Cogen2Co: Oil Palm Biomass Cogeneration Designer Software

Abstract

This study was conducted to develop a software, Cogen2Co capable of designing and planning the biomass cogeneration project. The system is leading to sustainable energy and environmentally beneficial solutions for energy use through simultaneous heat and electricity generation from oil palm biomass (OPB). However, these systems can be difficult to design without designated tools and prone to error. The proposed Cogen2Co software streamlines the design process by integrates all technical, economic and environmental aspects of a cogeneration design into one platform that coded in Visual Basic for Applications (VBA). A case study was conducted to validate the software, and then a cost-benefit analysis for OPB cogeneration system was performed. The results showed that while the initial investment and operating costs of the OPB cogeneration system was higher compared to a baseline system, it is still more financially viable. In fact, it found that profit fell 25% lower for return on investment (ROI) than the baseline. The OPB cogeneration system was also apparent in lower greenhouse gas emissions, resulting in a more efficient alternative and greener as well.