energies, MDPI, vol. 10(1), pages 1-22, December.
    4. Lochhead, Kyle & Ghafghazi, Saeed & Havlik, Petr & Forsell, Nicklas & Obersteiner, Michael & Bull, Gary & Mabee, Warren, 2016. "Price trends and volatility scenarios for designing forest sector transformation," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 57(C), pages 184-191.
    5. Yang, Dechang & Wang, Ming & Yang, Ruiqi & Zheng, Yingying & Pandzic, Hrvoje, 2021. "Optimal dispatching of an energy system with integrated compressed air energy storage and demand response," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 234(C).
    6. Ladislava Volková, 2022. "Carbon reporting: evidence from the Czech financial sector [Uhlíková stopa: Udržitelné výkaznictví českého finančního sektoru v ČR]," Český finanční a účetní časopis, Prague University of Economics and Business, vol. 2022(2), pages 69-87.
    7. Hellsmark, Hans & Hansen, Teis, 2020. "A new dawn for (oil) incumbents within the bioeconomy? Trade-offs and lessons for policy," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 145(C).
    8. Ramos, Ana & Monteiro, Eliseu & Rouboa, Abel, 2019. "Numerical approaches and comprehensive models for gasification process: A review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 110(C), pages 188-206.
    9. Homroy, Swarnodeep, 2023. "GHG emissions and firm performance: The role of CEO gender socialization," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 148(C).
    10. Martinsson, Gustav & Sajtos, László & Strömberg, Per & Thomann, Christian, 2022. "Carbon Pricing and Firm-Level CO2 Abatement: Evidence from a Quarter of a Century-Long Panel," Misum Working Paper Series 2022-10, Stockholm School of Economics, Mistra Center for Sustainable Markets (Misum).
    11. Mohamed Magdeldin & Thomas Kohl & Cataldo De Blasio & Mika Järvinen & Song Won Park & Reinaldo Giudici, 2016. "The BioSCWG Project: Understanding the Trade-Offs in the Process and Thermal Design of Hydrogen and Synthetic Natural Gas Production," Energies, MDPI, vol. 9(10), pages 1-27, October.
    12. Ma, Chenshuo & Zhang, Yifei & Ma, Keni & Li, Chanyun, 2023. "Study on the relationship between service scale and investment cost of energy service stations," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 269(C).
    13. Ahmadian, Amirhossein & Ghodrati, Vahid & Gadh, Rajit, 2023. "Artificial deep neural network enables one-size-fits-all electric vehicle user behavior prediction framework," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 352(C).
    14. Adam Michael Bauer & Cristian Proistosescu & Gernot Wagner, 2023. "Carbon Dioxide as a Risky Asset," CESifo Working Paper Series 10278, CESifo.
    15. Zapata, Oscar, 2022. "Renewable Energy and Community Development," OSF Preprints tk59y, Center for Open Science.
    16. Mathias Reynaert, 2021. "Abatement Strategies and the Cost of Environmental Regulation: Emission Standards on the European Car Market," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 88(1), pages 454-488.
    17. Cataldo De Blasio & Gabriel Salierno & Andrea Magnano, 2021. "Implications on Feedstock Processing and Safety Issues for Semi-Batch Operations in Supercritical Water Gasification of Biomass," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(10), pages 1-19, May.
    18. Wang, Kunlun & Zheng, Leven J. & Lin, Boqiang, 2024. "Demand-side incentives, competition, and firms’ innovative activities: Evidence from automobile industry in China," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 132(C).
    19. Yan, Rujing & Wang, Jiangjiang & Wang, Jiahao & Tian, Lei & Tang, Saiqiu & Wang, Yuwei & Zhang, Jing & Cheng, Youliang & Li, Yuan, 2022. "A two-stage stochastic-robust optimization for a hybrid renewable energy CCHP system considering multiple scenario-interval uncertainties," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 247(C).
    20. Dewan Muktadir‐Al‐Mukit & Firoz Haroon Bhaiyat, 2024. "Impact of corporate governance diversity on carbon emission under environmental policy via the mandatory nonfinancial reporting regulation," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 33(2), pages 1397-1417, February.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:renene:v:151:y:2020:i:c:p:715-730. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.journals.elsevier.com/renewable-energy .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.