Utilization of Triticale Straw for Power Generation

• Author / Creator

  Dassanayake, Geekiyanage DM

• The concept of producing electricity by using a dedicated energy crop has initiated many research projects in the recent past. Triticale, a hybrid between wheat and rye, has gained the attention of researchers as a feasible future energy crop for Canada. The study focuses on the techno-economic assessment of triticale straw based electricity generation and its GHG abatement potential at larger plant capacities. The research for this study involved the development of techno-economic models to estimate the cost of power generation and the optimum size of the power plant. In the base case, the size of the triticale straw based power plant is 300 MW. It is assumed that enough straw is available to fuel the plant. Direct combustion is the conversion technology considered due to its reliability and large-scale commercial availability. The cost of power production via direct combustion is in the range of $76.33 ± 4.76 /MWh, at a boiler unit size of 300 MW. The estimated carbon credit required for triticale straw based power plant to be competitive with coal based power is $16.4 /tCO2e. In a scenario in which the unit size is unlimited, the optimum power plant size of triticale straw based power plant and the cost of power are 595 MW and $75.02 /MWh, respectively.

• Subjects / Keywords

  • Biomass energy
  • Power production cost
  • Triticale straw

• Graduation date

  Spring 2012

• Type of Item

  Thesis

• Degree

  Master of Science

• DOI

  https://doi.org/10.7939/R3ZH94

• License

  This thesis is made available by the University of Alberta Libraries with permission of the copyright owner solely for non-commercial purposes. This thesis, or any portion thereof, may not otherwise be copied or reproduced without the written consent of the copyright owner, except to the extent permitted by Canadian copyright law.