TECHNICAL AND ECONOMIC EVALUATION OF BIOMASS CO-COMBUSTION IN A COAL-FIRED POWER PLANT

This study dealt with analysing the technical and economic potential involved in introducing technological innovations into power production using biomass co-combustion with coal at the Fiume Santo (Sassari, Sardinia, Italy) power plant. With the purpose of meeting annual biomass demand, at least a third of which comes from a short chain system (as per Art. 9 and 10 of Leg. Dec. 109/2005 and Min. Dec. 103/2010), the creation was suggested of dual cultivation of Short Rotation Forestry Poplars, wholly or partially alongside basins of previous supplies on the territory, such as wooded areas and agricultural residues. Placing such cultivation within a 70 km radius of the power plant would permit not only economic advantages resulting from obtaining the incentives assigned (as per Law 99/2009), but also reconstruction work on the topsoil of a portion of territory involved in desertification phenomena. An economic assessment of the initiative was carried out based on a comparison between the costs of supplies and the income deriving from Green Certificates obtainable by using biomass and from selling the MWhe produced on the market. The results highlight the way the use of local biomass and consequent procurement of incentives is economically profitable and also enables greenhouse gas production to be limited.