A Study on Profitability of Power Plant for Landfill Gas

매립가스 자원화를 위한 가스엔진 발전의 수익성에 관한 연구

Landfill gas is a mixture of methane and carbon dioxide produced by the bacterial decomposition of organic wastes, and it is considered to produce bad smells and pollute the environment. Economic trials and the developments of landfill gas, as an alternative energy resource, become known at the recent years. Resource development of landfill gas, which is managed by Korea up to now, is for the most part generation using gas engine. Medium BTU and High BTU are considered for the power generation as well. I\10st income of generation using gas engine is selling charge through a power plant. Expecting to manage the power plant for up to 10 years, the analysis based on revenue and expenditure shows when the unit price is 65.2 Won and the operating rate reaches 90%, it is possible to be into the black in 2012 without considering additional financial expense. It was also analyzed that the profit at a unit price of 85 Won under the anticipated rising unit price by the operating rate of 71% is larger than at the operating rate of 90% under limited unit price of 65.2 Won. It means to manage the power plant at a unit price of 65.2 Won and the operating rate must be higher than 90% for economic logicality. If we assume that the operating rate is 90% and it increases the unit price, the unit price must be higher than 85 Won for the management of a power plant. Analysis of changing a unit price, however, might be expected to have a gradual rise of prices. If there is no price rising and additional income related to CDM(Clean Development Mechanism) and emission trading upon Kyoto protocol, the management of a power plant using gas engine will get financial difficulties because of many operating expenses. However, since landfill gas is considered as a worthy energy resource for the guarantee of sustainable development and for the equity between recent generation and future generation, the development of it must be accomplished by the government's additional supporting and efforts under the interest of all stakeholder who are involved.

매립된 패기물의 분해과정에서 생성되는 부산물로서의 매립가스는 악취와 환경오염을 유발하는 유해한 가스로 여겨져 왔다. 그러나 발열량이 $5,000kcal/m^3$에 달하는 매립가스의 특성은 에너지원으로써의 활용가치가 탁월한데다 지구온난화의 주범으로 떠오르면서 그 회수 필요성이 더욱 강조되고 있어, 재생에너지로서의 매립가스를 대체에너지 자원으로 이용하려는 추세는 매우 고무적인 현상이라 하겠다. 현재 우리나라의 매립가스자원화 사업은 가스엔진을 이용한 전력생산이 대부분을 차지하고 있으며, 부분적으로 중질가스와 고질가스의 활용에도 관심을 보이고 있다. 가스발전기의 가동률과 전력단가의 변동을 고려하여 매립가스의 경제성을 분석해본 결과, 초기 투자비 회수와 지속적인 수익성 확보를 위해서는 최소한 10년 이상의 발전사업 운영 및 전력판매 단가의 현실화가 요구되고 있다.