Potential Analysis of Biomass Co-Firing with Coal for Circulating Fluidized Bed Boilers in Vietnam

Vietnam has committed to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050, a goal that necessitates a variety of decarbonization options to be potentially applied into the nation’s socio-economic sectors of which the coal-fired thermal power sub-sector is of particularly importance. This study focuses on assessing the CO2 abatement potential of co-firing biomass with coal in circulating fluidized bed (CFB) boilers currently in use in Vietnam, by making use utilizing the marginal abatement cost of CO2 emission reduction concept. A comparative cost-benefit analysis was conducted, contrasting a baseline scenario of 100% coal combustion with an alternative scenario of co-firing with a 15% biomass ratio (heat rate), encompassing capital expenditure (CAPEX), operational expenditure (OPEX), and fuel costs. The results indicate that the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) increased from 0.1846 USD/kWh for the 100% coal-fired scenario to 0.18836 USD/kWh with the co-firing option, primarily due to additional investment and higher fuel costs. However, the life-cycle CO2 emission factor significantly decreased from 0.7548 kgCO2/kWh in the baseline scenario to 0.6395 kgCO2/kWh with the co-firing, reflecting the effectiveness of the abatement measure. The marginal abatement cost was estimated in the order of 0.03223 USD/kgCO2, demonstrating the cost-effectiveness and emission reduction potential of the technology.