Renewable Energy

Bamboo for Renewable Energy

Global energy sectors are facing the crucial challenge of sustainability and diversification of energy resources. Seeking renewable resources with a sustainable supply is therefore a matter of the utmost concern.

Bamboo has several desirable fuel characteristics such as low ash-content and alkali index. The high heat value (HHV) of bamboo is higher than most agriculture residue. Biomass energy includes fuel wood, charcoal and agriculture residues which are renewable in nature and does not contribute to the problem of Global warming.

Bamboo for Coal

Bamboo has 50% carbon which lent likely to get biomass converted into charcoal. Bamboo makes excellent charcoal that meets the rural energy needs for heating and cooking has industrial fuel and to make product such as activated carbon.

  • Bamboo charcoal is developed fast in the recent years, unknown to many. The reason for bamboo is that the forest wood used for production of high-grade charcoal has reduced rapidly.
  • The harvest cycle of bamboo is short because it grows very fast. Hence, bamboo charcoal doesn’t destroy forest.
  • The Property of bamboo charcoal is like high quality wood charcoal and better than coal, the calorific value of bamboo charcoal is higher than coal and vey low in ash content, for these reason bamboos is good opportunity to convert into charcoal and get recovery as much as 35%.
  • Bamboo is heated in brick kilns or mechanical kilns which little air that results in no burning but pyrosis of bamboo leading to bamboo charcoal.
  • One acre of cultivated bamboo can produce as much as 14tons of charcoal. But quality of charcoal for making activated carbon can be obtained through the process of gasification and pyrosis which could result in 5-6 tons of high-quality charcoal suitable for making activated charcoal.

 

Bamboo for Bio-Ethanol

The Bamboo under precision farming along with appropriate Agri inputs, provides cellulosic Ethanol yield of 10,000 to 12,000 lit per acre per year.

The present source of Ethanol is from Sugarcane, which is yielding only 500 litre from an acre of sugarcane while cultivated bamboo similar to that of sugarcane would result in 10,000 litres of Ethanol.

The Green house gas emission is 12% lesser when compared to the production and combustion of Regular diesel.

Advantages of Bio-Ethanol:

  • Bio-Ethanol can be used as a transport fuel to replace gasoline, power generation by thermal conversion, fuel cells for thermo chemical reaction, cogeneration systems, feedstocks in chemical industries.
  • Exhaust gases of ethanol are much cleaner, it burns more clearly.
  • The use of Ethanol blended fuels such as E85(85% ethanol and 15% gasoline) can reduce the net emission of the green house gases.
  • Ethanol is considered as renewable energy resource because it is primarily the result of conversion of sun’s energy into usable energy. Creation of ethanol starts with photosynthesis, which causes feedstock, such as Bamboo to grow. These particular feedstocks are processed into ethanol.

Bamboo for Bio-CNG

CNG is less polluting the environment than other popular fuel such as Petrol and Diesel. Bamboo is convertible into bio-gas which can be processed into Bio-CNG.

8kg. of Bamboo Biomass will produce 1 kg. of CNG.

Advantages of Bio-CNG

  • CNG burns cleaner when compared to traditional petrol and diesel. Carbon monoxide emissions are reduced by roughly 80 percent, and 44 percent less hydrocarbons are produced in comparison to gasoline-powered vehicles.
  • CNG has a flammability rating of approximately 5 -15 percent, which makes it less flammable and safer than other fuels.
  • CNG has an ignition temperature of 600degree Celsius, which is higher than the gasoline (320degree Celsius) and diesel (285degree Celsius). This means that CNG vehicles are likely to catch fire under any circumstances.
  • CNG causes less damage to our car. CNG on combustion leaves little to no residue when compared to traditional gasoline and diesel. It cannot be siphoned off by thieves and adulterated. Has a calorific value, which is equivalent to half a litre of diesel. Lowering your fuel costs to half the cost of gasoline and diesel. Up to 90% reduction in noise pollution. Ultralow NOx emissions. NOx formation is dominant in diesel engine as the nitrogen and sulphur content is high in diesel engine.

Bamboo for Electricity

Bamboo generates electricity. 200 acres (80 hectare) of Bamboo can sustainably produce 1MW (1 MW / hour, 7200 MW hours / year) of electricity for several years.

Bamboo for Bio-Oil

Bamboo shoot oil extracted from Phyllostachys edulis (250–1000 mg/kg body weight per day) has been documented to decrease the serum total cholesterol, Low density lipo-protein (LDL), as well as serum triacylglycerol, phytosterol, and lipoprotein lipase.

Bamboo oil, with biotin and collagen, helps reinforce and prevent split ends, leaving stronger, healthier looking hair. Directions: Can be used on both wet and dry hair to create a silky, smooth finish.