Bioenergy Vendor Questions
Depending on the technology, the following key information
may be needed from vendors:
- Turnkey system capital costs including all onsite fuel handling
equipment, emissions controls to meet regulations applicable to site of
installation, and any ancillary equipment necessary for correct system
operation
- Annual operating and maintenance (O&M) costs
- Labor requirements (number of people for each type of job and associated
skill levels and experience needed for each type of job)
- Maximum and minimum system size
- Capacity factor (percent of operating time per year)
- Parasitic energy requirements (amount and type)
- Fuel use requirements (Btu/hr required)
- System turndown capability (for a given installation, the ratio of peak
output to lowest output that will allow continued operation)
- Startup and shutdown times
- Feedstock quality requirements
- For solid biomass materials for direct combustion, thermochemical
gasification, and pyrolysis—moisture content, particle size, bulk
density, presence of foreign matter, alkali metal content)
- For high-liquid content biomass materials (slurries)—solids content,
volatile solids, pH
- Amount and quality of any coproducts produced (e.g, chemicals, other
forms of energy including waste heat [Btu/hr] at what temperature and
pressure)
- Projected system life (years)
- Projected emissions of regulated pollutants in your state from the
generating system, using the emission control equipment supplied with the
system when operated as designed; information on whether the vendor is aware
of any environmental permitting problems might be encountered for the site
in question
- Physical space requirements (acres)
- Any specific foundation requirements (e.g., soil load bearing
capability)
- Information on noise levels, if noise is a potential concern
- Delivery times
- Payment schedules
- The extent of operator training provided with the capital purchase
package
- Any spare parts provided as part of the capital purchase package
- Any guarantees or warranties
- Infrastructure requirements including access roads, railroads, potable
water, sewer, and solid waste disposal requirements
- Any special health or safety training requirements
- Locations of similar systems currently in operation and information on
how long these systems have been in operation
- Availability of training on system operations
- Are there any government incentives available for the project and, if
so, what are they?
- If the products will not be self-used, what are the markets for the
products and what is the value of the products in these markets?
- Has implementation of the technology elsewhere encountered any form of
organized resistance from the public? What has been the nature of any public
concerns with the technology?
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