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Biomass Gasification

Currently, biomass contributes 14 per cent of the total energy supply worldwide and 38 per cent of this energy is consumed in developing countries, predominantly in the rural and traditional sectors of the economy
The various applications of biomass energy include:
  • Thermal or heat
  • Mechanical water pumping for irrigation
  • Power generation (stand-alone or grid-connected) including village electrification and industrial applications.
    • In India, fuel wood (200–300 million tonnes), animal waste (80–100 million tonnes) and crop residues (100–120 million tonnes ) annually are consumed as the main biomass fuels.
    Some 19,500 MW (including 3,500 MW from biomass cogeneration can be generated from fuel wood and crop residues (400 million tonnes per annum) and bagasse in sugar industry

    Biomass resource estimates
    Woody biomass: Fuel wood contributes nearly 60 per cent of the total biomass energy in India, estimated between 200–300 million tonnes. The demand for wood usually outstrips the supply

    Agricultural and mill residues
    A national level biomass resource assessment program is under implementation to help identify locations where the density of biomass availability is adequate and available for power projects.
    The prime power generation technologies using biomass are:
  • Gasification
  • Cogeneration
  • Direct combustion
    • Thirty-four bagasse-based cogeneration projects aggregating 210 MW capacity have been commissioned and 26 projects aggregating 237 MW are under implementation.
    Cogeneration projects with 60 ata and above boiler pressure have been commissioned in nine sugar mills in three states so far and projects in 11 sugar mills in four states are under implementation:
  • Focus is on promoting configurations of 80 ata and above
  • New cogeneration projects designed at 87 ata pressure and 515 oC are under implementation in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu
    • Fifteen commercial grid-connected biomass-based power projects aggregating 63 MW capacity have been commissioned, and 29 projects of 136 MW capacity are under implementation

    Aims and Targets Existing Projects The current status of Biomass Power and Cogeneration projects commissioned is:
  • The existing biomass power projects include a 12 MW power project in Tamil Nadu based on a variety of biomass material and a 6 MW project in Madhya Pradesh based on rice husk.
    • 2000–2001 Target
    The 2000–2001 target for Biomass Power and Cogeneration was 80 MW capacity. By December 2000, about 50 MW capacity was achieved.

    National Biomass Resource Assessment Programme
    The objective of the National Biomass Resource Assessment Programme (NBRAP) is to prepare a National Biomass Resource Atlas through a three-tier implementation arrangement associating SNAs, apex institutions and a national focal point (IISc Bangalore). About 170 taluka-level studies in 15 states were completed and 150 studies are being carried out in 17 states. The Ninth Plan target is to cover 150 talukas.

    National Programme for Biomass Power Generation The MNES National Programme for Biomass Power Generation has the following components:
  • Biomass-based power generation
  • Biomass/bagasse-based power generation
  • District-level biomass-based projects and assessment studies
    • The objective of this programme is to establish the techno-commercial feasibility and viability of power generation from biomass that are either wasted or sub-optimally utilised.
    Biomass conversion technologies include combustion, gasification, incineration, pyrolysis, etc, deploying gas/steam turbine, dual-fuel engine/gas engine, or a combination thereof, either in ‘power alone’ or in cogeneration (steam and power) mode. Each plant will have a minimum capacity of 1 MW and above will be grid-interfaced

    Initiatives for acceleration of the national programme include:
  • Programme partnership initiative to accelerate financial closure of cogeneration projects
  • Finalisation of several demonstration projects in cooperative sector sugar mills
  • A new ‘joint venture’ model for implementation of these projects
  • Proposal for a $65 million UNDP-GEF biomass power programme
  • New programme on advanced biomass gasification for development and application of advanced technologies, such as Biomass Integrated Gasification-cum-Gas Turbine Combined Cycle technology National Biomass Gasifier Programme (NBGP)
  • The objective of developing and commercialising appropriate conversion and utilisation technologies
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