Part Four: an eco-industrial park’s energy suppliers

 

In last issue, we mentioned constructing an eco-industrial park is a path to low-carbon agriculture. How to construct an eco-industrial park? We may design an energy supplier first.

 

Energy manufacturing enterprises usually represented by straw-burning power station is the core in the eco-industrial park.

 

We design a process of recycling straw named “4F” which means Fodder, Fuel, Fertilizer and Feed Stock. The utility of fodder and fuel is key point in the process.

 

In November 2004, China's first straw burning power plant was started construction in Jinzhou City, Hebei Province. The straw power plant covers an area of 80 Chinese acres, with a total investment of 240-280 million. The plant is facilitated with Danish straw power generation equipment, which could burn 200,000 tons of straw annually. The capacity could reach 120 million kilowatthours that can save 160,000 tons of coal every year and reduce over 60 tons of sulfur dioxide emissions and 400 tons of smoke emissions. In addition, the straw consumed is all bought from farmers. If the purchase price of straw is RMB 100 per ton, the plant can help increase local farmers’ income about RMB 20 million every year.

 

We recommend local government to budget for straw burning power plant. The government could establish receiving stations to collect straw. To balance the storage and supply, utilization and distribution system is applicable.

 

We suggest that the current thermal power equipment can be used for straw power generation to reduce capital investment. Straw can be grinded, mixed and compressed after collection. Then, straw lumps are transported to the nearest power station and used as fuel to replace coal.

 

The method to dispose straw is more efficient than using methane equipment. The straw can be disposed very quickly. After that, the power station can burn coal as usual and will not be impacted by straw supply.

 

By technological improvements and capacity enhancement, the unit investment of gasification power generation can be trimmed below RMB 3500/Kw and the cost of power generation can be controlled around RMB 0.2 ~ 0.3/Kwh.