Converting Waste Agricultural Biomass into a Resource - UNEP

UNEP DTIE
International Environmental
Technology Centre (IETC)
Osaka Office
2-110 Ryokuchi Koen, Tsurumi-ku
Osaka 538-0036, Japan
Tel: +81 6 6915 4581
Fax: +81 6 6915 0304
Shiga Office
1091 Oroshimo-cho, Kusatsu City
Shiga 525-0001, Japan
Tel: +81 77 568 4581
Fax: +81 77 568 4587
E-mail: ietc@unep.or.jp
URL IETC: http://www.unep.or.jp/
Globally, 140 billion metric tons of biomass wastes are generated
every year from agriculture equivalent to about 50 billion tons of oil.
This energy can displace fossil fuel, reduce emissions of greenhouse
gases and provide renewable energy to some 1.6 billion people in
developing countries, which still lack access to electricity. As raw
materials, biomass wastes have attractive potentials for large-scale
industries and community-level enterprises. For efficient and effective
conversion, appropriate selection of technologies is one of the vital
pre-conditions. This compendium is compiled to assist in selection
process for the technologies. This is a compilation of information
about the technologies for converting waste agricultural biomass into
material or energy resource. The technologies listed range from highly
sophisticated equipment from industrialized countries to simple
technologies from the developing countries. Different levels of use
are also considered, i.e., commercial use, demonstration projects,
and research level technologies. The technologies for different type
of waste agricultural biomass and size of output are also considered.
Technologies listed in the Compendium are limited to those that use
cellulosic agricultural waste biomass.
DTI/1203/JP