Biopower Economics
Unlike the solar and wind markets the biopower market is diverse, with a multitude of business and economic models. The following are just a few examples of biopower projects which would be supported including:
- Wastewater treatment facility capturing anaerobic digester gas
- Food manufacturers, supermarket or animal farms using aerobic digester to gasify organic waste
- Lumberyard or forestry management unit directly combusting wood waste
- Landfill converting methane gas to power
- Big box retailer directly combusting paper and cardboard waste to power
- Hospital powered fuel cell fueled from sustainability certified biofuel
While there are some similarities in the development process and business models for each of these projects, the economics of each project will depend heavily on the specific permutations and combinations of feedstock type, feedstock handling and logistics (collection, transportation, storage and pre-processing needs), conversation technology, and balance of plant requirements (i.e. pumps, pipes, storage).