Development of Bottom Ash Handling Remote MDS Methodologies - 

Conveyance Capital Cost Equations and Factors for Remote MDS

This Excel file contains the following worksheets:

Remote MDS Capital Cost

Engineering Cost Factor

This Excel workbook documents EPA's analyses to calculate equations and factors used in the bottom ash conveyance cost 

methodology for a remote mechanical drag system (MDS).

Contains data from Clyde Bergemann Power Group (CBPG) used to develop a cost 

curve to estimate equipment capital costs associated with the conveyance and 

intermediate storage portions of the bottom ash handling systems, based on unit capacity

(in MW). Contains data from the Steam Electric Survey (Question C3-39) to evaluate the 

percentage of toatl capital costs represented by engineering overhead costs. The value 

used (the calculated median percentage) is highlighted orange.
Remote Mechanical Drag System (ASHCON TM) - Development of the Capital Cost Equation

EPA used data provided by Clyde Bergemann Power Group (nonCBI), previously Delta Ducon, (below) to generate a 

As shown in the footnote, this includes the intermediate storage for the system (Conveyance + Intermediate cap cost)

Based on the information provided in the table above, EPA used the upper MW bounds to plot MW vs. Capital Cost f

Unit MW Capital Cost

150 4,000,000

300 6,000,000

500 9,000,000

700 11,000,000

14,000,000

16,000,000
900 15,000,000

EPA plotted the points above to generate a cost equation to estimate

capital costs based on unit MW. EPA selected the linear equation 

based on the best r-squared value. EPA used the following equation:

Unit Cost (2010$) = 14,227 × Capacity, MW + 2,000,000

0

2,000,000

4,000,000

6,000,000

8,000,000

10,000,000

12,000,000

0
elta Ducon, (below) to generate a cost curve for a remote mechanical drag system (ASHCON) based on MW. 

eyance + Intermediate cap cost).

ds to plot MW vs. Capital Cost for the remote mechanical drag system.

y = 14227x + 2E+06

R2 = 0.9901

Unit MW vs. Capital Cost
0 200 400 600 800 1000
EPA's Methodology for Developing the Bottom Ash Handling Remote MDS Engineering Factor

Responses from C3-39:

Plant ID

SE Unit 

ID CBI Flag Project Cost

Year 

Basis Plant ID

SE Unit 

ID CBI Flag Project Cost

3831 SE Unit-2 TRUE [Redacted] [Redacted][Redacted] 3831 SE Unit-2 TRUE [Redacted] [Redacted]

3433 SE Unit-4 FALSE Engineering Overhead 279767 2003 3433 SE Unit-4 FALSE Total Capital 3448808

1245 SE Unit-1 FALSE Engineering Overhead 250000 2009 1245 SE Unit-1 FALSE Total Capital 10250000

1245 SE Unit-2 FALSE Engineering Overhead 250000 2009 1245 SE Unit-2 FALSE Total Capital 10250000

1634 SE Unit-1 TRUE [Redacted] [Redacted][Redacted] 1634 SE Unit-1 TRUE [Redacted] [Redacted]

3831 SE Unit-1 TRUE [Redacted] [Redacted][Redacted] 3831 SE Unit-1 TRUE [Redacted] [Redacted]

1695 SE Unit-3 TRUE [Redacted] [Redacted][Redacted] 1695 SE Unit-3 TRUE [Redacted] [Redacted]

9534 SE Unit-7 FALSE Engineering Overhead 75000 2002 9534 SE Unit-7 FALSE Total Capital 580166

4781 SE Unit-2 FALSE Engineering Overhead 73242 2008 4781 SE Unit-2 FALSE Total Capital 4223311

8437 SE Unit-1 TRUE [Redacted] [Redacted][Redacted] 8437 SE Unit-1 TRUE [Redacted] [Redacted]

249 SE Unit-1 TRUE [Redacted] [Redacted][Redacted] 249 SE Unit-1 TRUE [Redacted] [Redacted]

8233 SE Unit-1 FALSE Engineering Overhead 15000 2007 8233 SE Unit-1 FALSE Total Capital 497000

6118 SE Unit-2 TRUE [Redacted] [Redacted][Redacted] 6118 SE Unit-2 TRUE [Redacted] [Redacted]

2766 SE Unit-1 FALSE Engineering Overhead 9000 2003 2766 SE Unit-1 FALSE Total Capital 313000

6118 SE Unit-1 TRUE [Redacted] [Redacted][Redacted] 6118 SE Unit-1 TRUE [Redacted] [Redacted]

8075 SE Unit-1 TRUE [Redacted] [Redacted][Redacted] 8075 SE Unit-1 TRUE [Redacted] [Redacted]

2548 SE Unit-1 FALSE Engineering Overhead 0 -555 2548 SE Unit-1 FALSE Total Capital 82500

2548 SE Unit-2 FALSE Engineering Overhead 0 -555 2548 SE Unit-2 FALSE Total Capital 82500

8750 SE Unit-1 TRUE [Redacted] [Redacted][Redacted] 8750 SE Unit-1 TRUE [Redacted] [Redacted]

3235 SE Unit-3 FALSE Engineering Overhead 0 -999 3235 SE Unit-3 FALSE Total Capital 17462901

EPA used data from the Steam Electric Survey (Questions C3-39 (conveyance) and C3-47 (intermediate storagae)) to compare 

engineering overhead costs to total capital costs. Using this comparison, EPA calculated a factor for estimating engineering overhead 

costs. EPA excluded any responses that were marked as blank or missing, and total capital costs listed as zero.
3235 SE Unit-4 FALSE Engineering Overhead 0 -999 3235 SE Unit-4 FALSE Total Capital 10365146

6672 SE Unit-1 TRUE [Redacted] [Redacted][Redacted] 6672 SE Unit-1 TRUE [Redacted] [Redacted]

2548 SE Unit-3 FALSE Engineering Overhead 0 -555 2548 SE Unit-3 FALSE Total Capital 82500

9526 SE Unit-4 FALSE Engineering Overhead 0 -999 9526 SE Unit-4 FALSE Total Capital 82500

3146 SE Unit-1, SE Unit-2 FALSE Engineering Overhead 0 2009 3146 SE Unit-1, SE Unit-2 FALSE Total Capital 8512055

1258 SE Units -1,2,3,4 (see comments) FALSE Engineering Overhead 0 -999 1258 SE Units -1,2,3,4 (see comments) FALSE Total Capital 4552907

3097 SE Unit-4 FALSE Engineering Overhead 0 -999 3097 SE Unit-4 FALSE Total Capital 2022218

Responses from C3-47:

Plant ID

SE Unit 

ID CBI Flag Project Cost

Year 

Basis Plant ID

SE Unit 

ID CBI Flag Project Cost

1245 Outdoor Pile 1FALSE Engineering Overhead 30000 2009 1245 Outdoor Pile 1FALSE Total Capital 250000

1245 Outdoor Pile 2FALSE Engineering Overhead 30000 2009 1245 Outdoor Pile 2FALSE Total Capital 250000

9534 Silo 2 FALSE Engineering Overhead 3200 2002 9534 Silo 2 FALSE Total Capital 26253

6245 30 yard roll offFALSE Engineering Overhead 0 -555 6245 30 yard roll offFALSE Total Capital 3922

2548 1, 2, 3 FALSE Engineering Overhead 0 -555 2548 1, 2, 3 FALSE Total Capital 1000

9526 Other FALSE Engineering Overhead 0 -999 9526 Other FALSE Total Capital 1000

6616 Other_Enclosed Buildings FALSE Engineering Overhead 0 2009 6616 Other_Enclosed Buildings FALSE Total Capital 466732

3097 Silo 4 FALSE Engineering Overhead 0 -999 3097 Silo 4 FALSE Total Capital 98201

Year 

Basis

Total Capital 

minus 

Overhead

Overhead 

% of 

Capital 

(excludin

g 

[Redacted] [Redacted] [Redacted]

NA 3169041 9%

NA 10000000 3%

NA 10000000 3%

[Redacted] [Redacted] [Redacted]

[Redacted] [Redacted] [Redacted]

[Redacted] [Redacted] [Redacted]

NA 505166 15%

NA 4150069 2%

[Redacted] [Redacted] [Redacted]

[Redacted] [Redacted] [Redacted]

NA 482000 3%

[Redacted] [Redacted] [Redacted]

NA 304000 3%

[Redacted] [Redacted] [Redacted]

[Redacted] [Redacted] [Redacted]

NA 82500 0%

NA 82500 0%

[Redacted] [Redacted] [Redacted]

NA 17462901 0%
NA 10365146 0%

[Redacted] [Redacted] [Redacted]

NA 82500 0%

NA 82500 0%

NA 8512055 0%

NA 4552907 0%

NA 2022218 0%

Conveyance: min 0%

max 15%

average 2.276%

median 1.765%

** Because median for Int Storage = 0, used the value for conveyance

Year 

Basis

Total Capital 

minus 

Overhead

Overhead 

% of 

Capital 

(excludin

g 

NA 220000 14%

NA 220000 14%

NA 23053 14%

NA 3922 0%

NA 1000 0%

NA 1000 0%

NA 466732 0%

NA 98201 0%

Int Storage: min 0%

max 14%

average 5.144%
median 0.000%