A Paraguayan Case Study on the Production of Electricity from Fuel Cells for Distributed Generation

Michel Osvaldo Galeano Espínola

doi:doi:10.11648/j.ijepe.s.2014030603.12

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A Paraguayan Case Study on the Production of Electricity from Fuel Cells for Distributed Generation

Michel Osvaldo Galeano Espínola

Published in International Journal of Energy and Power Engineering (Volume 3, Issue 6-3)

Received: 1 August 2014 Accepted: 22 February 2015 Published: 12 March 2015

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Abstract

The result of a preliminary economic evaluation of distributed generation of electricity with a molten carbonate fuel cell (MCFC) in Paraguay is presented in this work. For this purpose, a mathematical model that represents the main technical and economic characteristics involved in the operation of MCFCs was applied. The model is applied in a horizon of 20 years and shows how costs are influenced by the projected energy demand increase of the studied population and by the decrease of MCFC unit cost due to technological advances and mass production. The studied population is Bahía Negra district in the department of Alto Paraguay. The results show that the generation cost of electricity by MCFC is high, US$ 290/MWh and US$ 270/MWh, for conservative and optimistic scenarios, respectively. However, in these situations, the feasibility analysis of electricity supply to isolated communities with low living standards and in developing countries based only on the comparison and quantification in monetary terms is not enough. This is because there are intangible benefits that are difficult to quantify and, therefore, to express in monetary terms. For example, it is very difficult to quantify in monetary terms the improvements in environmental conditions and quality of life of the community. Finally, the use of fuel cells for distributed generation of electricity in rural areas of Paraguay is feasible if the social and environmental aspects are considered, not just economics.

Published in	International Journal of Energy and Power Engineering (Volume 3, Issue 6-3) This article belongs to the Special Issue Energy Conversion and Management
DOI	10.11648/j.ijepe.s.2014030603.12
Page(s)	8-12
Creative Commons	This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright	Copyright © The Author(s), 2015. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Distributed Generation, Fuel Cells, Economics, Paraguay

References

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APA Style

Michel Osvaldo Galeano Espínola. (2015). A Paraguayan Case Study on the Production of Electricity from Fuel Cells for Distributed Generation. International Journal of Energy and Power Engineering, 3(6-3), 8-12. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijepe.s.2014030603.12

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ACS Style

Michel Osvaldo Galeano Espínola. A Paraguayan Case Study on the Production of Electricity from Fuel Cells for Distributed Generation. Int. J. Energy Power Eng. 2015, 3(6-3), 8-12. doi: 10.11648/j.ijepe.s.2014030603.12

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AMA Style

Michel Osvaldo Galeano Espínola. A Paraguayan Case Study on the Production of Electricity from Fuel Cells for Distributed Generation. Int J Energy Power Eng. 2015;3(6-3):8-12. doi: 10.11648/j.ijepe.s.2014030603.12

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@article{10.11648/j.ijepe.s.2014030603.12,
  author = {Michel Osvaldo Galeano Espínola},
  title = {A Paraguayan Case Study on the Production of Electricity from Fuel Cells for Distributed Generation},
  journal = {International Journal of Energy and Power Engineering},
  volume = {3},
  number = {6-3},
  pages = {8-12},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ijepe.s.2014030603.12},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijepe.s.2014030603.12},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijepe.s.2014030603.12},
  abstract = {The result of a preliminary economic evaluation of distributed generation of electricity with a molten carbonate fuel cell (MCFC) in Paraguay is presented in this work. For this purpose, a mathematical model that represents the main technical and economic characteristics involved in the operation of MCFCs was applied. The model is applied in a horizon of 20 years and shows how costs are influenced by the projected energy demand increase of the studied population and by the decrease of MCFC unit cost due to technological advances and mass production. The studied population is Bahía Negra district in the department of Alto Paraguay. The results show that the generation cost of electricity by MCFC is high, US$ 290/MWh and US$ 270/MWh, for conservative and optimistic scenarios, respectively. However, in these situations, the feasibility analysis of electricity supply to isolated communities with low living standards and in developing countries based only on the comparison and quantification in monetary terms is not enough. This is because there are intangible benefits that are difficult to quantify and, therefore, to express in monetary terms. For example, it is very difficult to quantify in monetary terms the improvements in environmental conditions and quality of life of the community. Finally, the use of fuel cells for distributed generation of electricity in rural areas of Paraguay is feasible if the social and environmental aspects are considered, not just economics.},
 year = {2015}
}

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TY  - JOUR
T1  - A Paraguayan Case Study on the Production of Electricity from Fuel Cells for Distributed Generation
AU  - Michel Osvaldo Galeano Espínola
Y1  - 2015/03/12
PY  - 2015
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijepe.s.2014030603.12
DO  - 10.11648/j.ijepe.s.2014030603.12
T2  - International Journal of Energy and Power Engineering
JF  - International Journal of Energy and Power Engineering
JO  - International Journal of Energy and Power Engineering
SP  - 8
EP  - 12
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2326-960X
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijepe.s.2014030603.12
AB  - The result of a preliminary economic evaluation of distributed generation of electricity with a molten carbonate fuel cell (MCFC) in Paraguay is presented in this work. For this purpose, a mathematical model that represents the main technical and economic characteristics involved in the operation of MCFCs was applied. The model is applied in a horizon of 20 years and shows how costs are influenced by the projected energy demand increase of the studied population and by the decrease of MCFC unit cost due to technological advances and mass production. The studied population is Bahía Negra district in the department of Alto Paraguay. The results show that the generation cost of electricity by MCFC is high, US$ 290/MWh and US$ 270/MWh, for conservative and optimistic scenarios, respectively. However, in these situations, the feasibility analysis of electricity supply to isolated communities with low living standards and in developing countries based only on the comparison and quantification in monetary terms is not enough. This is because there are intangible benefits that are difficult to quantify and, therefore, to express in monetary terms. For example, it is very difficult to quantify in monetary terms the improvements in environmental conditions and quality of life of the community. Finally, the use of fuel cells for distributed generation of electricity in rural areas of Paraguay is feasible if the social and environmental aspects are considered, not just economics.
VL  - 3
IS  - 6-3
ER  -

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Author Information

Michel Osvaldo Galeano Espínola

Department of Chemical Engineering, National University of Asuncion (UNA), San Lorenzo, Paraguay

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APA Style

Michel Osvaldo Galeano Espínola. (2015). A Paraguayan Case Study on the Production of Electricity from Fuel Cells for Distributed Generation. International Journal of Energy and Power Engineering, 3(6-3), 8-12. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijepe.s.2014030603.12

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ACS Style

Michel Osvaldo Galeano Espínola. A Paraguayan Case Study on the Production of Electricity from Fuel Cells for Distributed Generation. Int. J. Energy Power Eng. 2015, 3(6-3), 8-12. doi: 10.11648/j.ijepe.s.2014030603.12

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AMA Style

Michel Osvaldo Galeano Espínola. A Paraguayan Case Study on the Production of Electricity from Fuel Cells for Distributed Generation. Int J Energy Power Eng. 2015;3(6-3):8-12. doi: 10.11648/j.ijepe.s.2014030603.12

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@article{10.11648/j.ijepe.s.2014030603.12,
  author = {Michel Osvaldo Galeano Espínola},
  title = {A Paraguayan Case Study on the Production of Electricity from Fuel Cells for Distributed Generation},
  journal = {International Journal of Energy and Power Engineering},
  volume = {3},
  number = {6-3},
  pages = {8-12},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ijepe.s.2014030603.12},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijepe.s.2014030603.12},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijepe.s.2014030603.12},
  abstract = {The result of a preliminary economic evaluation of distributed generation of electricity with a molten carbonate fuel cell (MCFC) in Paraguay is presented in this work. For this purpose, a mathematical model that represents the main technical and economic characteristics involved in the operation of MCFCs was applied. The model is applied in a horizon of 20 years and shows how costs are influenced by the projected energy demand increase of the studied population and by the decrease of MCFC unit cost due to technological advances and mass production. The studied population is Bahía Negra district in the department of Alto Paraguay. The results show that the generation cost of electricity by MCFC is high, US$ 290/MWh and US$ 270/MWh, for conservative and optimistic scenarios, respectively. However, in these situations, the feasibility analysis of electricity supply to isolated communities with low living standards and in developing countries based only on the comparison and quantification in monetary terms is not enough. This is because there are intangible benefits that are difficult to quantify and, therefore, to express in monetary terms. For example, it is very difficult to quantify in monetary terms the improvements in environmental conditions and quality of life of the community. Finally, the use of fuel cells for distributed generation of electricity in rural areas of Paraguay is feasible if the social and environmental aspects are considered, not just economics.},
 year = {2015}
}

Copy | Download

TY  - JOUR
T1  - A Paraguayan Case Study on the Production of Electricity from Fuel Cells for Distributed Generation
AU  - Michel Osvaldo Galeano Espínola
Y1  - 2015/03/12
PY  - 2015
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijepe.s.2014030603.12
DO  - 10.11648/j.ijepe.s.2014030603.12
T2  - International Journal of Energy and Power Engineering
JF  - International Journal of Energy and Power Engineering
JO  - International Journal of Energy and Power Engineering
SP  - 8
EP  - 12
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2326-960X
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijepe.s.2014030603.12
AB  - The result of a preliminary economic evaluation of distributed generation of electricity with a molten carbonate fuel cell (MCFC) in Paraguay is presented in this work. For this purpose, a mathematical model that represents the main technical and economic characteristics involved in the operation of MCFCs was applied. The model is applied in a horizon of 20 years and shows how costs are influenced by the projected energy demand increase of the studied population and by the decrease of MCFC unit cost due to technological advances and mass production. The studied population is Bahía Negra district in the department of Alto Paraguay. The results show that the generation cost of electricity by MCFC is high, US$ 290/MWh and US$ 270/MWh, for conservative and optimistic scenarios, respectively. However, in these situations, the feasibility analysis of electricity supply to isolated communities with low living standards and in developing countries based only on the comparison and quantification in monetary terms is not enough. This is because there are intangible benefits that are difficult to quantify and, therefore, to express in monetary terms. For example, it is very difficult to quantify in monetary terms the improvements in environmental conditions and quality of life of the community. Finally, the use of fuel cells for distributed generation of electricity in rural areas of Paraguay is feasible if the social and environmental aspects are considered, not just economics.
VL  - 3
IS  - 6-3
ER  -

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