Techno-Economic Assesment of a Distributed Generation System for Biogas from Wastewater Treatment Plants

Abstract

In this study, we aim to conduct a comprehensive techno-economic analysis of a distributed generation system using biogas produced from a wastewater treatment plant. Our methodology involves a case study of an anaerobic wastewater treatment plant in Cochabamba, Bolivia. Initially, we estimate the theoretical biogas flow production and propose a general method for this estimation. Subsequently, we design the storage and treatment systems for the biogas. Following this, we design the distributed generation system in accordance with local regulations. Finally, we perform an economic assessment considering the hours of electrical energy injected into the National Interconnected System (NIS) versus the self-supply hours throughout the day. Additionally, we account for the variable cost of energy in Bolivia based on the time of day, conducting an economic comparison accordingly. The results indicate an average biogas production of $7859.07 \mathrm{Nm} 3 /$ day, with a reference output of 300 kW yielding the highest savings and annual benefits concluding that biogas produced through anaerobic wastewater treatment is a viable non-seasonal and renewable energy source.