Conference article

Although Brazil has a clean energy matrix; factors such as increased electricity consumption forecast for the next 25 years and the peculiarities of the isolated systems of electricity generation in the north of the country could require the inclusion of alternative energy sources that can show competitive production costs. This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of a 100 kWe gasification system including an engine generator set; examining the major costs in using this technology and the sensitivity of different factors on the variation of the electricity cost. With a capital cost of 1;100.50 €.kW_e^-1; the levelized unit cost of electricity delivered (LUCE) found was 459;83 €.MWh^-1; which would make this technology uncompetitive even in places where the generation is done using diesel oil. The parameters that showed to have a greater impact on LUCE were; in decreasing order; the load factor; the gasifier capital cost; the electric conversion efficiency; the capacity utilization factor and the gasifier useful lifetime; but even with variations of 30% within the range considered no parameter alone would allow reducing the LUCE to a competitive level.

Alternative energy sources; Biomass-based power plant; Levelized unit cost of electricity