Renewable Energy Technology Assessments - Kauai Island Utility ...

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Kaua’i Island Utility Cooperative Renewable Energy Technology Assessments 7.0 Biomass and Municipal Solid Waste regulations, most biomass ash can be used as a beneficial soil amendment for farmland, further reducing the burden on landfills. 7.7.3 Socioeconomic Impacts The socioeconomic impacts of any of the three cases would be very high. The standalone biomass plant would support a new agriculture crop as well as help sustain the remaining sugar industry. The MSW project would substantially alleviate pressures to build or expand landfill capacity on the island. The combined plant would allow both benefits to be realized. All three projects would create a significant amount of employment for fuel processing, plant operation, and initial construction. 7.7.4 Incentives and Barriers Biomass Kauai has several biomass power plants operating in its history, including the currently operating facility at the Gay and Robinson sugar mill The technology is accepted and integrates well into the agricultural economy of the island. Because of the existing plants, there are experienced operators and maintenance staff who could be utilized to run the plant. Several landowners and industry members have expressed interest in seeing a biomass project developed. It offers potential markets for their crops or residues. There is general public opposition to biomass power plants because they rely on combustion and look similar to coal plants. NIMBY attitudes can prevail against biomass projects despite the fact they generate renewable energy. MSW Building an MSW project on the island would significantly alleviate the waste disposal issues that are currently being discussed. There should be local experience with MSW power generation because of the close proximity of H Power near Honolulu. Kauai possesses the unique combination of land constraints and elevated avoided generation costs that can make MSW projects look economically appealing. Portions of the community favor such a project. Potential sources of public-health risk include human exposure to contaminants emitted from waste-to-energy facilities to the ambient air and water, as well as exposure to disease vectors such as insects and rodents. Principal sources of potential risk to public safety include explosions during operations and increased traffic hazards 21 March 2005 7-22 Black & Veatch
Kaua’i Island Utility Cooperative Renewable Energy Technology Assessments 7.0 Biomass and Municipal Solid Waste associated with facility-related trucks. Sources of environmental risks include truck contributions to traffic congestion; process and truck-related noise; discharge of effluents into surface and groundwater; aesthetic impairments, such as land use incompatibility, and dust. Many of these risk factors also apply to the biomass option. MSW projects typically have opposition on the grounds of public health. In the past, MSW projects did not have strong emissions controls and they were seen as very polluting. The US EPA has tightened emission requirements for new MSW projects and many of those concerns are no longer factually validated. However, public opposition remains strong, in many cases. 7.8 Recommended Next Steps Although biomass does not compare well economically with some of the other technologies and projects reviewed in this study, it may be a good fit for KIUC in the long term when capacity is needed. With an eye to the future, there are several activities that could be performed that would prepare KIUC for the possibility for adding biomass capacity in the ten year planning horizon. These are the following: 7.8.1 Fuel Property Testing There is wide variety in biomass fuel properties based on species and growing and harvest conditions. Some biomass fuels, such as pulp wood chips, are well-characterized by the power industry. Others, like albizzia, are less known and understood. This study has identified several resources which would be significant constituents of a future biomass power fuel mix. For a relatively small cost, representative samples of these resources could be tested for important fuel properties such as heating value, ash content, alkali, and others. Having this information will assist in determining the best fuel mix and laying the groundwork for making these fuel resources available. 7.8.2 Banagrass Crop Productivity Study Banagrass is an energy crop that grows well in Hawaii. Considerable effort has been expended on other islands investigating the potential of banagrass as a significant fuel resource for future power generation. A similar study on Kauai would identify suitable areas for raising banagrass crops, expected productivities and delivered fuel costs. 7.8.3 Site Studies Siting solid fuel plants is always complex. Issues that must be considered include land use, endangered species, viewsheds, waste disposal, cooling water sources, 21 March 2005 7-23 Black & Veatch
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