BENEFITS OF BAMBOO
Beema Bamboo is a new variety which has got a huge potential to bring revolution in the field of Bio-Energy.
GREEN ELECTRICITY FROM BEEMA BAMBOO
1 MW power plant needs 200 acres of Beema Bamboo
Biomass Power Project of 1 MW (1 MW/h,7200MWh/year) can sustainably produce electricity for several years with 200 acres (80 hectares) of Beema Bamboo energy plantation cultivated under high density plantation as per the precision farming methodology recommended by us.
Beema Bamboo has an energy value of 4000 Kcal with an ash content of 0.4 to 1% that has a low production cost of 1/5th the of the pre-dominant energy source – Coal. Beema Bamboo stands 1st when compared with commonly available Biomass – rice husk (20% ash content) or Conventional Coal (12 – 30% ash content). There is no Sulphur in Beema Bamboo Biomass as compared to coal or furnace oil whereas its energy value is comparable to that of coal.
ENERGY SECTOR
While the world is running into huge eco-debts, our engineers are finding ways to combat this by discovering alternatives to produce green energy. One such state-of-art creation is bamboo energy. Bamboo, one of the fastest-growing plants on this planet has the potential to give us bio-energy to generate fuel and electricity. Bamboo has always taken the centre stage of global interests and is now becoming the chosen one when one has to turn to find a sustainable alternative.
A single bamboo pole is enough to produce energy for a rural household for one month. This shows how sustainable is this option as it can produce green energy through the process of gasification. This is viable for small-scale. However, for mass production of this clean gas, energy is produced through the process of combustion.
Energy Plantation
Beema Bamboo as “Energy Plantation” for Biomass Project
Beema Bamboo is a new variety which has got a huge potential to bring revolution in the field of Bio-Energy. Beema Bamboo is an improved clone selected from naturally occurring wild population of Bambusa Balcooa and it is not a GMO plant. The Original Mother Plant is multiplied through Tissue Culture and provided as 1st Generation Plants, which is a True Copy of the Original Mother Plant. The Beema Bamboo is grown for several purposes. When it is grown as Energy Plantation, it is used as a Biomass Feedstock for
• Green Electricity production
• Bio-Ethanol Production
• Bio-CNG Production
Beema Bamboo is considered as the best among other known Biomass resources because of the following reasons:
• High calorific value of 4000 KCal/Kg.
• Low ash content of around 1.0%.
• The Biomass yield is 100 tons per ha/annum (40 tons/ac/yr).
• Biomass Feedstock at the Lowest Cost of Production.
• Higher density than many other bamboo species.
• It is a thornless, fast-growing, High-yielding species that can be harvested every year on a sustainable basis.
Beema bamboo is considered As the Best among other known Biomass resources because of the following reasons
Generally, bamboo is planted at wider spacing of 5m × 5m resulting in 200 plants per acre and harvest starts from during the 6th year. We have developed closer planting of bamboo with the spacing of 3m × 1.2m resulting in 1000 plants per acre and harvest starts during the 3rd year onwards. This High-Density Plantation is developed specifically for Energy Plantation to reduce the time to harvest and improve the quality of Feedstock by the way of Reduced Ash Content.
Under intensive cultivation of Beema Bamboo with the population of 1000 plants per acre, the Biomass yield starts from the 3rd year at 30 tons per acre and increases to 35 tons in the next year and stabilizes at 40 tons from the 5th year onwards. In exceptional cases, under better management of cultivation, with the blessing of natural climatic conditions, annual yield can reach as much as 65 tons per acre with the regular population density of 200 plants per acre, the Biomass harvest starts from the 5th year with the field of 30 tons/acre, increases to 40 and 45 tons in the subsequent years and stabilizes at 50 tons from the 8th year onwards.
Due to planting of genetically superior clones and following the precision farming practices, the Biomass yield of Beema Bamboo is so high that area required for energy plantation is reduced to 1/3rd, in other words, Biomass can be obtained from 1 acre of Beema Bamboo Energy Plantation whereas it requires 3 acres of Regular Plantation to provide same quantity of Biomass.
BIO-ETHANOL FROM BEEMA BAMBOO
Beema Bamboo has 65% digestible cellulose which can be processed into Ethanol. Under the available cellulosic ethanol process, 4 Kgs of bamboo can be made to produce 1 Kg of Ethanol. Thus, cultivation of bamboo under Precision Farming can generate 10,000 to 12,000 litres of Ethanol per acre per year. With an increase in demand for liquid fuel and the development of technology of blending ethanol with the existing fuel, opens up the untapped energy market for the Bio Industries.
A good cultivated 2,000 acres (800 hectares) of bamboo can produce about 60,000 litres/day, 18 million litres/year on a sustainable way, with no more replanting for the next several decades. All parts of Bamboo that are collected from specifically cultivated “Energy Plantation” are pre-processed followed by Enzyme Treatment and Fermented to form the Bio-Ethanol. The process gets completed in a week’s time, which results in ethanol, water, undigested biomass and Lignin. By the process of distillation, the ethanol is separated and the undigested biomass along with Lignin is compressed and made free from water, which is used as feedstock for Steam Generation that is utilized for cogeneration of Electricity and Hot Steam for pre-processing the bamboo. Bamboo biomass of 4 kg would produce 1 kg or 1.2 litre of Ethanol.
The present source of Ethanol is from the Molasses of Sugarcane, which is yielding only 500 litres from an acre of sugarcane field while bamboo cultivated similar to that of sugarcane, would result in 10,000 litres of Ethanol/acre/year. Future research is in progress for increasing the cellulosic content of Bamboo from 65-80%.
Bio-CNG
Bio-CNG from Beema Bamboo
All parts of bamboo are digestible to produce combustible gas. Bamboo biomass of 8 kg would produce 1 kg of CNG gas and 4 kg of dry undigested biomass having Lignin as major component. The gas is scrubbed and cleaned from carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and sulphur compounds. The processed biogas is compressed into bio-CNG and filled in dispensable gas cylinders. The undigested Lignin mass is converted into Briquettes/Pellets as by-products.
CNG is less polluting the environment than other popular fuels such as Petrol and Diesel. At present CNG is mostly delivered through pipes which are running for several thousand kilometres.
Bamboo is convertible into bio-gas which can be processed into Bio-CNG. Bio-CNG is a renewable fuel that is identical in composition and better in purity than fossil CNG. Bio-CNG from Bamboo generates income for the rural population and serves as an import substitute. Every 300 acres of cultivated bamboo can feed one gas bunk on the roadside which does not need pipe lining for long distance. Bamboo based Bio-CNG can be produced locally everywhere, adjoining to the highways.
Agro Gas, a subsidiary of Primove Engineering Pvt. Ltd., Pune has tested Bamboo and established a model of Bio-CNG plant in Pune functioning for the past 6 months. The technology is developed by Mr. Santhosh Gondlekar after several years of continuous research and hard work. This is the first Bio-CNG gas production and gas dispensing station in India.
Bio-CNG Process
Cultivation of bamboo under hi-density
Bamboo is planted under close spacing and harvested from 2 ½ years when it is grown as irrigated crop, with drip irrigation and fertigation. The plantation is established with fast-growing thick wall bamboo species with no thorns, with higher cellulose content. The Bamboo is harvested annually as immature bamboo and utilised for the production of Bio-CNG.
Conversion of bamboo biomass into CNG
All parts of Bamboo are collected from specifically grown in “Energy Plantation” and fermented with right combination of micro-organisms and bio-digested for 24 to 36 hours. The process generates bio-gas and biomass slurry.
Bamboo biomass of 8 kg would produce 1 kg. of CNG gas and 4 kg. of dry undigested biomass having Lignin as major component. The gas is scrubbed and cleaned from carbon-di oxide, carbon monoxide and sulphur compounds. The processed biogas is compressed into bio-CNG and filled in dispensable gas cylinders. The Undigested Biomass mass is converted into briquettes/pellets as by-products.
BIO-ETHANOL FROM BEEMA BAMBOO
BAMBOO IN BIO-ENERGY
While the world is running into huge eco-debts, our engineers are finding ways to combat this by discovering alternatives to produce green energy. One such state-of-art creation is bamboo energy. Bamboo, one of the fastest-growing plants on this planet has the potential to give us bio-energy to generate fuel and electricity. Bamboo has always taken the centre stage of global interests and is now becoming the chosen one when one has to turn to find a sustainable alternative.
A single bamboo pole is enough to produce energy for a rural household for one month. This shows how sustainable is this option as it can produce green energy through the process of gasification. This is viable for small-scale. However, for mass production of this clean gas, energy is produced through the process of combustion.
WHY IS BAMBOO A BETTER SOURCE TO PRODUCE GREEN-FUEL?
- Bamboo grows faster than any other wood and so can be produced quicker in large scale and so has a less harvest time.
- Bamboo gives a very high yield as much as forty tonnes per hectare per year.
- Bamboo production gives a good rate of return for the investment.
- This crop can be harvested throughout the year and so is much better than energy from coal, wind and solar.
- Bamboo harvest restores degraded land and stabilizes the soil and watershed.
- Generates a great amount of rural employment
- Stronger and healthier than any other wood for fuel.
- It has the best fuel characteristics for it leaves out extremely less ash residue when compared to other fossil fuels, has less alkali index and high heat value. The moisture content is extremely low when compared to other forms of wood and so is easier to store and transport for there is no fear of termites attack.
- Bamboo biomass can be put under various processes like combustion, pyrolysis and gasification.
- Bamboo aids deforestation much quicker than any other plant. By using bamboo fuel we can become self-sufficient very soon nationwide.
