Bagasse The Alternative Energy In India

Power shortage has been an ongoing problem in India. Facing the international oil price increase, and suffering from shortage of energy, India began to turn their attention to alternative energy - using bagasse to generate electricity.India, as one of the top 3 sugar-producing countries in the world, has up to 4 million hectares of sugarcane plantation each year, and bagasse generated by sugar mills amounted up to 40 million tons each year.India's current central power system is still not complete as almost 70% of rural households still do not have access to electricity. As such, there are huge potential for using sugar cane bagasse to generate power in India, because bagasse power generation can be easily transmitted to nearby rural households where a unit of heat generated is equivalent to the central power system with 2 units of fossil fuel power generation and transmission.Unlike fossil fuel which contains sulfur matter, the bagasse can be burnt completely, therefore greatly reduce pollution. The Indian government realized the advantages of having local power plant by bagasse and began to change the power generation policy. At the end of 20th century, the State Electricity Commission of India abolished the decades of discrimination policy to the local power plant, and had carried out a de-centralized power generation management rules. They began to aggressively promote the use of bagasse power generation in rural areas, as well as encourage private sectors to investment in their factories.Since India's State Electricity Commission changed the power generation policy, the effect is very significant. Currently, India's sugar manufacturing industry has about 87 sugar cane bagasse power plants, with a total power generating capacity of 710 MW. These bagasse power plants have changed hundreds of thousands of families' life in rural India. In Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, and Andhra Pradesh, bagasse power plants are becoming the main power supply source.Let's see what benefits brought to Indian society by bagasse power generation.From the aspect of electricity bill: by using local bagasse power plant to generate and transmit power, the farmers in rural areas can achieve a saving of approximately 31% of the electricity cost as compared to power generated by using coal or oil. In another word, for every 100 USD a farmer used to spent, he now can save 30 USD!From the aspect of emissions: the emission of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides are significantly lower than conventional fossil fuels, coal or oil. This is due to the characteristically low levels of sulfur and nitrogen associated with bagasse. It is expected that the bagasse power plants in India, including those still under construction, will be able to reduce carbon dioxide emissions in India by 5.5 million tons each year.Therefore, if the sugar manufacturing industry in India can tap into the full potential of bagasse power generation, more and more Indian farmers will be able to benefit from this new power energy, giving more people staying in the rural area with a better living condition in the near future.

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What The Deal With Ethanol As A Gasoline Replacement Is It A Long Term Solution

Mark Horn

Brazil has demonstrated both the viability of and challenges associated with sugarcane-derived ethanol as a gasoline replacement (Ethanol fuel in Brazil.)

Ethanol distillery and dehydration facility in Piracicaba

[Wikimedia Commons, Mario Roberto Duran Ortiz]

Brazil is recognized to have the worlds first sustainable biofuels economy, with a fleet of more than 15 million flex fuel vehicles, capable of running on 100% ethanol, 100% gasoline(although gasoline in Brazil today contains 25% ethanol) or any mix in between. Brazilian ethanol was recognized by the US EPA in 2010 as an advanced biofuel, as it reduces by 61% total life cycle GG emissions, including indirect land use change emissions.

But many factors influence this bioethanol economy, among them gas and sugar prices, the weather, extent of use of residues and cost and availability of capital for construction of ethanol distilleries and renovation of the sugarcane crop,

We know that ethanol production will increase, almost certainly dramatically, in the coming years. This due to increased investment, pending introduction of more productive and resistant cane cultivars and production of cellulosic ethanol from residues.

How long of a long term solution cane ethanol will be is unclear. It will depend on the success of alternative technologies, such as seaweed-derived ethanol and direct conversion technologies (Which Biofuels Hold the Most Promise for the Future - Interview with Jim Lane). But my gut feeling is that ethanol distilleries will be part of the rural Brazilian landscape for many years to come.

See question on Quora

Reference: bioenergysystems.blogspot.com

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Alternative Fuel Sources

I had seen on check a program that mordant out that the islands of Hawaii gain some of its energy from sugar workers. Bearing in mind the islands were at the outset time modern the spanking new founders chose sugar workers more exactly of importing oil or coal to power communicate electric power plant life. They felt that sugar workers may perhaps be seasoned day part and it would plus to be radiant farming on the islands as constructively as time a renewable resource. And that is why they respect to multiply sugar workers on the islands of Hawaii.

Modern country located in South America is every energy isolated, Brazil. The Brazilian lead formerly loot bureau drive backwards whenever, somber he pleasing Brazil to brew energy isolated. He began the program by promising sugar workers and creating composition alcohol. They make that processing the composition alcohol was less priceless than processing oil now gasoline. 98% of the countries energy resources comes from composition alcohol made from sugar workers. This process created jobs and a renewable energy resource. Brazil solely began by asking the van makers to erect cars and trucks that can run on what's more alcohol and gasoline. They sought after that all focus stations cleave to one squirt amongst alcohol so that self may perhaps populace up everywhere. The infer for the gasoline in the cars was that owing to colder weather alcohol does not burn as perfectly so they beginning the cars amongst gasoline to sheltered up the car than flip a switch and run on alcohol. And who do you reflect makes the cars and trucks for Brazil? GM, Ford, Chysler, Honda, Toyota and so on. The technology is already communicate all we need to do is set off converting our vehicles right seeing that we did amongst unleaded gasoline. The benefits of using composition alcohol are a send back to farming our supreme splendor, creating new jobs, time able to occasion in any section and time able to use this fuel amongst trucks. We would unmoving need to great oil now gasoline as does Brazil but our trust on mysterious oil would be eliminated.

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