Name of Organization or Individual

Country

Biomasa-Generacion, S. de R. L.

Honduras

Nations Energy Corporation

U.S.A.

International Utility Efficiency Partnerships, Inc. (IUEP)

U.S.A.

Item

Organization

Name of organization (original language)

or

Name of individual if unaffiliated with any organization

Biomasa-Generacion S. de R. L.

Name of organization (English)

Acronym (original language)

None

Acronym (English)

None

Department

Biomasa-Generacion (Bio-Gen)

Function(s) within the AIJ project activities

Project development, project administration

Street

Apartado Postal #332

City

Tegucigalpa

State

Post code

Country

Honduras

Telephone

504-394679

Fax

504-394684

E-mail

World Wide Web-URL address

Administrative Officer Responsible for the Project

Surname

Lima M.

First name, middle name

Ricardo

Job title

President

Direct telephone

504-394679

Direct fax

504-394684

Direct e-mail

Contact Person for AIJ Activities (if different from the Administrative Officer)

Surname

First name, middle name

Job title

Direct telephone

Direct fax

Direct e-mail

Item

Organization

Name of organization (original language)

or

Name of individual if unaffiliated with any organization

Nations Energy Corporation

Name of organization (English)

(Same as above)

Acronym (original language)

None

Acronym (English)

None

Department

Function(s) within the AIJ project activities

Project development, financing

Street

422 West Fairbanks Avenue, Suite 300

City

Winter Park

State

Florida

Post code

32789

Country

U.S.A.

Telephone

407-647-7747

Fax

407-647-7751

E-mail

World Wide Web-URL address

Administrative Officer Responsible for the Project

Surname

Bower

First name, middle name

Mark

Job title

Director of Projects

Direct telephone

407-647-7747

Direct fax

407-647-7751

Direct e-mail

Contact Person for AIJ Activities (if different from the Administrative Officer)

Surname

First name, middle name

Job title

Direct telephone

Direct fax

Direct e-mail

Item

Organization

Name of organization (original language)

or

Name of individual if unaffiliated with any organization

International Utility Efficiency Partnerships, Inc.

Name of organization (English)

(Same as above)

Acronym (original language)

IUEP

Acronym (English)

(Same as above)

Department

Function(s) within the AIJ project activities

Project development, technical assistance

Street

701 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Suite 500

City

Washington

State

District of Columbia

Post code

20004-2696

Country

U.S.A.

Telephone

202-508-5507

Fax

202-508-5080

E-mail

World Wide Web-URL address

Administrative Officer Responsible for the Project

Surname

Shiflett

First name, middle name

Ronald C., Jr.

Job title

Director

Direct telephone

202-508-5507

Direct fax

202-508-5080

Direct e-mail

ronalsee@eei.org

Contact Person for AIJ Activities (if different from the Administrative Officer)

Surname

First name, middle name

Job title

Direct telephone

Direct fax

Direct e-mail

Item

Type of Project

Sector(s)

Energy, waste

Primary activity(ies)

Alternative energy generation (wood waste)

Project Location

Country

Honduras

Exact location (city, state, region)

15 km NW of the city of Sava, in the Department of Colon

Key Dates and Current Stage of Project

Project starting date (month/year)

January 1997

Project ending date (month/year)

December 2017

Project lifetime (years)

21

Current stage of project

In progress

General Project Description and Technical Data

The Bio-Gen Biomass Power Generation Project establishes a 15 MW biomass waste-to-energy plant that will be privately owned and operated by Biomasa-Generacion in Sava, Honduras. Electricity generated by the plant will be sold to the national utility, Empresa Nacional de Energia Electrica (ENEE), to meet a portion of Honduras's energy demand. The plant will utilize sawmill, logging, and palm tree plantation residues for fuel, and is expected to operate at least 7,500 hr/year for 20 years.

From 1993 to 1994, Honduras, like many Latin American countries, suffered from significant electric supply interruptions due to an over-dependence on variable energy supplies. Currently, 60% of the total grid or 433 MW is hydroelectric, and 40%, or 297 MW, is thermal. The electric supply interruptions have cost Honduras millions of dollar in terms of GDP. Furthermore, energy demand in Honduras is anticipated to increase at a rate of 6 percent per year until 2000. In order to meet this increasing energy demand under current conditions, ENEE has plans to expand its fossil fuel capacity by 100 MW by 1999. President Reina and Minister Sandoval have shown leadership in promoting changes to Le Marca to promote renewable energy development in Honduras.

Electricity from the Bio-Gen plant will displace electricity that would have otherwise been generated by new fossil fuel capacity, and thus will offset GHG emissions from fossil fuel use.

Item

Party(ies) that will be monitoring project activities

Bio-Gen and subcontracted independent testing firms.

Party(ies) that will be externally verifying project results

The external verifier has not been selected at this time. The qualifications and affiliation of the external verifier will be provided upon selection of an acceptable candidate.

Date when the monitoring plan became (or will become) operational (month/year)

Monitoring was to begin prior to the commencement of construction in the first quarter of 1997.

Types of data that will be collected

Stack gas emissions and feedstock sources will be monitored.

Description of Monitoring and Verification Activities and Schedule for Implementation

Independent testing firms will monitor the project, using U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) emission test protocols and quality assurance procedures for stack gas emissions. The participants also have agreed to monitor the sources of all feedstocks.

Pre-construction monitoring tasks include the establishment of baseline data for selected sites and representative installations. Post-construction tasks include quarterly monitoring of emissions from the proposed waste biomass facility. Site visits will be conducted annually to determine any changes in the greenhouse gas emission measurements and estimates.

Item

Please check one of the following.

This report is a first report.

or

This report is an intermediate report.

or

This report is a final report.

Please check one of the following:

This report is a joint report. Letter(s) of approval of this report from the designated national authority of the other Party(ies) involved in the activity is(are) attached in Section J, Annex.

or

This report is a separate report.

Additional comments (if any):

Compatibility with Economic Development and Socioeconomic and Environmental Priorities

The Government of Honduras views the Bio-Gen Biomass Project as a key part of its plan to integrate a portfolio of private sector renewable energy projects into the country's electricity grid to help the country meet its current and future energy needs in a fiscally and environmentally sustainable manner.

Non-Greenhouse-Gas Environmental Impacts of the Project

Air Pollution: Levels of particulate matter, the primary air pollutant to be emitted by the plant, will be in compliance with World Bank lending standards. The remaining particulate emissions are expected to be considerably less than those that currently result from open burning of logging and processing waste.

Water Pollution: River sedimentation from road construction and site preparation will be controlled using stormwater management techniques. Longer term impacts to the stream will be associated with the volume of cooling water intake for the boiler and the temperature, chemical composition, and volume differential of discharge water to the river or impoundment. The preliminary design for the project contains provisions for effluents from the plant to be routed to a common retention pond for equalization of pH, settling of suspended solids, and cooling, while sanitary wastes will be handled through an on-site septic system. Although the retention pond will allow for some cooling, the effluent may still increase stream temperature above ambient levels. If the effluent is not evenly distributed, a thermal plume may be created, potentially increasing growth of potentially harmful organisms near the plant and therefore necessitating water quality monitoring. The chemical composition of the effluent will be below accepted standards in the United States.

Soil and Forest Resources: Erosion following construction of roads and alteration of site topography may be minimized by the low slopes and thin, coarse-textured soils of the region. The impact on forest resources will be minimal since all fuel for the plant will come from waste products from existing industries. No forest resources will be used that are not already being discarded or left to decay by these industries.

Human Health: Air quality and therefore human health is expected to improve in the region surrounding the plant due to decreased open burning of wood wastes by nearby mills.

Biodiversity: Because of controls imposed by the Honduran government, deforestation and other habitat loss is not expected to significantly increase as a result of this project. Land that will be cleared to construct the plant and to grow long-term energy plantations is considered to be low in biodiversity and not critical to threatened or endangered species.

Transportation: Transportation of wood waste to the generating site will increase traffic, road degradation, and noise and air pollution in the immediate vicinity. These effects will be mitigated by increased road maintenance efforts and reductions in transport of wood wastes from other mills to disposal sites.

Solid wastes: Solid wastes generated by the project facility (e.g., ash and trash) will be disposed of locally and managed so as to minimize stormwater runoff and wind transport, and to prevent fugitive dust from reaching workers at the project facility.

Social/Cultural Impacts of the Project

Solid wood waste from pine sawmills is utilized by local residents to produce salable secondary wood products including bricks, building materials, and fences. Because volumes of waste and incomes associated with the sale of secondary products are difficult to establish, no quantitative or qualitative estimates of the degree of potential impacts are possible without more detailed study.

Wood waste is also sold as firewood. In some areas, this is a common use of solid wood waste. However, because of the high resin content of pine, other types of wood are preferred. Although alternative sources of fuel are available, including kerosene, propane, and butane, these are considerably more expensive than wood and necessitate purchase of a special stove.

Economic Impacts of the Project

The project will contribute to the economic development of Honduras by supplying renewable and more reliable power to the national utility. The present energy shortage in Honduras requires ENEE to initiate selective power cuts per day, preventing sawmill owners from operating in an efficient manner. Since lumber and secondary wood products are a major export commodity for Honduras, the power shortages have a negative effect across the Honduran economy.

This project may also act as a catalyst to the formation of similar projects at other mills and within other industries, allowing more industrial facilities to become increasingly self-sufficient in their power supply. Conversely, the use of biomass to generate electricity may divert biomass from local people who use it to produce salable items and generate income.

Item

Site Designation

Site number (order of presentation in this report)

1

Site name/designation

Sava

Project sector(s)

Energy, waste

Reference Scenario

Primary activity(ies)

Fossil fuel capacity expansion, uncontrolled burning and dumping of wood waste

Has the reference scenario changed since the last report? (If yes, explain any changes below.)

Yes

No

This is the first project report.

Description:

In the absence of the project, the project developers assume that ENEE would be required to meet the increasing energy demand in Honduras by expanding its fossil fuel capacity. In addition, sawmill, logging, and palm plantation wastes would continue to be disposed of through uncontrolled burning, dumping into rivers and low-lying areas, or by leaving it to decay in place.

Predicted Project Scenario

Primary activity(ies)

Alternative energy generation (wood waste)

Description:

The Bio-Gen project will generate electricity by burning sawmill, logging, and palm plantation wastes through a controlled combustion process. Electricity from the project facility will displace electricity that would have otherwise been generated by new fossil fuel capacity. The project will also reduce emissions from uncontrolled burning and decomposition of the wastes.

Actual Project

Primary activity(ies)

This information is not yet available.

Description:

This information is not yet available.

GHG Emission/Sequestration Calculation Methodology

Site number

1

Project sector(s)

Energy, waste

Description of Calculation Methodology for the Reference Scenario

Reference case emission estimates are based on emissions from a fuel oil-fired plant that would likely be constructed in the absence of the 15 MW Bio-Gen facility. Only CO₂, the major GHG that would be emitted, is estimated. Because data are currently not available on GHG emissions from uncontrolled burning and decomposition of wastewood in Honduras, these emissions are not included in the reference case either.

To calculate annual CO₂ emissions from the displaced fossil fuel capacity, the developers have assumed that approximately 260,423 lbs/hour (hr) of dry gas is emitted from a 15 MW fuel oil-fired plant under optimum operating conditions and that 13.4 percent of the dry gas emitted is CO₂. This yields a CO₂ emission factor of 34,897 lbs/hr. Because the Bio-Gen plant will operate a minimum of 7,500 hr/year, the reference case assumes the same number of hours of operation for the fossil fuel plant.

Average annual reference case emissions are calculated by multiplying 34,897 lbs CO₂/hr by 7,500 hr/year. The result is then converted from pounds to metric tons by dividing by a conversion factor of 2,205 lbs/t. Using this methodology, it is estimated that 118,697 t CO₂/year are emitted due to fuel oil consumption in the reference case.

Description of Calculation Methodology for the Project Scenario

Under the project scenario, annual emissions result from burning sawmill, logging, and palm plantation wood-wastes at the Bio-Gen plant, but estimates of these emissions have not been derived. However, these emissions are not expected to be greater than the reference scenario emissions from uncontrolled burning and decomposition, which also have not been estimated. Therefore, annual project scenario emissions are estimated as zero over the lifetime of the project.

Description of Calculation Methodology for the Actual Project

This information is not yet available.

Indirect or Secondary GHG Impacts (Positive and Negative)

The most significant secondary GHG impact will result from clearing trees and scrub to prepare the project site for construction. The effect of such cutting in the overall carbon accounting is minimal.

Factors That Could Cause the Future Loss or Reversal of GHG Benefits

Given the nature of this project-substitution of fossil fuel generated power with biomass power-loss or reversal of benefits accrued will not be possible. Factors that may cause the loss of projected emission reductions include natural disasters such as forest fires, hurricanes, etc.

Strategy for Reducing the Risk of Future Loss or Reversal of GHG Benefits

The project developer will take steps to minimize potential losses of future project benefits, including obtaining insurance, assuring regular maintenance, and developing and implementing inspection protocols.

Current or Planned Activities to Obtain Additional Funding

This information is not yet available.

Contribution to Capacity Building and Technology Transfer

The project will transfer U.S. biofuel technology and give momentum to additional biofuel and other renewable energy projects, both in Honduras and the Central American region. The project will also transfer emission control technology and showcase environmentally sound construction techniques.

Recent Project Developments

This information is not yet available.

Technical Difficulties and Other Obstacles Encountered

This information is not yet available.

Additional Information

None.

Country/Project Title

Name, Title, and Government Agency of the Designated National Authority

Date of Approval(day/month/year)

Honduras/Bio-Gen Biomass Power Generation Project, Phase II

Dr. Carlos Medina, Minister of the Environment, Secretary of State, Department of the Environment

10 November 1995