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U.S. Department of Energy
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Changuinola peat deposit of northwest Panama (in English; Spanish)

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:6471545

We studied the economics of generating electricity in a 30-MW power plant using peat as a fuel. We calculated the breakeven point; that is, the point at which the cost of producing electricity from a coal- or an oil-fueled facility was equal to the cost of producing electricity from a peat-fueled facility, both a fluidized-bed and a conventional suspension boiler and for wet-mined and milled peat production. In the base case, the price range for oil was assumed to be $0.09 to $0.108 per liter, and the price range for coal was assumed to be $35 to $42 per metric ton. Parametric studies were done varying the capacity factor, real cost of money, and the mining costs. The parametric studies indicate that a peat-fueled plant can remain competitive with an oil-fueled plant when each of the parameters, considered separately, have the following values: (1) capacity factor greater than 65%; (2) real cost of money less than 9%; and (3) actual peat mining cost, not exceeding the estimated cost by more than 25%. 9 refs., 15 figs., 8 tabs.

Research Organization:
Los Alamos National Lab., NM (USA)
DOE Contract Number:
W-7405-ENG-36
OSTI ID:
6471545
Report Number(s):
LA-11211-Vol.3; ON: DE91000886
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English; Spanish