Market Penetration of Biomass Fuels for Electricity Generation

The electric power sector is a main source of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions that contribute to global warming. In the U.S., fossil fuel fired power plants are responsible for about 38% of the total CO2 emissions from all sources. Switching a significant portion of the U.S. electricity generating capacity from fossil fuels to biomass fuels would help reduce CO2 emissions from the electric power industries. At present, biomass accounts for only about 1% of the fuel used for electricity generation in the U.S. In contrast, coal alone accounts for about 50%, and nuclear, natural gas and petroleum explain for about 20%, 16% and 3% respectively of the fuels used for electricity generation. There are a number of factors that may influence the extent to which biomass fuels are to penetrate the electricity market: facility needs, growth in electricity demand, prices of fossil fuels and advances in technology. Electricity is generally produced in large, expensive and long-lived facilities. However new facilities or capitals are often built to meet demand growth. Capitals can be generally said to have a given productive lifetime. As new capital investment occurs and older capital is retired, electricity producers will have opportunities to substitute away from fossil fuels. Thus, an increase in the market penetration of biomass power will likely occur when existing fossil power plants are retired and replaced by new and less carbon intensive power plants. The market penetration of biomass electricity will also depend on a strong growth in electricity demand due to economic and population growth, availability and prices of fuels, environmental considerations and technological advances. Specifically, this paper will look at the potential for biomass penetration into the electricity market considering: a) prices of fossil fuels such as coal, natural gas and petroleum for power production, b) the capital turnover rate for existing stock of fossil power plants, c) changes in technologies which could facilitate the use of biomass as fuels for electricity generation.Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,

Economics of Biomass Fuels for Electricity Production: A Case Study with Crop Residues

In the past, studies on agricultural feedstocks for energy production were motivated by rising fossil fuel prices interpreted by many as caused by resource depletion. However, today's studies are mainly motivated by concerns for climate change and global warming. Currently, most studies concentrate on liquid fuels with little study devoted toward electricity. This study examines crop residues for electricity production in the context of climate change and global warming. We use sector modeling to simulate future market penetration for biopower production from crop residues. Our findings suggest that crop residues cost much more than coal because they have lower heat content and higher production/hauling costs. For crop residues to have any role in electricity generation either the carbon or carbon dioxide equivalent greenhouse gas price must rise to about 15 dollars per ton or the price of coal has to increase to about 43 dollars per ton. We find crop residues with higher heat content and lower production costs such as wheat residues have greater opportunities in biopower production than the residues with lower heat content and higher production costs. In addition, the analysis shows that improvements in crop yield do not have much impact on biopower production. However, the energy recovery efficiency does have significant positive impact but only if the carbon equivalent price rises substantially. The analysis also indicates the desirability of cofiring biomass as opposed to 100% replacement because this reduces hauling costs and increases the efficiency of heat recovery. In terms of policy implications, imposing carbon emission pricing could be an important step in inducing electric power producers to include agricultural biomass in their fuel-mix power generation portfolios and achieve greenhouse gas emission reductions.Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,

The Viability of Harvesting Corn Cobs and Stover for Biofuel Production in North Dakota

This study examines the impact of stochastic harvest field time, corn cob and stover harvest technologies, increases in farm size, and alternative tillage practices on profit maximizing potential of corn cob and stover collection in North Dakota. Using three mathematical programming models, we analyze farmers’ harvest activities under 1) corn grain only harvest option, 2) simultaneous corn grain and cob harvest(one-pass) option 3) separate corn grain and stover harvest (two-pass) option. Under the first corn grain only option, farmers are able to complete harvesting corn grain and achieve maximum net income in a fairly short amount of time with existing combine technology. However, under the simultaneous corn grain and cob one-pass harvest option, our findings indicate that farmers generate lower net income as compared to the net income of corn grain only harvest option. This is due to the slowdown in combine harvest capacity as a consequence of attaching cob harvester to the back of combine. Under the third option of a two-pass harvest system, time allocation is the main challenge and our evidence shows that with limited harvest field time available, farmers find it optimal to allocate most of their time harvesting grain, and then proceed to bale stover if time permits at the end of harvest season. As farm size increases, farmers are especially challenged in finding time to harvest both corn grain and cobs/stover. We show that a small decrease in corn yield due to changes in tillage practice can result in a large decline in the net profit of harvesting corn grain and cobs/stover.Cob, Stover, harvest field time, optimization, farm size, tillage, Crop Production/Industries, Production Economics,

A Study On The Performance Of Limestone Roughing Filter For The Removal Of Turbidity, Suspended Solids, Biochemical Oxygen Demand And Coliform Organisms Using Wastewater From The Inlet Of Domestic Wastewater Oxidation Pond [TD444. T377 2006 f rb].

Penurasan kasar pada hakikatnya adalah bertujuan untuk melindungi penapis pasir perlahan dengan cara mengurangkan kekeruhan influen dan pepejal terampai pada tahap yang mana ianya boleh beroperasi dengan berkesan. The original purpose of roughing filtration is to protect slow sand filters by reducing influent turbidity and suspended solids to a level that is effective for operation. Roughing filtration presents a promising method for improving raw water quality without using any chemicals

Study on the Effect of Different Urea Fertilizer Rates and Plant Populations on the Severity of Bacterial Blight (BB) of Rice

To study the effect of different urea fertilizer rates and plant populations on disease severity of bacterial blight of rice and yield lasses related to disease, the experiments including three plant populations (110000, 150000, 190000) and five urea fertilizer rates (0,56 lb, 112 lb, 168 lb and 224 lb per acre) were conducted at Central Agriculture Research Institute farm in 1999 and 2000 rainy seasons. Manawthukha was used as a test variety that is susceptible to bacterial blight of rice. The disease severity could be increased by the application of urea. Although urea 112 lb per acre gave moderate disease severity than without urea, its yield is highest. The higher disease severity also showed the related effect of plant population of 150000 and above. However the combination of urea 224 lb per acre with the population of 190000 and 150000 gave the highest severity of bacterial blight disease and the minimum grain yield. The application of urea 224 lbs per acre can cause yield reduction ranging from 18.67 percent to 27.57 percent over the application of urea 112 lb per acre

A thesis on customary law of Buddhist marriages in British Burma

Under section 13 of the Burma Laws Act ( XIII of 1898 ), the Courts in British Burma must apply the Buddhist Customary Law to certain specified matters including Marriages where the parties to any suitor proceeding are Buddhists, except in so far as such l aw has by enactment been altered or abolished, or is opposed to any custom having the force of law. Marriage la s are contained in the Dhammathats which are not statutes. They prob bly stated what the la s were when they were compiled or hat t hey should have been in the view of the authors. In the Burmese Courts, the Judges consulted them or some of them, but did not regard their dicta as binding. The task of the Courts in British Burma has been and still is to deduce from the ad hoc decisions compiled in the Dhammathats, general principles of the Customary Law in accordance with modern habits and customs of the Buddhists. Only in t hese Courts is an attempt made to balance one against another and to accept the result as a rule of decision. The writer has pointed out errors in decisions arising from inaccurate English translations of the Dhammathats. The Introductory Chapter contains a brief study of Burma, and the Burmese as a nation. The subject is divided into Chapters on nature of Customary Law, Tests of customary Law, Proof of Custom and Usage, Extent of Application of Burmese Customary Law , Dhammathats, Matrimonial Courts, Burmese Buddhist Marriage, Marriage, Consent of Parents and Guardians, Consummations of Marriage, Proof of Marriage, Wives , Restitution of Conjugal Rights, Marriage with Foreigners, Maintenance, Effect of Marriage on Property, Divorce, Partition on Divorce, and Effect of Divorce on Children. As the title plainly suggests, the thesis deals only with the Customary Law as administered by the Courts established after the British annexation of Burma

Discovery of Propotamochoerus (Artiodactyla, Suidae) from the Neogene of Myanmar

Dento-gnathic specimens of Propotamochoerus (Mammalia, Artiodactyla, Suidae) were discovered from the upper Miocene and lower Pliocene of the Irrawaddy Group, central Myanmar. These specimens were identified as Propotamochoerus hysudricus and Propotamochoerus sp. cf. P. hysudricus. The discovery of P. cf. hysudricus from the lower Pliocene indicates a younger stratigraphic position of this genus. Small size of the premolars in the lower Pliocene specimens possibly suggests an intermediate stage of dental evolution for this form

Economics of biomass fuels for electricity production: a case study with crop residues

In the United Sates and around the world, electric power plants are among the biggest sources of greenhouse gas emissions which the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change argued was the main cause of climate change and global warming. This dissertation explores the factors which may induce electricity producers to use biomass fuels for power generation and thereby mitigate the impact of greenhouse gas emissions. Analyses in this dissertation suggest that there are two important factors which will play a major role in determining the future degree of bioelectricity production: the price of coal and the future price of carbon emissions. Using The Forest and Agricultural Sector Optimization Model—Green House Gas version (FASOMGHG) in a case study examining the competitiveness of crop residues, this dissertation finds that crop residues currently cost much more than coal as an electricity generation feedstock because they have lower heat content and higher production /hauling costs. For them to become cost competitive with coal, the combined costs of production and hauling must be cut by more than half or the coal price needs to rise. In particular, for crop residues to have any role in electricity generation either the price of coal has to increase to about $43 per ton or the carbon equivalent price must rise to about$15 per ton. The simulation results also show that crop residues with higher heat content such as wheat residues will have greater opportunities in bioelectricity production than the residues with lower heat content. In addition, the analysis shows that improvements in crop yield do not have much impact on bioelectricity production. However, the energy recovery efficiency does have significant positive impact on the bioelectricity desirability but again only if the carbon equivalent price rises substantially. The analysis also shows the desirability of cofiring biomass as opposed to 100% replacement because this reduces haling costs and increases the efficiency of heat recovery. In terms of policy implications, imposing carbon emission restrictions could be an important step in inducing electric power producers to include biofuels in their fuelmix power generation portfolios and achieve significant greenhouse gas emission reductions

Дакументальныя крыніцы па гісторыі беларускай праваслаўнай царквы ХХ ст. у архівах Беларусі: праблемы іх публікацыі і навуковага выкарыстання

The phylogenetic status of Sivachoerus is re-evaluated according to the new materials recovered from the central Myanmar. Sivachoerus had also been known from the Pliocene Siwalik sediments of Indian Subcontinent. Compared to Siwalik specimens, Myanmar specimens are poorly known and have not been confirmed their geological age yet. New evidence for the discovery of Sivachoerus from the Irrawaddy Formation presumed that Sivachoerus has appeared during the Pliocene in Myanmar, Southeast Asia. Dental morphology and chronology of Sivachoenu strongly support the 'African origin' hypothesis than the 'Asian origin' of this genus. Stvachoerus probably evolved from the African Nyanzachoerus rather than the Asian Conohvus, during the Late Miocene, and migrated to Asia during the latest Miocene

Economics of Sourcing Cellulosic Feedstock for Energy Production

This study investigates the economics of supplying wheat straw and corn stover within 100 mile radius of a potential new biorefinery in southeast North Dakota. In particular, straw and stover total delivery costs, potential straw and stover supply sites and least cost transportation routes are identified using a linear programming transport model and a GIS (Geographic Information Systems) mapping system. We show that USDA/NRCS (Natural Resources Conservation Service) future crop residue removal rate policies will be important for determining whether it is economically viable to harvest crop residues as potential feedstock for energy generation. Increase in residue removal rates narrow the size of residue supply areas and consequently result in lowering total transportation costs. There is an economic tradeoff between residue collection density and distance from the biorefinery. Most wheat residues are highly concentrated in the north, some distance from the biorefinery. Relying solely on wheat straw for supply needs require longer transportation distances which increases total cost. Using a combination of wheat and corn residues lowers total transportation costs. Since most wheat/corn residues are densely concentrated in north/south, regional highways would likely be the routes used often to transport the residues, as compared to interstate highways. Increased traffic volumes due to the hauling of crop residues would require additional investment in improving road conditions.Wheat Straw, Corn Stover, Density, Transportation Cost, GIS, Community/Rural/Urban Development, Crop Production/Industries,