POTENTIAL FOR ON-FARM BIOMASS GASIFICATION IN MONTANA

The feasibility of using biomass gasification systems on Montana farms was investigated for both technical and economic merit. Large volumes of biomass are available and they have the potential to replace conventional fuels. Technically biomass can be used to replace conventional fuels through gasification. Each gasification system must be specifically designed for the site and the energy end-use requirements. Ultimately a system’s feasibility is determined by its economics. The economic feasibility of a gasification system is greatly controlled by the initial expenditure, current fuel costs, feedstock costs, and yearly usage. Most agricultural applications do not have enough use per year to justify the capital expenditure. Also current fuel prices would have to increase greatly for a system to become economically feasible. Cogeneration shows the best economic potential, although the current electricity buyback rate would have to increase and a long term use for the generated heat would also be needed. These requirements are not typical of most farming operations. The results of this study shows that gasification systems are very site specific with even the most ideal scenarios being noneconomical