Potentials and challenges of wood-biomass energy

generation in off-grid communities:

The Brochet Case Study in Northwest Manitoba

Shirley Thompson, Ph.D.

Rezaur Rahman, MNRM Candidate

7th Annual Biomass Workshop, Arborg, Manitoba.

Context: Energy generation in off-grid communities

• Remote communities and 65kV grid lines and above

• Green: Aboriginal communities, Yellow: Non-Aboriginal communities (Government of Canada, 2011) 2

Energy is a constraining force in the 292 off-grid communities across

Canada where diesel generators are mainly used for electricity generation.

Fossil fuel use in these communities risks shortages, spills, high energy

cost, etc.

Renewable energy technologies can compete more favourably in

off-grid communities than elsewhere because of existing high energy costs.

The Brochet community

3

Off-grid communities in Manitoba

including Brochet (MB Hydro, 2009)

Barren Lands First Nation

Village of Brochet

Airport office

Diesel generating station

Barren Lands First Nations and Community of Brochet

1 of 4 off-grid communities located in northwest Manitoba.

Has biomass energy potential.

Brochet and surrounding area 4

Brief information

Power and heat demand in Brochet Variables Information of Brochet

Size of the three diesel generators 1015 kW, 1015 kW, 600 kW

Total electricity production

(from diesel)

2,800 MWh(el)/year

Total heat consumption

(from wood and oil)

7,651MWh(th)/year

Annual average electricity load 320kW

Peak electric load range in a year 520-595 kW

Number of households/residences 126

Population 537

Number of non-residential buildings 19

5 (Center for Indigenous Environmental Resources report, 2012)

Cost items Quantity Cost (million $)

Diesel purchase 1 million liter @ $1.2a/ L 1.2

Diesel transport 1 million liter @ $.28b/L .28

Operations cost 1.46

Maintenance cost 1.85

Fuel oil for heating .35 million liter .175

Total cost 4.97

6

Yearly cost of power and heat energy generation in Brochet.

A Cost of diesel is based on average price of diesel in Winnipeg in August, 2013. B This cost does not include the cost of vehicle and its maintenance (Fennell, 2013).

(Bhattarai, 2013; Fennell, 2013).

-

1,000

2,000

3,000

4,000

5,000

6,000

7,000

8,000

Cu

bic

mete

rs o

f w

oo

d

(m

3)

30% 25% 20%

Power Plant Efficiency

Average 45% MC

Average 30% MC

7

(AEBiome, 2008, Fennell,

2013)

Equation (Source: Fennell and Thompson, 2013)

The annual demand of wood for a 1MW biomass power

plant at Brochet

Biomass source areas and transportation routes

for three transport modes analyzed

Source: Fennell and Thompson (2013)

8

Issues to be discussed in this talk

1. Whether or not manual harvesting in the local

forest for biomass fuel is possible.

2. Lack of definite knowledge of appropriate biomass

plant types and biomass energy technologies for

Brochet.

9

Biomass source areas in local forest (Forest Management Unit 79)

10

Burnt wood as fuel: wildfire occurrences near Brochet

11 (Source: Rahman, 2014)

1. Harvesting in local forest (FMU 79) outside formal productive

forest area

Potentials Barriers

• Wildfire burnt forest areas are

suitable for salvaging.

• Knowledge and experience of

harvesting in burnt area needed.

• No notable effect of harvesting

fire-killed and fallen trees on

wildlife and activities in forest.

• Major harvesting has to be performed

in winter and within 2-3 years of burn.

• Brochet/Barren lands community

economic development with local

jobs.

• Manual harvesting not state of the art

technology

• Harvesting biomass and storing

in Brochet.

• Harvesting restriction in close areas to

Brochet for high Caribou density.

• Harvesting green stands in far

areas from the community is an

option.

• Requires volume availability and

permission of Manitoba Conservation.

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2. Biomass plant types for Brochet

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Plant size and type Plant type Rank Remark on suitability

Power

only

4 There is no biomass power plant from 300 kW to

1000 kW size (micro-scale) operating in Canada

as technology does not suit economics of scale.

Heat and

power

combined

1 A CHP plant of 600 kW to 1 MW size is

appropriate for Brochet as heat demand is

substantial.

Heat only

2

An attractive option for its advantages over the

use of individual oil heating system in each

houses.

District

heating

3 Suitable for heat supply for 2 km area.

Comparison of the biomass technologies for Brochet

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Technology Limitations Final remark

Organic

Rankine

Cycle

(ORC),

Entropic

cycle

Electrical efficiency of ORC is

low at 20% requiring more

biomass.

Uses refrigerant (pentane,

Butane etc.), which requires

much expense and care.

Too expensive and

demanding to be used

in Brochet.

Fixed-bed

downdraft

gasification

system (1st

generation)

• Produces tar as waste, which

is toxic.

Gasification plants require

much care.

The system is on test

by MB Hydro for

operational suitability

in a similar situation

to Brochet.

2nd

generation

(Water-

phase shift)

Requires woodchips to be of

specific size for operation.

The most attractive

option for Brochet as

it avoids the need of

conversion of the

energy into steam.

No pilot plant is

established yet.

3. Suppliers of CHP technology

Most companies offering biomass CHP

technologies at medium scale (200 kW to 2 MW),

including ORC technology, are based in Europe,

with very few companies in Canada or the US.

Only one energy company in Canada is offering the

downdraft gasification technology for a single plant

of 1MW size.

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Wood-biomass CHP plants with potential for Brochet.

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Company Product® and technological maturity Cost of the product

•Turboden,

Italy

TD 10 CHP 1 MW ORC unit, Commercial • CAD 6.2 Million

• Maintenance CAD

28,566/yr/unit

•GMK,

Germany

ECOCAL .5 to 2 MWe, ORC, Commercial

•Xylowatt,

Belgium

Xylowatt NOTAR 300 kW, Commercial

Fixed-bed downdraft gasification

•Biomass

Engineering

Ltd., UK

Modular 500 kW unit, Commercial

Fixed-bed downdraft gasifier

CAD 0.28 Million

•Biomass

Canada Ltd.,

Alberta

Gasification technology with stratified

catalytic downdraft gasifier.

2nd generation, 1 MW, Commercial

CAD 4 million

•Community

Power

Corporation,

Colorado

BioMax 100 kW, Commercial

Downdraft gasification technology

CAD 1.27 Million

O & M $18,500 &

16% FTE technician

CHP plant - CAD

200K to 250K less.

A biomass-fired ORC plant (Photo: Dong et al., 2009)

Biomass gasifier in Pine Lands nursery, MB 17

Biomass heating plant (2 MW) in Univ. of

Northern BC (Photo: Nexterra, BC)

In conclusion: Harvesting in local forest

A comprehensive ground survey should be performed

with the support of government to know wood volume

availability in the FMU 79.

A forest management plan and guideline for harvesting

burnt stands in the unit should be designed.

Some trials of harvesting and fuel storage are preferable. 18

Harvesting sufficient woody biomass from FMU 79 is a

feasible option.

Biomass conversion technologies for Brochet

The transition from diesel to biomass power generation

technologies/plants should begin slowly but as soon as

possible.

In-depth investigation needs to be performed to identify

suitable types and number of plants.

The biomass systems can be tried for independent

operation or work in harmonization with the existing diesel

generators.

The diesel generators can be modified to use syngas as

part of the overall solution.

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References

Bhattarai, P. (2013). Optimizing an off-grid electrical system in Brochet, Manitoba, Canada. Master’s thesis.

Natural Resources Institute, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg.

Center for Indigenous Environmental Resources (2012). Barren Lands First Nation clean energy: A new and

comprehensive business case. Centre for Indigenous Environmental Resources. Final report submitted on

30March, 2012.

Dong, L., Liu, H. & Riffat, S. (2009). Development of small-scale and micro-scale biomass- fuelled CHP systems

– A literature review. Applied Thermal Engineering, 29: 2119–2126.

Fennell, K. (2013). Economic and energy efficiency assessment of biomass harvesting at a northern off-grid

community: A case study of Barren Lands First Nation at Brochet, Manitoba, Canada. Master’s Thesis.

Natural Resources Institute. University of Manitoba, Winnipeg.

Fennell and Thompson (2013). Cost analysis of harvesting and transporting wood biomass to a

northern off-grid community: A case study of Barren Lands First Nation at Brochet, Manitoba, Canada. A report

submitted to Manitoba Hydro.

Government of Canada (2011). Status of off-grid communities in Canada. Aboriginal Affairs and Northern

Development Canada (AANDC) and Natural Resources Canada (NRCan)’s Report. Accessed on 10 November,

2013 at http://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2013/rncan-nrcan/M154-71-2013-eng.pdf

Manitoba Hydro (2009).Recommendations for reducing or eliminating the use of diesel fuel to supply power in

off-grid communities.Report of Manitoba Hydro.

Rahman (2014). Woody biomass assessment and utilization planning for energy generation in off-grid

communities: A case study of Brochet in North-west Manitoba.

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Thanks for your attention.

21

Table: Costs to be incurred within 2015-17 for the diesel generators and storage tanks.

22

Cost estimation of a biomass gasification CHP plant

Base Case: Operation plan for current diesel power plant.

Proposed Case: Establishment of a 1 MW biomass

gasification CHP plant

Diesel

generator

maintenance

cost for a 1 MW

plant

New diesel

generator

cost for a 1

MW plant

Total costs for the base case

Case 1:

Replacement of

storage tanks and

maintenance of a 1

MW diesel

generator

(million $)

Case 2:

Replacement of

storage tanks and

purchase of a new 1

MW diesel

generator

(million $)

$594x1,000 kW=

$594,000

$891x1,000

kW=

$891,000

7 + .594 = 7.594

7 + .891= 7.891

Cost comparison of biomass plant establishment with

investment for diesel facility

Note: The costs of wood drying, unloading, storing, and chipping were not

estimated for inclusion in calculating the total cost of the biomass case. 23

Options

Proposed case of biomass CHP plant

A - Total plant

cost – Min.

range

B - Total

plant cost –

Max. range

Cost saving of

proposed case

than the base case

(C-A, C-B)

A. Full-tree harvesting

& barge transport of

feedstock

.543 +3.4 =

3.94

.543 +3.93 =

4.47

4.12 to 3.59

B. Motor manual

harvesting and self-

loading truck

transport

1.05 +3.4 =

4.45

1.053 +3.93 =

4.98

3.61 to 3.08

C. Replacement of all

storage tanks and

purchase of a 1 MW

diesel generator; plus

fuel oil cost

7.89 +.175

=8.06

NA NA

Cost attractiveness of biomass CHP plant

establishment

Running a diesel plant with necessary facilities is

very costly and will be more costly in future.

An economic analysis of a 1MW biomass

gasification CHP plant showed potential to be much

more economical for investment compared to the

diesel system.

It makes economic sense to test/install biomass

energy systems before making new investment in

the diesel facility.

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25

Biomass plant establishment potential in the

community is closely associated with:

topography

accessibility

fuel availability and

weather condition.

Power load

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Average monthly electricity production in 2011 at Brochet

(Manitoba Hydro, 2012)

Research performed at NRI relating to biomass energy generation at Brochet

Cost and energy assessment of wood biomass harvesting and transportation for Brochet.

Wood biomass availability and requirement

Harvesting systems

Transportation systems

Co-benefits: Employment creation, CO2 emission

from harvesting and transportation.

Collection and analysis of energy baseline data of the community to provide demand side information.

Power load information and total cost of the existing diesel generating facility.

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