Steam = Conventional boiler
CCGT = Combined Cycle Gas Turbine
SCGT = Simple Cycle Gas Turbine
Nuclear = Nuclear boiler
Hydro = Hydroelectric
Wind = Wind turbine
Solar = Photovoltaic cells

NB. Choice of plant type only affects capex drawdown schedule which affects IDC calculation

Maximum net sent out capacity (ie. measured at transmission injection point) assuming ISO ambient conditions. Note that output can vary considerably with temperature & humidity.

(i) HHV (higher heating value);
(ii) ISO ambient conditions;
(iii) average annual load (ie. capacity factor).

Note that manufacturers commonly quote heat rate as gross & LHV resulting in a lower apparent heat rate which can be misleading. Note that heat rate can vary considerably with unit size, fuel type, temperature, humidity and load, especially for gas turbines.

Typical values for new plants at peak load in ISO conditions:

Steam: 8700-9700 kJ/MWh
Nuclear: 9500-11000 kJ/MWh
CCGT: 7500-8000 kJ/MWh
SCGT: 10500-12000 kJ/MWh
Wind/Solar/Hydro: 0 kJ/MWh

Capacity factor = Annual net generation ÷ (maximum net capacity x 8760).
Capacity factor cannot exceed plant availability averaged over full maintenance cycle, where Availability = 100% - scheduled maintenance - forced outage rate.

Choose one fuel type.

Delivered fuel price in US$ per GJ (HHV). Includes production, processing, transportation, storage, reprocessing, disposal & any fuel taxes.

Typical ranges as follows:

Coal: $0.50-$2.50/GJ (varies with coal market & location)
LNG: $3.00-$8.00/GJ (depends on location and oil price)
UO2: $0.60-$0.70/GJ (includes 30c/GJ = $1000/tonne for reprocessing & disposal)
Gas: $0.50-$7.00/GJ (depends on location and/or oil price)
Fuel Oil: $2.00-$6.00 (depends on oil price)
Diesel: $3.00-$10.00 (depends on oil price)

$1.00/tonne CO2 = $3.67/tonne Carbon

Includes all fixed operating costs eg. Spares, major maintenance, insurance, O&M fee, property taxes & leases, owners' costs, etc. Annual costs depend on plant size, type and location.

Typical values (2004US$) are:

Coal: $15-$40/kW/year
Nuclear: $25-$50/kW/year
CCGT: $10-$20/kW/year
SCGT: $8-$15/kW/year
Hydro: $5-$20/kW/year
Wind: $10-$30/kW/year
Solar: $10-$20/kW/year

Includes all variable O&M costs eg. water, lubricants, limestone, ash disposal. Annual costs depend on plant size, type and location.

Typical values (2004US$) are:

Coal: $0.30-1.00/MWh
Nuclear: $0.50-1.50/MWh
CCGT: $0.10-1.00/MWh
SCGT: $0.10-0.30/MWh
Hydro: $0.00-0.10/MWh
Wind: $0.00-0.10/MWh
Solar: $0.00-0.10/MWh

Total nominal project costs per kW. Assumes greenfield project (brownfield expansions will generally be cheaper). Includes all capitalised development, siting, equipment, EPC, infrastructure & financing costs. Excludes IDC (interest during construction). Price varies with type, size, location, manufacturer, exchange rates and market conditions.

Typical values (2004US$) are:

Steam: $700-$1400/kW
Nuclear: $1500-$3000/kW
CCGT: $400-$600/kW
SCGT: $150-$250/kW
Hydro: $1000-$3000/kW
Wind: $800-$1200/kW
Solar: >$2000/kW

Debt as a percentage of total capital
(debt + equity)

Interest Rate

Equity IRR or ROE required by investor

Plant operating life (also used for term of debt)

Typical values are:

Steam: 30-45 years
CCGT: 20-30 years
SCGT: 20-25 years
Nuclear: 40-50 years
Hydro: 40-60 years
Wind: 15-20 years
Solar: 10-15 years

Percentage of total project costs allowable for depreciation (usually 100%)

Corporate tax rate