Biomass power station announced with PPA 120 U$D/MWh. Government explains support and next steps.
Already in March 2014, a press release from Pomera Forestry announced a 40MW power station based on forestry residues in the North-eastern province of Corrientes. This week, new provincial Minister Enrique Vaz Torres, confirmed governmental support for the project.
Local authority, Minister in the province of Corrientes where a new 40MW power station using forestry biomass is planned.
Biomass in Argentina would be able to supply all the power generated from fossil energy imports that costed billions during recent decade. Argentina use to import natural gas, while decades ago was able to export it. Lack of investments in fossil energy is expected to continue as new renewable energy projects become more real and cost effective.
In particular biomass is considered as one of the most interesting alternatives in a large country with huge agricultural and forest area. A more resilient system from bushes, shrublands, new reforestation and forestry residues would be expected in upcoming years. In a single year, we may soon see that 12 years of revolutionary technology with commercial mature solutions for biomass, heat and power production for domestic and industry sectors, may create rural jobs, extra income and social benefits for a country only oriented to provide subsidies to industrial sectors with imported fossil energy.
Mr.Vaz Torres mentioned: “Today we have around 80MW from company Enarsa and burning fossil oil which is expensive because of the transportation cost. When we will start with the forestry based power station we will use local raw materials includng chips, sawdust and other forestry products that are readly available and environmental friendly“.
He also mentioned that the power purchase agreement (PPA) is expected to be 120 U$D/Mwh which is by far a great saving compared to current scenarios.
In his words Mr.Vaz Torres valued the iniciatves from government to promote renewable energy and the new potential benefits from collaboration within neighbouring province of Misiones “Fortnately this new government has a different vision and supports reasonable plans for the province. We have talked about this with Misiones Governor Hugo Passalacqua and other official members of the Ministry. The “mate” herb and forestry sectors in this province should be analyzed in a different way compared to former government Cristian Kirchner’s perspectives; which had favours and unncessary conflicts in society” .
While 12 years of Kirchner left a high debt with the provinces, a collapse in energy and agricultural sectors and billions spent as yearly fossil energy inputs, a new greener perspective opens the door to renewable energy in a giant that may become one day a second biomass country in Latin America after Brazil.
New biomass projects are mentioned by government to start soon in different locations with focus in North and central Eastern regions of Argentina.
Source (in Spanish): Energia Estrategica
Great information for the industry and we who support climate change!
Thanks for your work!
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This picture reveals that an artificial plantation of bamboo has been developed and maintained well. The species seems to be Guadua angustifolia. Such well managed large scale plantation of bamboo should be developed in different countries of Tropical ~subtropical Asia and Africa. The selected species could be Bambusa balcooa, B. tulda, B.vulgaris, B.bambos var.giganteus, Dendrocalamus hamiltonii,D.brandisii, D.asper, D.strictus, D.longispathus, Gigantochloa sp, Thyrsostachys oliveri, Th.siamensis, and on the moist hills Melocanna baccifera. etc. I am sure, the multidimensional benefit of this every one of us can understand ,
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Choosing any feedstock for energy generation is an important decision. Managing the feedstock as a renewable is even more important. Forest harvesting must be a locally sustainable industry with replanting and growth improvement. The term we have begun using is “energy cultivation”.
In conjunction the conversion process must be selected with care. Mass burn, although well know and widely applied is perhaps the least efficient of the conversion technologies available. It also requires huge centralized capital intensive facilities to reach commercial viability. These types of project based developments then require extensive, highly mechanized, transportation centric operations with all of the expected logistical challenges of a coal or petroleum based fuel. The added power distribution GRID requirements add significantly to the cost, loss through distribution line losses are an additional avoidable cost.
Distributed power generation is even more attractive once the natural protection from system disruption is considered due to its inherent design. Loss of any one generating facility does not lead to a collapse of the entire network and becomes much easier to manage and balance. 50 2MW generating units spaced throughout a region present a stronger system less exposed to operational, natural disasters and terrorist type injury or attack. Transportation costs and logistical challenges are reduced as jobs are distributed more evenly throughout a region.