Energy from biomass has become more important today as intelligent development and utilization of this resource help highly populated countries like India.

1. MODERNISED BIOMASS ENERGY FOR
S U S TA I N A B L E D E V E LO P M E N T
Roughly one third of the world’s population—more than two billion
people—have little or no access to modern energy services. A majority of
these people live in poverty. The acute symptoms of this poverty, as well as
its chronic causes, are critically linked in many ways to today’s patterns of
energy production and use. Recognizing that existing energy systems are
not sustainable, the United Nations Development Program created the
Sustainable Energy and Environment Division, which has initiated a Global
Program in Sustainable Energy.
A fundamental premise of the Global Program in Sustainable Energy
is that energy is not an end in itself, but rather a means to achieve the goal
of sustainable human development. Sustainable human development
requires a focus on improving the access of the poor to assets, goods, and
services, including food (and the means to prepare it), water for drinking
and irrigation, adequate shelter, health care, sanitation, education, and
employment.
Energy can play a critical role, but conventional energy strategies that rely
on supply focused, fossil-intensive, large-scale approaches do not address
the needs of the poor.
As Reddy, Williams, and Johansson (1997) pointed out:
…Not only is energy one of the determinants of these problems, but actions
relating to energy can contribute to their alleviation, if not solution.
1

2. Implementing sustainable energy strategies is one of the most important
levers humankind has for creating a sustainable world. Energy must
therefore
be
an
instrument
for
the
achievement
of
sustainable
development…
Bioenergy—that is, energy that is derived from wood and other plant
matter—is an important potential contributor to sustainable energy
strategies, particularly when converted to modern energy carriers such as
electricity and liquid and gaseous fuels. The purpose of this discussion is to
see how India can realize bioenergy’s potential. It is based on two
premises:
(1) Bioenergy is an important part of today’s imperfect energy system, and
(2)Modernized
bioenergy
systems,
if
appropriately
designed
and
implemented, have great promise for contributing to future sustainable
energy systems and thus to sustainable development.
Bioenergy projects can contribute directly to poverty alleviation by
helping to meet basic needs, creating opportunities for improved
productivity and better livelihoods, and preserving the natural environment
on which the poor depend. For instance, bioenergy activities can provide
locally produced energy sources to: pump water for drinking and irrigation,
light homes, schools, and health clinics, improve communication and
access to information, provide energy for local enterprises, and ease
pressure on fuel wood resources. These are all benefits that directly
improve local quality of life, increase productivity, and help relieve the
strains of rural poverty.
2

3. Biomass production can provide a wide range of additional benefits to
the rural poor. Bioenergy feedstocks can be produced in conjunction with
other local necessities—food, fodder, fuelwood, construction materials,
artisan materials, other agricultural crops, etc. Feedstock production can
help restore the environment on which the poor depend for their
livelihoods—re-vegetating barren land, protecting watersheds and
harvesting rainwater, providing habitat for local species, stabilizing slopes
or river banks, or reclaiming waterlogged and salinated soils.
Bioenergy activities also serve as an efficient use for agricultural
residues, avoiding the pest, waste, and pollution problems of residue
disposal. If designed with the involvement of local communities, a
sensitivity toward local environmental constraints, and a clear objective of
meeting the identified needs of the poor, bioenergy activities can contribute
significantly to the sustainable livelihood of rural populations.
METHODS OF GENERATING ENERGY FROM BIOMASS
Nearly all types of raw biomass decompose rather quickly, so few are
very good long-term energy stores; and because of their relatively low
energy densities, they are likely to be rather expensive to transport
over appreciable distances. Recent years have therefore seen
considerable effort devoted to the search for the best ways to use
these potentially valuable sources of energy.
In considering the methods for extracting the energy, it is possible to
order them by the complexity of the processes involved:
3

4.  Direct combustion of biomass.
 Thermochemical processing to upgrade the biofuel. Processes
in this category include pyrolysis, gasification and liquefaction.
 Biological processing. Natural processes such as anaerobic
digestion and fermentation which lead to a useful gaseous or
liquid fuel.
The immediate product, of some of these processes is heat - normally
used at place of production or at not too great a distance, for
chemical processing or district heating, or to generate steam for
power production. For other processes the product is a solid, liquid
or gaseous fuel: charcoal, liquid fuel as a petrol substitute or additive,
gas for sale or for power generation using either steam or gas
turbines.
ROLE OF BIOFUELS IN RURAL ELECTRIFICATION
One of the renewable energy technology options for electrification of
rural area is biodiesel based distributed power generation. Along with Small
hydro, Solar PV, Community Biomethanation plant and Biomass gasifier, it
is an option that is being developed and evaluated. As diesel engine
generator set is already a large base for backup power, supplementing the
grid supply, substituting with biodiesel as fuel and engine fine tuning can
give this renewable alternative an advantage among these options.
Distributed generation in rural areas based on both nonrenewable and
renewable energy sources and comparison of present options have been
studied recently by TERI and Energy Systems Engineering Group of I. I. T.,
Bombay (Mumbai).1-2 The first paper discusses the experience in
4

5. renewable energy rural projects and the second paper reviews the different
technological options available for DG, their current status, evaluation
based on cost of generation and future potential in India. Biodiesel based
distributed power generation is useful in providing power for rural domestic
and irrigation needs. It will substitute diesel and create local employment in
villages.
Tree growing, oil extraction and biodiesel production:
The feasibility of using tree borne nonedible oil crops as a renewable
source of liquid fuel is being established under a National Biodiesel Mission
in 2004-07. Scope of biofuel plantations as a rural livelihood option has
been studied and Case Studies for Biodiesel, Producer gas from Gasifier
and Biogas from Biomethanation Plant as engine fuels to run generators
have been made,.3-5 to examine possibilities of sustainable power for rural
areas where these biofuels can be produced.
Oil from the seeds is collected by use of expellers and through the
chemical process of transesterification, these nonedible oils (e.g.,
Pongamia, Jatropha) are converted to biodiesel. These technologies can
be made accessible to the villages. No major engine modifications are
needed for diesel engine though modification of injector system may be
developed to enable use of duel fuel / multi-fuel of gaseous or liquid state.
The cost of micro-grid electricity production from renewable biofuels for a
typical rural scale can be made competitive when all the steps are
stabilized with actual operational experience.
Rural electrical power needs for domestic, village industry and
irrigation purposes constitutes the demand side. For local production of
biodiesel, opportunity cost of required land, silvicultural expenses, and
5

6. processing costs should be met within the price that can be charged for the
biodiesel.
Electricity Generation:
With the new Electricity Act (2003) eliminating the earlier licensing
requirements on generation and distribution, decentralized schemes have
far more scope. Assessment of local demand and the cost per unit of
generation for this scale are to be carefully made.
Consider a group of villages that have shortage of power supply but
have some basic infrastructure of the existing state EB grid. The village
consumers, local NGO, the Electricity Regulatory Commission and
experienced IPP company managers may come together to plan a strategy
for rural electrification. An Electric Utility Company for small scale
production and distribution of power may be planned and promoted 6.
Power to meet the demand (e.g., 500kW) is to be generated by
‘Gensets’ that may use economical fuel using the engine tuned to it. The
fuel could be biodiesel, biogas, producer gas, or even petrol, kerosene and
diesel. Besides the utilization of Solar PV, Wind energy may also be made
if suitable. The idea is to produce reasonably priced electricity from any fuel
but preferably from renewable energy sources. The State Electricity
Distribution Company that owns the infrastructure of electric lines, poles,
transformers and so on may be a partner in the scheme.
Policy Issues:
To foster corporate, NGO and government cooperation and partnership,
many issues have to be addressed:
6

7. a) Efforts should be made to meet the capital costs of the plant through
subsidy, loan on soft terms etc, that are granted by the Government
of India under its Rural development through electrification Schemes.
For villages that are not electrified, Rajiv Gandhi Grameen
Vidutikaran Yojana (RGGGVY) provides 90% subsidy. Similar
subsidies may be provided to villages that get less than eight hours of
electricity but have potential for development if the power shortage is
overcome and this capital subsidy can really help the government’s
effort in rural development
b) Depending upon the fuel used, the cost of power to the Company
may vary. For fixing tariffs, utility company may approach Electricity
Regulatory Commission for a suitable structure, after discussion with
the stakeholders. If the company use only renewable energy for
power generation, then they are eligible for further soft credit for
leasing infrastructure
c) A study has indicated that significant land requirement would be
needed for biodiesel provision in a Indian village if biodiesel alone
has to meet the electricity demand 7. For local production of biodiesel,
in the initial stages, provision of low cost waste land, NOVOD Board
subsidy and advice for tree selection, silviculture practices, would
help. Infrastructure creation for expelling oil and establishment of
chemical process plant and help with know-how and training are also
needed..
7

8. References:
1. ‘Enhancing electricity access in rural areas through distributed
generation based on renewable energy’, TERI-Policy Discussion
Forum (PDF) Base Paper, based on that authored by Akanksha
Chaurey, Malini Ranganathan and Parimitha Mohanty, submitted to
and under review with Energy Policy (2002)
2. ‘Comparison of Options for Distributed electricity Generation in India’,
Rangan Banerjee, Energy Policy,34,(2006),101-111
3. ‘Scope for biofuel plantation as a livelihood option, Case study from
Jharkhand and Orissa, Resources, Energy and Development, 2 (1),
65-82.
4. ‘Sustainable biomass power for rural India: Case study of biomass
gasifier for village electrification’, N. H. Ravindranath, H. l.
Somashekar, S. Dasappa and C.N. Jayasheela Reddy, Current
Science,87,(2004), 932-941
5. ‘Decentralized electricity generation and management-Experience of
BAIF’, G.N.S. Reddy, G.V. Hegde, and C. Doreswamy, BAIF, Pune.
6. Anil. K .Rajavanshi, Director, Nimbkar Agricultural Research Institute,
Phaltan, Maharashstra,[9, January 2006], anilrajvanshi@gmail.com
7. ‘Feasibility of biodiesel for rural electrification in India’, [DRAFT, June
2000],
Jeffrey L. Rosenblum, Carnegy Mellon University, (now at Tellus
Institute, jrosenblum@tellus.org )
8