It IS about the money!
Biomass energy is used across the United States and the world, and there are only a few reasons why it isn't more widespread.
Complication 1Biomass energy is expensive to put into action. Much of this money can be earned back, but some countries lack the rquired initial funding
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Complication 2Many biomass sources are used recklessly and are becoming harmful to the enviormet because of poor managing.
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Steam Turbine Biomass
Steam trubine biomass costs anywhere from 6-11 cents to generate per kWh. THis figure includes capital, biomass feedstock cost, and operating cost. 1 According to independant sources, biomass energy could become really big really fast! This cmoes from an article on NRDC 2 "Aggresive action to develop advanced biofuels by 2015 could allow the US to produce the equivalent of the oil we import from the Persian Gulf by 2050."
Making Biomass Possible
A biomass (gasification) plant recently built in France costed $47 million to build from top to bottom.
The carbon emissions of this facility would be down 7500 TONS/yr from a regualr coal-burning facility. Impressive, huh?3
Here are some figures from a plant being built in the UK....
-Utilities for the plant would cost 4 million. This includeas all the piping and draining required for the site and is a one-time cost.
-Key-turn installation would cost at a max $18 million.
-The staff requirements for this particular facility are low- 6 people needed year-round. Staffing costs would be around $320,000/yr. The staff can satisfy all matinence needs with only occasional specialist help.
-Extra needs for machinery would amount to $500,000.
-So overall costs per year would be a little under 5 million dollers.
-The return on this facility would go up by year, but for the first year, the likely return would be around $7 million.
-Worst case scenario, the facility would pay for itself for that year.
A biomass plant operatable on a farm would cost $240,000 to make and could make biomass from the waste of 500 cows...
It would cost $2.56/gallon to fill up your car using biofuels made from rapeseed. The national cot of a gallon of gas is hovering below $4.
The output of the plant? 40,000,000 kW per year.
The carbon emissions of this facility would be down 7500 TONS/yr from a regualr coal-burning facility. Impressive, huh?3
Here are some figures from a plant being built in the UK....
(Note: All of these figures represent the absolute maximum cost)
-Utilities for the plant would cost 4 million. This includeas all the piping and draining required for the site and is a one-time cost.
-Key-turn installation would cost at a max $18 million.
-The staff requirements for this particular facility are low- 6 people needed year-round. Staffing costs would be around $320,000/yr. The staff can satisfy all matinence needs with only occasional specialist help.
-Extra needs for machinery would amount to $500,000.
-So overall costs per year would be a little under 5 million dollers.
-The return on this facility would go up by year, but for the first year, the likely return would be around $7 million.
-Worst case scenario, the facility would pay for itself for that year.
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The output of this plant? 80,000,000 kW per year.
A biomass plant operatable on a farm would cost $240,000 to make and could make biomass from the waste of 500 cows...
It would cost $2.56/gallon to fill up your car using biofuels made from rapeseed. The national cot of a gallon of gas is hovering below $4.
Positive Economical Impancts
First off, all the building materials required to make a plant would certainly have an impact on the local economy.
Also, a lot of ethenol production plants are oner by farmer co-ops, which preseves rural economy.
Education for biomass work is very varied.
-If you wanted to work with developing biofuels, which would happen outside of plants, you would obviosly need degrees in the sciences.
-Plant technitions could have from high school education to a Associate's in science, depending on what you would do in the plant.
Also, a lot of ethenol production plants are oner by farmer co-ops, which preseves rural economy.
Education for biomass work is very varied.
-If you wanted to work with developing biofuels, which would happen outside of plants, you would obviosly need degrees in the sciences.
-Plant technitions could have from high school education to a Associate's in science, depending on what you would do in the plant.