Techno-Economic Evaluation of Solar Hybridized Biomass Gasification Polygeneration Plants

We report a techno-economic analysis of a solar hybridized biomass-to-liquids (SBTL) system to produce liquid synthetic diesel fuels from syngas obtained by employing concentrated solar thermal (CST) to drive the woody biomass gasification process. Evaluating the sensitivity of the deterministic minimum fuel selling price (MFSP) for all major variables assesses the impact of the solar multiple and solar thermal storage capacity on the system's economic feasibility. The calculated MFSP for the nonsolar biomass-to-liquids (BTL) and SBTL systems were 2.09 USD/liter and 2.14–2.30 USD/liter, respectively, for the base case scenario which does not include a carbon tax. Reducing CST capital investment and increasing solar operating benefits (through increased biomass cost, the introduction of a carbon tax/penalty, or CST-associated byproduct revenue) are keys for the SBTL system to compete with the BTL system. Increasing equipment cost-effectiveness or operating at a larger scale allows the BTL/SBTL systems to compete with fossil-derived pathways.