Techno-economic assessment of a hybrid PV-assisted biomass gasification CCHP plant for electrification of a rural area in the Savannah region of Ghana
Daniel Sánchez-Lozano, Roque Aguado, Antonio Escámez, Augustine Awaafo, Francisco Jurado, David Vera
Abstract
In rural areas of sub-Saharan countries, there is great potential for solar and biomass resources to achieve a reliable electricity supply, reduce the dependence on fossil fuels, and mitigate greenhouse gas emissions, thereby tackling energy poverty and promoting sustainable development. This work aims to address the lack of reliable electricity access in rural communities of sub-Saharan countries through biomass gasification assisted by solar photovoltaic (PV) energy and a small back-up diesel engine–generator set. The biomass gasification plant is designed to convert locally available agricultural waste into producer gas, which can then be used to generate electricity. A detailed analysis of the system components, including the PV array, battery bank, biomass gasifier with a combined cooling, heat and power generation unit (CCHP), is carried out to evaluate their performance and efficiency under different operating conditions. The results reveal a CCHP efficiency of 62% for the gasification CCHP unit, accompanied by a remarkable 93.8% reduction in CO 2 emissions considering the whole hybrid system. From an economic standpoint under conservative assumptions, the proposed facility can generate a cumulative profit of $157,890 after 20 years, recovering the initial investment within a period of just under 7 years. This is reflected in a levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) of $0.287/kWh, comparable to that of related studies. The outcomes demonstrate that the PV-assisted biomass gasification plant offers a sustainable technical, economical and environmentally friendly solution for electrification of rural communities in sub-Saharan countries. • A PV-assisted biomass gasification hybrid system is optimized for a real case study. • Peanut shells are used to drive the gasification plant with an electrical efficiency of 18.2%. • CCHP efficiency reaches 62.0%, with 27.5 kW of hot water and 26.3 kW of cooling capacity. • The hybrid system saves 93.8% of CO 2 emissions compared to a diesel-based scenario. • Economic viability is highly sensitive to low diesel price and rising biomass costs.