Role of Biomass Energy for Sustainable Development of Rural India: Case Studies

Biomass has a very high potential as a renewable energy resource because of its reliability and availability everywhere around the globe. It is the fourth highest primary energy resource in the world after oil, coal, and gas, contributing about 10.6% of the global primary energy supply. Many studies suggest that biomass can become an important primary energy source in the future global energy system, with dedicated biomass plantations being the major biomass supply source. Biomass can be converted into three main types of product: electrical/heat energy, transport fuel and chemical feedstock. Energy can be recovered from biomass either by direct combustion of the fuel or through initial gasification and subsequent combustion. Both methods are favoured because of its efficient and environment-friendly applications. Gasification is the process of generation of combustible mixture of H2, CO, CO2, CH4 and N2 with lower heating value commonly known as producer gas. These gases are used in many applications based on the conversion technology and fuel preparation. Biogas gas can also be generated by biochemical process to be utilized for cooking and engine operation. In the present paper, role of biomass energy for sustainable development of rural India has been discussed. Implementation of such cases have been presented and discussed.