Can you please tell me what is the cost for producing steam in /MWh for a gas boiler?
The cost to produce steam by a gas boiler will depend upon the tariff applied by the gas supplier. This can vary enormously, but one advantage of a central steam boiler plant is that the boiler burners can be of a dual fuel variety and gas can be bought under a cheaper interruptible supply. Typical figures for interruptible gas prices can vary between about 0.5 p/kWh and 1.2 p/kWh, at the time of writing (Dec 2000). Assuming an overall boiler efficiency of 85% and a gas cost of 0.5 p/kWh, the cost to raise steam per MWh would be (0.5 x 1 000) / (100 x 0.85)= 5.88 / MWh For other prices and boiler efficiencies, adjust accordingly.
