Global Environment Facility

Biomass Energy for Rural India

Millennium
Development Goal:

Goal 7 Ensure Environmental

Sustainability

Targets:

Integrate the principles of sustainable

development into country policies
and programmes, and reverse the loss
of environmental resources

Photo UNDP India

Relevant India Development Goal:

Promote grid-interactive and distributed
renewable power and renewable energy
for rural applications. Enhance share of
renewable energy in the energy mix (11th
Five-Year Plan)

Background

Project Information

Even though 85 percent of villages in rural India are connected to an electricity grid,
less than a third of these villages are electrified. Much of this consumption has been
on irrigation. Further, available electricity supply is largely erratic, with fluctuating
voltage and shortages. The problem is compounded by the rural populations
dependence on biomass for cooking using inefficient stoves and associated
drudgery and health risks. There are significant environmental implications of
current energy use, such as greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, deforestation, land
degradation, water and air pollution, and the consumption rate of fuel wood in
rural areas. In this scenario, meeting cooking and irrigation energy requirements
of the rural population through renewable energy sources such as solar, wind and
biomass provides significant potential for sustainable development.

Area: Environment and Energy

Objectives
The Biomass Energy for Rural India (BERI) project aims to develop and implement
a bioenergy technology package to reduce GHG emissions and promote a
sustainable and participatory approach to meeting rural energy needs. The
project is implemented mainly in a cluster of about 24 villages in Tumkur district
in Karnataka. The project goals will be achieved through (i) demonstrating
the technical feasibility and financial viability of bioenergy technologies on a
significant scale, (ii) building capacity and developing appropriate mechanisms
for implementation, management and monitoring of the project, (iii) developing
financial, institutional and market strategies to overcome the identified barriers
for large-scale replication of the bioenergy package for decentralized applications,
and (iv) disseminating energy technology and information packages on a large
scale.

Budget: US$ 8,623,000

US$ 4,017,000
(Global Environment Facility)
US$ 2,495,000
(India Canada Environment Facility)
US$ 1,481,000
(Government of Karnataka)
US$ 391,000
(Ministry of New and Renewable
Energy, Government of India)
US$ 239,000 (Others)
Duration: 20022012
Government Counterpart:
Rural Development and Panchayati Raj
Department, Government of Karnataka
Implementing Partner(s):
Rural Development and Panchayati Raj,
Government of Karnataka
Location(s):
Tumkur district, Karnataka

Results so far

Looking to the Future

The Government of Karnataka and the Tovinakere Panchayat have signed a

first-of-its-kind agreement that allows the Panchayat to sell electricity to the
state power utility
Successful demonstration of bioenergy packages:
A 500 kW gasifier-based power plant is operational in the Kabbigere cluster
of Tumkur district in Karnataka with installed capacities of two gasifier
systems of 100 kW, one of 200 kW (100 percent producer gas based) and one
of 100 kW dual fuel. The plants have generated 1,520,000 kWh of electricity
as of June 2012, resulting in a reduction of 1,200 tons of CO2 (tCO2)
Group biogas plants: Fifty-one group biogas plants serving four to five
families per group have been installed. This has enabled 175 households to
light up their homes and cook with cleaner fuel. The plants have produced
an estimated 95,309 cubic meters of biogas, resulting in a saving of 148
tCO2
Irrigation facilities: Fifty-six bore wells with submersible pump sets and drip
irrigation have been set up in the village cluster sites as part of the project
Reduction in carbon generation through energy plantations:
Tree plantations grown on 2,930 hectares of land (including 1,983 hectares
of forest land and 947 hectares of tree-based farming) have reduced 12,000
tons of carbon generated and provided livelihood options for local villages
240 women in 81 self-help groups raised about one million seedlings in
24 nurseries managed by them. This helped them earn about INR 1 million
over just six months. The earnings have also encouraged a few women to
initiate other livelihood activities
Thirty people employed in tree-based farming (TBF) have earned an
additional income of INR 720,000 between July 2009 and June 2010
Greater community involvement:
Committees with high representation from women, such as village
forest committees, biogas user groups, self-help groups, water users
associations, village bio-energy management committee and Hasiru
Shakthi Implementation Gram Panchayat Committee, have been formed
for different activities as part of the project. All these committees have been
linked to the gram panchayat to ensure continuance and sustainability of
activities
Nearly 3,000 participants have benefited from over a 100 exposure trips,
capacity building and skills-development training. Training focused on
operations and management of bio-energy packages, nursery development
and TBF plantations, book-keeping and accountancy, management of
micro-credit, development of biomass sites and efficient agricultural
practices
Dissemination of information enabled through dedicated project website

Showcase BERI as a successful

and replicable model for power
generation at sub-megawatt (less
than one MW) scale and cater
to panchayat level electricity
requirements
Establish a knowledge base of
learnings from use of load shift
mechanisms for provision of
additional power to village clusters;
Gram Panchayats governance
of such decentralized power
generation, energy plantations and
their management
Use BERI model to showcase
rationale for differential tariff policy
for small scale, sub-megawatt
power generation as they can
provide significant social and
economic benefits to the bottom of
the pyramid target group

Last updated: September 2012

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