Low-Cost Bioenergy Options for Rural India

Abstract

By using a decentralized energy-planning (DEP) approach, this paper shows that biomass-based energy systems have the potential to meet all the rural energy needs from village to district level. DEP has been formulated and applied to a typical Indian district (Tumkur). The main purpose of this study is to examine the economic feasibility of bioenergy for use in rural areas. Model analysis shows that the cost of producing biomass is very low per capita at the household level. Energy plantations could be raised on available degraded areas or wastelands. The biomass feedstock that can be produced from plantations is shown to be adequate to meet all the electricity needs of the village by using biomass gasification technology. Electricity demands can be met by using biomass power generation systems on the basis of biomass feedstock from energy plantations on available wastelands.