Techno-economic evaluation of converting biomass to electricity in isolated areas of Colombia

Abstract

The Colombian government must carry out a program of ‘comprehensive agrarian development’, which includes rural electrification, to comply with the terms of its 2016 peace agreement with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). The edaphic and climatic conditions of much of Colombia's arable land support an agroindustry-based economy, generating substantial amounts of residual biomass. This article evaluates appropriate technologies to convert biomass into electricity in three isolated areas (IAs): Amazon, Orinoco, and Pacific. The technical potential of agricultural residues (AR), livestock waste (LW), and municipal solid waste (MSW) was evaluated, and a total estimate of 3870.5 MW was obtained. Technologies considered were conventional Rankine cycle (CRC), organic Rankine cycle (ORC), and cycle with internal combustion engine cycle (ICE.C), with power outputs from 50 to 50 000 kW, investment costs from 2100 to 5120 USD/kW, and levelized electricity costs from 0.074 to 0.252 USD/kW. To match the per capita electricity consumption of the rest of the country, the estimated energy demand in these isolated areas was 380.2 MW. This corresponded to 3.3% of the theoretical energy potential of agricultural waste biomass in those areas. Converting waste biomass into electrical energy is an option for the farming sector, as it would allow it to manage its waste more efficiently and add value. This work provides valuable, previously unpublished information on the technical potential for generating electricity from waste biomass in isolated Colombian regions, which could assist the government to fulfill its commitment.