NATURAL RESOURCE - BIO MASS

INTRODUCTION

Biomass is a renewable energy resource derived from the carbonaceous waste of various human
and natural activities.
It is derived from numerous sources, including the by-products from the timber industry,
agricultural crops, raw material from the forest, major parts of household waste and wood.
Biomass has always been an important energy source for India considering the benefits it offers
for power generation, cooking gas production and other valuable recycled products. It is
renewable, widely available, carbon-neutral and has the potential to provide significant
employment in the rural areas. Biomass is also capable of providing firm energy. About 32%
of the total primary energy use in the country is still derived from biomass and more than 70%
of the country’s population depends upon it for its energy needs. Ministry of New and
Renewable Energy has initiated a number of programmes for promotion of efficient
technologies for its use in various sectors of the economy to ensure derivation of maximum.

BIOMASS PROVIDE SEVERAL BENEFITS TO THE SOCIETY ---

 Being renewable and sustainable,
 Indirectly helping carbon dioxide [a greenhouse gas (ghg) that is responsible for
global warming] fixation in the atmosphere,
 Facilitating local economy development and stimulation,
 Reducing air pollution from burning of biomass in fields and biomass rotting in fields,
 Bringing energy security for countries dependent on imported oil
 Creating high technology jobs for engineers, fermentation specialists, process
engineers, and
Scientists (greenwell et al, 2012).
 The potential use of biomass residues are animal fodder,mulching, thatching,
consumption in process plants such as oil mills, internal consumption of rice husk by
mills, cement plant, brick kiln, paper, biomass based power plants, net Import/export
of biomass from catchment area.
BIOMASS RESOURCE MANGEMENT

Biomass Management mentioned that while funding for equipment and in-situ and ex-situ
utilisation of crop-residue are needed to avert episodic Delhi’s air pollution, a massive change
in the mindset of farmers is absolutely essential.
The following are the recommendations that he touched upon:

 Provision of financial support to farmers and rewards to Panchayats to ensure zero-

burning on fields.
 In-situ use of crop-residue for mulching. Utilisation of crop residue in bio-ethanol,
biochar, briquettes, pellets, etc.
 The reports evaluates the cost-effectiveness of each solution proposed.
 Provision of storage facilities in the form of warehouses and better farm equipment
which could be shared among farmers.
 India generates over 370 million tonnes of biomass every year. In addition to the
direct harvesting from plants, biomass is also produced as a by product in many agro
based industries such as rice husk from rice mill, saw dust from saw mill, bagasse
from sugar mills etc.

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF CURRENT USES OF BIOMASS AND MUNICIPAL

WASTE

TRADITIONAL BIOMASS USE AS ENERGY

The current extraction and consumption pattern of biomass has led to forest degradation and
deforestation, loss of biodiversity, soil degradation, atmospheric pollution from emissions of
greenhouse gases (GHG) during the combustion of wood (with its implications for climate
change), and indoor air pollution leading to domestic health hazards (particularly for women
during cooking); and loss of nutrients due to combustion of cattle dung and crop residues.
DEFORESTATION AND LAND DEGRADATION
Biomass comprising traditional fuels constitutes about 50% of energy consumption in
developing countries. In the case of some countries like Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Burkina Faso,
Malawi, Tanzania, and Uganda (Kaale, 1990), it is estimated to be as high as 90%.
Deforestation leading to soil erosion, risks of floods, desertification on account of clearing of
forests and woodlands for agriculture and livestock, and so on, are the common concerns of
environmentalists at macro levels.
The environmental impacts of urban fuelwood consumption have been severe due to
commercial exploitation of fuelwood for charcoal production. The demand for charcoal in
urban areas has spread deforestation, which begins at the surrounding areas of urban centres
and moving outwards.
LOSS OF SOIL NUTRIENTS
Agricultural residues constitute an important source of energy in rural areas of developing
countries when left on fields improves the fertility of the soil. The use of agricultural residues
for energy would thus be an issue if it reduces the fertility of the soil. It is important to note
that all residues do not have the same effect on the soil. Some residues such as corncobs, rice
husk, jute sticks, cotton stock, coffee prunings, and coconut shells do not decompose easily
and have potential as energy sources. The choice of agricultural residues thus has an impact on
the environment. Cattle dung, similarly, though it is a fertilizer, loses its value as fertilizer if
burnt or left under the sun for a few days. Fuel shortages, if experienced, generally force the
use of all available energy sources irrespective of their environmental values and thus cause
environmental damages.
GHG EMISSIONS
Combustion of fuelwood and other biomass fuels leads to CO2 emissions, as nearly 50% of
wood is carbon. If fuelwood is coming from sustainable modes of extraction, its combustion
will lead to no net C emission. However, it is difficult to estimate what percentage of fuelwood
use is from non-sustainable source. At a global level, about 2.8% of CO2 emission is attributed
to fuelwood combustion (Ahuja, 1990). In addition to CO2 emissions, combustion of fuelwood
and agro-residues leads to emission of products of incomplete combustion.
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS OF MUNICIPAL WASTE
A large quantity of wastes—both solid and liquid—are generated by urban, municipal, and
industrial sectors. These wastes are generally disposed in rivers, ponds, land, and so on, causing
environmental impacts. The two major categories of wastes are the commercial and industrial
wastes and the municipal solid wastes from the domestic sector. Commercial and industrial
wastes generally undergo processes in the waste treatment plants before they are disposed;
while the municipal solid wastes constitutes of various kinds varying from plastics to organics
wastes, thus making its management a complex issue.
The approaches currently practiced to tackle the waste disposal problem are: (a) recycling; (b)
composting; (c) incineration; and (d) waste reduction. Recycling and waste reduction addresses
the need to reduce the quantum of wastes whereas composting and incineration are the
processes used for reducing emissions and meeting energy requirements.

BIOMASS POWER PLANTS

There is a renewed interest in biomass power plants, which can not only generate electricity
but also help dispose of — in a carbon-neutral manner — agriculture waste, burning of which
in Punjab and Haryana is partly blamed for the alarming levels of pollution Delhi is
experiencing.
Punjab is predominantly rich in agriculture and contributes the major share to the grain basket
of India. It has surplus production of major crops. It produces 25% of country’s cotton, 22% of
wheat and 55% of rice, even though it has only 1.5% of total country cultivable area. Punjab
has been meeting its electrical power requirements primarily through conventional thermal and
hydro power generation. Hydro power generation has a tendency to fluctuate depending on the
availability of water. Thermal power generation has to depend on coal which has to be
transported from eastern part of India involving large distances. Cost of generation from coal
continuous to escalate and moreover it is polluting.

Biomass Power project has the following inherent advantages over thermal power generation:
 It is environmentally friendly because of relatively lower CO2 and particulate
emissions
 It displaces fossil fuels such as coal
 It is a decentralised, load based means of generation, because it is produced and
consumed locally, losses associated with transmission and distribution are reduced
 It offers employment opportunities to locals
 It has a low gestation period and low capital investment
 It helps in local revenue generation and upliftment of the rural population
 It is an established and commercially viable technology option.
 Punjab has substantial availability of Biomass / Agrowaste in the state is sufficient to
produce about 1000 MW of electricity. PEDA has planned to develop some of the
available potential talukas / tehsils with the aim to promote and install biomass / agro
waste based projects. PEDA has so far allocated 30 sites / tehsils for setting up of total
332.5 MW capacity Biomass / Agrowaste based power projects under three phases.

SUBMITTED BY : GAURIKA GROVER

1st SEMESTER RECREATION