Introduction:

For a developing country like India, energy is the fundamental inputs for economic growth. The current target of economy growth rate is 10% and the energy demand in various sectors such as agriculture, industry, transport, commercial and domestic is fast rising. Electricity is perhaps the most vital form of energy input required for infrastructural development of the country in agriculture and industry, and it also plays a critical role in socioeconomic development. The total installed capacity of power generation through various sources (as on February 2009) is about 147.72 GW with gross generation of more than 700 billion kWh. The distribution of power generation through different sources like the thermal power contribution with 63%, hydro power contribution with 25% and the nuclear power with 3%, and the power generation through renewable resources. The exact distribution of the power scenario in various states of India . The reason behind this uneven distribution is that India has over 200 Billion tons of coal deposits. Thus, the generation is mainly dominated by coal-based thermal power plants. However, the coal reserves are mainly concentrated in the north and northeastern states of India and not uniformly spread in the country. Presently the generation capacity is far insufficient to meet the demands. Although per capita electricity consumption in India during the past 5 years has risen from 566.7 to 704.2 kWh. It is still far below the global average of 2000 kWh. Currently, the estimated average gap between supply and demand of electricity (peak demand) is about 14%.With rapid urbanization and industrialization, this gap is bound to rise fast. In addition, rural electrification has also posed a major challenge to Indias growth.

Unlike urban areas, the primary electricity need of the rural population is for domestic lighting, running of irrigation pumps and small-scale commercial activities such as floor mill and other rural industries. The primary aim of this is to achieve complete rural electrification by 2010. In order to present a realistic picture of rural electrification, Ministry of Power of Government of India has modified the definition of an electrified village. Earlier definition of electrified village was a village in which electricity is being used within its revenue area for any purpose whatsoever. In 20042005, this definition was given four important criteria like Provision of basic infrastructure and Provision of electricity. Presently, the rural electrification is growing at a rate of 36% annually. In remote areas where extensive of grid is not feasible, decentralized power generation through renewable sources offers a viable solution for meeting the electricity needs of the local population. In order to reduce load on grid and state, NEP emphasizes use of renewable energy even in areas with access to grid, provided renewable sources are as economic as conventional ones. Options for decentralized generation through renewable sources for are wind energy systems, solar photovoltaics, biomass gasifiers and small hydropower systems, etc.. The principal sources of energy are fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas. However, the prices of oil and gas are highly fluctuating and there is also a fear of their acute shortage in the future. Moreover, emancipated use of fossil fuels also causes environmental pollution problems such as emission of greenhouse gases.

What is biomass:

Biomass is biological material derived from living, or recently living organisms. In the context of biomass for energy this is often used to mean plant based material, but biomass can equally apply to both animal and vegetable derived material. Biomass is the common name for
organic materials used as renewable energy sources such as; wood, crops, and waste .Biomass is not to be confused with Biofuel. Biofuel is a product of the organic material. Instead, Biomass refers to the organic matter which can be used as a renewable energy source in a number of different ways. Although Biomass is classed as a renewable energy source, it is by no means good for the environment and the fight against climate change. In order to produce energy from Biomass, the organic matter must be burnt in some way. This releases carbon dioxide into the air, unlike the use of solar, wind, and other renewable energy sources. Although the processing of Biomass emits carbon dioxide, it is classed as a carbon neutral fuel. The reason behind this is due to the carbon cycle. The carbon cycle means that while the crop grows it will absorb carbon dioxide, releasing it back into the atmosphere when burnt. The main drawback to the use of Biofuel is that it can actually contribute to climate change. Although Biofuel is a carbon neutral fuel, other factors can disturb this aspect. We must also take into account the energy involved during the planting, maintaining, harvesting, transporting, and manufacturing of the crops.

Definition of Biomass Pyramid:

The Pyramid of Biomass is a graphical representation that depicts the extent of biomass per unit area within different trophic levels in an ecological system. The bottom level of the representation is usually occupied by the producers whereas the carnivals are shown in the top levels.

Pyramid of Biomass:
The name of the pyramid biomass comes from the fact that it is represented in the pyramid form. Their energy capacity is usually concentrated at the base, which is represented as being wide and decreases as one move up to the apex. The pyramid is used as a manner of clarifying the movement of the biomass as well as the energy through the ecosystem. The manner of Pyramid of Biomass representation is based on the thermodynamics. The law states that energy can never be destroyed and neither can it be created. Energy can only be transferred from one form to another. The pyramid represents the animals that eat plants, then those that eat the grass eating animals and then those that eat the animals feeding on other animals. The last step is the decomposers. The energy is hence transferred through the chain and converted in the biomass.

Types of Pyramid of Biomass:

There are basically two types of the Biomass Pyramid: the inverted and the upright. The pyramid is basically a representation of the relation between the biomass and the trophic/ productive levels. The measurements used in measuring the energy in the Pyramid of Biomass are in calories per square meter. This can also be done using the grams per square meter. The Pyramid of Biomass has four basic levels, namely: 1.) Primary producers 2.) Primary consumers 3.) Secondary consumers 4.) Tertiary consumers The biomass in the Pyramid of Biomass decreases progressively from the lower levels heading to the higher ones. When used in the aquatic animals, the inversion is dependent on the reproductively as well as the longevity. Care has therefore to be taken when choosing the right method when preparing a biomass.

Pyramid of Biomass:
Pyramid of biomass is the graphic representation of biomass present per unit area of different trophic levels, with producers at the base and top carnivores at the tip". The total amount of living or organic matter in an ecosystem at any time is called 'Biomass'. In a terrestrial ecosystem, the maximum biomass occurs in producers, and there is progressive decrease in biomass from lower to higher trophic levels. Thus, the pyramid of biomass in a terrestrial ecosystem is upright.

In an aquatic habitat the pyramid of biomass is inverted or spindle shaped where the biomass of trophic level depends upon the reproductive potential and longivity of the member.

Advantages of Biomass: 1. Biomass is one of the most abundant energy resources in the world. By definition, it is the mass of living or recently dead plants and animals, along with their wastes. This means that there is not a single square centimeter of Earth that does not contain some form of biomass that could be converted to energy. 2. Biomass is renewable. If people exercise proper conservation techniques, any form of biomass that is harvested to produce energy can be replaced over a period of time. These fuels are relatively carbon neutral when compared with the fossil fuels in use today. 3. The cost of producing biomass for use as fuels and energy sources is very cheap compared to the cost of finding and extracting fossil fuels. In some cases, growing and harvesting crops for biomass fuel use is cheaper than raising food crops. 4. Inactive areas of land can be put to use as sources of biomass crops and the growing of such crops can create new jobs in rural areas, reducing the unemployment rates. Some new jobs can be created collecting biomass in its various forms, including dead plants, animal carcasses and dung along with solid waste generated by our daily activities. 5. Growing of crops in abundance has the effect of reducing the carbon dioxide levels available in the environment. This is achieved through the natural photosynthesis process of plants, which sees them take in carbon dioxide and release oxygen into the environment. This process helps in reducing global over warming considerably. 6. The Ozone Layer formation is a natural process required to provide a blanket of warmth to earth making it habitable. However, when carbon dioxide levels are excessive in the environment they create holes in the ozone layer, which subjects earth to the direct rays of the sun resulting in global over warming. 7. The process of biomass creation utilizes wastes, which places into use the substances that would otherwise be occupying landfills. Using the wastes to generate biomass fuel provides a solution catering for part of the world's waste disposal needs. 8. Biomass fuel has been presented as a cost effective means of acquiring energy as opposed to acquiring energy from oil supplies. Not every country is blessed with their own supply of oil and most countries source for oil from countries that produced it.

Disadvantages of Biomass:
1. On the contrary, biomass crops are seen as occupying land, which could have been utilized in growing food crops. Hunger is still an issue that plagues most countries in the world. When it comes to prioritizing between feeding the nation and producing biomass fuel, feeding the nation will always win. At the same time, the production of the fuel is still quite costly since the technology is relatively new. Improved methods of generating the fuel efficiently and at reduced costs are still being looked after.

2. Combustion of biomass as a fuel also consumes it at a much faster rate than it

can be replaced. This means that biomass is not a very efficient source of energy. Sometimes people grow biomass crops where we could grow food. 3. It takes more energy to plant, cultivate and harvest the crops and trees than it is worth to get a net energy gain. It also takes up more water from the earth to make the fertilizers for planting and harvesting. It also takes up more land for the crops and trees. 4. Extra costs of installing technology to process and recycle wastes 5. It cannot be a stable solution to the Energy problem. 6. Collection of biomass that is feasible to use for creating fuel is difficult.

Sources of biomass: The realities of the economics mean that high value material for which there is an alternative market, such as good quality, large timber, are very unlikely to become available for energy applications. However there are huge resources of residues, co-products and waste that exist in the UK which could potentially become available, in quantity, at relatively low cost or even negative cost where there is currently a requirement to pay for disposal.

Important sources of biomass and their characteristics are given here..

Virgin wood, from forestry, arboricultural activities or from wood processing. Energy crops: high yield crops grown specifically for energy applications. Agricultural residues: residues from agriculture harvesting or processing. Food waste, from food and drink manufacture, preparation and processing, and post-consumer waste. Industrial waste and co-products from manufacturing and industrial processes.

Crop residue and farm wastes :

The straw of pulses, stalks and seed coats of oil seeds, stalks and sticks of fiber crops, pulp and stalks of fruits and vegetables and other wastes like sugarcane trash, rice husk, molasses, coconut shells etc. comes under this category. Most of the crop residues have a higher ash content and mainly constitutes carbon, oxygen and hydrogen. Volatile matter content is 60-75%. The agricultural residues are hygroscopic in nature. Ash content varies from 0.5 to 2.8%.

Industrial wastes :
These wastes include wastes from paper mills, chemical mills etc. for e.g., paper wastes, plastic wastes, textile wastes, gas, oil, paraffin, cotton seeds and fibers etc. Plastic and rubber wastes have good calorific value.

Forest wastes:
Logs, chips bark and leaves together constitute forest wastes. Sawdust is the forest based industry waste. Forest products are also used as a domestic fuel in many developing countries.

Logging residues :
Tree tops, small stems and roots removed from a standard logging operation and broken debris generally considered as logging residues. It contains 40-50% moisture, 50% carbon, 40% oxygen and nitrogen 5%.

Residues of wood product industries :

Bark, knots, sawdust etc. are obtained from wood product industry. Moisture content of these residues is around 20% with 67% volatile matter and 11 % organic carbon.

Residues from pulp and paper industries :

The bark and black liquor produced in pulp and paper factories can be used as major source of energy in the paper industry. Moisture content varies from 5-10% with organic carbon 8-11%.

Municipal solid wastes :

Generally municipal solid wastes refer to a mixture of domestic, small construction and demolition wastes left out within a community.

Municipal sewage sludge :

The sludge contains 95% water, and 5% organic matter and nutrients as the main constituents. These can be utilized for the production of methane through anaerobic digestion.

Animal wastes :
The moisture content of the manures ranges from 60 to 85 percent. The nitrogen varies from 0.3 to 0.9 %, phosphorus 0.05-0.1 % and potassium 0.12 to 0.8% .Available statistics indicates production of 1300 million tones of dung annually from all types of animals. Of the total produced, 84% is of cow and buffalo dung and 13% goat and sheep droppings.

ENERGY SENARIO Energy is the prime mover of economic growth and is vital in the modern economy. Future economic growth depends on the long-term availability of energy from sources that are affordable and environmentally friendly. India ranks sixth in the world in total energy consumption and needs to accelerate the development of the sector to meet its growth aspirations. The country, though rich in coal and abundantly endowed with renewable energy in the form of solar, wind, hydro and bio-energy has very small hydrocarbon reserves (0.4% of the worlds reserve). India, like many other developing countries, is a net importer of energy, more than 25% of primary energy needs. If we look at the pattern of energy production, coal and oil account for 53% and 31% respectively with natural gas, hydro and nuclear contributing to the balance. In the power generation front, nearly 62% of power generation is from coal fired thermal power plants and 70 percent of the coal produced every year in India has been used for thermal generation. India - Primary Energy Sources in India (%)..

9%

6%

1%

Coal Oil Gas 53% Hydro Nuclear

31%

Source : BP Statistical Review of World Energy, June 2009

World Energy Scenario... World primary energy demand grows by 1.6% per year on average between 2006 and 2030 an increase of 45% The worlds energy needs would be well over 50% higher in 2030 than today. China and India together account for 45% of the increase in global primary energy demand in this scenario. - World Energy Outlook ( www.iea.org )

Primary Commercial Energy Mix (%) World V/S India ...

Resources Oil Natural Gas Coal Nuclear Hydel

World 37.4 24.3 25.5 6.5 6.3

India 33.22 9.34 53.54 1.04 2.63

Source: (www. planningcommission.gov.in) Per Capita Energy Consumption in Some Countries (kWh). How does it compare? The industrial sector in India is a major energy user accounting for about 52 percent of commercial energy consumption. Per capita energy consumption in India is one of the lowest in the world as shown in Fig. But, energy intensity, which is energy consumption per unit of GDP, is one of the highest in comparison to other developed and developing countries. For example, it is 3.7 times that of Japan, 1.55 times that of the United States, 1.47 times that of Asia and 1.5 times that of the world average. Thus, there is a huge scope for energy conservation in the country.

631 1379 6206 17179 Canada USA Japan 8076 13338 UK China India

Source: IEA, Key World Energy Statistics, 2009

Renewable as an alternative source of energy:

The main renewable sources are the energy from water, wind, the sun, geothermal sources, and biomass sources such as energy crops. In contrast, fuels such as coal, oil, and natural gas are non-renewable. Once a deposit of these fuels is depleted it cannot be replenished a replacement deposit must be found instead. Both renewable and non-renewable energy sources are used to generate electricity, power vehicles, and provide heating, cooling, and light. India has tremendous natural resources that have potential of all of the abovementioned renewable energy sources. The advantages of renewable energy are: (1) Complete perpetuity; (2) Local availability without needing major transport; (3) Modularity, i.e. economy is independent of scale; (4) Non-polluting nature (carbon neutrality). Especially for remote villages located in hilly and mountainous regions, where transmission of electricity through power grid is difficult, renewable energy is the only option for meeting energy requirements for cooking, heating and domestic and street lighting. Decentralized electricity generation through renewable sources even in urban areas gives a viable solution to the shortage and increasing cost of electricity. Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) of Government of India has implemented comprehensive programs for the development and utilization of various renewable energy sources in the country . The first ever endeavor in renewable energy in India established in 1897, in which a small hydropower project of 130 kW capacity was implemented at Sidrapong in Darjeeling. This was followed by two more hydro projects of 40 and 50 kW capacity each at Chamba and Jubbal installed in 1902 and 1911, respectively. The facility of transmission lines did not exit at that time, and hence, power generated through these projects was mainly utilized for meeting the local energy demands. In the modern independent India, effort in renewable energy began in 1981 during 6th 5-year plan (1980 1985) with establishment of Commission for Additional Sources of Energy (CASE) as a part of Department of Science and Technology (DST). This commission was in line with Atomic Energy Commission and was bestowed the responsibility of developing renewable energy.

Renewables are non-polluting, while the structures built to harness them can have positive or negative environmental impacts. For example, dams may affect fish migration but may also create wildlife habitat.

Hydropower refers to using water to generate electricity. Many hydroelectric power plants use a dam on a river to store water. Water released from behind the dam flows through a turbine, spinning it, which then turns a generator to produce electricity. Electricity generated this way is known as hydroelectricity, and it accounts for about 7% of the electricity used by the nation. Hydroelectric power doesn't necessarily require a large dam some hydroelectric power plants just use a small canal to channel the river water through a turbine. A small or microhydroelectric power system can produce enough electricity for a home, farm, or ranch.

An impoundment hydropower plant dams water in a reservoir.

POWER GENERATION IN INDIA:

Indian Power Production Scenario

The average electricity consumption in India is still among the lowest in the world at just 630 kWh per person per year, but this is expected to grow to 1000 kWh in the near future. According to Central Electricity Authority (CEA), the peak electricity demand in 2008 was 120 GW of power, while only 98 GW could be supplied. According to an analysis by the Indian PV project developer Astonfield, this deficit is likely to grow to 25 GW by 2012. The Ministry of Power has set an agenda of providing Power to All by 2012. India plans to bridge the peak deficit using a number of avenues. Many of them rely on increasing the fossil fuel footprint and hence indeed increase our reliance and dependence on these fossil fuels. At the same time, the government also making serious efforts to accumulate the growth of renewables contribution to power. Some of the highlights of the current power production status in India:
Indias current installed capacity (end of 2010): 1,70,229 MW, from all sources Power generation capacity is mainly based on thermal and hydro, with about 11% from renewable energy. In 2010, peak power shortage was 12 %. Electricity demand is expected to rise by 7.4% a year during the next quarter of a century. This will see generation capacity increase five-fold in India is to supply this growing demand.

Status of Indian Renewable Power Generation: Total Installed Capacity of Renewable Power Sources.. As of Feb 2011, India has over 18.3 GW of installed renewable energy capacity. Wind represents about 13 GW, small hydro represents 2.8 GW, and the majority of the remainder is from biomass installations. Total Electricity Installed Capacity: 171.9 GW (Feb 2011) Source: CEA Energy source % Share in installed capacity Thermal 64.75% Nuclear 2.78% Hydro (large hydro) 21.73% Other renewable energy 10.73% sources

How biomass can be used for energy: Biomass based power production methods.. There are multiple ways to produce power from biomass. While the most obvious way is to use it to produce steam that runs a turbine, this may not be the most efficient or the most feasible. In fact, most biomass power plants in India (as well as in many other parts of the world) are following the Rankine cycle route for biomass based power production. But other well-known technologies especially gasification are also being increasingly used. Emerging processes such as pyrolysis could also start contributing in future. Primary Routes for Power from Biomass.. The three primary routes for biomass to power are: 1. Combustion Combustion is easy to understand instead of coal or other fossil fuels, biomass is used to produce steam that runs a turbine. Combustion of biomass for power could either be in the form of co-firing (when it is burned along with coal) or pure play biomass based combustion.

2. Gasification In the case of gasification, the biomass is first gasified and this gas in turn produces power in a gas engine. 3. Anaerobic Digestion Anaerobic digestion is usually applied to biomass that typically has a high amount of water in them (anaerobic digestion is commonly used for treating organic waste such as kitchen waste and sewage waste into energy). Under this route, microorganisms act upon the organic matter present in the biomass under anaerobic (absence of air) conditions and convert it into biogas. 4. Pyrolysis An emerging route for biomass based power is pyrolysis. In this, the biomass is rapidly heated to 450 - 600C in the absence of air, and results in a bio-oil called the pyrolysis oil, which in turn could be used for firing the boilers. Typically, 50 - 75 % (by weight) of the feedstock is converted into pyrolysis oil.
5.

Destructive distillation

A process by which organic substances such as wood, coal, and oil shale are decomposed by heat in the absence of air and distilled to produce useful products such as coke, charcoal, oils, and gases. The destructive distillation is carried out in long steel retorts. Only the wood wastes such as branches, trunks of trees are used as raw materials. The process involves decomposition of wood at high temperatures in the absence of air. At an initial temperature of 230C, the moisture is evaporated and then the temperature is raised to 370C and maintained 1 for 6 hours. At the end of this period, wood is converted to charcoal which is cooled in the absence of air for 48 hours. After cooling, they are spread in open sheds, two days for drying and is ready for supply to consumers. The vapours of the volatile matters that are formed during the distillation process subsequently condensed to tar, methanol, acetic acid, methyl acetate, oil and gas.

Benefits of biomass energy production in India..

Biomass energy is a renewable source of energy that is produced from things like wood, crops waste, animal matter and living crops. Biomass is used as fuel to produce electricity and other energy forms. These fuels can be in form of liquid gas or solid. The use of biomass energy has various benefits and those are mostly environmental and economic. Biomass energy has become a great alternative now days to using fossil fuels for energy production.

Biomass-based power shows many potential benefits, some of which are listed below:

Distributed generation Base load power

Suited for rural areas Ability to have small, kW scale power production Rural economic upliftment Carbon neutral Efficient utilization of renewable biological sources Efficient utilization of renewable biological sources Reduces methane, a major GHG gas Low Cost Resource Reducing Carbon Footprint Reducing Methane Levels Preventing Forest Fires Recycling Reliability Improved Air Quality
Distributed generation Because biomass is available in almost all places, and especially in rural areas, and more important, as gasification based power production can be done on small scales (as low as 20 kW), this process can be used for distributed generation of power as against the centralized power production method followed today. Base load power Many renewable energy sources such as solar and wind cannot be used for base load power generation due to their intermittency and variability. Biomass based power generation, on the other hand, can be used for base load power generation. Suited for rural areas Biomass based power is well suited to remote villages with no access to grid but access to significant amounts of biomass Ability to have small, kW scale power production Biomass gasification based power production can be done at small scales as small as 20 kW unlike other sources of power (say, nuclear) that require much larger scales. This will ideally suit small villages that have only a few households. Rural economic upliftment - Also the possibility of increasing the prosperity of rural areas especially if dedicated energy crops become common for biomass based power production Currently, most biomass based power production uses waste biomass such as agro waste and waste from agro processing units. However a trend is emerging in which companies are exploring the use of dedicated energy crops for biomass power production. This has the twin benefits of a more reliable biomass supply chain and at the same time providing the much needed employment for the rural masses.

Reducing Carbon Footprint - Biomass energy produces less carbon footprint compared to fossil fuels.
This is because new plants grow to replace the old ones that were used to produce biomass energy before. The use of fossil fuel reduces when biomass energy is produced and this lowers the carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere. The only disadvantage is that fossil fuels are usually used to harvest and manipulate biomass. Reducing Methane Levels - With the introduction of biomass energy, methane levels in the atmosphere reduce. Methane is responsible for the greenhouse effect and with the production of biomass energy, the gas levels are lowered. Methane is usually produced when organic matter decomposes therefore by lowering it; the greenhouse effect is reduced as well. Preventing Forest Fires -Virgin wood is one of the biomass plant materials that are used to produce biomass energy and this material is usually obtained from forests. Cutting trees may not seem like a sensible thing to do to reduce forest fires but this actually works. Harvesting trees from forests can

help to prevent fire breakouts as a result of dense growth. If there are too many trees in the forest, there is a high risk of a forest fire and this is not good for the environment because it means that a lot of carbon dioxide will be released into the atmosphere.

Improved Air Quality - When biomass energy replaces fossil fuels, it helps to improve air quality because there is less pollution. The use of fossil fuels has also been blamed for causing acid rain and this is one of the benefits of biomass energy. Biomass does not produce sulfur emissions when it is being burned and this reduces any chances of acid rain. The atmospheric carbon is recycled with the use of biomass and this is an advantage because human civilization therefore ends up with less pollution. Reliability - There is an increased demand for power and this means that people need a source of energy that can be relied upon. Biomass energy is reliable because the plant materials and animal matter that are use to produce it are in constant supply. Biomass is a reliable source of electricity therefore; people do not have to worry about power blackouts. It is also cheap to produce and this results in lower electric bills. Recycling - Some of the sources of biomass energy include industrial waste and co-products and this is a big advantage because it means that nothing will go to waste. All the waste products that human get from industries can be used to produce biomass energy. o Advantages are numerous when it comes to Biomass fuels. Only the proper implementation is required to ensure a green world. Carbon neutral - Biomass power results in no new net GHG emissions as it is part of the carbon cycle. Unlike coal and other forms of fossil fuel which have been buried millions of years ago and burning them adds to carbon in the atmosphere, whereas biomass energy generation results in no new carbon emission or pollution. Efficient utilization of renewable biological sources - Biomass power is an efficient process which results in the use of mostly animal and crop wastes which would be converted into carbon dioxide anyway. Large variety of feedstock Biomass power can use a large variety of feedstock such as wood pellets, rice husk, biogasses etc. Low Cost Resource Biomass power can be produced economically, at costs competitive to grid power, if there is a good availability of feedstock.

STATUS OF BIOMASS. Biomass has been a key player in energy generation even in the past. Due to the dominance of coal and petroleum products in the industrial age there was a fall in biomass usage. Anyway, in India, though the energy scenario in India today indicates a growing dependence on the conventional forms of energy, about 32% of the total primary energy use is still using biomass and more than 70% of the countrys population depend upon its for its energy needs. . This section provides status of and trends in India Biomass Energy .

Biomass Energy Strategies for Aligning Development and Climate: India

Traditional Biomass in Energy in Asian Countries

Country Biomass in Total Energy (%)
1992
Bangladesh Bhutan Cambodia China India Indonesia Laos Malaysia Maldives 73 82 86 10 33 39 88 7

Wood in Total Energy (%)

1992
13 72 83 17 31 81 4

Biomass Share in Domestic Energy (%)

1992
89 95 98 25 11 62 66 89 9 71 78 73 97 15 84

2002
61 74 75 5 26 28 79 6

2002
10 66 72 14 23 73 3

2002
74 86

Myanmar
Nepal Pakistan Philippines Sri Lanka Thailand Vietnam

74
92 47 44 77 26 50

60
81 28 31 54 17 38

38
68 27 26 9

29
65 18 20 6

81
97 83 66 93 65 84

69
88 56 76 45 73

Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad

Biomass Energy Strategies for Aligning Development and Climate: India

Traditional Biomass Consumption in India

Biomass Consumption (2004)
Fuel
1. Fuel-wood 2. Crop-residue 3. Dry Dung

Fuel-wood Consumption by Sectors (2004)

Sector/ End-use
1. Household (a) Forested Rural (b) Non Forested Rural (c) Urban Areas Sub Total

Million T on
205 116 35

Million Tons
83 65 17 165

2. Cottage Industry
3. Rituals

22
4

4. Restaurants etc.

14

Total

205

Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad

SECTOR WISE use of biomass for power in india Transport:

Bioenergy plants today are defined by supply chains that use truck-based transport. Such transport has high fuel use per biomass transported as compared to bulk transport modes such as rail or ship. One can easily imagine a future in which a significant percentage of biofuel production is cannibalized to feed the fuel demands of its truck fleet . There are two alternative transport options, rail and pipelines. If alternatives to truck transport could be found that lower costs, this might affect the viability of large scale bio refineries. A second alterative is the use of dedicated unit trains to move biomass from collection points to a central plant. Trucks would be used to move the biomass from field to the collection points, after which the train would finish delivery.

Electricity production:
The largest secondary transformation of biomass after charcoal production is in the electricity sector. For many years biomass processing industries such as sugar, wood products and chemical pulping (black liquor) have installed combined heat and power (CHP, also known in the USA as cogeneration) plants. Many of these have been relatively low-steam-temperature installations, with only sufficient electricity to meet the plant processing needs. Since the 1970s there has been a large expansion of biomass-based electricity generation, with an increased emphasis on generating efficiency, resulting in electricity exports into deregulated markets. In addition, there has been an expansion of district heating schemes with CHP in Scandinavia, based on straw in Denmark and wood residues in Sweden and Finland. In countries with extensive coal-fired electricity generation there have been incentives under climate schemes to co-fire biomass in order to achieve carbon offsets of up to 15%. Germany and other countries have also stimulated the generation of electricity from urban residue streams in energy from waste (EFW) facilities, from land fill methane, and from anaerobic digestors associated with the animal husbandry sector. India, China and Brazil have also invested in rural electricity generation from producer gas and vegetable oils.

Domestic use: Rural households in the developing countries constitute the largest share of the biomass fuel consumption. It is also a major source of energy in the low income country. However, this energy consumption pattern varies from region to region.
For domestic heating purposes the main biomass fuel is wood in the form of logs, pellets or wood chips although there are boilers available that burn a range of cereals. The full range of biomass fuels also include animal, food and industrial waste, high energy crops such as miscanthus, willow, rape and maize. Smaller biomass stoves can be used just for room heating, with a back boiler to heat the water, or to produce hot water and heating for the whole house. Unlike most renewable energy technologies where there is an upfront investment, then the element that provides the power (ie wind or sun) is free, there is an ongoing fuel cost with biomass heating.

tatus of research towards energy generation from biomass in india..

Biomass gasification :

Gasification plants consist of several process steps. The solid biomass fuel delivered needs to be adjusted (fuel conditioning and handling) to the fuel characteristics (particle size, water content) required for the gasification process. The conditioned fuel enters the gasification process, which

produces raw product gas. The raw product gas needs to be cleaned in order to achieve the product gas quality needed for further utilization. The cleaned product gas is used for the production of electric power, heat and fuel based on different technologies.

Current Status Of Biomass Gasification In India

Even though biomass gasification provides the benefits of a well proven technology that can produce power at small scales using locally available resources, the total amount of power production from biomass gasification in India is relatively low. EAI estimates that the total installed capacity of biomass gasification based power production in India will be about 140 MW, out of a total of about 2600 MW of biomass based power (cumulative of grid connected and off grid). Of the total, bagasse based power generation has the lions share (about 1400 MW), followed by combustion-based biomass power production (about 875 MW). Currently, most power production systems in India using biomass gasification are offgrid and have been for captive consumption for an industry or for a community. Size (Capacity) Distribution for Gasification and Combustion Technologies Combustion Size Small (10 kW 25kW) Small-medium (25kW 250kW) Not prevalent Not prevalent Gasification Prevalent Prevalent

Medium (250 kW 2MW) Large (2 MW and above)

Not prevalent Prevalent

Prevalent Not prevalent

Type of system Gasification Small Systems The smaller systems are more (10 kW 25 kW) prominent in the rural area where availability
of feedstock is not an issue; emphasis is on power generation despite lower efficiencies.

Combustion Combustion technology is not used in this range owing to very lower efficiencies.

The efficiency (energy output/energy input) for a 25 KW system is about 12%. The number of installed systems in this range is the maximum.

Medium Systems In terms of cumulative capacity (25 kW 250 kW) installed, this range is the maximum

Same reason as above.

Installed systems around the 500 MW capacities are much fewer in comparison to the 25-250 kW categories.

Large Systems Gasifiers work well upto 2 MW, beyond (1 MW and above) which multiple engines can be used, or
pyrolysis technology can be implemented for higher capacities.

36-40% efficiencies possible for 2 MW gas engines There are fewer than 10 installations in India The ideal minimum capacity requirement for combustion technology to be employed is 3MW- 5MW. When considering bulk inputs the capacity can range between 5MW-10 MW. Maximum capacity installed in this sector is about 20 MW.