IssuE 8 – ApRIl – JuNE 2011 - Winrock International India

Energy from Bamboo
Low Cost Biomass from Captive
Energy Plantation
The demand for renewable
energy through biomass is
increasing, but the utilizable
biomass is not available sufficiently.
The present agricultural waste
available in cotton field as stalk,
maize field as stalk and corn, paddy
field as straw and husk, sunflower
field as stalk & head are suitable for
biomass, but the collection becomes
very laborious. To generate 1 MW of
electricity, the requirement of biomass
varies from 8,000 to 10,000 tons every
year, which is available from 6,000 to
8,000 acres of agricultural waste. The
cultivated biomass such as Eucalyptus,
Casuarina and wild Prosophis juliflora
are better substitute for agricultural
waste since the annual quantity of
biomass required for 1 MW is available
from 1,000 to 1,200 acres. The latest
development in bamboo based
energy plantation has resulted in high
biomass, reducing the area required
for 1MW to 200 acres of cultivated hiyielding
clone of bamboo.
BEEMA Bamboo
Biomass from bamboo is considered
best among other known biomass
resources due to its good calorific
value (4,000 kcal/Kg), low ash content
of 0.5% and sustainable harvest.
The usage of bamboo is known for
construction work, furniture, fiber
and paper but for energy as biomass
remains untapped. The new bamboo
variety called “BEEMA” has got
huge potential to bring revolution
as bioenergy resources and it is not
popular among many since it is
something naturally existing with very
low annual yield. The bamboo is the
tallest grass and a non-woody plant,
but still is called a tree. Beema bamboo
is improved clone selected from
naturally occurring wild population of
Bambusa balcooa with specific emphasis
on higher biomass production, better
carbon sequestration, low ash content
and superior fuel quality. It is 100%
homogenous and highly suitable for
high density plantation. and responds
well to agronomic practices.
Beema bamboo is a high density
bamboo which is sterile, fast growing,
thorn less, thick walled and high
yielding. The wall thickness of Beema
bamboo is 3 to 4 times better than other
bamboo species available in wild. The
total dry matter production of Beema
bamboo under optimum condition
ranges from 40 to 50 ton per acre
per year worked with 12% moisture
condition. Beema bamboo has got
calorific value of 4,000 kcal per Kg and
very low ash content of < 1% and is best
suited for energy plantation.
At the same time the total carbon
accumulation every year is from 20
to 24 tons per acre per year which
is equivalent to 73 to 88 ton of CO 2
.
Beema bamboo generates 70 to 80
Certified Emission Reduction (CER)
per acre per year, which is equivalent
to 175 to 200 CER per hectare per year.
Carbon credit can also be obtained
by generating electricity from the
renewable biomass of bamboo. Apart
from providing carbon credit directly
from power generation, the process
of Pyrolysis generates carbon as
byproduct. When this is applied to soil
as soil amendments, it is also eligible
for carbon credit.
As bioenergy resources, bamboo can
meet both thermal as well as electrical
energy requirement and thereby
bamboo can give energy security
in the most efficient way possible.
Energy plantation based on bamboo
could be raised in many parts of India
April-June 2011
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