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The Rise of Bioenergy in China: Trends, Challenges and Future Prospects

China has recently emerged as one of the economic powerhouses of the world. Not only does this status continue to redefine what was considered to represent a somewhat “backwards” society, but plenty of employment opportunities await. This has also given rise to several interesting trends. From the growing number of Chinese classes online which cater to foreign migrants to increased international investment, the future does indeed look bright.

It is also important to mention how China has begun to capitalise upon innovative solutions in the hopes of reducing the impacts of climate change. One interesting example can be seen in the use of bioenergy as a viable substitute for traditional fossil fuels. What are some current trends to note and are there any challenges that will need to be addressed in the coming years?

Promising Statistics

Many readers will be surprised to learn that up to 80 per cent of raw biomass materials are now being used to generate power throughout China. Considering the population of this nation, it only stands to reason that such sources of energy abound. Furthermore, the implementation of biomass will help to reduce China’s reliance upon outside nations. This provides a much-needed economic boost and promises an impressive long-term return on investment (ROI).

Such a pronounced trend is at least partially due to a younger Chinese generation that has now become well aware of their role in stemming the effects of climate change. Another undeniable benefit is the simple fact that bioenergy now represents a niche employment sector; providing plenty of opportunities for those with the appropriate skill sets.

What Challenges Await?

While all of the observations outlined above are rather promising, we also need to remember that there are some downsides attributed to biomass in relation to energy production. One potential issue involves industry competition as well as to decide how the resources themselves should be allocated. Wealth distribution could also come into play considering the role that corruption may play in terms of profit margins.

As this summary highlights, another possible sticking point could instead involve operational challenges including:

Feedstock management
Storage issues
Supply and demand
High transportation costs
A relatively new industry

Other problems such as retooling existing factories in order to support biomass energy production can be rather complicated and expensive.

So, what might the future of bioenergy in China have in store? Most experts agree that relying upon fossil fuels alone as a source of electricity is no longer a viable option. So, it stands to reason that the Chinese government is looking carefully at how biomass can be used as an alternative. Officials also appreciate that many other nations have already curtailed their use of fuels such as coal and natural gas.

The main takeaway point here is that much like any other emerging industry, bioenergy is associated with undeniable advantages as well as some logistical challenges. Still, China should be able to rise to the occasion with planning and foresight.

How is Biomass Transported

By Salman Zafar | May 26, 2023 - 6:36 am |May 26, 2023 Agriculture, Biomass Energy, Transportation

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Transporting biomass fuel to a power plant is an important aspect of any biomass energy project. Because a number of low moisture fuels can be readily collected and transported to a centralized biomass plant location or aggregated to enhance project size, this opportunity should be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

It will be a good proposition to develop biomass energy plants at the location where the bulk of the agricultural waste stream is generated, without bearing the additional cost of transporting waste streams. Effective capture and use of thermal energy at the site for hot water, steam, and even chilled water requirements raises the energy efficiency of the project, thereby improving the value of the waste-to-energy project.

Important Factors

The maximum rate of biomass supply to the conversion facility.
The form and bulk density of biomass.
The hauling distance for biomass transportation to the processing plant.
Transportation infrastructure available between the points of biomass dispatch and processing plant

Transportation is primarily concerned with loading and unloading operation and transferring biomass from pre-processing sites to the main processing plant or biorefinery. Truck transport and for a few cases train transport may be the only modes of transport. Barge and pipeline transport and often train transport involve truck transport. Trucks interface with trains at loading and unloading facilities of a depot or processing facility. Barge and pipeline require interfacing with train and/or truck transport at major facilities either on land or at the shores.

Physical form and quality of biomass has the greatest influence on the selection of handling equipment for the lowest delivered cost possible. A higher bulk density will allow more mass of material to be transported per unit distance. Truck transport is generally well developed, is usually cheapest mode of transport but it becomes expensive as travel distance increases. Pipeline biomass transport is the least known technology and may prove to be the cheapest and safest mode of transport in the near future.

Transportation costs of low-density and high-moisture agricultural residues are a major constraint to their use as an energy source. As a rule of thumb, transportation distances beyond a 25–50- km radius (depending on local infrastructure) are uneconomical. For long distances, agricultural residues could be compressed as bales or briquettes in the field, rendering transport to the site of use a viable option.

Greater use of biomass and larger scale conversion systems demand larger scale feedstock handling and delivery infrastructure. To accommodate expansion in feedstock collection and transportation, production centres can be established where smaller quantities of biomass are consolidated, stored, and transferred to long-distance transportation systems, in much the same way that transfer stations are used in municipal waste handling. Preprocessing equipment may be used to densify biomass, increasing truck payloads and reducing transportation costs over longer haul distances.

Everything You Should Know About Agricultural Residues

By Salman Zafar | May 16, 2023 - 5:47 am |May 16, 2023 Agriculture, Biomass Energy

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The term agricultural residue is used to describe all the organic materials which are produced as by-products from harvesting and processing of agricultural crops. These residues can be further categorized into primary residues and secondary residues.

Agricultural residues, which are generated in the field at the time of harvest, are defined as primary or field based residues whereas those co-produced during processing are called secondary or processing based residues.

Primary agricultural residues – paddy straw, sugarcane top, maize stalks, coconut empty bunches and frond, palm oil frond and bunches;
Secondary agricultural residues – paddy husk, bagasse, maize cob, coconut shell, coconut husk, coir dust, saw dust, palm oil shell, fiber and empty bunches, wastewater, black liquor.

Agricultural residues are highly important sources of biomass fuels for both the domestic and industrial sectors. Availability of primary residues for energy application is usually low since collection is difficult and they have other uses as fertilizer, animal feed etc.

However secondary residues are usually available in relatively large quantities at the processing site and may be used as captive energy source for the same processing plant involving minimal transportation and handling cost.

Crop residues encompasses all agricultural wastes such as straw, stem, stalk, leaves, husk, shell, peel, pulp, stubble, etc. which come from cereals (rice, wheat, maize or corn, sorghum, barley, millet), cotton, groundnut, jute, legumes (tomato, bean, soy) coffee, cacao, tea, fruits (banana, mango, coco, cashew) and palm oil.

Rice produces both straw and rice husks at the processing plant which can be conveniently and easily converted into energy. Significant quantities of biomass remain in the fields in the form of cob when maize is harvested which can be converted into energy.

Storage of biomass fuels is expensive and increases with capacity.

Sugarcane harvesting leads to harvest residues in the fields while processing produces fibrous bagasse, both of which are good sources of energy. Harvesting and processing of coconuts produces quantities of shell and fibre that can be utilised while peanuts leave shells. All these materials can be converted into useful energy by a wide range of biomass conversion technologies.

Towards Sustainable Biomass Energy

By Emily Folk | May 13, 2023 - 5:40 am |May 13, 2023 Agriculture, Biomass Energy, Renewable Energy, Sustainable Development

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Biomass is one of the oldest and simplest ways of getting heat and energy, and it’s starting to make a comeback due to its status as renewable resource. Some, however, aren’t so sure that using more of it would be good for our environment. So, how sustainable is biomass energy really?

What is Biomass?

Biomass is organic material from plants and animals. It naturally contains energy because plants absorb it from the sun through photosynthesis. When you burn biomass, it releases that energy. It’s also sometimes converted into a liquid or gas form before it is burned.

Biomass includes a wide variety of materials but includes:

Wood and wood processing waste
Agricultural crops
Garbage made up of food, yard and wood waste
Animal manure and human sewage

About five percent of the United States’ energy comes from biomass. Biomass fuel products such as ethanol make up about 48 percent of that five percent while wood makes up about 41 percent and municipal waste accounts for around 11 percent.

The Benefits of Biomass

Biomass is a renewable resource because the plants that store the energy released when it is burned can be regrown continuously. In theory, if you planted the same amount of vegetation that you burned, it would be carbon neutral because the plants would absorb all of the carbon released. Doing this is, however, much easier said than done.

Another potential is that it serves as a use for waste materials that have are already been created. It adds value to what otherwise would be purely waste.

Additionally, many forms of biomass are also relatively low-tech energy sources, so they may be useful, or even required for older buildings that need an electrical renovation.

Drawbacks of Biomass

A major drawback of using biomass fuel is that it is not an efficient process. In fact, burning it can release even more carbon dioxide than burning the same amount of a fossil fuel.

While you can replenish the organic matter you burn, doing so requires complex crop or forest management and the use of a large amount of land. Also, some biomass, such as wood, takes a long time to grow back. This amounts to a delay in carbon absorption. Additionally, the harvesting of biomass will likely involve some sort of emissions.

Is it Sustainable?

So, is biomass energy sustainable? Measuring the environmental impacts of biomass fuel use has proven to be complex due to the high number of variables, which has led to a lot of disagreement about this question.

Some assert that biomass use cannot be carbon neutral, because even if you burned and planted the same amount of organic matter, harvesting it would still result in some emissions. This could perhaps be avoided if you used renewable energy to harvest it. A continuous supply of biomass would likely require it to be transported long distances, worsening the challenge of going carbon neutral.

With careful planning, responsible land management and environmentally friendly harvesting and distribution, biomass could be close to, if not entirely, carbon neutral and sustainable. Given our reliance on fossil fuels, high energy consumption levels and the limited availability of land and other resources, this would be an immense challenge to undertake and require a complete overhaul of our energy use.

If you are interested in sustainability, check out carbon neutral companies in Australia.

How to Improve the Biomass Industry

Biomass could emerge as a major solution to our energy and sustainability issues, but it isn’t likely to be a comprehensive solution. There are some things we can do, though, to make biomass use more sustainable when we do use it.

Source locally: Using biomass that comes from the local area reduces the impact of distributing it.
Clean distribution: If you do transport biofuel long distances, using an electric or hybrid vehicles powered largely by clean energy would be the most eco-friendly way to do it. This also applies to transporting it short distances.

Measuring the environmental impacts of biomass fuel use is complex due to high number of variables

Clean harvesting: Using environmentally friendly, non-emitting means of harvesting can greatly reduce the impact of using biomass. This might also involve electric vehicles.
Manage land sustainably: For biomass to be healthy for the ecosystem, you must manage land used to grow it with responsible farming practices.
Focus on waste: Waste is likely the most environmentally friendly form of biomass because it uses materials that would otherwise simply decompose and doesn’t require you to grow any new resources for your fuel or energy needs.

Is biomass energy sustainable? It has the potential to be, but doing so would be quite complex and require quite a bit of resources. Any easier way to address the problem is to look at small areas of land and portions of energy use first. First, make that sustainable and then we may be able to expand that model on to a broader scale.

Major Issues in Biomass Energy Projects

By Setu Goyal | May 12, 2023 - 5:34 am |May 12, 2023 Biomass Energy, Renewable Energy

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Bioenergy projects are plagued by several problems. This article makes an attempt at collating some of the most prominent issues associated with biomass technologies and provides plausible solutions in order to seek further promotion of biomass energy technologies. The solutions provided below are based on author’s understanding and experience in this field.

Here are the top issues in biomass energy projects around the world:

1. Large Project Costs

The project costs are to a great extent comparable to these technologies which actually justify the cause. Also, people tend to ignore the fact, that most of these plants, if run at maximum capacity could generate a Plant Load Factor (PLF) of 80% and above. This figure is about 2-3 times higher than what its counterparts wind and solar energy based power plants could provide. This however, comes at a cost – higher operational costs.

2. Lower Efficiency of Biomass Technologies

The solution to this problem, calls for innovativeness in the employment of these technologies. To give an example, one of the paper mill owners in India, had a brilliant idea to utilize his industrial waste to generate power and recover the waste heat to produce steam for his boilers. The power generated was way more than he required for captive utilization. With the rest, he melts scrap metal in an arc and generates additional revenue by selling it.

Although such solutions are not possible in each case, one needs to possess the acumen to look around and innovate – the best means to improve the productivity with regards to these technologies.

3. Immature Technologies

One needs to look beyond what is directly visible. There is a humongous scope of employment of these biomass technologies for decentralized power generation. With regards to scale, few companies have already begun conceptualizing ultra-mega scale power plants based on biomass resources. Power developers and critics need to take a leaf out of these experiences.

4. Lack of Funding Options

The most essential aspect of any biomass energy project is the resource assessment. Investors if approached with a reliable resource assessment report could help regain their interest in such projects. Moreover, the project developers also need to look into community based ownership models, which have proven to be a great success, especially in rural areas.

The project developer needs to not only assess the resource availability but also its alternative utilization means. It has been observed that if a project is designed by considering only 10-12% of the actual biomass to be available for power generation, it sustains without any hurdles.

5. Non-Transparent Trade Markets

Most countries still lack a common platform to the buyers and sellers of biomass resources. As a result of this, their price varies from vendor to vendor even when considering the same feedstock. Entrepreneurs need to come forward and look forward to exploiting this opportunity, which could not only bridge the big missing link in the resource supply chain but also could transform into a multi-billion dollar opportunity.

6. High Risks / Low Paybacks

Biomass energy plants are plagued by numerous uncertainties including fuel price escalation and unreliable biomass resource supply to name just a few. Project owners should consider other opportunities to increase their profit margins. One of these could very well include tying up with the power exchanges as is the case in India, which could offer better prices for the power that is sold at peak hour slots.

The developer may also consider the option of merchant sale to agencies which are either in need of a consistent power supply and are presently relying on expensive back-up means (oil/coal) or are looking forward to purchase “green power” to cater to their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives.

7. Resource Price Escalation

A study of some of the successful biomass energy plants globally would result in the conclusion of the inevitability of having own biomass resource base to cater to the plant requirements. This could be through captive forestry or energy plantations at waste lands or fallow lands surrounding the plant site. Although, this could escalate the initial project costs, it would prove to be a great cushion to the plants operational costs in the longer run.

In cases where it is not possible to go for such an alternative, one must seek case-specific biomass procurement models, consider help from local NGOs, civic bodies etc. and go for long-term contracts with the resource providers.

Bioenergy and Its Endless Possibilities

By Salman Zafar | April 28, 2023 - 2:32 pm |May 12, 2023 Biomass Energy, Renewable Energy

How Can Bioenergy Change The World?

By Salman Zafar | April 28, 2023 - 2:18 pm |May 12, 2023 Biomass Energy, Renewable Energy

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In recent years, the world has been grappling with the effects of climate change, dwindling natural resources, and increasing energy demands. As a result, there has been a growing interest in finding sustainable and renewable energy sources to meet these challenges. One such source is bioenergy, which has the potential to revolutionize the way we produce and consume energy. In this article, we will explore the various aspects of bioenergy, its benefits, and how it can change the world for the better.

Bioenergy is a form of renewable energy derived from organic materials, such as plants, animals, and microorganisms explains Scorpion Bio. These materials, known as biomass, can be converted into various forms of energy, including heat, electricity, and biofuels. The process of converting biomass into energy is called bioenergy production, and it can be achieved through various methods, such as combustion, gasification, and fermentation.

One of the main advantages of bioenergy is its renewability. Unlike fossil fuels, which are finite and take millions of years to form, biomass can be replenished relatively quickly through natural processes, such as photosynthesis and decomposition. This means that bioenergy has the potential to provide a sustainable and long-term solution to our energy needs.

Storage of biomass fuels is expensive and increases with capacity.

Another significant benefit of bioenergy is its potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. When biomass is burned or decomposed, it releases carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere. However, this CO2 can be absorbed by plants during photosynthesis, effectively creating a closed carbon cycle. This is in stark contrast to fossil fuels, which release CO2 that has been locked away for millions of years, contributing to the greenhouse effect and climate change. By replacing fossil fuels with bioenergy, we can significantly reduce our carbon footprint and mitigate the effects of climate change.

Bioenergy can also contribute to energy security and independence. Many countries, particularly those with limited fossil fuel resources, rely heavily on imports to meet their energy needs. This dependence can lead to economic and political instability, as well as vulnerability to supply disruptions. By investing in bioenergy production, countries can reduce their reliance on imported fuels and increase their energy self-sufficiency.

Moreover, bioenergy can play a crucial role in rural development and poverty alleviation. In many developing countries, agriculture is the primary source of income for rural communities. By integrating bioenergy production into existing agricultural practices, farmers can diversify their income sources and improve their livelihoods. For example, they can grow energy crops, such as switchgrass or miscanthus, alongside food crops, or use agricultural residues, such as straw or manure, to produce bioenergy. This can create new job opportunities, stimulate local economies, and contribute to sustainable development.

However, it is essential to recognize that bioenergy is not a one-size-fits-all solution. The sustainability and feasibility of bioenergy production depend on various factors, such as the type of biomass, the conversion method, and the local environmental and socio-economic conditions. Therefore, it is crucial to carefully assess the potential impacts and benefits of bioenergy projects on a case-by-case basis.

In addition to its environmental and socio-economic benefits, bioenergy also has the potential to drive technological innovation and scientific discovery. The development of advanced bioenergy production methods, such as genetic engineering, synthetic biology, and nanotechnology, can lead to new breakthroughs in various fields, from medicine to materials science. Furthermore, the interdisciplinary nature of bioenergy research can foster collaboration and knowledge exchange between scientists, engineers, and policymakers, ultimately contributing to a more sustainable and prosperous future.

Despite its many advantages, bioenergy also faces several challenges that need to be addressed to fully realize its potential. One of the main concerns is the competition between bioenergy and food production. The cultivation of energy crops can lead to land-use changes, deforestation, and biodiversity loss, as well as increased pressure on water and soil resources. To minimize these impacts, it is essential to promote sustainable land management practices, such as agroforestry, crop rotation, and conservation agriculture.

Another challenge is the need for significant investments in infrastructure, research, and development to scale up bioenergy production and make it cost-competitive with fossil fuels. This requires strong political commitment and public support, as well as collaboration between governments, industry, and academia. Incentives, such as subsidies, tax breaks, and feed-in tariffs, can also help stimulate investment and innovation in the bioenergy sector.

Biogas from Crop Wastes vs Energy Crops: European Perspectives

By Emily Folk | April 17, 2023 - 2:10 am |April 17, 2023 Agriculture, Biogas, Biomass Energy

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Most, if not all of Europe has a suitable climate for biogas production. The specific type of system depends on the regional climate. Regions with harsher winters may rely more on animal waste and other readily available materials compared to warmer climates, which may have access to more crop waste or organic material.

Regardless of suitability, European opinions vary on the most ethical and appropriate materials to use for biogas production. Multiple proponents argue biogas production should be limited to waste materials derived from crops and animals, while others claim crops should be grown with the intention of being used for biogas production.

Biogas Production From Crops

Europeans in favor of biogas production from energy crops argue the crops improve the quality of the soil. Additionally, they point to the fact that biogas is a renewable energy resource compared to fossil fuels. Crops can be rotated in fields and grown year after year as a sustainable source of fuel.

Extra crops can also improve air quality. Plants respire carbon dioxide and can help reduce harmful greenhouse gasses in the air which contribute to global climate change.

Energy crops can also improve water quality because of plant absorption. Crops grown in otherwise open fields reduce the volume of water runoff which makes it to lakes, streams and rivers. The flow of water and harmful pollutants is impeded by the plants and eventually absorbed into the soil, where it is purified.

Urban residents can also contribute to biogas production by growing rooftop or vertical gardens in their homes. Waste from tomatoes, beans and other vegetables is an excellent source of biogas material. Residents will benefit from improved air quality and improved water quality as well by reducing runoff.

Proponents of biogas production from crops aren’t against using organic waste material for biogas production in addition to crop material. They believe crops offer another means of using more sustainable energy resources.

Biogas Production From Agricultural Waste

Opponents to growing crops for biogas argue the crops used for biogas production degrade soil quality, making it less efficient for growing crops for human consumption. They also argue the overall emissions from biogas production from crops will be higher compared to fossil fuels.

Growing crops can be a labor-intensive process. Land must be cleared, fertilized and then seeded. While crops are growing, pesticides and additional fertilizers may be used to promote crop growth and decrease losses from pests. Excess chemicals can run off of fields and degrade the water quality of streams, lakes and rivers and kill off marine life.

Once crops reach maturity, they must be harvested and processed to be used for biogas material. Biogas is less efficient compared to fossil fuels, which means it requires more material to yield the same amount of energy. Opponents argue that when the entire supply chain is evaluated, biogas from crops creates higher rates of emissions and is more harmful to the environment.

Agricultural residues, such as rice straw, are an important carbon source for anaerobic digestion

In Europe, the supply chain for biogas from agricultural waste is more efficient compared to crop materials. Regardless of whether or not the organic waste is reused, it must be disposed of appropriately to prevent any detrimental environmental impacts. When crop residues are used for biogas production, it creates an economical means of generating useful electricity from material which would otherwise be disposed of.

Rural farms which are further away from the electric grid can create their own sources of energy through biogas production from agriculture wastes as well. The cost of the energy will be less expensive and more eco-friendly as it doesn’t have the associated transportation costs.

Although perspectives differ on the type of materials which should be used for biogas production, both sides agree biogas offers an environmentally friendly and sustainable alternative to using fossil fuels.

Zero Emissions, Zero Guilt: Why Electric Cars are the Future of Eco-Friendly Transportation

By Salman Zafar | April 10, 2023 - 11:36 pm |April 10, 2023 Biomass Energy

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The future of transportation is electric, and for good reason. Electric cars offer numerous benefits, including lower emissions, reduced fuel costs, and increased efficiency. In this article, we’ll explore why electric cars are the future of eco-friendly transportation, with a focus on the BMW I4, and how car leasing can help you make the switch.

Lower Emissions and Reduced Carbon Footprint

One of the biggest benefits of electric cars is that they produce zero emissions. Unlike traditional gasoline-powered cars, electric cars don’t emit harmful pollutants into the atmosphere, which is better for the environment and human health. In addition, electric cars have a lower carbon footprint than traditional cars because they require less energy to operate.

The BMW I4 is a prime example of an eco-friendly electric car. It has zero emissions and uses a combination of battery power and regenerative braking to maximize energy efficiency. In addition, the BMW I4 has a range of up to 300 miles on a single charge, making it a practical choice for everyday use.

Lower Fuel Costs and Increased Efficiency

Another advantage of electric vehicles is that they have lower fuel costs than traditional cars. Electricity is generally cheaper than gasoline, which means that electric car owners can save money on fuel costs in the long run. In addition, electric cars are more energy-efficient than traditional cars, which means that they require less energy to operate.

The BMW I4 is a prime example of an energy-efficient electric car. It has a high-performance battery that can be charged to 80% in just 35 minutes using a DC fast charger. In addition, the BMW I4 has a top speed of 120 mph and can go from 0 to 60 mph in just 4 seconds, making it a high-performance electric car that’s both efficient and practical.

Car Leasing and Electric Cars

Car leasing is a great way to make the switch to an electric car. Leasing allows you to drive a new car for a fixed period of time, usually 2-3 years, without the commitment of ownership. This means that you can enjoy the benefits of driving an electric car without having to make a long-term commitment.

Leasing an electric car like the BMW I4 is also more affordable than buying one outright. Since electric cars are relatively new to the market, they can be more expensive than traditional cars. However, leasing an electric car allows you to enjoy the benefits of driving one without the high upfront costs.

In addition, car leasing allows you to stay up-to-date with the latest technology. Electric cars are evolving rapidly, and new models are being introduced all the time. Leasing allows you to drive the latest models without having to worry about the long-term commitment of ownership.

Zero Emissions, Zero Guilt

Electric cars are the future of eco-friendly transportation. They offer numerous benefits, including lower emissions, reduced fuel costs, and increased efficiency. The BMW I4 is a prime example of an electric car that’s both practical and efficient, with a range of up to 300 miles on a single charge and a high-performance battery that can be charged to 80% in just 35 minutes.

Car leasing is a great way to make the switch to an electric car. It allows you to enjoy the benefits of driving an electric car without the high upfront costs of ownership. In addition, leasing allows you to stay up-to-date with the latest technology and enjoy the benefits of driving a new car every few years.

So, why not make the switch to an electric car today? With zero emissions and zero guilt, you can enjoy the benefits of eco-friendly transportation and do your part to protect the planet.

Bagasse-Based Cogeneration in Pakistan: Challenges and Opportunities

By Nimra Naeem | April 8, 2023 - 1:03 am |April 8, 2023 Agriculture, Biomass Energy, Electricity

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Considering the fact that Pakistan is among the world’s top-10 sugarcane producers, the potential of generating electricity from bagasse is huge. Almost all the sugar mills in Pakistan have in-house plants for cogeneration but they are inefficient in the consumption of bagasse. If instead, high pressure boilers are installed then the production capacity can be significantly improved with more efficient utilization of bagasse.

However, due to several reasons; mostly due to financing issues, the sugar mill owners were not able to set up these plants. Only recently, after financial incentives have been offered and a tariff rate agreed upon between the government and mill owners, are these projects moving ahead.

The sugar mill owners are more than willing to supply excess electricity generated form the in-house power plants to the national grid but were not able to before, because they couldn’t reach an agreement with the government over tariff. The demand for higher tariff was justified because of large investments in setting up new boilers. It would also have saved precious foreign exchange which is spent on imported oil.

By estimating the CDM potential of cogeneration (or CHP) projects based on biofuels, getting financing for these projects would be easier. Renewable energy projects can be developed through Carbon Development Mechanism or any other carbon credit scheme for additional revenue.

Since bagasse is a clean fuel which emits very little carbon emissions it can be financed through Carbon Development Mechanism. One of the reasons high cogeneration power plants are difficult to implement is because of the high amount of costs associated. The payback period for the power plants is unknown which makes the investors reluctant to invest in the high cogeneration project. CDM financing can help improve the rate of return of the project.

Bagasse power plants generate Carbon Emission Reductions in 2 ways; one by replacing electricity produced from fossil fuels. Secondly if not used as a fuel, it would be otherwise disposed off in an unsafe manner and the methane emissions present in biomass would pollute the environment far more than CO2 does.

Currently there are around 83 sugar mills in Pakistan producing about 3.5 million metric tons of sugar per annum with total crushing capacity 597900 TCD, which can produce approximately 3000 MW during crop season Although it may seem far-fetched at the moment, if the government starts to give more attention to sugar industry biomass rather than coal, Pakistan can fulfill its energy needs without negative repercussions or damage to the environment.

However some sugar mills are opting to use coal as a secondary fuel since the crushing period of sugarcane lasts only 4 months in Pakistan. The plants would be using coal as the main fuel during the non-crushing season. The CDM effect is reduced with the use of coal. If a high cogeneration plant is using even 80% bagasse and 20% of coal then the CERs are almost nullified. If more than 20% coal is used then the CDM potential is completely lost because the emissions are increased. However some sugar mills are not moving ahead with coal as a secondary fuel because separate tariff rates have to be obtained for electricity generation if coal is being used in the mix which is not easily obtained.

Pakistan has huge untapped potential for bagasse-based power generation

One of the incentives being offered by the State Bank of Pakistan is that if a project qualifies as a renewable project it is eligible to get loan at 6% instead of 12%. However ones drawback is that, in order to qualify as a renewable project, CDM registration of a project is not taken into account.

Although Pakistan is on the right track by setting up high cogeneration power plants, the use of coal as a secondary fuel remains debatable. The issue that remains to be addressed is that with such huge amounts of investment on these plants, how to use these plants efficiently during non-crushing period when bagasse is not available. It seems almost counter-productive to use coal on plants which are supposed to be based on biofuels.

Conclusion

With the demand for energy in Pakistan growing, the country is finally exploring alternatives to expand its power production. Pakistan has to rely largely on fossils for their energy needs since electricity generation from biomass energy sources is considered to be an expensive option despite abundance of natural resources. However by focusing on growing its alternate energy options such as bagasse-based cogeneration, the country will not only mitigate climate change but also tap the unharnessed energy potential of sugar industry biomass.

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