Determination of the Optimal Size and Location of an Electricity Generation Plant that Uses Lignocellulosic Residues from Costa Rican Northern

The northern zone of Costa Rica has extensive forestry and agro-industrial development, which generates a large number of lignocellulosic residues that do not have an economic value but could represent a vast energy potential. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine the optimal size and location of an electricity generation plant from the forest and agro-industrial biomass. The researchers worked with two forest species residues (Gmelina arborea and Tectona grandis) and two agro-industrial residues (Ananas comosus and Saccharum officinarum), representing the most extensive cultivations in the region. The material was characterized, then GIS layers of the species cultivation areas were analyzed and related to the roads and protected areas to define the twelve potential points where the power plant should be installed. Later, the optimal supply radius of the plant and the optimal site conditions were determined. The study determined that the tree species have an average caloric power of 19,059.50 kJ/kg, significantly higher than agro-industrial (16,684.9 kJ/kg). It was determined that 1,056,527.67 tons of dry biomass are generated per year; 6.5% arboreal and 79.97% from A. comosus. The minimum electricity generation capacity is 15 MW with an annual consumption of 102,300 tons, which are available between 15 and 100 km away from the sites. The southeast area was the best positioned because of the biomass source and optimal environmental conditions for establishing the power plant.