Biomass System Costs

Accurately forecasting installation costs is complex and generally best undertaken by a consultant or installer, but end users can use guidance in this website to help develop a good idea of costs.

Installation Costs

Installation costs are highly site specific and it is often the case that only around 25% of the full cost is that associated with the biomass boiler. You can find two publications that offer advice on costs in our technical library:

The table below provides the average total cost breakdown on 2022/23 prices for typical well designed 200kW and 500kW schemes. It offers only an indication of the range of items and their indicative % contribution to the cost of scheme (Source: Reheat expertise)

Cost item: 2023 typical situation 200kW 500kW
Professional fees for expert advice £10,450 (5%) £20,950 (5%)
Project management and design by installer £30,000 (14%) £45,000 (10%)
Boiler £70,000 (32%) £120,000 (27%)
Flue £6,000 (3%) £9,000 (2%)
Boiler House £40,000 (18%) £60,000 (14%)
Fuel Store £15,000 (7%) £20,000 (5%)
M&E works, connections to heating system/ buffer tank £48,000 (22%) £165,000 (38%)
Totals £219,450 (100%) £439,950 (100%)

Clearly these costs are highly indicative and end users will need to verify that their consultants, designers and installers are all offering the right level of service at reasonable cost.

Operating Costs

It is also essential to understand the ongoing costs of running the biomass installation, including assumptions made about fuel costs and system efficiency. The following information highlights some key considerations: