Evaluasi Tekno-Ekonomi dan Lingkungan Co-Firing Biomassa pada PLTU CFB di Nusa Tenggara Timur

Andi Wulan; Sidqi Muhammad Ahsin

doi:10.33795/elposys.v13i2.9810

Authors

Andi Wulan IT PLN
Sidqi Muhammad Ahsin Fakultas Teknologi dan Bisnis Energi Institut Teknologi PLN

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.33795/elposys.v13i2.9810

Keywords:

co-firing, biomass, coal power plant, SCC, CO2 Emission

Abstract

This study evaluates the technical, economic, and environmental performance of biomass co-firing implementation at the Bolok Coal-Fired Power Plant (CFB type) in East Nusa Tenggara. The study aims to assess the impact of biomass substitution on plant performance and to analyze uncertainty associated with key operational parameters. A deterministic analysis was conducted using what-if scenarios, while uncertainty was evaluated through Monte Carlo simulation with 10,000 iterations. Technical performance was assessed using Specific Coal Consumption (SCC), economic performance was evaluated based on fuel cost, and environmental performance was measured through CO₂ emission reduction. The results indicate that SCC ranges from 0.85 to 1.08 kg/kWh with an average value of 0.96 kg/kWh. Fuel cost ranges from IDR 991,314.93 to IDR 1,352,002.53 per MWh, while CO₂ emission reduction ranges from 2,711.85 to 5,796.49 tonCO₂. The findings show that increasing the co-firing ratio contributes to significant emission reduction while maintaining fuel cost within an acceptable range, although specific fuel consumption tends to increase due to the lower calorific value of biomass. Monte Carlo simulation reveals that economic variables, particularly biomass price, have the greatest influence on uncertainty compared with technical and environmental variables. The main contribution of this study lies in the integration of technical, economic, environmental, and probabilistic analyses using actual operational data from a CFB power plant, providing a more comprehensive basis for evaluating biomass co-firing implementation under uncertain operating conditions.

References

Z. Arifin, V. F. S. Insani, M. Idris, K. R. Hadiyati, Z. Anugia, and D. Irianto, “Techno-Economic Analysis of Co-firing for Pulverized Coal Boilers Power Plant in Indonesia,” International Journal of Renewable Energy Development, vol. 12, no. 2, pp. 261–269, Mar. 2023, doi: 10.14710/ijred.2023.48102.

N. Cahyo et al., “A techno-economic and environmental analysis of co-firing implementation using coal and wood bark blend at circulating fluidized bed boiler,” International Journal of Renewable Energy Development, vol. 13, no. 4, pp. 726–735, Jul. 2024, doi: 10.61435/IJRED.2024.60234.

X. Yue, S. Pye, J. DeCarolis, F. G. N. Li, F. Rogan, and B. Gallachóir, “A review of approaches to uncertainty assessment in energy system optimization models,” Energy Strategy Reviews, vol. 21, pp. 204–217, Aug. 2018, doi: 10.1016/j.esr.2018.06.003.

D. Zhakupov, L. Kulmukanova, Y. Sarbassov, and D. Shah, “Flue gas analysis for biomass and coal co-firing in fluidized bed: process simulation and validation,” Int. J. Coal Sci. Technol., vol. 9, no. 1, Dec. 2022, doi: 10.1007/s40789-022-00531-y.

L. Liu et al., “Recent advances of research in coal and biomass co-firing for electricity and heat generation,” Dec. 01, 2023, Elsevier B.V. doi: 10.1016/j.cec.2023.100063.

B. Yang et al., “Life cycle cost assessment of biomass co-firing power plants with CO2 capture and storage considering multiple incentives,” Energy Econ., vol. 96, Apr. 2021, doi: 10.1016/j.eneco.2021.105173.

Y. L. Zhang et al., “Economic feasibility assessment of coal-biomass co-firing power generation technology,” Energy, vol. 296, Jun. 2024, doi: 10.1016/j.energy.2024.131092.

T. Morató, M. Vaezi, and A. Kumar, “Techno-economic assessment of biomass combustion technologies to generate electricity in South America: A case study for Bolivia,” Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, vol. 134, Dec. 2020, doi: 10.1016/j.rser.2020.110154.

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), 2006 IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories, Volume 2: Energy. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, 2006. Accessed: Apr. 25, 2026. [Online]. Available: https://www.ipcc-nggip.iges.or.jp/public/2006gl/vol2.html

I. International Energy Agency, “CO 2 Emissions in 2023,” 2024. Accessed: Apr. 24, 2026. [Online]. Available: https://iea.blob.core.windows.net/assets/33e2badc-b839-4c18-84ce-f6387b3c008f/CO2Emissionsin2023.pdf

M. van der Spek et al., “Uncertainty analysis in the techno-economic assessment of CO2 capture and storage technologies. Critical review and guidelines for use,” International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control, vol. 100, Sep. 2020, doi: 10.1016/j.ijggc.2020.103113.

S. M. A. Burney, Monte Carlo Simulation for Energy Production in Renewable Systems. Karachi: Department of Computer Science, UBIT, University of Karachi, 2025. Accessed: Apr. 04, 2026. [Online]. Available: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/390487204_Monte_Carlo_Simulation_for_Energy_Production_in_Renewable_Systems

M. S. Çadırcı, “Monte Carlo Simulations and Renewable Energy Scenarios: Dealing with Uncertainty Using Statistical Estimations,” in Proceedings of the International Conference on Statistics, Avestia Publishing, Aug. 2025. doi: 10.11159/icsta25.134.

N. Pedišius, M. Praspaliauskas, J. Pedišius, and E. F. Dzenajavičienė, “Analysis of wood chip characteristics for energy production in lithuania,” Energies (Basel)., vol. 14, no. 13, Jul. 2021, doi: 10.3390/en14133931.

M. R. Ghaffariyan, “Identifying key quality characteristics of woody biomass for bioenergy application: an international review,” Silva Balcanica, vol. 24, no. 3, pp. 77–94, Dec. 2023, doi: 10.3897/silvabalcanica.24.e114644.

T. Chen et al., “Influence of papermaking biomass co-firing on operation energy efficiency and gas emission stability of a coal-fired thermal power plant: A case study,” Energy, vol. 327, Jul. 2025, doi: 10.1016/j.energy.2025.136484.

H. Zhang and C. Yu, “Experimental Study on Co-Firing of Coal and Biomass in Industrial-Scale Circulating Fluidized Bed Boilers,” Energies (Basel)., vol. 18, no. 14, Jul. 2025, doi: 10.3390/en18143832.