Techno-economic estimation of the power generation potential from biomass residues in Southeast Asia

Power generation from biomass residues is an attractive option for supplying the rapidly increasing power demand of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) in a sustainable and a cost-effective manner. In this paper, we assess the total quantity and location of biomass residues from agriculture, livestock and forestry activities in ASEAN, evaluate their technical power generation potential and estimate the cost of electricity production from these residues. A cost optimization model is developed to identify cost-effective options of power generation from biomass residues using various conversion technologies. We estimate the total available thermal energy from biomass residues in ASEAN to be approximately 1076 TWh. About 86% of the total energy potential is provided by agricultural residues, with rice, sugarcane and palm oil residues being the major contributors. We find the highest energy potentials to be located in Indonesia (407 TWh), Thailand (194 TWh) and Vietnam (153 TWh). The estimated maximum technical potential for electricity generation from biomass residues in ASEAN amounts to 360 TWh. Power generation costs vary within a wide range from less than 40 USD/MWh to more than 200 USD/MWh.