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Gasifierfailstodeliver|DownToEarth

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April15,2015
COV E RS TORY

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Itisnotjusthigh
capacitypowerplants
thatusebiomass.
Villagesthatdonot
havehopetoget
electricityfromthegrid.
MinistryofPower's
programmecalled
Powerforallby2012
ResidentsofKabbigerevillagetookloanstobuydrip
irrigationkits.Withbiomasspowerfailingthem,theyare
nowdefaultersonloanrepayment/Photographby
AparnaPallavi

envisagespower

SPECIALFEATURE

generationutilizing
locallyavailable
resources.Ministry
estimatesthatabout

1,50,000villagesremainunelectrifiedinthecountryoutofwhicharound
18,000villagescannotbelinkedtothegrid.
RemotevillageelectrificationprogrammebyMNREaimstoelectrifythese
18,000villagesusingbiomassgasifiersandsolarphotovoltaic.Butoutof

5,000villagesthathavebeenelectrifiedsince200203,only40villages

MININGAMEDMENTBILL

usegasifiers,remainingusesolarPVtechnology.

PEOPLEOUT,MINERSIN

Toprovidedecentralizedpowertothesevillages,biomassgasificationis
notthepreferredroute."Biomassgasificationisconversionofsolid
biomassintoacombustiblegasmixturecalledproducergasthrougha
partialcombustionroutewithlimitedairsupply.Typicalcompositionof

ANILAGARWALDIALOGUE
2015

Thepoorin
climatechange

producergasincludeslargequanititesofnitrogen,hydrogen,carbon
monoxideandcarbondioxide,"explainsHSMukundaofIISc.The
producergasisthenusedtopowergenerators.Mostcommonlyavailable
gasifiersusewoodybiomasswhilematerialslikestraw,cottonstalk,

UNIONBUDGET201516

India'sfuture
insured?

coconutshells,soyahusk,deoiledcakes,coffeewaste,jutewastes,
groundnutshells,sawdustcanalsobegasified.

BattleforDelhi

Monitoringandgovernanceofbiomassgasifierpowerprojectsisa
probleminremotevillageelectrification.TheBiomassEnergyforRural
http://www.downtoearth.org.in/node/1037

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4/1/2015

Gasifierfailstodeliver|DownToEarth

India(BERI)pilotprojectisfundedjointlybyUNGlobalEnvironment

ModiObama
Deal

Facility(GEF),KarnatakagovernmentandIndiaCanadaEnvironment
Facility.Thefirstsuchplant,undertheproject,installedatKabbigere
villageinTumkurdistrictofKarnataka,closeddowntwomonthsagowith
growingmaintenanceandrawmaterialtroubles.

Whattoexpectin
2015

Theplant,saysGPrabhu,projectcoordinatorforBiomassEnergyfor
RuralIndia(BERI),blamesvillage'upstarts',buttheplantsupervisor
MansoorAhmadhasadifferentstorytotell.Theplanthasacapacityof
500kW,butonJanuary12,2010,whentheoperationscloseddownfor

2014Rewind

thelasttime,onlyoneunit,withacapacityof100kWh,wasoperational.
Theplanthasbeenriddledwithtechnicalproblemsrightfromthe
beginning,saysAhmad.InJuly2007,whentheplantbecameoperational,
thecontractwasgiventoprivatecompaniesbutinMarch2008,theGram

ThePoisonwe
breathe

PanchayatSamitihadtotakeupoperations.Afterthis,theplantremained
closedrightthroughthebetterpartof2009,andafterlengthychecking
andrepairsproceduresbyscientistsfromtheIndianInstituteofSciencein
Bengaluru,theSamiti's100kWhunitbecameoperationalinNovember

BHOPALGASTRAGEDY

2009.

It'snotover

"Whiletheexpectedfuelconsumptionwas1.30kgperunitofelectricity,
theplantswereactuallyconsuming23kgs,"saysplanttechnician
DharamPal.Meanwhile,discontenthadbeenbrewingamongthe
agriculturallabourersfromthevillageoverthelackofaclearpolicy
regardinglabourpaymentsduringclosures,whichinturnledtotherecent

ARCHIVE

closureoftheplant,sayAhmadandpanchayatsamitiassistantsecretary
MrSrinivas."ThepromisemadebyBERIofficials,nevermentioned
limitationsofthetechnology.Theplantcannotsupplyelectricityallthe
time.Eachunithastostopafter1,000hoursofworkingformaintenance,"
saysAhmad.Twomoregasifierplantswithcapacityof250kWheach,set
upunderthesameprojectinnearbyvillagesSibineiahpalayaand
Borigunte,alsoremainshutduetothesameproblemsbeingfacedbythe
Kabbigereplant,heinformed.Prabhusaidthatrecoveryoftariffsisalso
difficultatthevillagelevelsincethepowercannotbeprovidedfor24
hours.
Whatismore,underBERI'sproject,microfinanceloansworthRs10lakh
fordripirrigationwasdistributedtothevillagers."Itwasexpectedthatthe
24hourelectricityfromtheprojectwouldenableustocarryoutdrip
irrigation,improveourproductionandpayofftheloan,"saidLakshmi
Devi,aresident."Butnoelectricitycame,andnowweareallstuckwith

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theloan.Villagersandplanttechniciansagreethatthevillagedoesnot
haveenoughbiomasstorunalltheunitsoftheplant.Thegasifier
requiresthinsticksofwood(maximumthickness2inches),whichthe
villagersprovidebytrimmingtheeucalyptus,acaciaandothertreesinthe
village,someofthesearefromplantationsvillagersgrowfortheplantand
somearefromtreesinthevillagecommons.

Tags:CoverStory,Biomass,BiomassGasification,Energy,FarmResidues,India,Karnataka,
MinistryofNewandRenewableEnergy,RuralElectrification,SolarEnergy,Tumkur(D)

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