Name of Organization or Individual

e prime (Belize), Limited

Belize Electricity Limited (BEL)

e prime

International Utility Efficiency Partnerships, Inc. (IUEP)

Item

Name of organization (original language)

Name of individual if unaffiliated with any organization

e prime (Belize), Limited

Name of organization (English)

Acronym (original language)

Acronym (English)

Department

Function(s) within the AIJ project activities

Project development, project implementation

Street

Regents House, 35 Regent Street, P.O. Box 280

City

Belize City

State

Post code

Country

Belize

Telephone

Fax

E-mail

World Wide Web-URL address

Surname

Quigley

First name, middle name

Michael J.

Job title

President

Direct telephone

Direct fax

Direct e-mail

Surname

Esrkine

First name, middle name

Douglas

Job title

Direct telephone

Direct fax

Direct e-mail

Item

Name of organization (original language)

Name of individual if unaffiliated with any organization

Belize Electricity Limited

Name of organization (English)

(Same as above)

Acronym (original language)

BEL

Acronym (English)

(Same as above)

Department

Function(s) within the AIJ project activities

Project development, project implementation, financing

Street

City

State

Post code

Country

Telephone

Fax

E-mail

World Wide Web-URL address

Surname

First name, middle name

Job title

Direct telephone

Direct fax

Direct e-mail

Surname

First name, middle name

Job title

Direct telephone

Direct fax

Direct e-mail

Item

Name of organization (original language)

Name of individual if unaffiliated with any organization

e prime

Name of organization (English)

Acronym (original language)

Acronym (English)

Department

Function(s) within the AIJ project activities

Project development, project implementation, financing

Street

1331 17th Street, Suite 601

City

Denver

State

Colorado

Post code

80202

Country

U.S.A.

Telephone

303-296-3416

Fax

303-296-3659

E-mail

World Wide Web-URL address

Surname

Tilden

First name, middle name

Gregory H.

Job title

Business Development

Direct telephone

303-296-3416

Direct fax

303-296-3659

Direct e-mail

Surname

First name, middle name

Job title

Direct telephone

Direct fax

Direct e-mail

Item

Name of organization (original language)

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

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

ronalsee@eei.org

World Wide Web-URL address

http://www.ji.org

Surname

Shiflett

First name, middle name

Ronald C., Jr.

Job title

Executive Director

Direct telephone

202-508-5507

Direct fax

202-508-5080

Direct e-mail

ronalsee@eei.org

Surname

First name, middle name

Job title

Direct telephone

Direct fax

Direct e-mail

Sector(s)

Energy

Primary activity(ies)

Alternative energy generation (biomass)

Country

Belize

Exact location (city, state, region)

Orange Walk community in northern Belize

Project starting date (month/year)

June 1998

Project ending date (month/year)

March 2028

Project lifetime (years)

31

Current stage of project

Mutually agreed

The BEL/Maya Biomass Power Generation Project involves the construction and operation of an 18 megawatt (MW) biomass waste-to-energy plant designed to offset electricity production and associated greenhouse gases (GHG) that would have been produced by diesel-fired thermal facilities. The plant will generate electrical power for sale to Belize Electricity Limited (BEL) and orange processors. (BEL is a privately run utility responsible for the generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity in Belize.) The plant also will produce steam and electricity for in-house use and future sugar refining at Belize Sugar Industries (BSI). By displacing diesel oil-fired power generation with waste biomass fuel that would revert eventually to CO₂ in any case, the project is expected to reduce utility CO₂ emissions by nearly 3.5 x 10⁶ t over the project life of 31 years.

The plant will be located adjacent to the BSI sugar mill in the community of Orange Grove in northern Belize, and will be fueled primarily by sugarcane waste (bagasse) from BSI. The bagasse will be supplemented with citrus waste supplied by orange processing plants and wood wastes from sawmills and other nearby sources. Bagasse will be conveyed directly from the BSI sugar mill to the biomass plant.

The plant is expected to come on line in June 1999, and operate for a minimum of 6,000 hours per year. Electricity will be generated through the efficient combustion of the biomass waste. The proposed boiler will generate steam, which will expand through a multi-stage turbine, condensing under vacuum and driving an 18 MW net generator. Electricity will be sent to and from the plant via a new 115 kilovolt (kv) transmission line that is connected to the existing BEL transmission system. This project may be transferred to a third investor-owned utility developer for the final negotiation with BEL.

This information is not yet available.

Party(ies) that will be monitoring project activities

e prime or its assignees

Party(ies) that will be externally verifying project results

This information is not yet available.

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

This information is not yet available.

Types of data that will be collected

This information is not yet available.

The responsible party for monitoring will be e prime, which may select a qualified subcontractor to develop and implement the monitoring plan. The collection procedures will be based on U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) methodologies and industry practice. Monitoring will be conducted annually.

Although an external verifier has not been selected at this time, the data, procedures, and methodologies for verification will be based on established EPA criteria and industry practice. Pre-construction activities will include the establishment of baseline data for selected sites and representative installations. Post-construction tasks will include measuring the emissions from the proposed biomass facility. In addition, site visits will be conducted annually to determine any changes in the GHG emission measurements and estimates.

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):

Belize relies, in part, on a hydroelectric power supply that has been unreliable due to low rainfall in the dry season and flooding in the rainy season. As a result, BEL has been forced into many unannounced power reductions that have affected a variety of businesses including the sugar, citrus, lumber, and secondary wood products industries. Since products manufactured by these industries are all major export commodities for Belize, the power shortages have severely hindered the growth of the Belizean economy. This project will contribute to the economic development of Belize by supplying renewable power to large industries and to the electric grid. The additional electricity supply provided by the project will mitigate adverse impacts of potential power shortages on industrial production, which will help to stabilize the Belizean economy.

The biomass plant will utilize as a secondary source of fuel citrus waste from orange processors that historically has been landfilled. By using the waste as fuel, the project prevents additional waste from entering landfills and potentially adversely affecting water quality and aquatic life. The plant will, however, utilize river water for the cooling process, 50% of which will be returned to the river at an elevated temperature with additional suspended solids. The increases meet accepted standards in the United States.

The plant will improve air quality in the vicinity of the sugar mill because the mill no longer will burn its bagasse in an open, uncontrolled manner.

Operations at the biomass plant will produce solid waste in the form of ash. The ash will be managed on-site in a manner designed to minimize environmental impacts.

This information is not yet available.

Both temporary and permanent jobs will be created during the construction and operation of the plant. This will help to bolster and stabilize the local economy.

Site number (order of presentation in this report)

1 of 1

Site name/designation

BEL/Maya Biomass Power Generation Project

Project sector

Energy

Primary activity(ies)

Electricity generation from fossil fuel.

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

Yes

No

This is the first project report.

Description:

The Belizean electricity supply is variable, and capacity shortfalls often result in power reductions and rationing. To satisfy the projected annual electricity load growth of 8%, incremental electricity generation and capacity additions will likely be fossil fuel-based. While the country has 80 MW of untapped hydroelectric potential, the resources are inaccessible and, therefore, impractical. As a result, BEL plans to develop 14 MW of new diesel capacity by the end of the century. The project developers assume that in the absence of the project, the electricity to be generated by the project facility would have been generated with diesel oil.

Sugar and citrus products are a significant source of revenue to the Belizean economy. Currently, disposal of waste from these industries is unregulated, and takes the form of incineration in open piles, disposal in rivers, or dumping in low-lying areas. GHG emissions resulting from the combustion or decomposition of the waste include CO₂, non-methane volatile organic compounds (NMVOCs), and carbon monoxide (CO), as well as carbon soot and other non-gaseous particles. Decomposition of dumped waste generates methane (CH₄) as well as NMVOCs. In the absence of the project, incineration and dumping of these wastes are projected to continue.

Primary activity(ies)

Alternative energy generation (biomass)

Description:

The BEL/Maya Biomass Generation Project will reduce GHG emissions by displacing fossil fuel generation and decreasing emissions from uncontrolled decomposition or burning of biomass waste. The 18 MW biomass waste-to-energy plant will generate electricity for sale to BEL and orange processors, and produce steam and electricity for in-house use and sugar refining at BSI’s facility. Under the project, bagasse from BSI’s facility will be the primary fuel for the plant, providing nearly 50% of the annual fuel requirements; citrus and sawmill waste will provide the rest. The plant is expected to come on line in 1998 and operate for 31 years.

Primary activity(ies)

This information is not yet available.

Description:

This information is not yet available.

Site number

1 of 1

Project sector

Energy

The relevant GHG emissions to be included in the emissions baseline are those from the burning of fuel oil for electricity generation and from the uncontrolled burning and dumping of biomass wastes. However, due to the lack of reliable information on GHG emissions from uncontrolled burning and decomposition, the project developers have estimated emissions from the burning of fuel oil only.

The reference scenario methodology incorporates three assumptions. First, it is assumed that NMVOCs are not produced in the operation of Belize’s diesel generators. Second, CO₂ emissions from the operation of fuel oil-fired electricity generation are calculated based on optimum operating conditions, even though some equipment is known to be performing under less than optimal conditions. Third, NO_x emissions are calculated based on U.S. standards that are much more stringent than any standards enforced in Belize. These assumptions result in a more conservative estimate of net project benefits than what will probably occur.

It is assumed that the 18 MW biomass plant will directly displace 18 MW of electricity that otherwise would have been generated at a diesel oil-fired plant. Estimated CO₂ emissions from the oil-fired plant are based on the following data:

Dry gas emissions in flue gas: 312,507 lb/hr

CO₂ content of flue gas: 13.4 %

Therefore, (312,507 lb/hr dry gas) * (0.134 lb CO₂/lb dry gas) = 41,876 lb CO₂ /hr.

The biomass plant is guaranteed to operate a minimum of 6,000 hours per year, so annual emissions from use of fuel oil will be:

[(41,876 lb CO₂/hr) * (6,000 hr/yr)]/ (2,205 lb/ t) = 113,948 t CO₂/yr

NO_x emissions are also estimated. However, this gas is not regulated by the government of Belize, so accurate emissions data do not exist. Therefore, the calculation is based on the U.S. maximum federal limit, which is believed to be more conservative than actual emissions.

U.S. maximum federal limit of NO_x emissions: 0.16 lb NO_x/MMB of heat input

Heat input: 372.8 MMB/hr

Therefore, [(0.16 lb NO_x/MMB input heat) * (372.8 MMB input heat/hr) * (6,000 hr/yr)] / (2,205 lb/ t) =

162 t NO_x/yr

Estimates of emissions from the plant have not been completed by the project developers. At present, project scenario emissions are assumed to be equivalent to the uncounted reference case emissions from waste incineration and dumping, and therefore are set to zero.

This information is not yet available.

(Tonnes, Full Molecular Weight Basis)

Emissions

Emissions

(Reference Scenario -

Project Scenario)

(Reference Scenario -

Project Scenario)

Equivalent

Equivalent

113,948

162

0

0

113,948

162

113,948

2,392,911

3,402

2,392,911

113,948

162

0

0

113,948

162

113,948

2,506,859

3,564

2,506,859

113,948

162

0

0

113,948

162

113,948

2,620,807

3,726

2,620,807

113,948

162

0

0

113,948

162

113,948

2,734,755

3,888

2,734,755

113,948

162

0

0

113,948

162

113,948

2,848,703

4,050

2,848,703

113,948

162

0

0

113,948

162

113,948

2,962,651

4,212

2,962,651

113,948

162

0

0

113,948

162

113,948

3,076,600

4,374

3,076,600

113,948

162

0

0

113,948

162

113,948

3,190,548

4,536

3,190,548

113,948

162

0

0

113,948

162

113,948

3,304,496

4,698

3,304,496

113,948

162

0

0

113,948

162

113,948

3,418,444

4,860

3,418,444

3,418,444

0

4,860

0

0

0

3,418,444

4,860

3,418,444

3,418,444

4,860

3,418,444

Note: the CO2-equivalent estimates only include CO2 because a GWP has not been developed for NOx.

The project will dispose of citrus and wood waste by controlled burning, thereby preventing emissions resulting from dumping and open burning (which have not been quantified). Additional secondary effects of the project could include the following:

• the planting of biomass for the primary or secondary purpose of producing fuelwood
• the effect of removal of waste biomass from the forest with respect to the incidence of forest fires
• the effect of improved operation and maintenance of fossil fueled power plants
• the effect of equipment additions or retrofits that may improve the efficiency of power production.

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 projected emissions reductions to be less than expected include ceasing of plant operations and use of fuelwood or fossil fuels to generate electricity at the plant.

Long-term contracts for the supply of bagasse and citrus wastes will ensure adequate fuel availability and stable fuel cost, and a Power Purchase Agreement between e prime, the orange processors, and BEL will guarantee revenues.

e prime

Belize Electricity Limited (BEL)

Debt financing:

Various U.S. and Belizean commercial banks

U.S. agencies

Total

e prime or its assignees will lead the syndicate for the financing of this project.

The project may create momentum for other renewable energy projects in Belize. While the project will provide an additional 18 MW of power to Belize’s electricity generation portfolio, biomass resources from the sugar and wood products industries can fuel an additional 25 MW generating capacity.

The project will transfer U.S. biomass technology to Belize’s developing economy. It also will transfer emission control technology and use environmentally friendly construction techniques. By using biomass as fuel, the project disposes of the waste in a controlled manner, as opposed to the current practices of uncontrolled burning that release significant GHG emissions.

The developer has had several discussions with BEL on this project. BEL is currently evaluating privatization of certain utility assets including generation, transmission, and distribution facilities. It is anticipated that this project will progress at such time that the privatization plan and long-term energy strategy are finalized within BEL. e prime at that point may choose to assign its interest in this project to one or more independent power developers.

This information is not yet available.

None.

Belize/ BEL/Maya Biomass Power Generation Project

Joseph Cayetano, Minister, Ministry of Energy, Science, Technology, and Transportation