Envs Project

 Introduction 

The bioenergy resources are one of the clean fuels and can

be used instead of fossil fuels on large quantities, which is

currently the main energy source [1]. Bioenergy and biofuel

utilizing biomass such as bio refinery, plant materials and

manure, and waste resources for application as renewable fuels

for transportation and for power generation can ensure a

sustainable, low-carbon alternative to fossil fuels. This also

houses the promotion of food production and utilization of the

by-products to produce these fuels which makes it easily

available for everyone. This reduces the strain on traditional

fuel production method hence reducing the pollution caused

due to it. In accordance to the report of World Health

Organization (WHO), United Nations Development Program

(UNDP), 1.5 billion people, implying an estimated one-quarter

of the world’s population, do not have access to electricity [2],

so setting up bio-mass production plant for electricity

production can solve some of this problem.

Objectives:

Biomass energy refers to energy produced from organic matter. It is found in the form of living or recently living organisms, organic mass and waste. The energy produced from biomass is called bioenergy. Materials used to produce this bioenergy refers to feedstock which is mostly plants or animal material. Different types of feedstocks have different physical compositions but Carbon, water and organic volatiles are common in all. 

Biomass can be defined as the organic life and mass means weight, so biomass means the total quantity or the weight of organisms in a given area or volume.

 The significance of biomass:

• Enable generation of green electricity

• Cut down coal consumption

• Create employment

• Reduce CO2 emissions and air pollution

• Cheaper than imported coal and reduce stubble burning

• Economic alternative for all thermal power plants

Or

Biomass energy is important because it's a renewable energy source that can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, reduce waste, and create jobs: 

• Renewable: Biomass is a renewable energy source that comes from plants and animals, and it's not possible to deplete it like fossil fuels. 

• Reduces greenhouse gas emissions: Biomass releases carbon dioxide that's balanced by the carbon dioxide captured during its growth. 

• Reduces waste: Burning solid waste for energy can reduce the amount of waste sent to landfills by 60–90%. 

• Creates jobs: Biomass energy can help create jobs and revitalize rural communities. 

• Reduces reliance on fossil fuels: Biomass energy can help reduce reliance on fossil fuels, especially in sectors where decarbonization is difficult. 

• Sustainable: Biomass is sustainable, cost-effective, and accessible. 

• Circular economy: Biomass can be used to create a circular economy by transforming its own waste, such as using ash as agricultural fertilizer. 

Biomass can be burned directly for heat or converted into liquid and gaseous fuels. It can also be used to produce hydrogen, which can be used to generate power and fuel vehicles.

Types agricultural waste that can be used for biomass energy : 

Many types of agricultural waste can be used for biomass energy, including:

• Crop residues: These include straw, bagasse, stalks, leaves, husks, shells, peels, pulp, and stubble. For example, rice produces straw and husks, maize produces cobs, and sugar cane produces bagasse. 

• Wood waste: Wood waste can be used in a variety of biomass technologies, including combustion to generate steam or electricity. 

• Animal manure: Animal manure can be used to produce biogas, which can then be used for energy. The digested substrate or decay product residues can also be used as fertilizer. 

• Algae: Algae can be used to make biofuels from its oils, starch, and cell walls. 

• Molasses waste water: Molasses wastewater can be used to generate bioelectricity. 

Biomass is biodegradable organic matter that can be converted into biogas or green fuel. It can also include biodegradable waste from municipal waste, sewage, and sludge from water treatment plants

There are several methods for converting agricultural waste into energy, including:

• Biofuels

• Energy produced from organisms like plants, algae, or animal waste. Biofuels can be burned directly or converted into ethanol to generate electricity. 

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• Biogas

• A process that converts organic waste materials like agricultural waste, food waste, manure, and sewage into methane gas. The gas can be transported through pipelines and used in gas stoves for cooking and lighting. 

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• Thermochemical conversion

• A widely used method that involves breaking down the organic molecules in biomass waste using high heat to extract energy or produce usable products. 

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• Hydrolysis

• A process that uses advanced bioprocessing technology to convert agricultural waste into bio-products like transportation fuels, electricity, and more. 

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• Biogas production technology

• A technology that can convert agro-livestock waste into harmless chemicals and provide electrical energy. 

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• Environmental benefits of biomass

• Biomass is a renewable energy source

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• The benefit of biomass energy is that biomass is renewable source of energy and it cannot be depleted. Biomass mostly derived from plants, that means as long as plants are going to be on this planet, biomass will be available as renewable energy source.

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• Biomass helps climate change by reducing GHG

• Biomass helps reduce the amount of GHG that give more impact to global warming and climate change. The biomass emissions level is far smaller compared to fossil fuels. The basic difference between biomass and fossil fuels when it comes to amount of carbon emissions is: all the CO2 which has been absorbed by plant for its growth is going back in the atmosphere during its burning for the production of biomass energy. While the CO2 produced from fossil fuels is going to atmosphere where it increases greenhouse effect.

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• Cleaner environment

• Biomass energy  helps to clean our environment. World population is constantly increasing with a increasing  increased waste which needs to be properly disposed. Many of garbage ends up in water resources harming  ecosystems and having negative impact on human health. This garbage could be used for valorisation and produced energy, bioferilizers and other products.

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• Biomass is widely available source of energy

• Biomass is widely available energy source. The sources are from agriculture, forestry,fisheries, aquaculture, algae and waste. Many energy experts agree that when you combine economic and environmental character of energy sources biomass is on top of the list as one of the best energy sources.

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• GHG emission balances for biomass-fuelled electricity and heat applications
  GHG balances for a wide range of technologies to produce electricity and heat were prepared by Elsayed, Matthews and Mortimer (2003). System boundaries encompassed the entire chain from fuel production to end-use. Some biomass systems show net GHG emissions savings of more than 40% of the substituted fossil alternatives, while some others only score 4%. Thus, the span of the environmental benefit is wide, and the effective value will depend on the particular application situation (technology, scale etc). The total GHG emissions from contaminated biomass fuels (non-tradables) are set at 0, since these fuels are available anyway. There existence cannot be avoided, and all GHG emissions associated with their production should be allocated to the products from which they are the unavoidable result.

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Biomass energy can have many economic benefits, including:

• Energy security: Biomass can help countries reduce their dependence on foreign oil and diversify their energy supply. 

• Job creation: Biomass production can create jobs in agriculture, manufacturing, and other sectors.  

• Trade deficit reduction: Biomass can help countries reduce their energy imports and close trade deficits. 

• Revenue source: Biomass production can provide a revenue source for manufacturers. 

• Cost: Biomass can be less expensive than fossil fuels. 

• Reliability: Biomass can be used to produce energy at any time, unlike other renewable energy sources like wind and solar. 

• Abundance: Biomass is widely available and can be found almost everywhere on the planet. 

Challenges and Solutions related to biomass energy : 

Literature review:

1. Biomass Energy

Biomass energy can be produced from a variety of organic wastes, including wood, garden debris, agricultural waste, animal waste, sewage and municipal solid waste, food scraps, and animal faeces. The energy that can be created from biomass may be utilised in a variety of ways, for example, as a form of fuel for cars, an alternative source of energy for different types of businesses, and to generate electricity. 

There are two types of biomass energy:

• Renewable 

• Non-renewable

The sun is the primary energy source used in the creation of biomass. Through photosynthesis, plants transform solar energy into chemical energy for food, consume it as fuel for their growth, and then turn it back into energy. 

2.  Global and Regional Status of Biomass energy production 

Bioenergy is the largest renewable energy source globally, as it provides heat, electricity and fuels for transport. In 2020 (latest data available), the gross final energy consumption of bioenergy was 45.6 exajoules (EJ), accounting for 12.6% of total energy consumption. The use of modern bioenergy for industry, buildings, transport, agriculture and power was 20.6 EJ, representing 5.7% of total energy consumption.

Globally, most bioenergy is used for heat. In 2020, modern bioenergy provided 14.9 EJ of heat (industry 66%, buildings 31% and agriculture 3%), which accounted for 23.4% of all heat consumption. In transport, consumption of liquid and gaseous biofuels was 3.8 EJ, providing 3.6% of all renewable energy in the transport sector. The electricity sector consumed 1.9 EJ of biomass, or 2.3% of energy use in that sector.

Overall, bioenergy represented a renewable energy share of around 45% in global total final energy consumption in 2020, down from 54% in 2010. During 2010-2020, the global final energy consumption of bioenergy increased from 29 EJ to 45 EJ, rising 4.4% annually.

Biomass accounts for approximately 5-10% of the total global energy consumption, depending on the region. In terms of renewable energy, biomass represents about 60% of renewable energy usage in developing countries, primarily due to its use in cooking, heating, and small-scale electricity generation.

Globally, biomass accounts for around 9% of the total renewable energy share in electricity generation.

Global Biomass Energy Production by Region:

Europe:

The European Union is one of the largest users of biomass energy, particularly in countries like Sweden, Finland, Denmark, and the United Kingdom. In 2021, the EU generated approximately 10% of its electricity from solid biomass, and it remains a leader in wood pellet production.

North America:

The United States is one of the largest producers of biomass energy, especially from wood pellets, which are used both domestically and exported (mainly to Europe). The U.S. produced about 5.7% of its electricity from biomass in 2021.

China: 

China is a growing consumer of biomass, although coal remains the dominant source of energy. Biomass power generation in China has increased rapidly, especially in rural areas, with a focus on biogas production and waste-to-energy technologies. Biomass accounts for about 2-3% of total primary energy consumption in China.

Brazil:

Brazil is a leader in biofuels, particularly ethanol production from sugarcane, which is widely used in the transportation sector. In fact, Brazil’s ethanol program is one of the largest in the world.

Biomass, including biofuels, contributes to around 18% of Brazil's total energy consumption.

Biomass Power Generation: 

Global biomass electricity generation reached an estimated 230-250 TWh (terawatt-hours) annually as of 2020.

Wood-based biomass (such as wood pellets, chips, and logs) remains the largest contributor to biomass power generation globally, especially in countries like the U.S., Canada, and EU nations.

Biofuels Production:

Global Bioethanol Production:

The world produced approximately 150 billion liters of bioethanol annually by 2021, with the United States and Brazil being the top producers, accounting for around 90% of global bioethanol production.

Global Biodiesel Production:

In 2020, global biodiesel production was around 50 billion liters. The largest producers include the EU, U.S., and Indonesia (palm oil-based biodiesel).

Biodiesel contributes a significant share of renewable fuel in transportation.

 Sustainability and Carbon Footprint:

Biomass is often considered carbon-neutral because the carbon dioxide released during combustion is theoretically reabsorbed by plants as they grow. However, the carbon footprint of biomass depends on factors like feedstock sourcing, transportation, and land-use changes.

Sustainability challenges include the potential for deforestation and competition with food production, especially when biomass is sourced from food crops like corn or palm oil.

Global Biomass Market and Investment:

The global biomass market is expected to continue to grow, driven by efforts to meet climate goals and increase renewable energy adoption. The global biomass energy market size was valued at around USD 58 billion in 2022 and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.7% from 2023 to 2030.

Agricultural waste as Biomass feed 

Agricultural wastes consist of leaf litters, weeds, sawdust, crop residue, livestock waste and forest waste. Livestock waste is primarily preferred by numerous researchers over other agricultural wastes, as feedstock for earthworms and as bulking substrate for vermicomposting. Livestock waste is considered an appropriate biological supplement to improve the vermicomposting process due to its ease availability, low cost, adequate nutrients.

The major crops and waste utilized in the biomass technology entries are the following: 

• Coconut - Fronds, husk, shell 

• Coffee - Hull, husk, ground

 • Corn - Cob, stover, stalks, leaves 

• Cotton - stalks • Nuts - Hulls 

• Peanuts - Shells 

• Rice - Hull/husk, straw, stalks 

• Sugarcane - Bagasse 

• Agricultural Crops - Mixed agricultural crops, not limited to crop waste 

• Mixed type - Agricultural crops and waste including non-organic wastes 

Methodology 

1. Literature Review

Objective: To establish a foundational understanding of biomass energy production and the role of agricultural waste as a viable feedstock.

Sources: Scientific journals, government reports, and case studies focusing on biomass energy.

Activities:

Comprehensive review of conversion technologies such as anaerobic digestion, pyrolysis, and gasification.

Analysis of global and regional examples to identify best practices and lessons learned.

Summary of environmental and economic impacts of biomass energy production.

2. Selection of Agricultural Waste

Objective: Identify and select locally abundant types of agricultural waste for energy production.

Approach:

Conduct a survey of local agricultural production to identify waste types (e.g., rice husks, corn stover, sugarcane bagasse).

Collaborate with local agricultural agencies and farmer associations for data on annual yields and waste generation.

Criteria for Selection:

High energy potential per kilogram of waste.

Accessibility and ease of collection.

Minimal current competing uses for the waste.

3. Energy Conversion Process Selection

Objective: Choose the most effective technology for converting selected agricultural waste into energy.

Assessment: Evaluate direct combustion, anaerobic digestion, pyrolysis, and gasification.

Compare technologies based on parameters such as energy efficiency, cost, and emissions.

Justification:

Select anaerobic digestion for its ability to convert wet waste (e.g., sugarcane bagasse) to biogas with low emissions.

Detail why the chosen technology aligns with the region's waste characteristics and climate.

4. Experimental Design

Objective: Set up a pilot test to simulate energy production from agricultural waste.

Setup: Collect samples of chosen agricultural waste.

Install an anaerobic digester capable of handling small-scale operations.

Establish safety protocols to handle methane and monitor potential risks.

Procedure:

Pre-treat waste by shredding or pre-soaking to enhance digestion efficiency.

Feed the waste into the digester and monitor temperature, pH, and retention time.

Record biogas production data over a defined period (e.g., 30 days).

5. Data Collection and Analysis

Objective: Gather and analyze data to evaluate the efficiency of energy production.

Data Points:

Volume of biogas produced (measured in cubic meters).

Methane content in biogas (using gas chromatography).

Energy content (calculated in MJ/kg of waste).

Analysis:

Plot daily biogas production rates.

Compare the energy yield with theoretical values to determine conversion efficiency.

Assess emissions and other environmental indicators to evaluate the impact of the process.

6. Economic and Environmental Assessment

Objective: Evaluate the cost-effectiveness and environmental sustainability of the biomass project.

Economic Analysis:

Calculate the cost per unit of energy produced, including initial setup and operational costs.

Compare the potential revenue from biogas sales against production costs.

Environmental Assessment:

Measure the carbon footprint of the process using lifecycle assessment methods.

Analyze potential reductions in open-field burning of agricultural waste and related air pollution.

Outcome:

Present a comparison between traditional waste disposal methods and energy production benefits.

7. Recommendations and Implementation Strategy

Objective: Provide actionable strategies for scaling up the project.

Suggestions:

Introduce government incentives to encourage the adoption of biomass energy production by local farmers.

Foster partnerships with energy companies for co-investment and technical support.

Implementation Roadmap:

Phase 1: Initiate a pilot program in one farming district.

Phase 2: Expand to neighboring areas based on pilot outcomes.

Highlight potential risks and proposed mitigation strategies, such as community education and infrastructure development.

8. Conclusion and Future Work

Objective: Summarize findings and outline potential next steps.

Summary: The study demonstrated that anaerobic digestion of agricultural waste is both energy-efficient and environmentally beneficial. Identified high-yield waste types and optimized process conditions.

Future Research:

Explore alternative waste types not covered in the current study.

Investigate advanced digestion methods that incorporate co-digestion for higher yields.

Assess large-scale logistical challenges for waste collection and distribution.

Biomass Conversion Process 

1. Combustion: 

Feedstock is burnt in the presence of air to release heat. Eg: heating wood, and steam heating to generate electricity

2. Gasification: 

It is the process of using heat, pressure and partial combustion to convert feedstock into combustible gas mixture called syngas (can be used as natural gas/electricity/other uses).

3. Pyrolysis: 

The process of heating feedstock in high temperature in the absence of oxygen. As oxygen is not present, organic material does not combust and it converts into 3 forms: bio oil (solid), bio-char (solid) and syngas.

4. Anaerobic Digestion or Biodigestion: 

Here, the feedstock is burnt which then gets converted into biogas with the help of bacteria in the absence of oxygen. The residue is called digestate and is a great fertilizer.

5. Fermentation: 

The process of converting feedstock or the plant glucose into an alcohol called ethanol by utilization of yeast. Ethanol produced is a biofuel that can be used in the automotive industry.

Benefits of Biomass Energy Production :

1) Environmental Benefits  

Reduces greenhouse gas emissions
 Decreases dependence on fossil fuels 
Utilizes waste materials, reducing landfill use   

2) Economic Benefits

Provides additional income for farmers 

Creates jobs in rural areas 

Encourages Sustainable agricultural practices 

3) Energy Security 

Diversifies energy sources 

Enchance 

Bibliography 

https://www.vedantu.com/biology/biomass-definition

https://www.shankariasparliament.com/current-affairs/significance-of-biomass

https://www.eubia.org/cms/wiki-biomass/employment-potential-in-figures/environmental-benefits/#:~:text=The%20benefit%20of%20biomass%20energy,available%20as%20renewable%20energy%20source.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1364032115000957

https://www.aakash.ac.in/important-concepts/biology/biomass-energy