Setting Up Fuel Supply Stragetegies for Large-Scale Bio-Energy Projects Using Agricultural and Forest Residues

- A Methodology for Developing Countries

RWEDP Report No.53, 2000

In the Southeast Asian region, residues from the agricultural and forestry sector represent a large biomass potential. If all process-based agricultural residues alone were to be utilized, they would contribute between 25-40% of the total primary commercial energy production in various Southeast Asian countries. However, the successful utilization of these residues for electricity (and heat) production in large-scale conversion plants strongly depends on a secure fuel-supply. In the past, several projects faced difficulties such as limited accessibility, logistical problems, seasonal availability, increasing residue prices and increased utilization for other applications. It is therefore desirable to set up a methodology to assess these risks before investments are made. The objective of this paper is to develop a coherent methodology to set up fuel supply strategies for large-scale biomass conversion units. This method will explicitly take risks and uncertainties regarding availability and costs in relation to time into account. It will mainly focus on residues from the agricultural and forestry sector. In order to demonstrate the methodology, a case study was carried out for the north-eastern part of Thailand (Isaan), an agricultural region.

Table of contents
	Preface
	Abstract
	Table of contents
1.	Introduction
2.	Methodology
3.	Research setting
4.	Applying the methodology
5.	Discussion and Conclusions
	References
	Notations and equations

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