Economics

Retrofitting older generation technology with plasma gasification revitalizes these facilities into clean, modern and improved power plants with decades of additional annuity income from power.

Economic Benefits

  • Retrofitting is less costly than constructing a new plant
  • Results in cost savings through use of existing facility infrastructure and revenue potential from low-value solid fuels (coal and biomass)
  • Provides fuel optionality and incremental revenue through use of renewable fuels
  • Expected economic returns are 16 to 18% (unlevered) and improve with leverage.

Power Plant ConstructionCapital Costs per installed Kilowatt
Greenfield $3,000 to $5,000
Brownfield Retrofit $1,500 to $1,800

The economics of retrofitting a coal plant are compelling. The existing downstream power equipment, facilities and infrastructure are already in place. The retrofit is simply installing a gasifier at the front to create clean syngas – instead of burning coal. The end result is significantly lower emissions, a low cost power facility running at less than $50 per MWh and strong project economics. Facilities that use plasma gasification have the low cost energy profile of coal plants combined with the low emissions profile of natural gas facilities. All this can be done economically using existing infrastructure and turning blue collar jobs into green collar jobs.

Economics of a Power Plant Retrofit
Production Capacity 120 MW
Capital Cost $200 million
Gross Annual Project Revenue $88 million*
Gross Annual Project EBITDA $45 million*
Revenue per MWh $100*
Operating cost per MWh $51*
Netback per MWh $49*
Capital cost per MWh $11
ROE (after tax) 18% to 22%

*Economic Assumptions: independent escalated power forecast and coal forecast, 20 year life with salvage value, leverage rate of 50%, 8.5% interest rate, * average of first ten years