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Biomass-based Gasifier for Sustainable Rural Energy in India

Pierre Jaboyedoff
1
, Ulrik Birk Henriksen
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, Jesper Ahrenfedt
3,
Sunil Dhingra
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, Mohit Pushp
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1
Sorane SA, Rationalisation Energtique, Ecublens, Switzerland
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Technical University of Denmark (DTU), Risoe National Laboratory for Sustainable Energy, Denmark
3
Technical University of Denmark (DTU), Risoe National Laboratory for Sustainable Energy, Denmark
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The Energy and Resource Institute, New Delhi, India
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The Energy and Resource Institute, New Delhi, India
Presenting authors email address: pierre.jaboyedoff@sorane.ch
Abstract Record Number: 315
Presentation Theme (Theme 1, Theme 2, Theme 3): Theme 1
Key Words: rural energy, off-grid electricity generation, biomass, gasification, India
Brief biography of presenting author (80 words):
Pierre Jaboyedoff is a senior engineer specialising in energy efficient buildings and solar energy applications with
over 30 years experience in the field. While representing the Swiss Federal Office for Energy, he participated in
many major Research and Development projects lead by the International Energy Agency. He has developed the
energy concept for low-energy buildings such as the Rolex Learning Centre or the Swiss National Office for
Statistics. He has been working in India on energy efficiency since the early 80s.
Abstract (max 320 words):
Half of Indias rural households have no access to electricity. In 2005, more than 96,000 villages were still un-
electrified, and just over 40% of the 138 million households used electricity for lighting. Rural electrification is a
key concern for Indias social and economic development. Besides, rural electrification in remote areas poses
considerable challenges in terms of technological applications, investment costs and paying-off potential, as the
connection to the grid is found to be complex and costly, while the loads required are rather limited. For such
areas, small-decentralised biomass gasification based power plants emerge as an attractive option for rural
electrification provided biomass is managed locally in a sustainable manner.
During the last 3 decades, small-scale power gasifiers have been tested in many regions of the world. More recent
developments have demonstrated the feasibility of 100% gas systems, but the technology has not yet reached a
commercial level. Meanwhile, DTU has developed an innovative two-stage biomass gasification process, which is
characterised by having pyrolysis and gasification in separate reactors with an intermediate tar cracking zone. This
allows for a fine control of the process temperatures resulting in extremely low tar concentrations in the raw and
produced gas.
Based on a broad partnership involving the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), the Energy
and Resources Institute (TERI) in India, the Indian NGO Gram Vikar, the National Thermal Power Corporation
(NTPC), Sorane SA and the Technical University of Denmark (DTU), an initiative was launched to apply the
technology to India for rural off-grid power production. Small-scale applications will range between 10 to 50 kWe.
The technology developed will allow remote communities to operate the system with minimal scheduled
maintenance, while making use of local material and human resources.
This project has the potential to facilitate the introduction of sustainable and reliable biomass based power
generation in villages, which will allow for increased social and economic benefits for the remote rural population
of India.
Paper
Introduction and purpose
With almost half of its rural households having no access to electricity, rural electrification is a key concern for
India. In 2005, more than 96,000 villages were still un-electrified, and just over 40% of the 138 million households
used electricity for lighting. The economics of remote rural electrification based on grid-extension are generally
unfavorable, mainly because of the high costs incurred by grid extension, the important grid losses in such remote
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areas, as well as the small loads required and the low tariffs applicable. Out of these un-electrified villages, the
Government of India has identified 25,000 villages as remote and difficult to access. For these un-electrifiable
villages which stand out of the scope of grid-connected electrification, decentralized power generation systems are
better suited. Electricity needs of these villages are generally in the range of 5 to 25 kW depending upon their size.
It has been proposed that these villages should be electrified through renewable energy sources (e.g. biomass,
small hydro, solar PV etc.). Among various renewable energy sources solar PV is technically mature but the initial
costs are very high. Small hydro systems are comparatively cheaper, but these are site specific and the power
generating capacity fluctuates seasonally. In this scenario, small-decentralised biomass gasification based power
plants emerge as an attractive option for rural electrification provided biomass could be managed locally in a
sustainable manner.
The figure above presents the concepts of livelihood for remote biomass-based electrified villages. This concept
was developed by Joe Madiath, executive director of the renowned Indian NGO Gram Vikas, located in Orissa.
At the time when this concept was developed, the technology for 100% biomass-based power gasification was still
quite new. Most of the existing systems had very complex gas cleaning systems. Most of the technology
developers focused on end-of-the-pipe gas cleaning treatment.
Meanwhile, the Technical University of Denmark (DTU), has developed an innovative two-stage gasification
process, which allows for biomass-based small-scale power generation.
Based on a broad partnership involving the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), the Energy
and Resources Institute (TERI) in India, the Indian NGO Gram Vikar, the National Thermal Power Corporation
(NTPC), Sorane SA and the Technical University of Denmark (DTU), an initiative was launched to apply the
technology to India for rural off-grid power production. The main objective of the project funded by SDC is to
adapt the DTU technology for a small-scale 100% woodgas power gasifier, suitable for remote rural electrification
in India. Small-scale applications will range between 10 to 50 kWe. The technology developed will allow remote
communities to operate the system with minimal scheduled maintenance, while making use of local material and
human resources.
Figure 1: LIBERA framework diagram
(The first framework was developed by Joe Madiath and Pierre Jaboyedoff)
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Design and Methods
During the last 3 decades, small-scale power gasifiers have been tested in many regions of the world. More recent
developments have demonstrated the feasibility of 100% gas systems, but the technology has not yet reached a
commercial level. Conventional systems consist of a gasifier, a gas cooling and cleaning system and an internal
combustion engine. Most of the development has been focusing on the gas cleaning to avoid high tar
concentrations.
Figure 2: Typical gasifier and gas cleaning arrangement in the early 2000' (Kishore 2006)
When installed in villages, most of these systems had very serious operational problems. Starting the engine was
very difficult, and tar condensation at various places of the cleaning system occurred very frequently. The
development of the technology was advanced and its needs well framed, but its actual implementation was very
problematic due to its technical complexity and difficult operation.
Sorane SA is a consulting engineering company created in 1977 in Lausanne, specialised in energy efficiency in
buildings as well as renewable energy applications. Sorane has worked on energy efficiency and renewable energy
in India since the 80s.
The Technical University of Denmark (DTU), is ranked as one of the foremost technical universities in Europe. It
continues to set new records in the number of publications, in the development of new partnerships with industry
and in its public sector consultancy assignments. For almost two centuries DTU has been dedicated to developing
and creating value using scientific research to benefit society.
The Energy and Resource Institute (TERI), is a renowned research organisation established in 1974 in view of
supporting sustainable use of resources. TERI is a non-governmental organisation, that carries out research and
consultancy on renewable energies and energy efficiency with a view of contributing to poverty alleviation and
sustainable development. In 1998, TERI created its own university.
The NGO Gram Vikas was established by student volunteers, who came to Orissa, as part of the Young Students'
Movement for Development (YSMD), Chennai, in the early 70s to help the victims of the cyclone. Gram Vikas
currently serves over 350000 people in villages spread over 24 districts in Orissa.
NTPC, the National Thermal Power Corporation is the largest power generating major in India, with an installed
capacity of 36,014 MW. It has also diversified into hydro power, coal mining, power equipment manufacturing, oil
& gas exploration, power trading & distribution. With an increasing presence in the power value chain, NTPC is
well on its way to becoming an Integrated Power Major. NTPC is a key partner of the Government of India in
implementation of the National Strategy for Renewable Energy Development in the country.
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The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) is Switzerlands international cooperation agency
within the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA). The Agency engages in direct operations, supports
programmes of multilateral organisations, and helps to finance programmes run by Swiss and international relief
organizations in four operational areas. SDC has been active in India since 1963 with development cooperation
programmes and humanitarian aid interventions designed to improve the living conditions of the poor and
marginalised segments of the population and to contribute to sustainable development. Since 1992, as part of its
global environmental programme, SDC India has contributed to Indias efforts in dealing with global
environmental problems anchored in national concerns by implementing projects to i) facilitate technology
transfer, ii) train workers to maintain new technologies, iii) develop, demonstrate and disseminate energy efficient
and environmentally friendly technologies in the energy intensive small scale industries. Considering the fast
growing importance of India as a key player on the regional and international scene, Switzerland has engaged in a
new type of collaboration in areas of common interest. Today, Swiss Cooperation programmes are focused on
climate mitigation and adaptation and are managed by the recently created Climate Change Division (CCD) in the
Embassy of Switzerland to India.
Facing the challenge of developing an adapted technology for off-grid biomass-based rural electrification, Sorane
assisted TERI in identifying technological partners able to bring in technologies of gasification practically without
tar. After a comprehensive review of the sectors developments, Sorane SA established a contact with DTU. A
first mission was then organised to launch a collaboration between DTU, TERI with Sorane being the consultant
for system integration.
After analysing and recognising the problems of tar in the existing gasifiers in India, it was decided to have a first
field test with a charcoal-based gasifier. Charcoal as a fuel presents the advantage of containing very little tar, as it
is removed by pyrolysis during the process of charcoal preparation. A first cooperation agreement was established
between SDC, TERI and DTU. DTU assisted in the design of this charcoal system, following which the gasifier
was installed in a village near the head office of the NGO Gram Vikas in Orissa.
Figure 1: the 10 kWe charcoal gasifier installed at Kanheiput, Orissa (Kishore, 2006)
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Figure 2: View of the filter before the engine after 200 hours of operation
The system was operated daily for more than 3000 hours with minimal level of maintenance. The technological
application and field experience demonstrated that it was possible to run small-scale power gasifiers, provided the
tar level in the gas remains very low.

Over the last 15 years, DTU has developed an innovative two-stage biomass gasification process, which has been
demonstrated on a pilot plant with fully automatic operation for more than 3000 hours. The two-stage process is
characterised by having pyrolysis and gasification in separate reactors with an intermediate tar cracking zone. This
allows for a fine control of the process temperatures resulting in extremely low tar concentrations in the raw and
produced gas. Measured performance levels are 20% to 30%, from biomass to electricity. The main aim of the
research lead by DTU was to develop a fully automatic and unmanned operation plant.
The main advantage of this technology is that the biomass is first heated up to about 600C, which provokes
pyrolysis reactions. After that, the pyrolysis gases and the biomass enter the reactor. This technology allows to
produce gas practically without any tar.
Figure 3: Schematic principle of the Viking Gasifier
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Figure 4: A view of the Viking gasifier developed and tested by DTU
The Viking two-stage gasifier developed by the biomass gasification group of the Technical University of
Denmark (DTU), has been tested in automatic operation for over 3000 hours. The reliability and performance were
excellent. The gasifier efficiency was over 90%, the overall electrical efficiency at 25%, the tar level below 1
mg/Nm3.
The main advantage of this technology is the simplicity of the gas cleaning.
Applications for remote rural use in India would not require such sophisticated automatic control mechanisms,
because local employment generation is a priority in areas where poverty alleviation is a primary concern.
Sorane SA assisted TERI and DTU to get funding to make the technology transfer and its adaptation to Indian
conditions possible. After unsuccessful attempts with the World Bank, SDC eventually accepted to fund the TERI-
DTU partnership.
Within the current project framework, the conceptual design of the wood-based gasifiers and the system
configuration will be developed, following which a prototype will be created and then tested for optimisation. The
partnership with the National Thermal Power Corporation will help to formulate a long term strategy for
technology up-gradation and implementation of Renewable Energy and Distributed Generation.
Results
The prototype has been successfully developed and is now adapted for application in the framework of rural
electrification in India. The results achieved through this testing are summarized below:
The two stage biomass gasifier system, along with the cleaning and cooling system, has been
tested with engine on a 10 kWe load.
Cumulative operation: 195 h including 95 h of engine operation
High quality gas: Tar <25 mg/m3; CV > 4 MJ/kg with H
2
and CO content in the range of 22-
24% and 15-18 % respectively
Low specific fuel consumption: around 1 kg/kWh
Elimination of the LPG for preheating which is being carried out by thermal gasifiers for both
reactor and pyrolysis unit
Simple dry time cooling cleaning system developed
No waste water generation in cleaning and cooling system
Optimization of parasitic load to reduce them and improve the net output from the system
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Experimentation on the existing system for further improvement with use of the waste heat
streams and trial of different feed stocks
Following the success of this first phase, the detailed design of the second generation (20 kWe) has been finalized
and the fabrication is now under progress. After testing and validation at TERI, it will be packaged and transferred
to NTPC for system fabrication and installation at their premise. NTCP will then test it under variable load
conditions, and produce and install 4 pilot units in villages.
After this phase, the system will be reengineered for a power of 40 kWe and will be disseminated in unlectrified
villages where biomass supply is secured and managed in a sustainable way. This technology will be part of Indian
NTPCs renewable energy generation strategy.
This project has the potential to facilitate the introduction of sustainable and reliable biomass based power
generation in villages. The two stage process developed by DTU and TERI jointly brings a much simpler and more
reliable technology with better performances than the conventional end-of-the-pipe treatment systems used
traditionally.
Thanks to the adaptation of this innovative technology, rural electrification of some of Indias villages will be
achieved in a sustainable way.
Conclusion
The SDC-funded biomass gasifier project is an example of technological applications that take into account social
and economic needs as well as environmental concerns. The technological development is directly geared at
providing energy, comfort and a better working environment to Indias remote rural population. As shown by the
LIBERA Diagram, the two stage biomass based gasification technology for rural electrification has the potential to
provide means for irrigation, enhancing food security, enabling domestic access to water and lighting as well as
opportunities for additional monetary resources.
Reference List
Henriksen, U and alt. (2006) The design, construction and operation of a 75 kW two-stage gasifier, Energy,
Volume 31, Issues 1011, August 2006, Pages 15421553
Kishore, VVN (2006) Biomass and gasification success stories and lessons learned, IEA Bioenergy Agreement,
Task 33, Fall 2006 meeting at GTI
Jaboyedoff, Pierre (2010) 100% Woodgas based 100% Woodgas based small scale power gasifier for added
income generation in biomass-rich non grid connected areas, Summary of activities in India between SDC,
TERI and DTU (internal report for SDC Head Offices, Bern)
Dhingra, Sunil (2012) Biomass gasification project at TERI, DSDS 2012 (Delhi Sustainable Development
Summit), Special event on Moving towards alternative energy for addressing rural energy needs