Latest News for Energy Efficiency, Solar, Wind, Biomass Power, Biofuels, Waste to Energy
Biomass has the highest potential for small scale business development and mass employment. Characterized by low cost technologies and freely available raw materials, it is still one of the leading sources of primary energy for most countries. With better technology transfer and adaptation to local needs, biomass is not only environmentally benign, but also an economically sound choice. Bio-based energy can be expected to grow at a faster pace in the years to come.
Opportunities are diverse, and are present in such different sectors as, R&D, agriculture (biomass cultivation and processing), transport services, bioenergy production, manufacturing of core equipments and EPC, as shown in the below representation.
R & D:
As a part of the renewable energy program in India, biomass energy is being considered as an important resource and has been a research focus for a number of institutions within the country. Major activities of focus are towards the advancement of research on biomass conversion technologies and their end use devices. The work could focus on evolving suitable strategies and management approaches, training and networking among biomass users and academic activities relating these aspects. In addition to them, R&D efforts in biomass energy have also been focused on the following aspects.
Various Avenues of R&D for Biomass Energy
- Establishing of standards, best practices and monitoring protocols in the biomass projects
- Enhancements to existing biomass resource assessment and management strategies to cover wider biomass resources and period of analysis
- Exploring extent of potential for replacement of fossil fuel by biomass in sector-wise industrial and commercial usage.
- Evolving of specifications and standards for biomass energy devices and providing technical support in establishing test centre
Feedstock producers/ suppliers:
The most essential constituent of producing energy from biomass is the biomass itself. Several opportunities thus exist for farmers, waste processing mills, saw mills and other biomass feedstock producers/ collection agents.
Biomass Pre- Processing:
Many biomass processing techniques are in need of (pre)processing the feedstock to reduce the bulk volume of biomass, by producing uniform size pellets or briquettes, thus providing exciting opportunity to wood pellet and briquette manufacturers.
About 70 biomass briquetting machines were installed in India by 1995; since then briquetting has been gaining acceptance slowly but steadily.
For both farm waste and mills, briquetting is ideally done by a dedicated third party who operates on a contract basis with the biomass plants. This party ideally collects the wastes from a few farms or mills, briquettes it and transports it to the biomass plant.
Transportation Services:
Feedstock logistics includes all of the unit operations necessary to move biomass feedstocks from the land to the biorefinery and to ensure that the delivered feedstock meets the specifications of the biorefinery conversion process.
Manufacturing Opportunities:
Biomass to energy being a complex value chain, there exists enormous scope for many industrial sectors to manufacture and place their products for mechanization in biomass based energy generation activities.
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Unit Operation |
Manufacturing opportunities |
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Biomass processing to chemical fuels and heat |
Gasification Gasifier, Generators and Gas engines, Exhaust gas emission systems, Driers, Boilers, Gas control valves and flares, Rigid metal pipelines, Char and water collection systems, Producer gas burner, Gas scrubbers ( Coarse and fine filters),Coiled heat transfer gas cooling systems, PVC hose pipes |
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Pyrolysis Pyrolyser, Shredder machines, Conveyor systems, Cyclone separators, Condensation columns, Gas separators, Char and ash disposal systems, Control valves, Pressure gauges, Suction pumps Pipes and joints, Hoses, Scrubbers, Storage cylinders, Trolleys |
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Anaerobic digestion Digestors, Bricks and Cement, Control valves, Gas holders, Scrubbers, Metal Pipes, Gas flares, Temperature sensors, Conveyor systems, Agitators |
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Combustion Boilers, Combustion chambers, Heat exchangers, Condensation columns, Gas flares, Filters, Ash disposal systems, Exhaust fans, |
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Fermentation Hammer mills, Agitated mixing tanks, Pressurized continuous jet cooking tank, Mash coolers, Bioreactors, Autoclaves Inoculation chambers, Centrifuges, Alcohol distillation columns, Deep freezers |
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Transesterification Agitated reactors, Stainless steel pipes, Centrifuges, Distillation columns, Washers and dryers , Settlers, Storage tanks, Positive displacement |
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Secondary heat recovery |
Heat exchangers, Boilers, Compressors, Condensers, Evaporators, Expansion valves, Evaporative cooling devices, Air conditioners, Deep freezers, Incubation chambers, Hot geysers, Air blowers, Filters, Exhaust fans, Filter pads and Lighting appliances |
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Biomass preprocessing |
Timber moulding machines, balers, wood chippers, biomass pellet compressors, extruders, Head saw, wood trimmers, wood conveyor belts and mechanical binders etc |
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Biomass production |
Wood cutting machines, Mechanical harvesters, Thrashers, dehusking and ginning machines, tractors, oil expellers and simple devices such as sickles, crow bar, spades, hammers and scythes etc |
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Biomass transportation |
Manufacturing of heavy trailers, trucks, lorries, tempo vans, timber haulage wagons and their prime components tyres, engines, glass, brake systems and other castings etc, Production of small spare parts |
Service opportunities:
Consulting/Planning Opportunities:
The growing volume of biomass resources production and exploitation requires highly-trained and experienced professionals to farmers, investors, decision makers, biomass companies and, virtually, anybody interested in biomass related activities, thus providing opportunities to a large number of consultants and consultancies to provide expert assistance in the biomass sector.
Training/ Coaching Services:
Training and coaching in almost all fields of interest in biomass sector seem a profitable business opportunity for entrepreneurs, because existing SMEs and upcoming entrepreneurs face manpower, technology and budget restraints they usually cannot solve in adequate time frame.
Other service opportunities include:
- Legal Services
- Accounting Services
- Janitorial Services
- On-going office equipment and supplies
- IT Services
- Facility Maintenance and Repair
- Office Maintenance
- Plant Maintenance
- Storage & Piping Maintenance
- Process Equipment Maintenance
- Process Control Maintenance
- Software
- Hardware and Instrumentation
Summary of Biomass to Energy Business Opportunities and Benefitted Stakeholders Along the Value Chain
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Business Opportunities |
Stakeholders Benefitted |
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Biomass Production and Procurement |
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Biomass Transportation |
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Biomass Processing |
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Biomass Power Generation |
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Biomass to transportation fuel |
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Biomass to heat |
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