Centro de Investigaciones Energeticas, Medioambientales y Tecnologicas Miner CxE/MffF- 20 f I Assessment of the externalities ofbiomass energy for electricityproduction P. Linares J.Leal R.M. Saez DISTRIBUTION OF THIS DOCUMENT IS UNLIMITED #3 Mormes Tecnicos Ciemat 804 Septiembre 1996 Morales Tecnicos Ciemat 804 Septiembre 1996 Assessment ofthe externalities ofbiomass energy for electricityproduction P. Linares J.Leal R.M. Saez Institute de Estudios de la Energia DISCLAIMER Portions of this document may be illegible in electronic image products. Images are produced from the best available original document. Toda correspondencia en relation con este trabajo debe dirigirse al Servicio de Information y Documentation, Centro de Investigaciones Energeticas, Medioambientales y Tecnologicas, Ciudad Universitaria, 28040-MADRID, ESPAINA. Las solicitudes de ejemplares deben dirigirse a este mismo Servicio. Los descriptores se ban seleccionado del Thesauro del DOE para describir las materias que contiene este informe con vistas a su recuperation. La catalogacion se ha hecho utilizando el documento DOE/TIC-4602 (Rev. 1) Descriptive Cataloguing On-Line, y la clasificacion de acuerdo con el documento DOE/TIC.4584-R7 Subject Categories and Scope publicados por el Office of Scientific and Technical Information del Departamento de Energia de los Estados Unidos. Se autoriza la reproduction de los resumenes analiticos que aparecen en esta publication. Deposito Legal: M-14226-1995 NIPO: 238-96-001-0 ISSN: 1135-9420 Editorial Cl EM AT CLASIFICACION DOE Y DESCRIPTORES 290300, 093000 BIOMASS, ELECTRIC POWER, ELECTRICITY, FUEL CYCLE, ECONOMIC ANALYSIS, ECONOMIC IMPACT, ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS, SOCIO-ECONOMIC FACTORS, EUROPEAN UNION "Assessment of the externalities of biomass energy for electricity production" Linares, P.; Leal, J.; Saez, R.M. 95 pp. 13 figs. 44 refs. Abstract This study presents a methodology for the quantification of the socioeconomic and environmental externalities of the biomass fuel cycle. It is based on the one developed by the ExternE Project of the European Commission, based in turn in the damage function approach, and which has been extended and modified for a better adaptation to biomass energy systems. The methodology has been applied to a 20 MW biomass power plant, fueled by Cynara cardunculus, in southern Spain. The externalities addressed have been macroeconomic effects, employment, C02, fixation, erosion, and non-point source pollution. The results obtained should be considered only as subtotals, since there are still other externalities to be quantified. Anyway, and in spite of the uncertainty existing, these results suggest that the total cost (those including internal and external costs) of biomass energy are lower than those of conventional energy sources, what, if taken into account, would make biomass more competitive than it is now. "Evaluation de las externalidades de la biomasa para production electrics" Linares, P.; Leal, J.; Saez, R.M. 95 pp. 13 figs. 44 refs. Resumen Este estudio presents una metodologia para la cuantificacion de las externalidades medioambientales y socioeconomicas del ciclo de la biomasa. Se basa en la metodologia desarrollada por el Proyecto ExternE de la Comisidn Europea, basada a su vezen la funcidn de dano, y que ha sido extendida y modificada para una mejor adaptation a los sistemas de aprovechamiento energetico de la biomasa. La metodologia ha sido aplicada a una central electrics de 20 MW, alimentada por biomasa precedents de Cynara cardunculus, en el sur de Espana. Las externalidades analizadas han sido los efectos macroecondmicos, el empleo, la fijacidn de C02, la erosion, y la contamination agraria difusa. Los resultados obtenidos no pueden considerarse mas que subtotales, ya que no se han cuantificado todas las externalidades existentes. En cualquier caso, y a pesar de la incertidumbre existente, estos resultados sugieren que el costs total (costs interno mas costs externo) de la biomasa es menor que el de las energies convencionales, lo cual, si se tuviera en cuenta, podria hacer a la biomasa mas competitiva que en la actualidad. This report has been prepared by: Julian Leal Pedro Linares Rosa M. Saez with the helpful collaboration of Prof. Jesus Fernandez (Universidad Politecnica de Madrid) for the biomass crop description. We would also like to acknowledge: - The Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, for their data on land distribution. - The National Institute of Statistics of Spain, for their data on population distribution and employment. - The US Dept, of Agriculture, for providing the EPIC model. - The Spanish Ministry of Economy, for their help in developing the input-output model for the Spanish economy. - The Environmental Agency of the Junta de Andalucla, for providing the Soil Catalog of Andalucla. Remaining errors are solely of CIEMAT’s responsibility * Conversion of Ptas to ECU has been made at the following rate: 1ECU=165 Ptas. Research funded in part by THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION in the framework of the APAS Programme. TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION................................................................................................................................... 1 2. STATE OF THE ART OF EXTERNALITIES ASSESSMENT......................................................... 4 3. METHODOLOGY..................................................................................................................................7 3.1. Introduction ...................................................................................................................... 7 3.2. Stages of the analysis ........................................................................................................................7 3.2.1. Site and technology characterization..............................................................................................7 3.2.2. Identificationof consequencesand impacts....................................................................................8 3.2.3. Prioritization of the impacts......................................................................................................... 11 3.2.4. Quantificationof the impacts........................................................................................................12 3.2.5. Economic valuation...................................................................................................................... 14 3.2.6. Uncertainty................................................................................................................................... 16 4. DESCRIPTION OF THE REFERENCE ENVIRONMENT AND TECHNOLOGY..................... 17 4.1. Introduction ...................................................................................................................................... 17 4.2. Site description .................................................................................................................................. 17 4.2.1. Geographical location.................................................................................................................. 17 4.2.2. Population distribution.................................................................................................................20 4.2.3. Land use........................................................................................................................................22 4.2.4. Climatology...................................................................................................................................25 4.2.6. Geology and soils..........................................................................................................................26 4.3. Technology description ...................................................................................................................27 4.3.1. Technologyselection .....................................................................................................................27 4.3.2. Fluidized bed combustion technology...........................................................................................28 4.3.3. Description of the plant................................................................................................................29 4.3.4. Emissions from the plant...............................................................................................................30 4.3.5. Economics of the plant..................................................................................................................31 4.4. Fuel description ............................................................:................................................................... 32 4.4.1. Crop requirements........................................................................................................................32 4.4.2. Management practices..................................................................................................................33 4.4.3. Labour requirements.....................................................................................................................34 4.4.4. Crop economics............................................................................................................................34 5. MACROECONOMIC EFFECTS........................................................................................................36 5.1. The input-output model ....................................................................................................................37