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You are considering three methods for producing steam in your company\'s manufac

ID: 2813496 • Letter: Y

Question

You are considering three methods for producing steam in your company's manufacturing plant.  Revenues will be the same regardless of the method chosen. An oil boiler costs $300,000 and it has a useful life of six years.  The costs of operating the oil boiler require after-tax cash flows of $250,000 per year. A gas boiler costs $200,000 and it has a useful life of five years.  The costs of operating the gas boiler require after-tax cash flows of $350,000 per year. An electric boiler costs $150,000 and it has a useful life of eight years. The costs of operating the electric boiler require after-tax cash flows of $400,000 per year. If your company's weighted average cost of capital is 14% per year, by which method should you generate steam?  What is annualized cost of producing steam by the preferred method?

Explanation / Answer

Calculation of present value of cash outflows when steam is produced using oil boiler

Cost of oil boiler = $300,000

Life of boiler = 6 years

Cost of operating the oil boiler = $250,000

Cost of capital = 14%

Present value of cash outflows = Present cash outflow + [Annual cash outflow x PVAF(14%, 6)]

= 300,000 + (250,000 x 3.889)

= 300,000 + 972,250

= $12,72,250

Calculation of present value of cash outflows when steam is produced using gas boiler

Cost of oil boiler = $200,000

Life of boiler = 5 years

Cost of operating the gas boiler = $350,000

Cost of capital = 14%

Present value of cash outflows = Present cash outflow + [Annual cash outflow x PVAF(14%, 5)]

= 200,000 + (350,000 x 3.433)

= 200,000 + 1,201,550

= $1,401,550

Calculation of present value of cash outflows when steam is produced using electric boiler

Cost of electric boiler = $150,000

Life of boiler = 8 years

Cost of operating the electric boiler = $400,000

Cost of capital = 14%

Present value of cash outflows = Present cash outflow + [Annual cash outflow x PVAF(14%, 8)]

= 150,000 + (400,000 x 4.639)

= 150,000 + 1,855,600

= $2,005,600

Since the present value of cash outflows is lowest when steam is produced using oil boiler, hence steam should be produced using oil boiler.

Annualised cost of producing steam using oil boiler = Present value of cash outlows/PVF(14%, 6)

= 12,72,250/3.889

= $327,141

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