Source: The Nation, 10 Feb 2008

Rising costs of oil, coal and other imported fuels have made it imperative to find indigenous options for energy
By Asangi Jayasinghe

Many countries in the world have realised the importance of energy security. That is to ensure an adequate energy supply, to be available at reasonable prices to meet the basic needs and economic growth. These countries feel that no other country should hold them to ransom. USA for example wants to be independent of Middle-Eastern oil. Sweden and India want to be totally self-sufficient.

Sri Lanka, being an island nation, and with no proven fossil fuel resources of our own, should consider this approach very seriously.

Parakrama Jayasinghe (L) and P.G. Joseph (R)

“Oil price has reached now $ 100 per barrel and is still rising, Oil reserves are depleting. The demand for coal and other imported fuels is on the rise, while the cost of other imports is also correspondingly rising. It is imperative that Sri Lanka looks to alternative indigenous energy sources to meet its energy needs, said President of Bio Energy Association of Sri Lanka (BEASL), Parakrama Jayasinghe speaking at it’s AGM recently.

“Energy is not only electricity, as most people seem to think. This is not the case” he said.
“From a global point of view, currently there are three main issues in the energy sector: The cost of fossil fuels are rising, The impact of global warming and climate change due to emissions from fossil fuels: The need for energy independence rising from hostilities between nations, particularly in the Middle Eastern region”, he noted.

Addressing the gathering he said, “We in Sri Lanka are encountering our own problems in meeting our energy needs. The dual forces of ever-rising prices of imported petroleum fuels, and the steady depreciation of the Sri Lankan rupee with respect to international currencies, have resulted in unbearable economic pressure on the citizens of Sri Lanka. Our contribution towards climate change from Greenhouse Gas emissions is minuscule. However, it will not be long before the developed countries impose stipulations on use of clean energy as a pre condition for buying our products. Hence we need to be conscious of this aspect”.

Elaborating further on the scale of the problem, Jayasinghe said, “The predictions of the energy authorities particularly in respect of electrical energy demands, indicate that the present plans based on use of imported fossil fuels only will lead to a spiraling cost of energy of all types. This will naturally affect the price of all other goods, particularly food items for which we are sadly dependent on imports”.

The cost of the major imports during the past year is as follows:

• Fossil Fuel Products US $ 3000 million
• Urea fertilizer US $ 160 million
• Milk Food US $ 300 million

“Sri Lanka has the potential to be largely independent for its energy requirements. In addition, the options available have multitude of spin off benefits with wide ranging positive impacts on the social, environmental and economic well being of the country,” Jayasinghe noted.

“Hence we must look at the current crisis situation from the point of view of the opportunity it provides for an awakening of the rural economy, by being the supplier of our energy resources rather than depending on the Middle East or coal mines in Indonesia or South Africa ,he added.

“My opinion is that bio mass has to play a bigger role in the future in improving the energy situation in Sri Lanka”, he stressed.

Dendro Power

Biomass Energy

Biomass energy had always been the major source of primary energy in Sri Lanka. At present it accounts for nearly 50% of the total primary energy requirements. Currently, this energy is utilised mostly for heat generation in the household sector and industrial sector. For the year 2004, the industrial sector consumed 1.3 million tonnes oil equivalent of biomass fuel, accounting for 73% of the total energy consumed by the sector. According to the experts this biomass energy can be used not only for heat generation but for electrical power generation as well.

For the past many decades, a substantial part of the biomass came from agricultural residues such as rubber plantations, cinnamon crop, coconut plantations, homesteads, fuel wood plantations established by the Forest Department and some of the tea plantations. A significant quantity also came from unsustainable forest clearings.

Recently (1999-2004), the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) in collaboration with the Forest Department, Coconut Research Institute (CRI) and the Land Use Policy Planning Division carried out field studies to determine the optimum parameters for Sustainable Short Rotation Coppicing Energy Plantations. Twelve trial plots were established in degraded marginal lands in different agro-climatic locations in the country with different species of wood. Branches of these trees were harvested at varying time intervals.

These trials concluded the following optimum parameters:

• Best species of tree for dry zone degraded marginal lands: Gliricidia sepium
• Best spacing between trees: 1 meter x 1 meter
• Best time interval for harvesting coppice branches: 6 to 8 months

These trials also revealed the following:

• First harvest of branches could be carried out 15 months after planting.
• Annual yield of woody biomass per hectare (average): 30 tonnes at the rate of 20% moisture.
• Total extent of availability of degraded marginal land suitable for energy plantations in Sri Lanka: 1.7 million hectares (excluding industrial plantation lands, pasture lands and reserves)

P.G.Joseph, Director of Alternative Energy Division, Ministry of Science and Technology, shared his views with The Nation economist on prospects of biomass energy. “Biomass can be used for Industrial Heat Applications , Electrical Power Generation, Dendro Power, and as a Transport Fuel (Bio Ethanol/ Bio Methane).” Also this is a good fertilizer and can be used as fodder as well”.

Industrial Heat Applications

The use of fuel wood as a substitute for petroleum (diesel, furnace oil or LP Gas) is economically very attractive. A tonne of furnace oil is marketed at Rs. 54,000. To replace this with wood we would require approximately 3 tonnes wood per kg of oil. Wood is marketed at Rs. 3, 000 per tonne. Hence 3 tonnes of wood would cost Rs. 9,000. Hence Rs. 9,000 worth of wood could replace Rs. 54,000 worth of furnace oil. The economic advantage is much higher if dieseline or LP Gas is replaced by wood.

“Currently we spent around US $ 200 Million on importing petroleum products for industrial heat applications such as generation of steam in boilers or in dryers and kilns. This can be replaced immediately by the use of SRC wood such as Gliricidia.

“Some industries have now realized this benefit and are in the process of converting their factories. In general the investment on the conversion can be recovered in a few months”, he added.

Electrical Power Generation

Growing of fuel-wood as a farm-crop and using it in thermal electricity generating plants is gaining popularity worldwide. With a year long growing season, trees grow very much faster in the tropics than in temperate climates. Dendro power, being a carbon-neutral energy source, has the potential to contribute to mitigation of GHG emissions from the power sector, and earn carbon credits to the country. Year round fuel wood supply assures continuous power supply and has an edge over hydro power which is seasonal. In this context, Dendro power seems a long-term power generation option that needs to be pursued in a systematic manner using appropriate strategies.

Dendro Power

According to Joseph the concept of Dendro Power, that is biomass based electricity generation, holds much promise to tropical developing countries such as Sri Lanka. Our economy is largely agriculture based, with many thousands of hectares of commercial plantations such as tea, rubber, coconut etc. Also as there are no proven fossil reserves in Sri Lanka, the vast majority of population in the rural areas have inadequate revenue earning opportunities. Energy plantations would provide an ideal opportunity to this poverty stricken rural population.

If 50% of the degraded marginal lands are converted into energy plantations we could generate 2000 MW of electricity with an annual output of 14,000 GWh. This is borne out by the proven plant factor of greater than 80% in bio mass plants operating world over. In addition we could convert all the oil consuming (260,000 tonnes of oil equivalent per year) industries to biomass fired systems to generate the industrial heat energy requirements. If the entire degraded lands and other lands suitable for intercropping (as recommended by the CRI) are considered, the total potential would be more than double the above values.

The flow of funds and other social benefits to the rural economy by such a move are enormous by any standard as noted below.
From even 100 MW of Dendro Power we can get:

• Rs 2,500 million added to the rural economy annually
• Rs 8,100 million from 2700 million litres of milk
• Rs 1.68 billion from organic fertilizer eqivalent value of 70,000 kg of urea

Off Grid Systems for village electrification

The government has a commitment to provide electricity for all Sri Lankans. However, extension of the national grid to some remote villages is not economically or technically viable. A ready solution is at hand to use Dendro power for such villages by the use of wood gassifier driven generators. More than 7 such installations are already in use successfully. It is also important to note that these systems are designed and built in Sri Lanka

Domestic Cooking Fuels

The recent price hike in LPG up to Rs 1500.00 is an inevitable result of shortsighted adoption of energy resources of which we have no control. However, there are alternatives which are already proving their worth.

National Engineering Research and Development (NERD) Centre has developed and commercialised a household stove operating on fuel wood pieces with very little smoke. This stove utilises wood very efficiently. This is gaining popularity in some sectors of the community. Wide spread use of this would result in (a) Reduction in the consumption of traditional fuel wood in the household sector. (b) Reduction in the consumption LP Gas consumed by the household sector as many households could switch from LP gas to fuel wood. Easily biodegradable materials such as vegetable garbage, animal dung etc. could be anaerobically (absence of air) digested to produce biogas (a mixture consisting of nearly 60% Methane and 40% Carbon dioxide. Biogas burns very cleanly without any smoke and could be used for cooking food and for ironing clothes.

Biomass Energy for Transport Applications

To use biomass as fuel for transport application it is necessary to convert it into liquid or gaseous form. While this is an area which needs to be developed in time, Sri Lanka can pave the way for such developments by adopting the Dendro resources for the applications described above , thereby creating the bio mass resource as an abundant and formal marketable commodity. Bio Ethanol, Bio Diesel, Bio Methanol, Bio Methane)

As Fodder

Fodder requirements for the cattle population could be met using the foliage from the proposed Gliricidia energy plantations and straw from our rice cultivation.

“Due to the rising cost of petroleum products and thanks to OPEC, people are now realizing the value of renewable energy. I proposed to use Dendro power as an energy option almost 25 years ago. Sadly at that time nobody took much interest in this great energy source. Many were skeptical about this whole project. Only Deshmanya, Vidyajothi Dr. Ray Wijewardena , former Chancellor of the University of Moratuwa supported me in this venture. He implemented this idea in his coconut plantation in Chilaw” Joseph said.

Gliricidia Plantation in Coconut Lands

Speaking to The Nation Economist, Dr. Ray Wijewardena, former Chancellor of the University of Moratuwa, a scientist, agricultural engineer and a pioneer in the introduction of Dendro power to Sri Lanka said, “I use Gliricidia mainly as a fertilizer in my coconut plantation. I never use urea in my plantation. Based on sale of wood and leaves alone, a Gliricidia plantation is viable and use of leaves as fodder increases income in several fold. Also having a mixed plantation synergizes value of both crops. This is a gold mine. This makes good economic sense.”

Joseph said there is now increasing interest in energy plantations and many are already reaping the benefits. Now an attractive tariff for Bio Mass electricity has been introduced. Dendro energy projects are good investments with quick returns. More and more investors and industrialists are now getting interested in using biomass as fuel, fodder and fertilizer.

“We must recognise the multiple benefits of SRC crops and promote planting energy crops- this can be in small plots in homesteads or as larger plantations. We should make the currently non productive lands available for conversion to energy plantations. We must encourage all Sri Lankans to create a biomass economy.”

Related Links & Blog Posts

• Site Category: Dendro Power
• Bio Energy Association (BEASL) Web Site
• energy: a solution high energy prices
• dendro: fuel, fodder and fertility - extracts from the beasl agm keynote
• 1 MW (Thermal) Gasifier Case Study
• BEASL AGM Photo Gallery