Coal-to-biomass retrofit in Alberta
An evaluation of the system costs performed using OSeMOSYS
A new publication : "Coal-to-biomass retrofit in Alberta – value of forest residue bioenergy in the electricity system", it uses an OSeMOSYS model of Alberta (Canada) to assess the system value of biomass retrofitting to reach by 2030 the 30% renewable energy target set for the electricity system of the region against other technological options. Several policy scenarios are investigated, based on different carbon taxations and renewable energy incentives to determine the costs related to the carbon abatement solutions investigated. Related LCOE and system value computed by the OSeMOSYS model are also compared, to asses the relevance of LCOE as sufficient metric to determine the least-cost mix of generation resources for the system. Results prove the biomass retrofit to succeed in lowering system costs and they show how LCOE only might be misleading in identifying the least-cost mix of generation resources, not accounting for the variability of renewable resources (i.e. wind) and related needs for extra backup capacity costs.