Biomass Energy Technology

Wood Energy Data

Bio-Chemical Process

Bio-chemical processes make use of the bio-chemistry of the raw materials, and the action of microbial organisms, to produce gaseous and liquid fuels like biogas, ethanol and methanol.

Biogas production

Digestion is the bio-chemical conversion of organic material to biogas (mixture of methane and carbon dioxide). Anaerobic reactors are generally used for the production of biogas from manure and crop residues. Anaerobic digestion is a commercially proven technology and anaerobic digesters of various types are widely distributed in India and China.

China - India - Nepal - Other Countries

China

Biogas systems
Year	Type	Inst.Cap.	Cap./unit	Investm.	#units	Note/Source
		(m3)		(US$)
1990	digester		family size	100 /tank	4,700,000	100% locally made; APDC, 1993
1990	digester	250,000	large size		100	100% locally made; APDC, 1993
1990	biogas power plant	6 MW		100,000 /unit		APDC, 1993
1995	biogas plant		family size		5,400,000	ICIMOD, 1999
1995	biogas plant		large size		600	ICIMOD, 1999
1998	biogas plant		family size		6,900,000	REW, 1999
Notes: Inst.Cap.= total installed capacity up to reference year; Cap./unit= Capacity per unit; Investm.= Investment; #units= number of units installed up to reference year

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India

Biogas systems
Year	Type	Inst.Cap.	Cap./unit	Investm.	#units	Note/Source
		(m3)	(m3)	(US$)
1990	digester	625,000,000	family size	58-155 /m3	1,240,000	APDC, 1993
1990	digester	4,760,000	large size	58-155 /m3	504	APDC, 1993
1992	biogas plant		large size		875	Hall, 1995
1993	floating drum		2.0-4.0	310-415		Hall, 1995
1993	fixed dome		2.0-4.0	205-300		Hall, 1995
1993	biogas plant		family size		1,763,000	TIDE, 1995
1993	biogas plant		large size		1,009	TIDE, 1995
1995	biogas plant		family size		2,111,000	TIDE, 1995
1995	biogas plant		large size		1,231	TIDE, 1995
1998	biogas plant		family size		2,750,000	REW, 1999
Notes: Inst.Cap.= total installed capacity up to reference year; Cap./unit= Capacity per unit; Investm.= Investment; #units= number of units installed up to reference year

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Nepal

Biogas systems
Year	Type	Inst.Cap.	Cap./unit	Investm.	#units	Note/Source
		(m3)	(m3)	(US$)
1990	digester				5,000	100% locally made; APDC, 1993
1992	dome				11,253	WECS, 1994
1992	drum				932	WECS, 1994
1994	biogas plant		4-20	230-630		operation cost 100-260US$; WET, 1996
1996	biogas plant		family size		32,000	ICIMOD, 1999
1998	biogas plant		family size		49,280	REW, 1999
Notes: Inst.Cap.= total installed capacity up to reference year; Cap./unit= Capacity per unit; Investm.= Investment; #units= number of units installed up to reference year

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Other Countries

Biogas systems
Country	Year	Type	Inst.Cap.	Cap./unit	Investm.	#units	Note/Source
				(m3)	(US$)
Bangladesh	1990	biogas plant	1180 m3	2.83	212-265 /unit	417	100% locally made; APDC, 1993
Indonesia	1990	digester				166	APDC, 1993
Myanmar	1990	digester				867	100% locally made; APDC, 1993
Pakistan	1990	digester		3	200 /unit	4,750	100% locally made; APDC, 1993
Pakistan	1990	digester		100	5,250 /unit		100% locally made; APDC, 1993
Pakistan	1998	biogas plant				2,000	REW, 1999
Philippines	1990	digester		family size	2,500 /unit	>700	100% locally made; APDC, 1993
Philippines	1990	digester		large size		9	100% locally made; APDC, 1993
Sri Lanka	1990	digester	0.54 TJ/yr	family size	200 /unit	2,000	100% locally made; APDC, 1993
Thailand	1990	digester		4,5	200 /unit	5,000	APDC, 1993
Thailand	1998	biogas plant				10,000	REW, 1999
Vietnam	1990	digester		family size	70 - 90 /m3	2,000	100% locally made, large scale digester costs 120 $/m3; APDC, 1993
Notes: Inst.Cap.= total installed capacity up to reference year; Cap./unit= Capacity per unit; Investm.= Investment; #units= number of units installed up to reference year

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Ethanol production

Ethanol is produced by a process known as fermentation, in which micro-organisms (usually yeast) break down sugars with ethanol formed as a waste product. Ethanol can be produced from certain biomass materials that contain sugars, starch or cellulose. Sugar crops are the most popular feedstock since the sugar is easily extracted. The choice of biomass is important as feedstock costs typically make up 55-80% of the final ethanol selling price.

Ethanol is regarded as an important potential alternative source of liquid fuels for the transport sector. Ethanol as a transport fuel is widely used in Brazil. The industrial technology to produce ethanol is well established, although research continues to find alternative production processes.

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Methanol production

Methanol can be produced from a variety of carbon-based feedstocks such as biomass (e.g., wood) via a distillation process. Methanol is a clear, colorless, volatile liquid which is one of the fuels that could substitute for gasoline or diesel fuel used in the transport sector. With economies of scale, methanol could be produced, distributed, and sold to consumers at prices competitive with gasoline. Following a series of methanol vehicle development and demonstration programs throughout the 1980's, a limited number of methanol passenger cars and buses are now commercially available in the USA.

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