Review of the economic viability of investing and exploiting biogas electricity plant - Case study Vizelj, Serbia

Construction and operation of plants that produce energy from renewable energy sources is the subject for discussion in all the countries that have accepted the sustainable development concept and Kyoto protocol as their own development direction. Enlargement of the renewable energy production is clearly an imperative, but only economically viable construction and operation can result in long-term sustainability, which is initially the goal when deciding upon such investments. In line with this goal, this paper presents the estimation of the economic viability of constructing and operating biogas electricity plant on the farm Vizelj in Serbia. The timeframe for this estimation is from 2011 until 2020. This paper also presents all parameters which are necessary for performing this estimation, respectively, analysis of revenues and expenditures, projection of economic and financial flow, ratio analysis, dynamic and static analysis, and analysis of sensitivity of the project, i.e. impact of the changes in prices and raw material on the overall performance of the project. The observed investment is predicted to be financed from the EBRD's credit line for renewable energy in Western Balkans, while the total investment is estimated at Euro 958,000.00. After the performed economic assessment, the conclusion is that the observed investment in biogas electricity plant is very acceptable and it can serve as a role model for similar investments in the region. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.