Biomass Cultivation on Degraded Land for Green Biohydrogen Production

Context

The Principal Scientific Adviser (PSA) to the Government of India convened the first meeting to discuss biomass cultivation on degraded land for green biohydrogen production and bioenergy generation.

Biomass Cultivation on Degraded Lands for Green Biohydrogen and Bioenergy, Key Highlights of the Meeting

• Exploring Biomass Cultivation on Degraded Lands: The meeting brought together key government ministries, knowledge partners, and research institutes to explore the utilization of degraded, barren, and uncultivated lands for biomass cultivation. 

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• Action Plan for Green Biohydrogen: This biomass will be used to produce green biohydrogen, initiating a comprehensive discussion series among stakeholders to prepare an action plan for enhancing green hydrogen production from biomass.
  • One of the objectives of the National Green Hydrogen Mission is to initiate focused pilots for biomass-based green biohydrogen production. 
  • Therefore, it is important to understand the biomass cultivation ecosystem of the country. 
• Addressing Biomass Cultivation Challenges on Degraded Lands: The meeting aimed to gather inputs on biomass and degraded land availability, identify gaps and challenges in biomass cultivation, and strategize a roadmap for using degraded land for green hydrogen production.
• Harnessing Marine Resources: It presented prospects for seaweed cultivation as biomass for bioenergy production and fostering a start-up ecosystem to boost marine biomanufacturing, aligned with India’s Deep Ocean Mission.
  • It also demonstrated biomass production for green energy using various plants, including algae, molasses, and sugarcane. 
  • It focused on using spineless cactus for green hydrogen production.
• Biomass Data: It emphasized the need for data on characterization of biomass for understanding the potential of biomass.

What is Biomass?

Biomass is the residue of organic matter that comes from living things and is composed of elements such as Carbon, Hydrogen, Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Oxygen, etc. 

• Biomass Energy Conversion: It is a renewable source of energy, which can be converted into useful biofuels, biopower, producer gas and chemicals through the process of gasification, pyrolysis, combustion which involves heat, steam, and oxygen.

Types of Biomass

• Crop Residues– Crop residues are the remnants left in the field after crop harvesting. They include:
  • Rice Straw: It is a byproduct of rice cultivation. It is traditionally used as animal feed,  bedding material, utilized for power generation, biofuels, and as a raw material for biogas production.
  • Wheat Straw: It is the residue left after harvesting wheat. It has potential applications in power generation and as a raw material for bioethanol production.
  • Sugarcane Bagasse: The fibrous residue left after extracting juice from sugarcane. It finds extensive use in heat and power in sugar mills and as a feedstock for bioethanol production.
  • Maize Stalks: Maize stalks are the leftover stems of maize plants after grain harvesting. They can be utilised for animal feed, biomass power generation, and as a raw material for biofuel production.

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• • Cotton Stalks: The remains of cotton plants after harvesting cotton fibres. They have applications as feedstock for paper and board production, fuel for energy generation, or conversion into biochar.Groundnut Shells: These are the outer coverings of groundnut kernels. They can be used as a biomass fuel, animal feed, bio-oil and biochar source.
• Forestry Biomass: Forestry biomass is organic materials derived from forest resources, including trees, shrubs, and other vegetation. 
  • Forest residues have high energy content and are utilized as fuel for power generation and heating. 
  • Woody biomass mainly composes carbohydrates and lignin. 
• Urban and Industrial waste: It refers to organic waste materials generated in urban areas and industrial sectors.
  • Municipal Solid Waste (MSW): It comprises organic, paper and cardboard, wood waste, and other biodegradable materials generated from households and commercial organizations. 
  • Proper segregation and management of MSW can facilitate its utilization for energy generation through processes like anaerobic digestion and combustion.
  • Industrial Residues: These are generated from various industries, including sugar mills, rice mills, and wood industries. 
• Animal waste and manure: Animal waste and manure, often called livestock biomass, is a valuable organic resource derived from livestock farming activities. 
  • Cow dung is the most common type of animal waste and is widely available in agricultural regions.
  • Poultry litter comprises a mixture of bedding material (straw, wood shavings, or sawdust) and manure from poultry farms. It is predominantly derived from chickens and turkeys.
• Energy crops:  Energy crops are specific crops grown to produce biomass to be used as a renewable energy source. 
  • These crops are preferred for their high yield, fast development, and efficient transformation into biofuels, biogas, or solid biomass. 
  • Switchgrass: Switchgrass has high biomass yield potential, requires low input, and is adaptable to different soil conditions. It can be used to produce cellulosic ethanol and solid biomass for combustion.
  • Miscanthus: It is a perennial grass having high biomass productivity and low input requirements and can be harvested annually.
  • Willow: A fast-growing woody perennial that can be harvested every 2-3 years. It is used to create biomass pellets, biofuels or as a feedstock for biogas production.
• Aquatic Biomass: These organic matter are derived from aquatic or marine sources, including plants, algae, and aquatic animals.
  • Algae: They are rich in proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, and valuable compounds. 
  • Aquatic Plants: They utilize water, sunlight, and nutrients from their environment for photosynthesis, resulting in efficient biomass production. 
  • Seaweed and water hyacinth are commonly used in biofuels, fertilizers, and bioplastics applications.

Advantages Of Biomass Energy

• Reducing Carbon Footprint: Bioenergy systems offer significant possibilities for reducing greenhouse gas emissions due to their immense potential to replace fossil fuels in energy production. 
• Waste Management: Besides the biogas generated from the process which can be used for energy generation and cooking, anaerobic digestion yields organic fertilizer usable in farming.
• Diversity in Energy Source: Biomass can play a major role in reducing the reliance on fossil fuels by making use of thermo-chemical conversion technologies.  This protects communities from volatile fossil fuels.
• Energy Security: Since biomass energy uses domestically produced fuels, biomass power greatly reduces our dependence on foreign energy sources and increases national energy security.
• Utilizing Energy-Rich Residues for Electricity Production: A large amount of energy is expended in the cultivation and processing of crops like sugarcane, coconut, and rice which can be met by utilizing energy-rich residues for electricity production. 
• Flexibility and Reliability as a Renewable Energy Source: When compared with wind and solar energy, biomass plants are able to provide crucial, reliable baseload generation. 
  • Biomass is relatively a much reliable source of renewable energy free of fluctuation and does not need storage as is the case with solar energy.
• Rural development: The development of efficient biomass handling technology, improvement of agroforestry systems and establishment of small and large-scale biomass-based power plants can play a major role in rural development. 
  • Biomass energy could also aid in modernizing the agricultural economy. 

Benefits of Using Degraded Land for Biomass Production

• Decreased land-use Change: Using degraded land to produce bioenergy may avoid problems related to land use change because this type of land is usually unsuited to and economically unattractive for food crops. 
• Increased land Productivity: Crops on degraded land, especially perennial crops could significantly increase the productivity of the land and would have little negative impact on biodiversity and GHG balance.
• Social And Economic Development:  Using land with zero or little previous productivity can contribute to social and economic development in rural regions.
• Realizing Goals of Bonn Challenge: Sustainable bioenergy production that does not conflict with food, animal feed and materials production, could play a part in realizing the goals of Bonn Challenge.
  • The Bonn Challenge uses a forest landscape restoration (FLR) approach, aiming to restore the ecological integrity of the land while also providing benefits for people by creating multifunctional landscapes.

Biomass Cultivation in India

• Share in Energy Mix: In India, biomass accounts for almost 32% of the primary energy mix. 
• Available Biomass: Annually, about 750 million metric tonnes of biomass is available in the country.
• Potential:  A surplus biomass of about 230 million metric tonnes is available from agricultural residues, which has a hydrogen production potential of 7-8 million tonnes from dried feedstock. 
  • Urban India annually generates about 55 million tonnes of Municipal solid waste (MSW), which has a hydrogen production potential of 1.8 million tonnes. 
• Biomass Power and Cogeneration Projects in India: Currently, over 800 biomass power and bagasse/non-bagasse cogeneration projects aggregating to 10,170 MW capacity have been installed in the country for feeding power to the grid.

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Regulatory Framework for Biomass in India

• Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (MNRE): It is the nodal ministry in charge of developing and carrying out policies and initiatives for the advancement and promotion of renewable energy sources, including biomass.
• Central Electricity Regulatory Commission(CERC): It is the central authority for regulating the production, distribution, and transmission of electricity. 
  • It determines the costs and rules for biomass and other renewable energy projects.
• State-level regulatory commission(SERC): It oversees the electricity industry in their states. They decide rules, tariffs, and policies for biomass and other renewable energy projects.

Biomass Energy Challenges in India

• Seasonality of Agricultural Biomass Availability: Biomass from agriculture is available only for a short period after its harvesting, which can stretch only for 2-3 months in a year. 
• High Cost of Biomass Energy: The high cost of biomass energy production vis-a-vis lower cost of power produced from coal-fired power plants and other renewable energy sources.  
  • Since the raw inputs of biomass come from the unorganized sector, its price cannot be regulated by the government, enhancing the cost of generation per unit.
  • At INR 6 (USD 0.073) per unit, energy from biomass is expensive, compared to INR 2.20-2.30 for solar, and INR 3-5 from most coal plants.
• Lack of public data on biomass availability across geographies: The data related to availability of biomass across geographies, especially at the district/block level, is not easily available and requires case-by-case research. 
  • This affects the planning of such projects. Hence, most stakeholders conduct their own analysis to assess the availability of biomass. 
  • Subsequently, availability of surplus biomass for bioenergy production may or may not be accurate, time efficient and cost-effective. 
• Limited Storage Options: Storing biomass residue is a long-standing issue in India. For agri-based biomass residue, limited storage capacity is among the primary reasons for stubble burning. 
  • This is more prominent in northern Indian states, where with limited offtake and storage options, excess biomass is disposed of by burning crop residue in open fields.
• Supply Chain Bottlenecks: Carriage and transportation of biomass require customized vehicles, especially for agri-waste due to its varying sizes and density. 
  • So far, this has seen limited commercialized options and is done mostly through make-shift arrangements. 
• Limited offtake of Biofertilisers: There is a pressing need to promote the use of biofertilisers by farmers. 
  • There is still a lack of awareness in the farming community on how the use of biofertilizers can enhance the nutrient uptake, growth, yield, nutrition efficiency and quality of crops, besides helping local allied industries to flourish. 
  • The slow uptake of biofertilizers is one of the major discouraging factors for private sector investment in the biogas sector in the country. 
• Limited Platforms for Biomass Trading: There are limited platforms available for trading and exchange of raw and processed biomass.
  • At present, biomass trading in the country is fragmented and exists only in a handful of states, despite the need for biomass or waste for bioenergy projects in the country. 
• Limited Access to Finance: Financing biomass projects is challenging due to high capital costs, lack of adequate collateral, and high risks associated with biomass projects. 
  • This results in the slow adoption of biomass projects and reduced investments in the sector.
• Lack of Infrastructure for Equitable Power Parity: There is a substantial demand for biomass in the power, cement and steel sectors. 
  • For instance, to aggregate 1,500 MT of biomass, approximately one acre of la­nd is required and Gross working capital is required at Rs 3,000 per mt: Rs 450 million ($ 5.63 million).
• Lack of coordination among the stakeholders: There are multiple ministries involved, including Agriculture, Environment, Renewable energy, and Power. 
• Environmental concerns: Biomass energy production in India has raised environmental concerns, primarily due to the use of agricultural waste as feedstock for power plants. 
  • Burning of agricultural waste contributes to air pollution, with significant implications for hu­man health and the environment. 

Way Forward

• Efficient Procurement and Storage Mechanisms: There is a need to have robust institutional and market mechanisms for efficient procurement of the required quantity of biomass, within this stipulated short time, and safe storage till it is finally used.
• Government Support and Incentives for Cost Reduction:  Some costs can be lowered if the government provides incentives and subsidies for the capital cost of the plants. 
  • Tax relief to compress the crop residue, better village roads for easy transportation, as well as the availability of low-cost, non-arable land for aggregation, would make the sector attractive for investment.
  • The government can also encourage the participation of private sector entities in the biomass sector by providing tax incentives and subsidies for projects.
• Centralized Agency for Streamlined Biomass Projects: The need of the hour is to have a centralized agency with a single-window time-bound mechanism of clearances for faster communication and effective implementation.
• Cleaner Technologies for Biomass Combustion: The government can en­courage the use of cleaner and more efficient technologies for the combustion of biomass. 
  • This could include the use of biomass gasification-based cogeneration technology that can produce electricity from paddy straw by a densification-gasification process. 
• Promoting Sustainable Practices and Microgrids for Biomass Utilization: The government can provide incentives to farmers to adopt sustainable agricultural practices that reduce waste production. 
  • Co-firing biomass is not an ideal solution, as the carbon-positive actions of collecting, tra­nsporting, densifying, re-transporting and crushing will not get neutralized by the utilization of carbon-neutral fuel. 
  • Develo­ping microgrids with the available biomass is a more viable solution and can build a synergetic circular economy.
• Sustained Biomass Supply: A robust business model is necessary to motivate local entrepreneurs to take up the responsibility of supplying biomass to processing facilities. 
  • Collection centers covering 2-3 villages can be set up to facilitate decentralization of biomass supply mechanisms. 
• Exploring Energy Crops: Biomass power plant operators may explore the possibility of using energy crops as a substitute for crop wastes, in case of crop failure. 
  • Bamboo and napier grass can be grown on marginal and degraded lands.
  • The R&D can help generate more biomass with less resources like water, specifically in the context of Napier grass, energy cane, and cactus.
• Strategic Utilization of Public and Private Land for Biomass Cultivation: There is a need to identify biomass for cultivation and identification of government-owned land available for cultivating biomass for enhancing hydrogen production in the country. 
  • This approach of utilizing both public and private land for sustainable biomass cultivation would meet the country’s energy demand, reduce dependency on fuel imports, generate revenue, and significantly contribute to bioenergy production.
• Efficient Utilization of Agro Residues:  Various types of various agro residues such as stubble/straw/stalk/husk which are surplus and not being used as animal fodder for making the biomass pellets. 
  • Ex- Bamboo and its by-products, Horticulture waste such as dry leaves and trimmings obtained from maintenance & pruning of trees and plants.
• Encouraging Foreign Direct In­ve­stments: This can also help in increasing the availability of finance for biomass projec­ts, wherein structured finance instruments can be made available for this sector.
• Financial Instruments and Carbon Markets: Green bonds for the development of the biomass-bioenergy sector, carbon markets with specific renewable energy certificates will contribute to the sector’s financial stability and growth. 

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