Life cycle cost is a key economic figure resulted from condensing an almost overwhelmingly large quantity of data (Pelzeter et al, 2007). The accuracy and sensitivity of these data can be difficult to analyze to become reasonable inputs for life cycle costs assessment.
For hydropower projects, there is a master plan to develop these projects in almost every country. However, because of the available budgets, the projects are needed to be ranked in order to decide which projects are necessary, economical and beneficial more than others. Life cycle cost analysis is one of the useful ways in decision making process and long term planning of the project. So, different projects are needed to compare their life cycle costs and incomes. Because of the various factors that can affect on hydropower projects, the uncertainty and the risks are high and difficult to predict.
Mr. Kyaw Min Thu made a case study which major objectives were to: (1) compare the life cycle costs and net present values of hydropower projects/plants with different types of turbine; and (2) identify the major cost contributors in life cycle cost of each project,
Conclusions
In this research, life cycle cost analysis of hydropower projects installed different types of turbine are conducted on the costs incurred in the hydropower plants to determine the most beneficial technology in terms of cost effectiveness. The hydropower plants for this research are selected among the hydropower plants in Thailand which are operating under management of EGAT. To conduct the analysis, all accessible cost data are collected and the researcher followed the cost categories of responsible agencies. All the costs incurred in the selected hydropower plants that can be accessed are considered and then converted into the same period to analyze. The costs data are converted in the same unit (thousand baht per year) at the end of each year within the analysis period.
Moreover, the energy generated data from each selected hydropower plant are collected and calculated the incomes of the power plants each year using the average energy sales price. The incomes getting from the energy generation are considered and calculated as one of the parameters in life cycle cost analysis for wider perspective to determine the outputs. The net present values of the hydropower plants are achieved from the costs and incomes incurred each operation year in the hydropower plants. The analysis’s results are converted into cost per capacity and cost per energy as the capacity of the hydropower plants can affect the results of the analysis.
Among factors influencing the selection of the turbine types of hydropower plants, the result of life cycle cost analysis can be just one of those factors. A final decision may include a number of additional factors outside the LCCA process, such as availability of funding, capability to perform the required construction, expertise and experiences with a particular turbine type and so on.
1. Comparison of Life Cycle Costs of Hydropower Plants
As the capacities of the hydropower plants that can get enough data to conduct analysis are different, the analysis is performed to get the values for unit capacity and unit energy generated for each hydropower plants.
Based on the data analysis for three types of hydropower plants with three different types of turbine, the Francis turbine power plant is more cost-effective than other two types of power plants with respect to the life cycle cost per installed capacity, life cycle cost per energy, net present value per installed capacity and net present value per energy.
The Kaplan turbine hydropower plant and Pelton turbine hydropower stand as decreasing order with respect to their life cycle costs per installed capacity, life cycle costs per energy generated and net present values per capacity and energy generated by the Pelton turbine plant has the larger values than that of Kaplan turbine plant. Thus, the Pelton turbine hydropower plant is more favorable than that of Kaplan plant in terms of cost-effectiveness.
2. Major Cost Contributors in Hydropower Plants
The present values of each cost categories involved in total costs of hydropower plants for each year are calculated to find out the contributors and their ratios in the life cycle costs. The researcher follows the responsible agencies in categorization the costs incurred in the hydropower plants.
In every plant, the life cycle costs spent for civil structures are the largest in the life cycle costs for the whole plants, in other words, life cycle costs of civil structures are major cost contributors in whole life cycle costs of hydropower plants. However, taking account only the operation and maintenance costs, the costs incurred for the electromechanical equipment are the larger than for the civil structures.
In terms of costs per capacity and energy generated, for each cost category, the hydropower plants can be arranged as Kaplan, Pelton and Francis turbine hydropower plant in decreasing order.
According to the results of the analysis, Francis turbine power plant has the least cost per energy generated in all cost categories so Francis turbine is the most favorable among hydropower plants with different types of turbine.
Thus, life cycle costs of civil structures in the analysis period are the major costs contributors in all types of plants while the operation and maintenance costs of the electromechanical equipment are major cost contributors among the total operation and maintenance costs of hydropower plants
His thesis abstract is copied and pasted.
Abstract
The hydropower projects are needed relatively large amount of investment relative to most of the other projects in construction industry. Thus, the decision making on selecting the technologies using in the hydropower plants are needed to analyzed well because of the costs incurred in the whole life of the plant come from the decisions made before starting construction and operation of the plant. Life cycle cost analysis is worth to be conducted as it can give the results not only on the initial costs but also on the costs in the whole life of the studied assets.
In this study, the objective is set to conduct the life cycle cost analysis for the hydropower plants which are installed different types of turbines. The life cycle cost analysis for each type of plant is carried out and the results are shown as per capacity and per energy generated of the plant. The main components of the inputs, which are historical data from hydropower plants, are gathered from the representative agencies. The comparisons of the results of the analysis are performed to select the most cost-effective technology for the hydropower plants in long term basis.
As the results of the analysis, it is found that Francis turbine hydropower plant is more cost effective over than other types.
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