TITLE:
Identification of Techno-Economically Viable Crop Residue Utilization in India
AUTHORS:
Shahabaddine Sokhansanj, Yogender Kumar Yadav, Anthony Lau, Yadvika, Mahmood Ebadian, Kanishk Verma
KEYWORDS:
India, Crop Residue, Crop Burning, Environment, Harvest, Collection, Pellets, Biogas, Techno-Economic, Advanced Biofuels
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Sustainable Bioenergy Systems,
Vol.11 No.2,
June
23,
2021
ABSTRACT: India
generates more than 140 million tonnes of surplus crop residue every year In
Haryana, the agricultural sector alone produces 24.64 million tonnes of residue
annually; of which only 71% is consumed in various domestic and commercial
activities within the state. The rest of the material is burned causing severe
contamination of air with smoke. There is an urgent need to identify suitable
and sustainable conversion technologies that are efficient, eco-friendly as
well as cost-effective for managing the huge available biomass not only in the
state but also in the country. This paper reviews briefly the available crop
residue and quantities burned, proposes a scheme to incorporate part of the
residue in the field for its fertilizer value. The remaining biomass is
harvested for animal feed and the excess is converted to bioenergy and
biofuels. Among the developed and developing biofuels, the paper identifies
biogas production from biomass for on-farm use. Pelletization is identified as
an enabling technology to provide high quality feedstock for conversion to
heat/power and in near future to advanced biofuels.