A Substantiation of the Main Technical-Economic Characteristics of Energy Plantations and Production of Solid Fuel from Biomass of Energy Crops

Abstract

The article is aimed at substantiating the basic technical-economic characteristics of energy plantations of miscanthus and production of solid fuels from the obtained biomass on the example of a particular project. As a result of the study: the analysis of the production volume of solid biofuels on the basis of quantities from a given area of plantation was carried out; net income of the complex was determined, which was calculated on the basis of accepted production volumes and «reasonable» wholesale prices, which were determined in a costly manner and provided for the provision of a sufficient level of profitability of economic activity; the current (operational) costs of economic activity of the complex were determined, calculated according to the standards established by analogues of industrial production of biomass from energy crops and its processing into solid biofuels. Also the economic feasibility of implementing an investment project on laying the plantation of miscanthus and production of solid biofuels from the resulting biomass was assessed. In general, in the presence of adequate State-based stimulation of solid biofuel production from miscanthus biomass, the economic efficiency of the project will be high, and the project itself is commercially feasible. Prospects for further research in this direction are substantiation of the main technical-economic characteristics together with feasibility of creating complexes for the transformation of solid biofuels into commodity energy – both electric and thermal.

Keywords

• biofuels
• miscanthus
• energy crops
• solid biofuels
• net income
• pellets