Optimizing the performance of a biomass power plant: Technical-economic and energy analysis | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Optimizing the performance of a biomass power plant: Technical-economic and energy analysis Fatah BOUFOUDI, Sabrine TAS This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-7480742/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Review Version 1 posted 5 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract In recent decades, global dependence on fossil fuels has contributed significantly to climate imbalances. Faced with these environmental challenges, interest in renewable and permanent energy sources, particularly biomass, is growing steadily. The present study is part of this dynamic and aims to valorize waste from barley straw, corn stalks, wheat straw, forestry residues and urban wood waste, for multiple energy applications, notably electricity and heat production. The main objective is to optimize and select the best technique for making a biomass power plant highly efficient. This involved varying raw material handling, the type of combustion system and three key boiler parameters, as part of a project to install a biomass power plant in the wilaya of Bejaïa, Algeria. The statistical data collected made it possible to estimate the plant's heat and electricity production potential, as well as its overall efficiency. A comprehensive techno-economic analysis accompanies this work, incorporating investment costs, operating expenses, waste-to-energy infrastructure and viable economic models for the deployment of biomass power plants in the study area. The results show that waste-to-energy can cover the energy needs of around 33,000 inhabitants. In addition, the use of a specific type of boiler, with a steam quality of 950°F and 1200 psi(g), was found to be an optimal solution, offering an efficiency of 89% and a Levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) of 9.05 $ /kWh. Biomass Electricity LCOE Cooling Heating Efficiency Full Text Cite Share Download PDF Status: Under Review Version 1 posted Reviewers agreed at journal 15 Sep, 2025 Reviewers invited by journal 14 Sep, 2025 Editor invited by journal 14 Sep, 2025 Editor assigned by journal 29 Aug, 2025 First submitted to journal 28 Aug, 2025 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-7480742","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":514972917,"identity":"d369722e-acde-420e-817d-1ec3609bc2ea","order_by":0,"name":"Fatah BOUFOUDI","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAA6UlEQVRIiWNgGAWjYBAC9gYGBmYGhgNAEoh5DGyg4my4tfAcYIZqYUsAaUljABtBghaGw0RoYT9/8HMBwx05g2PMxyTeFJxPXDvt/MEHDGV1uLXwJDNLz2B4ZmxwjC1Nco7B7cRtt5OZDRjO4bbGniGZQRronsQN93vMpHkgWtgkGNt4cNvC/5j5N1jLMR6QlnMwLRK4tUgks0kjaTkA02KAR8tjM2seg2fGksfYki3nGCQbA7UYGyScS8DjsMTHt3kq7sjxHWM+eOPNHzvZbbcTHz74gCfEIADDFbjtGAWjYBSMglFADAAAO9VPWkLUPbkAAAAASUVORK5CYII=","orcid":"","institution":"Université de Béjaïa: Universite de Bejaia","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Fatah","middleName":"","lastName":"BOUFOUDI","suffix":""},{"id":514972918,"identity":"e9b01b18-287b-4450-a06d-21aca665f035","order_by":1,"name":"Sabrine TAS","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Universite Mouloud Mammeri de Tizi Ouzou","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Sabrine","middleName":"","lastName":"TAS","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2025-08-28 13:24:55","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7480742/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-7480742/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":91944445,"identity":"2081b833-eed7-46da-9938-026fe02c720d","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-09-23 04:57:04","extension":"xml","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":6115,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"waveWAVED2501862.xml","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7480742/v1/294df0cd13487099de45096a.xml"},{"id":91944447,"identity":"454cb7ae-6400-45d3-a536-f39095b415d5","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-09-23 04:57:04","extension":"xml","order_by":2,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":923,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"WAVED250186229389.go.xml","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7480742/v1/fcaba19b3d94e81ec35b1c68.xml"},{"id":91944772,"identity":"b8f984b1-f031-4a0b-8a9a-2ab0ee42b3be","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-09-23 05:05:04","extension":"xml","order_by":3,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":804,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"WAVED2501862Import.xml","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7480742/v1/ea7b5c395742164385b14c23.xml"},{"id":91944448,"identity":"d21e0411-bc44-45f3-874d-a849b6188516","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-09-23 04:57:05","extension":"xml","order_by":4,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":92228,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"WAVED25018620enriched.xml","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7480742/v1/1f0b772e1eecf0473ef43161.xml"},{"id":91944773,"identity":"77f6b441-ba1d-4986-90f8-4ee95983b984","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-09-23 05:05:05","extension":"jpeg","order_by":5,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":365991,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"floatimage1.jpeg","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7480742/v1/e40fa1b1b4eeea8aef915de8.jpeg"},{"id":91944455,"identity":"7b837bd7-b226-47ec-8373-d540969dbe44","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-09-23 04:57:05","extension":"png","order_by":6,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":208335,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"floatimage2.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7480742/v1/2a552890d2aa3343ff976ebe.png"},{"id":91944451,"identity":"634a24da-904d-42c8-9b68-6a0a9b07f0a4","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-09-23 04:57:05","extension":"png","order_by":7,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":138816,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"floatimage3.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7480742/v1/5b5fc1a19871c94bf193654e.png"},{"id":91944453,"identity":"80c0062b-e0fd-47c5-ba97-ef65d32e3a41","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-09-23 04:57:05","extension":"jpeg","order_by":8,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":636595,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"floatimage4.jpeg","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7480742/v1/03e71c3e71921ae3460e29b5.jpeg"},{"id":91944452,"identity":"e4401a69-4de7-4e57-b5e4-f2501e49b3c0","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-09-23 04:57:05","extension":"png","order_by":9,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":87165,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Onlinefloatimage1.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7480742/v1/7c55011a0a0826ef3f02f28e.png"},{"id":91944454,"identity":"a9d2c4c8-4ae9-4978-b56a-2f5a1461d474","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-09-23 04:57:05","extension":"png","order_by":10,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":21302,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Onlinefloatimage2.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7480742/v1/ea0dfc4ebebb0141d960177a.png"},{"id":91944449,"identity":"d66bd69b-2143-4711-83d9-26ef9442016e","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-09-23 04:57:05","extension":"png","order_by":11,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":13587,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Onlinefloatimage3.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7480742/v1/4b559e4743d0337a9a34c072.png"},{"id":91944774,"identity":"583b713d-b07f-423f-889a-f2164d77d975","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-09-23 05:05:05","extension":"png","order_by":12,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":111187,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Onlinefloatimage4.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7480742/v1/5afdd308d2fedf8994d59e97.png"},{"id":91944456,"identity":"4c8d623f-1719-4cb6-bc60-e2635025fb3f","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-09-23 04:57:05","extension":"xml","order_by":13,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":91010,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"WAVED25018620structuring.xml","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7480742/v1/92fb08aedbc3072cbb01d522.xml"},{"id":91944458,"identity":"7a31f683-6f6b-451c-828b-583c19479391","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-09-23 04:57:05","extension":"html","order_by":14,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":99129,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"earlyproof.html","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7480742/v1/83518d77479d1902fe80c2ec.html"},{"id":91945546,"identity":"cb5081b2-0893-4013-ae5a-a5aba2cf570d","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-09-23 05:13:05","extension":"pdf","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":684623,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Article.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7480742/v1_covered_a160fc64-c2d6-4c9c-ab48-5fe0c7c96b83.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"","formattedTitle":"Optimizing the performance of a biomass power plant: Technical-economic and energy analysis","fulltext":[],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":false,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":true,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":true,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":true,"isPdf":true,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"
[email protected]","identity":"waste-and-biomass-valorization","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"wave","sideBox":"Learn more about [Waste and Biomass Valorization](http://link.springer.com/journal/12649)","snPcode":"12649","submissionUrl":"https://submission.nature.com/new-submission/12649/3","title":"Waste and Biomass Valorization","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"em","reportingPortfolio":"Springer Hybrid","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":false},"keywords":"Biomass, Electricity, LCOE, Cooling, Heating, Efficiency","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7480742/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-7480742/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eIn recent decades, global dependence on fossil fuels has contributed significantly to climate imbalances. Faced with these environmental challenges, interest in renewable and permanent energy sources, particularly biomass, is growing steadily. The present study is part of this dynamic and aims to valorize waste from barley straw, corn stalks, wheat straw, forestry residues and urban wood waste, for multiple energy applications, notably electricity and heat production. The main objective is to optimize and select the best technique for making a biomass power plant highly efficient. This involved varying raw material handling, the type of combustion system and three key boiler parameters, as part of a project to install a biomass power plant in the wilaya of Beja\u0026iuml;a, Algeria. The statistical data collected made it possible to estimate the plant's heat and electricity production potential, as well as its overall efficiency. A comprehensive techno-economic analysis accompanies this work, incorporating investment costs, operating expenses, waste-to-energy infrastructure and viable economic models for the deployment of biomass power plants in the study area. The results show that waste-to-energy can cover the energy needs of around 33,000 inhabitants. In addition, the use of a specific type of boiler, with a steam quality of 950\u0026deg;F and 1200 psi(g), was found to be an optimal solution, offering an efficiency of 89% and a Levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) of 9.05 \u003cspan\u003e$\u003c/span\u003e/kWh.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Optimizing the performance of a biomass power plant: Technical-economic and energy analysis","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2025-09-23 04:57:00","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7480742/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"","date":"2025-09-15T11:43:03+00:00","index":0,"fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewersInvited","content":"","date":"2025-09-15T02:38:17+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvited","content":"Waste and Biomass Valorization","date":"2025-09-14T12:59:14+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorAssigned","content":"","date":"2025-08-29T16:10:04+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"submitted","content":"Waste and Biomass Valorization","date":"2025-08-28T09:22:04+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"
[email protected]","identity":"waste-and-biomass-valorization","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"wave","sideBox":"Learn more about [Waste and Biomass Valorization](http://link.springer.com/journal/12649)","snPcode":"12649","submissionUrl":"https://submission.nature.com/new-submission/12649/3","title":"Waste and Biomass Valorization","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"em","reportingPortfolio":"Springer Hybrid","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":false}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"e36360b5-be14-47fd-b334-0ca25ca0e0c1","owner":[],"postedDate":"September 23rd, 2025","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"under-review","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2026-05-15T02:44:19+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2025-09-23 04:57:00","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-7480742","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-7480742","identity":"rs-7480742","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"8U1c8b4HqxoKbykW_rLl7","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}
Text is read by the "Ask this paper" AI Q&A widget below.
Extraction quality varies by source — PMC NXML preserves structure
cleanly, OA-HTML may include some navigation residue, and OA-PDF can
have broken hyphenation. The publisher copy
(via DOI)
is the canonical version.