Cost analysis for combustion of rice husk in a fluidized bed combustion

The main aim of this study is to analysis the life cycle cost of utilizing the rice husk in a Fluidized Bed Combustion (FBC) for the electricity, heat and rice husk ash (RHA) production. The cost associated with investment cost, operation and management cost, fuel cost and electricity production cost were calculated. Different capacity range from 0.9, 1.25, 2.5, 5, 10 MWe of installed electricity production capacity in Fluidized Bed Combustion were calculated. The cost associate with full, half and quarter unit running of BFB to generate electricity were analysed. The investment cost for installing 40MWe of BFB is 64 million dollar and the annual operating and maintenance (O&M) cost is 16 million dollar. The fuel cost using RH is 2.94 million dollar producing 81 tonnes of RHA. The result shows that 350 GWh annual energy can be produced in 40 MWe BFB using rice husk, which gradually decreases with decreasing the installed capacity. Further study on cost analysis of utilizing the rice husk as electricity and RHA production is suggested by repeating the applied method by using more detailed price. The use of rice husk can provide an opportunity to expand energy resources that can save fuel cost as well as income through sales and surplus electricity to the national grid.