Appraising the availability of biomass residues in India and their bioenergy potential.

Biomass produced from agriculture at present provides most energy services in developing nations. In India, enormous quantities of biomass are produced for conversion into valuable energy. Bioenergy production from agricultural leftovers, animal manure, and municipal waste has the potential to meet of the rising need sustainable energy. It is a practical and sustainable option since the energy produced from the above mentioned sources can minimise the use of fossil fuels, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and alleviate the effects of climate change. In addition, it can boost marginal and small farmers in terms of income and job opportunities. Evaluating agricultural leftovers, animal manure, and municipal waste as bioenergy resources can provide a method of tapping renewable energy opportunities. It is possible to minimise constraints for using agricultural leftovers, animal manure, and municipal waste, support investment decisions, and maximise the utilisation of biomass resources available. This study is intended to establish the amount of energy demand in India that can be met by using crop residues, animal manure, logging residues, and municipal waste. The annual energy potential of these biomass waste was quantified and assessed in the study. It has been determined that the technical bioenergy potential of these biomass resources is 1.29 × 103 PJ in 2.31 × 104 Mm3 of biogas and 7.79 × 102 PJ in 3.49 × 104 Ml of cellulosic ethanol. However, the country must overcome techno-economic barriers to handle the projects likely to be initiated soon.

Thermogravimetric studies on co-pyrolysis of raw/torrefied biomass and coal blends.

The pyrolysis and co-pyrolysis behaviours of cotton stalk (CS), torrefied cotton stalk (TCS) and mined coal, as single fuels, and their blends, have been examined through thermogravimetric analysis. Biomass has been torrefied at 250°C for 45 min to enhance physicochemical properties, and then mixed with mined coal for co-pyrolysis. Thermal degradation of CS and TCS is characterized by a reaction. However, this is not the case for mined coal, which shows a single-stage reaction. The thermal degradation of all blends was done in three stages: dehydration; biomass and small mined coal; and lignin or mined coal. A similar trend emerged for mass loss of individual fuels, which depended mainly on their ratios in the blend. The kinetics of pyrolysis and co-pyrolysis of all fuels were calculated at 20°Cmin-1 heating rate using the Coats-Redfern model-fitting method.