Investment
The Tłı̨chǫ Government is investigating the possibility of developing two biomass projects near the community of Behchokǫ, Northwest Territories (NWT). The two projects are a green house with biomass CHP facility and a pellet plant, both utilizing biomass as the heat and electricity source.
Available feedstock for both projects could come from existing forest fire burns, consisting of 130,000,000 standing dead trees in the area.
This study investigates the possible technologies and economics involved in providing both heat and electricity to both of these projects, while utilizing biomass as the energy source.
Investment
Total Capital expenditure (i.e. required investment) for the Biomass CHP Project and Greenhouse.
| Direct Costs | Remarks | 12,000 sq. ft. | 30,000 sq. ft. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Greenhouse ($50 per square foot) | $ 600,000 | $ 1,500,000 | |
| Biomass CHP Plant | $ 4,860,000 | $ 9,720,000 | |
| Biomass grinding and processing equipment | $ 1,000,000 | $ 2,000,000 | |
| Biomass handling equipment and loader | $ 300,000 | $ 600,000 | |
| Direct labor and material (including civil, architectural, structural, mechanical and electrical) | $ 3,230,000 | $ 6,610,000 | |
| Emergency diesel engine (1000kVA) | 50% of equipment | $ 600,000 | $ 600,000 |
| Total Direct Costs | $ 10,590,000 | $21,030,000 | |
| Indirect Costs | |||
| Owner's cost (legal, financing, project management, etc.) | 15% of direct costs | $ 1,588,500 | $ 3,154,500 |
| Land and site development | 5% of direct costs | $ 529,500 | $ 1,051,500 |
| EPC management | 10% of direct costs | $ 1,059,000 | $ 2,103,000 |
| Project Contingency | 15% of direct costs | $ 1,588,500 | $ 3,154,500 |
| Initial fill, commissioning and startup | 5% of direct costs | $ 529,500 | $ 1,051,500 |
| Total Indirect Costs | $ 5,295,000 | $ 10,515,000 | |
| Total Project Capital Expenditure | $ 15,885,000 | $ 31,545,000 |
Biomass CHP Facility
Core technical Operations and Management team is required for the daily operation of the Biomass CHP Facility. Shift operation is considered with 2 operators per shift along with a plant manager, electrical technician and mechanical technician. Total staff required for normal operation is 8 Full-time Employees (FTE).
| Staff Requirements for CHP Facility | ||
|---|---|---|
| Plant manager | 1 | |
| Operator (4 groups x 2 operators per shift) | 8 | |
| Electrical | 1 | |
| Mechanical | 1 | |
| Admin | 1 | |
| Total FTE | 12 |
| Operations and Management Costs for CHP Factility | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Biomass Furnace Size (MMBtu/hr) | 6 | 12 | 18 |
| Gross Electrical Power Requirement (kW) | 280 | 560 | 840 |
| Thermal + electrical (kWh/yr) | 7,972,476 | 15,944,952 | 23,917,428 |
| Staff (12 FTE, $30/hr, 2000 hrs/year) | $ 720,000 | $ 720,000 | $ 720,000 |
| Maintenance (15% of CAPEX) | $ 457,500 | $ 729,000 | $ 981,000 |
| General and Administrative Expenses (10% of CAPEX) | $ 305,000 | $ 486,000 | $ 654,000 |
| Biomass grinding/transport/delivery ($50 / tonne) | $ 314,570 | $ 629,139 | $ 943,709 |
| $ 1,797,070 | $ 1,844,139 | $ 2,578,709 |
Greenhouse
In addition to the above-mentioned costs for Operations and Management of the Biomass CHP Facility, there will be costs for the Operations and Management of the Greenhouse as listed below to be provided by the greenhouse supplier:
- Irrigation system
- Heating system
- Lighting system
- HVAC and filtration system
- Carbon dioxide fertilization system
- Staffing and labor
- Energy costs