Bio- fuel research in Bangladesh –
Present and Future Perspective
Md. Parvez Islam
Lecturer
Dept. of Farm Power and Machinery
Bangladesh Agricultural University
Mymensingh-2202
E-mail: [email protected]
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Energy Scenario of Bangladesh
1. Per capita electricity consumption is 144 kWh or equalto 160 kg of oil.
2. Demand for energy is growing at a rate or of 10%annually.
3. Rural electrification programs provide electricity tomore than 40 million people.
4. More than two million people are employed in ruralareas through electricity-run irrigation pumps,equipment and businesses.
5. The current installed capacity is 5320 megawatts butproduce only 4830 megawatts. As a result, the countryhas been unable to meet the growing demand forelectricity.
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Lack of awareness
Energy
Commercial energy Non Commercial
energyElectricity
Gas
Coal
Fossil fuel
Diesel
Petrol
Kerosene
Biomass
Wood
Twig leaves
Agricultural
residues
Rice straw
Baggase
Animal dung
Cow dung
Poultry litter
Consumed By
City areas Rural areas
Household
Industry
Education
Transport
Health
Commercial
Religious
Household
Cooking
Lightening
Agro Industry
Agriculture
Irrigation
Fisheries
Livestock
Education
Health
Commercial
Religious
Transport
Constraint
Mismanagement
Lack of knowledge
Inadequate supply
Economic condition
Political instability
Bad impacts
Deforestation
Increasing
production cost
Health risk
Poverty
Social unrest
Present Energy use pattern in Bangladesh
Non commercial energy
Biomass
Wood
Twig leaves
Agricultural residues
Agricultural byproducts
Rice straw
Rice husk
Baggase
Animal dung
Cow dung
Poultry litter
Constraint
Deforestation
Less biomass
Soil quality damage
Time consuming
Health risk
Collecting, drying and
storage problem
Renewable biomass
(Vetiver grass)
First growing trees
(Kadam, Karanj)
Short rotation
plantation (Bamboo)
Improved cooking
stoves
Energy saving lamp
Land management
Awareness & Training
Community
Local workshop
Biofuel
- Jatropha
-- Castor
-- Karanj
Lack of electricity
generation capacity
Expensive fossil
fuel
Poor economic
condition
Commercial energy
Electricity
Fossil fuel
Diesel
Kerosene
Constraint
SOLUTIONS
Present energy status of Bangladesh
Rural problem
National Problem
Bio-diesel from Indigenous seeds
1. Jatropha,
2. Karanj,
3. Castor and
4. Rubber
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Length
Rubber seed was the largest with a length of 21.15 mm followed by
Karanj 17.88 mm
Jatropha 17.05 mm and
Castor 11.76 mm
Shape
Jatropha and Castor seeds had similar cylindrical shape with rounded tips.
Karanj seed was found to be circular and flat.
Shape of the Rubber seed was rectangular, inflated but slightly flattened in thickness.
Weight
Rubber seed was the heaviest (4.31 g), as its size was also biggest followed by
Karanj (1.19 g)
Jatropha (0.76 g) and
Castor (0.19 g)
Crushing Strength
Rubber 121.16 kg/cm2
Karanj seeds crushing strength were 24.06 kg/cm2
Jatropha seeds crushing strength were 38.08 kg/cm2
Castor seeds crushing strength were 26.56 kg/cm2
Physical and Mechanical characteristics of the different types of seeds
The oil contents of
Jatropha, Karanj,
Castor and Rubber
seeds were 32.36%,
31.75%, 67.67%,
38.96% by weight
respectively.
a) Jatropha seedb) Karanj seed
d) Rubber seedc) Castor seed
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Jatropha curcas – truly multifunctional
Jatropha curcas grows and
produces on drought-prone
wasteland with low inputs
Jatropha plantations
generate employment
Jatropha plantations fix CO2, biodiesel
reduces auto-exhaust emissionsJatropha seed cake has high
feed potential – but is toxic
Seeds have high oil content
(25-35%)
- Jatropha grows naturally in most tropical countries
- Not browsed by animals and seeds not eaten away by birds
- Fast growing (if conditions allow) and long-lived (more than 30 years)
- Easy to propagate
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Shell
Whole plant
Anti-inflammatory agents
Mulch
Fruits BarkLeaves
Biodiesel Phorbol esters:
Lubricant
Illumination Biopesticide –
Soap production kills vector snails of
Cosmetics schistosomiasis
Medicinal uses
Animal feed (over 60 % protein)
Organic fertilizer
Rodent repellent, Biogas
Fuel,
mulchTannins, Dyes
Erosion control
As a hedge
Shelter/support for other plants
Rodent repeller
CO2 sequestration
Sap – medicinal uses
Seeds Husk
Kernel
Oil
Seed cake or expeller
Jatropha curcas – uses of the plant and its parts
Nursery
Cultivation
Jatropha
seeds
Seedlings/cuttings
Oil expelling facility
Mechanical
- Producion of biogas
- Fertilizer
- Briquettes
Large amount of seeds
FilteringSoap
-Cooking stoves
- Oil lamps
In diesel engine
Production
Usage
Stages of Jatropha production
Cultivation
The average yield under rainfeed
condition is expected as under: -
Chemical
Jatropha at BAU
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Intercultural practice
Problems associated with the Jatropha
cultivation
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Continuation
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Rooting pattern
Fig. Rooting pattern of Jatropha curcas plants raised by seeds and through cuttings
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Prunning
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Possible Jatropha cultivation area in Bangladesh
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Jatropha Presentation
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Energy Adviser
High Profile Govt. Team
Jatropha Oil Rubber oil
Karanj Oil
The lessons from Jatropha
experiences
Critical considerations for Bio-fuel
Production
• Jatropha plantations have distinct
advantages when the soil is poor and
the climate harsh
• Jatropha biodiesel produced on small
scale is more suitable for far flung
regions, high pollution cities etc., or
when energy prices are high
• Along with the oil, other potentially
high-value products such as the high
quality protein seed cake, glycerin,
excess biomass etc. should be
effectively used/marketed
• Other sources of income such as
carbon credits need to be explored
• Factoring in of the environmental and
socio-economic returns such as
wasteland reclamation (future reuse for
food crops), rural employment and
income generation.
• Country-level legislation on bio-diesel
• Use and reclamation of currently
uncultivable land
• Working capital inputs should be
understood
• Technology should be tuned to
maximize income with minimum inputs
• Decentralized biodiesel production
where it is suited
• Marketing of by-products - oil cake,
glycerin, bioactive substances such as
phorbol esters
• System must be remunerative for
attracting local investments
What are the potential impacts
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Impacts in the agricultural sector Environmental impacts
• Yield enhancements or land use
change?
• Availability of water and how much?
• Domestic and international food
prices change?
• Can targets be met through domestic
production alone or is there a need for
biofuel imports?
• Climate change could further stress
agricultural production. Is agroenergy
the best technology?
• While GHG emissions are lower,
other environmental impacts could
offset net carbon balance. Is there
really a net carbon benefit?
Social impacts
• The distributional effects of the creation of a new energy market?
• Small and medium sized farms fare against large scale producers?
• Changes in food availability and malnutrition?
• Will there be opportunities to make biofuel development for poor?
BIOMASS
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Biomass is by far the dominant energy source in Bangladesh,
accounting for approximately 67% of the country total energy
consumption (RWEDP 2000). The per capita energy consumption in
Bangladesh is one tenth of world average i.e. 6.27 GJ/year (Ellery et al.
2000).
Biomass fuels are using beyond their regenerative limits (6%
deforestation rate) due to high pressure of population (Janakontha
2005). There is a severe shortage of wood fuel in Bangladesh
amounting 2.1 million cubic meters (RWEDP 1996).
There are main three biomass byproduct comes from rice viz. rice straw,
rice husk and rice bran. Rice straw and rice bran are used as feed for
cattle, poultry, fish etc. and the rice husk is used as energy. A significant
amount of total national energy comes from rice biomass.
BIOMASS
Bangladesh annually produces about 40 million tons of paddy,
which yields about 8 million tons of rice husk. Rice husk is
used mainly as fuel for the paddy (rice) parboiling process.
Estimated traditional energy supplied in the financial year 2003-2004 in Bangladesh
(Source: BBS 2004)
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Biomass cycle
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Biomass
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Biomass
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Castor and Vetiver grass
The calorific value• The calorific value of fuel oil is about
43 GJ per tonne
• the energy value of 16.74 GJ/t ofpaddy biomass (Eusuf et al., 1987)
• Rice straw 12.24 GJ/t
• Dhaincha 19.28 GJ/t(Eusuf et al.,1987)
• Jute stick12.76 GJ/t (BBP &BBS,1989)
• Bagasse 14.50 GJ/t (Iqbal et al.,1994)
• Molasses 25.116 GJ/t (Iqbal etal.,1994)
• Cowdung 8.75 GJ/t (Iqbal et al.,1994)
• Twigs & leaves 15.40 GJ/t (Iqbal etal.,1994)
• Vetiver grass 10.75 GJ/t
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Proposed Research
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Phase 1
Title: Assessment of the energy requirement in the
Charland areas of Brahmaputra river basin.
Phase 2
Title: Design and Development of the low cost and
low calorific Biomass and biofuel based cooking
stove for the Charland areas of Brahmaputra river
basin.
Briquetting Machines
Heated-die Screw press made in Bangladesh
The raw materials commonly used for briquetting are ricehusk, sawdust and
agricultural residues. About 1000 briquetting screw-press machines appear to be
operating in Bangladesh.
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An Excellent Perspective• Raw materials are readily available in the country
• Low installment cost of machinery
• Raw materials can be grown individually and also purchased cheaply in the
country
• Minimum Technical skill is required to manufacture fuel briquettes
• Minimum industrial infrastructure is required to manufacture fuel briquettes
• Generating employment opportunity in the rural area
• The risks as an entrepreneur are minimum than if one goes into a large scale
project to begin
• Local repair and maintenance facilities are available
• The enterprise can be the basis for rural agro-industrial development
• A fuel briquetting plant can inspire local craftsmen to innovate anddevelop improvements in the technology
• The enterprise can reduce the use of expensive imported fuel
• Fuel briquetting can help fight the greenhouse effect by avoiding theexcess use of fossil fuel
• A fuel briquetting plant can conserve valuable resources by utilizing wastes
Present use of Biomass
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Electricity generation
Traditional Rice parboiling system
Rice husk briquette fuel in a factory
Gasifier stove
Gasifier stove developed at the Asian Institute of Technology
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Farmers field
Sugarcane collection
Sugarcane crushing
Sugarcane juice processing
Raw sugar Molasses Bagase
Refined sugar
Biomass for electricity
generation
Paper production
????
Dried leaves are used as
biomass in rural areas
Fig. Sugar production system in Bangladesh
Electricity
generation
1. Higher cultivation cost
2. Increasing sugar production
Cost
3. Misuse of byproduct
4. Seasonal cultivation
5. Corruption
6. Lack of govt. policy
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Bagasse based cogeneration ofpower in sugar mills is anothersource of power.
Sugar industry of the countryproduces about 30,000 tonssurplus bagasse every yearwhich can be increased to agreat extent if the presentdesign of the boilers aremodified and the crushingcapacity of all the sugar millsare fully utilised.
Full exploitation of bagassebased cogeneration potentialwould besides significantlycontributing to the energysecurity of the countryimmensely benefit sugarcanefarmers and strengthen theeconomy of the sugar industryas well.
Gasohol
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It is unfortunate that Bangladesh, a producer of sugar and sugarcane and also
of molasses, the cheapest feed stock for ethanol has lagged far behind in
exploiting this natural renewable resources.
There is a wide scope of ethanol fuel production in Bangladesh. Bangladesh at
present produces, on an average, about 80,000 tons molasses in 14 sugar
mills under BSFIC against the molasses production capacity of about 1 lac tons.
In addition, one raw sugar processing factory namely Deshbandhu Sugar Mills
at private sector is in operation. This sugar mills is also producing a substantial
quantity of molasses.
Three - four more raw sugar processing factory will go on production within
one-two years.
Then molasses production in the country will be increased manyfolds which will
result in sufficient feed stock available for ethanol, fuel production.
At present ethanol is produced in carew's distillery under the management of
BSFIC to meet the demand for beverage alcohol (foreign liqure).
Gasohol
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One of the deals was the gasohol project at Kishoreganj between Nitol
Motors Ltd of Bangladesh and Far East Distillers Ltd and Peter Khong
International of Singapore, which is expected to go into production
within a year (2004-2005).
Gasohol is a mixture of petrol and anhydrous ethanol in various ratios
up to 23 percent or higher percentage of anhydrous ethanol with petrol
or octane.
Gasohol improves anti-knocking agent and makes a car engine run
smoother while the addition of ethanol, a good oxygenate, reduces
environment pollution by minimizing carbon monoxide and
hydrocarbons concentration in the exhaust pipe.
The spokesman said according to the proposed project, the daily
production will stand at 12,000 liters of gasohol by using molasses
produced in the country's sugar mills.
Co-firing of low-calorific biomass fuels
with biodiesel for low-emission operation
of a fluidized-bed combustor
Biomass fuels can be generally classified using the
following categories:
• Agricultural residues (e.g., bagasse, rice husk,etc.)
• Wood residues (e.g., forestry, pulp and paper)
• Dedicated energy crops (e.g., bamboo,eucalyptus, vetiver and switchgrass)
• Industrial wastes (e.g., furniture manufacturing,construction and demolition waste).
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A wide variety of methods and technologies is used to
convert biomass into useful energy.
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The fluidized bed (FBC) combustion has become the technology of
choice for firing various biomass fuels, including low-grade biomass
fuels and industrial wastes.
However, the combustion of some low-calorific fuels is accompanied
by elevated NOx, CO and other emissions, including products of
incomplete combustion (CxHy). Apart from this, a problem related to
the combustion stability may arise when firing a low-rank fuel.
A fluidized-bed combustor with a cone-shape bed with its relatively
high heat release rate per cross-sectional area in the bottom part of
the reactor seems to be a promising combustion technique for the
effective and environmentally friendly utilization of low-rank biomass
fuels and wastes.
To achieve the high combustion and emission performance of the
proposed device (the main goal of this thesis study), a low-calorific
fuel can be co-fired with a biodiesel.
The specific objectives of this research are to:
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Review literature sources on fluidized-bed combustion systems, focusing on firing
low-calorific biomass fuels and industrial wastes;
Modify an atmospheric fluidized-bed combustor with cone-shape bed (referred to
as ‘conical FBC’), using silica sand as the inert bed material, for (co-)firing low-
calorific biomass fuels or industrial wastes selected for this study;
investigate the behavior of fuel-sand binary mixtures fluidized in a conical bed with
the aim to determine the range of operating variables of the combustor;
Investigate the combustion behavior and emission characteristics of selected fuels
co-fired with biodiesel for variable operating conditions (fuel feed rate, blending
ratio, excess air, fuel- and air-staging), focusing formation and decomposition of
major pollutants (CO, N2O, NO, NO2, CxHy and SO2) in the reactor;
Determine optimum operating conditions for the selected fuels (or fuel mixtures),
leading to the highest combustion efficiency and at minimized emissions from the
conical FBC, using the cost-based approach;
Develop a semi-empirical model for the assessment of the NOx emissions from the
combustor operated with the fuel- and air-staging of the combustion process.
The scope of the study is as follows:
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• to modify and fit the existing combustor and auxiliary equipment for firing low-
calorific biomass fuels and industrial wastes. Prepare accordingly the
measurement system for recording temperatures and gas concentrations (O2,
CO, N2O, NO, NO2, CxHy and SO2) at various locations in the combustor as
well as at the stack gas;
• the combustor is to be studied for the bubbling fluidization mode of the bed
using silica sand as the inert bed material;
• three or four biomass fuels (or wastes) are to be investigated;
• the effects of major operating conditions on the combustion and emission
performance are studied for the fuel feed rate of 40–80 kg/hr (depending on the
lower heating value of the major fuel), while changing (total) excess air within
20–100%; this study is to be carried out for 3-4 feed rates of auxiliary fuel
(biodiesel) to be specified based in the temperature criterion;
• the co-firing study is to include two groups of the experimental run:
(i) conventional co-firing and (ii) fuel staging.
Expected results (output) of this work are as
follows:
• enhanced knowledge of the combustion behavior of low-calorific
biomass fuels ad wastes, which could be used in industrial sectors for
energy production;
• the fluidized-bed combustor ensuring effective and environmentally
friendly operation when firing these low-calorific biomass fuels and
wastes;
• entire characterization of the combustion and emission performance
of the proposed technique firing the fuels for the range of operating
conditions;
• a methodology for the assessment of NOx emissions from the
proposed combustor, including the effects of fuel properties and
operating conditions.
Possible solution of the ongoing energy crisis in
rural areas of Bangladesh
Govt. Policy
Govt. incentivePublic
Investment/participation
Bio-Energy
Biomass
Agr. residues
Forest biomass
Vetiver grass
Bio-diesel
Rubber plantation
Karanj in the coastal area
areaJatropha in the hilly
areasCastor in the char areas
Bio-ethanol
Sugar industry
Biogas
Municipal solid
wasteMunicipal
wastewaterPoultry/Dairy farm
End User demandFarmers benefit
Solving rural energy problem
Increasing rural employment
Improving health condition
Agriculture
Household
Automobile sector/ Agricultural Mechanization
Energy Cycle of Bangladesh
The major sources of renewable energy are:
1. Solar
a) Solar photovoltaic: 200,000 household-level installations havingcapacity of about 12 MW (June 2008).
b) Solar Thermal Power/Concentrating Solar Power (CSP)
Comments: There is a strong potential for solar energy within thecountry. This technology needs to be disseminated in the countryto supplement the power supply.
2. Wind Energy: Presently there are 2 MW of installed wind turbines atFeni and Kutubdia.
Comments: Not functioning
3. Hydro: Microhydro and minihydro have limited potential inBangladesh, with the exception of Chittagong and the ChittagongHill tracts. There is one hydro power plant at Kaptai established inthe 1960s with installed capacity of 230 MW.
Comments: Problems due to the shortage of water
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The major sources of renewable
4. Biomass: Bangladesh has strong potential forbiomass gasification based electricity. Morecommon biomass resources available in thecountry are rice husk, crop residue, wood, jutestick, animal waste, municipal waste, sugarcanebagasse etc.
Comments: This technology can be disseminatedon a larger scale for electricity generation.
5. Other renewable energy sources include bio-fuels, gasohol, geothermal, river current,wave and tidal energy.
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Govt. Energy Policy (2008)