Introduction

Bio energy is derived from the biological processes of biomass (biomass conversion)

The energy from biomass (biomass conversion) is released on burning or breaking the chemical bonds of organic molecules formed during photosynthesis.
Burning Biomass releases the same amount of Co2 as burning the fossil fuels but in biomass burning, the amount of Co2 released is the same amount of Co2 absorbed from atmosphere while growing it(Captured in its own growth). While in fossil fuels, it is releasing Co2 which is brought up from underneath the Earth surfaces

About 32% of the total primary energy use in the country is still derived from biomass and more than 70% of the country’s population depends upon it for its ener needs.
Biofuels - Fuels whose energy derived from biological process of carbon fixation

Liquid Biofuels: Ethanol, Methanol, Gasoho, Biodiesel, Biocrude
Gaseous Biofuels: Synthetic natural gas (biogas/Syngas), Wood gas: Methane – 70% nd CO2 – 30%

Biomass power projects and Bagasse Co-generation by pri vate sugar mills, public sector sugar mills, cooperatives
Biomass gasification
Biopower - Target 10 GW by 2022

Sources

By-products from the timber industry, agricultural crops and their byproducts, raw material from the forest, major parts of household waste and wood.
Solid Biomass fuels: Wood logs and wood pellets, charcoal, agricultural waste (stalks and other plant debris), animal waste (dung), aquatic plants (kelp and water hyacinths), urban waste (paper, cardboard and other combustible materials).

Bagasse as biofuel- sugar mills are rapidly turning to bagasse, the leftover of cane after it is crushed and its juice extracted, to generate electricity.

Methanol

Also Wood Alcohol
It is colorless, biodegradable, flammable, poisonous, and renewable source of energy.
It is obtained both naturally and artificially

It is a single carbon compound made from the destructive distillation of wood
It also produced from coal, natural gas, biomass, co2

Certified as fuel by Bureau of India Standards 2016.
Use: in organic synthesis, as a fuel, solvent, and antifreeze.
Methanol Economy Fund- has been created by NITI Ayog with a corpus of 4,000-5,000 crore to promote production and use of the clean fuel. Aiming at generation of the fuel by converting high ash content coal into methanol and such a plant is expected to be set up by Coal India.
The gaseous version of Methanol is DME (Dimethyl ether)

It can be blended with LPG

India is a member of Global Methane Initiative that strives for reducing barriers for use of methane as clean energy source

Petro Crops (Plants)

Recent researches suggest that hydrocarbon producing plants can become alternative energy sources, which can be inexhaustible and ideal for liquid fuel.
These plants called petro plants/petro crops can be grown on land which are unfit for agriculture and not covered with forests.
Jatropa curcas is an important petro plant.
Output

Biocrude can be obtained by tapping the latex of Jatropa curcas.
Biocrude is a complex mixture of liquids, terpenoids, triglycerides, phytosterols waxes, and other modified isoprenoid compounds.
Hydro cracking of biocrude can convert it into several useful products like gasoline (automobile fuel), gas oil and kerosene.

Some potential Petro-crop species belong to family Asclepiadaceae and Euphorbiaceae.

Biogas and Bio CNG

Biogas is primarily a mixture of methane and co2

Biogas has Methane, Co2, Nitrogen; negligible Hydrogen, Hydrogen Sulphide, Oxygen
The presence of H2S, of CO2 and water make biogas very corrosive and require the use of adapted materials
NOTE: Biogas does not contain Ethane

Bio CNG is the purified form of Biogas where all the unwanted gases are removed to produce >95% pure methane gas.
Natural gas is a naturally occurring hydrocarbon gas mixture consisting primarily of methane (also Ethane)

CBG Compressed Biogas

Can be produced from biomass and organic waste sources including paddy stubble.
Compressed Bio-Gas has properties similar to the commercially available natural gas and can be used as an alternative renewable fuel

Biological processes

Anaerobic Digestion/Biomethanation - Biogas< /span>

Anaerobic - absence of free oxygen
Anaerobic microorganisms in an anaerobic environment decompose biodegradable matter producing methane rich bio-gas a nd effluent
Three steps

Hydrolysis - Chemical breakdown of compound due to reaction with water
Acidogenosis- biological reaction where simple monomers are converted into volatile fatty acids
Methanogenesis - formation of methane by microbes known as methanogens

Chemical Processes

Combustion/Incernation

Burning biomass in the presence of excess air(oxygen) at high temperatures
Transfer of 65-80% of heat energy of organic matter converted to hot air, steam, hot water that drives turbines to generate power

Pyrolysis/Gasification

Syngas

Heating the organic matter in the absence of air which makes organic molecules thermally break down to become a gas comprising smaller molecules.
Synthetic natural gas
Coal gasification: converting coal into synthetic gas

Producer gas

Also called Biomass gasification
Heating the organic matter in the restricted quantity of oxygen/air.

Syngas/Producer gas has to be cleaned before it is burned to drive turbines to produce electricity.

Biomass co-firing

Biomass co-firing stands for adding biomass as a partial substitute fuel in high efficiency coal boilers.
Co-firing is a low-cost option to convert biomass to electricity, in an efficient and clean way, and to reduce GHG emissions of the power plant

Programmes

Unnat Chulha Abhiyan

Promotion of improved biomass cooking stove to reduce consumption of fuel wood with higher efficiency and low emissions

National Biogas and Manure Management Programme (NBMMP)

Under Ministry of New and Renewable Energy

For setting up of family type biogas plants in rural and semi-urban areas of the country.

National Biomass Cookstoves Initiative (NBCI)

Launched by Government of India
Aims to enhance the use of improved biomass cookstoves.

NEERDHUR

A novel multi-fuel domestic cooking stove
Developed jointly by National Environmental and Engineering Research Institute NEER and CSIR
Apart from wood, other fuel like coal, cow dung and agricultural residue can also be used in it
Saves 50% fuel and has high thermal efficiency
Approved and certified by Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) and meets the emission parameters of Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS).
Will help in improvement of women’s health in rural areas

Biofuels

A biofuel is defined as any fuel whose energy is obtained through a process of biological carbon fixation. Biofuel can be characterized on the basis of their source biomass.

Ex: Crops, organic waste, algae, petro crops etc.

Liquid Biofuels: Ethanol, Methanol, Gasoho, Biodiesel (Green diesel)
Gaseous Biofuels: Synthetic natural gas (biogas/Syngas), Wood gas: Methane – 70% and CO2 – 30%

First Generation Biofuel

They are produced directly from food crops.
Crops such as wheat and sugar are the most widely used feedstock
Food vs Energy debate

Second Generation Biofuel / Green Diesel

They are produced from marginal crop lands unsuitable for food production or non-food crops such as wood, organic waste, food crop waste and specific biomass crops.
For example- Jatropa
Thus, it overcomes over food vs fuel debate in first generation biofuel.
It is also aimed at being cost competitive in relation to existing fossil fuels and increasing Net energy gains.
Though it is made from organic matter, the chemical composition of green diesel is similar to that of petro diesel
It can withstand very low temperatures without leading to the breakdown of a vehicle.
Nov 2019, No separate environmental clearance is required to produce additional ethanol from B-heavy molasses as it does not contribute to the pollution load
Second-generation ethanol from biomass, bamboo, rice straw, wheat straw, and cotton straw etc. to power vehicles.- Bathinda in Punjab by HPCL.

Third Generation Biofuels

It is based on improvements on the production of biomass by taking advantage of specially engineered energy crops such as algae as its energy source.
The algae are cultured to act as low-cost, high-energy and entirely renewable feedstock.
Algae will have the potential to produce more energy per acre than conventional crops.

Fourth Generation Biofuels

Fourth Generation Bio-fuels are aimed at producing sustainable energy and also capturing and storing carbon dioxide.
This process differs from second and third generation production as at all stages of production the carbon dioxide is captured which can be then geo-sequestered.
This carbon capture makes fourth generation biofuel production carbon negative rather than simply carbon neutral, as it is ‘locks away more carbon than it produces.

Importance of Biofuels

Reduce import dependency
Cleaner Environment and reduce air pollution (Delhi pollution - one reason due to paddy stubble burning)
Health benefits
Municipal Solid Waste Management
Employment Generation
Additional income to farmers

National Policy on Biofuels 2018

This policy categories biofuels as Basic Biofuels and Advanced Biofuels

Basic Biofuels

First Generation (1G) bioethanol & biodiesel

Advanced Biofuels

Second Generation (2G) ethanol, Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) to drop-in fuels
Third Generation (3G) biofuels, bio-CNG etc

Expands the scope of raw material for ethanol production

Now use of Sugarcane Juice, Sugar containing materials like Sugar Beet, Sweet Sorghum, Starch containing materials like Corn, Cassava, Damaged food grains like wheat, broken rice, Rotten Potatoes, unfit for human consumption are allowed

The Policy allows use of surplus food grains for production of ethanol for blending with petrol with the approval of National Biofuel Coordination Committee ( Allowing B-molasses, sugarcane juice, damaged food grains and surplus food grains)
To encourage Advanced Biofuels production

A viability gap funding scheme for 2G ethanol Bio refineries of Rs.5000 crore in 6 years
Additional tax incentives, higher purchase price as compared to 1G biofuels.

The Policy encourages setting up of supply chain mechanisms for biodiesel production from non-edible oilseeds, Used Cooking Oil, short gestation crops

REN- Biomass & Biopower