2. Presentation Outline:
1. Energy and its Linkages
2. Sources of Energy in Nepal
3. Sources of Biomass Energy
4. Application of biomass energy technology
5. Some facts about biomass energy promotion in
Nepal
6. Benefits of biomass energy
7. Conclusions
8. Recommendations
3. 1.Energy and its Linkages
Energy is essential for development and per capita
energy consumption is often seen as an indicator of
economic status and well being.
Nepal’s per capita energy consumption at 15GJ is one
of the lowest in the world and more than 90 percent
of the energy is consumed in the residential sector,
indicating the low use of the energy economic
development related activities.
Besides being indicator for economic development,
household energy also has multiple linkages with
important social issues poverty, gender, environment
and health.
5. 2. Sources of Energy in Nepal
It is estimated that 50 percent of the world’s
populations are still at the bottom of this energy
ladder as they use solid biomass fuels such as fuel
wood, dung and agriculture residues.
The situation is worse in Nepal as 85 percent of
Nepal’s population depend on the solid fuels for
cooking.
Of the total energy consumed in Nepal, it is
estimated that about 75percent comes from fuelwood
and about 9.5percent comes from agricultural
residues and dung, while only about 2 percent come
electricity and renewable energy sources.
6. FIGURE 2.1: Energy Ladder
X
Electricity
LPG, natural gas
Kerosene, coal
Charcoal
Wood
Animal dung, agro
& forest residues
Y
where, x=Increasing cleanliness, convenience and cost of
fuel
Y= Improving socioeconomic condition
7. FIGURE 2.2: Pie chart showing sources of energy in Nepal
1.47
0.48
3.53
3.75
5.74
Fuel wood
Petroleum
9.24
Animal waste
Agricultural Residue
Coal
Electricity
Renewables
75.79
Source: Economic Survey 2006-07 (values given in %)
8. 3. Sources of Biomass Energy
Biomass energy is defined as energy from plant and animal origins
such as woody biomass (stems, branches, and twigs), non-woody
biomass (stalks, leaves, grass), agriculture residue (rice husk, straw),
oil seeds, industrial residue (molasses) and animal and human faces.
The main sources of biomass energy that are currently in use in Nepal
are fuelwood, cattle dung and agricultural residues.
Other potential biomass energy sources in Nepal are:
- oil bearing plants such as Nageshwor or Mesua ferrea (77% oil), and
Sajiwan or Jatropha curcass (45-56% oil) which can be used to
produce biodiesel.
- resin from pine trees, which can be used to produce bio-
hydrocarbon.
- molasses from sugar industry that can be used to produce ethanol.
- organic waste that can be used to produce briquettes or biogas.
9. FIGURE 3.1: Sources of biomass energy
Sources of Biomass Energy
Energy Crops Agro & Forest Residues Industrial By-products Organic Waste
Harvesting, Collection, etc.
Preparation Transportations Storage
Thermo-Chemical Conversion Physical Conversion Bio-Chemical Conversion
Alcohol An-aerobic
Pyrolysis Gasification Pressing Expelling
fermentations digestion
Charcoal Producer Gas Briquette Liquid biofuel Ethanol Biogas
COMBUSTION
HEAT
POWER
10. 4. Application of biomass energy
technology
The following processes can be used to process biomass
resources into different forms:
Thermo- chemical conversion- In this process, biomass
is burned in the absence of oxygen (pyrolysis) to from
char or partially burned in a gasifier to produce a
combustible gas.
Bio-chemical conversion- This process includes
digestion of biomass in aerobic conditions to produces
biogas in aerobic or fermentation to produce ethanol.
Physical conversion- By applying physical pressure,
biomass may be densified, as in the case of briquettes, or
expelled to extract oil from plants. The extracted oil may
be treated to remove heavy particles.
11. 5. Some facts about biomass energy promotion in Nepal
•Direct use biomass in various types of improved cook stoves
(ICS) and processing of biomass in household biogas plant has
been found to be very promising technologies and have been
promoted extensively by various organizations, including
AEPC/ESAP.
• ICS and Biogas were introduced in Nepal in the 1950s and
currently there is well established system for promoting these
technologies through the coordinated effort of government,
local bodies, NGOs, private sector and community groups.
•Currently more than 200,000 households have installed ICS and
more than 160,000 households have installed biogas plants in
Nepal.
12. 6. Benefits of biomass energy
•Reduction in deforestation
•Reduction in indoor air pollution and hence smoke-
related diseases
•Reduction in women’s drudgery and cooking time
•Improved sanitation from better management of
animal dung and human faeces
•Improvement in soil fertility because of the use of
slurry from biogas plant as biofertilizer
13. Benefits contd….
•Reduced dependence on chemical fertilizer
•Reduction in green gas emissions
•Contributions to local economy, through
better utilization of local resources
•Preventions of fire hazards
•Cleaner kitchen environment
14. 7. Conclusions:
• Because biomass continues to be the main
source of energy in Nepal and use of biomass is
often associated with major environmental
problems such as deforestation and indoor air
pollution, there is urgent need to introduce and
popularize technologies that will make use of
these of the energy resources more efficient,
convenient, and cost effective and environment
friendly. This requires further research and
development as well as promotional activities.
15. Conclusion Contd….
•Consider these numbers: one Nepalese
model reduces CO2 by 4.7 tons per year
and the trade-in for 1 ton is up to $10.
• Using the stated fact that Nepal has
now commissioned their 100,000th biogas
plant they would have made as much as
$4,700,000 per year from the trading of
reduced CO2.
16. 8. Recommendations:
•Nepal is faced with a double-edged sword when
dealing with the issue of energy. The amount of fuel
wood is diminishing while the demand for more
energy is increasing. Eventually, there will be a time
when Nepal’s resources are gone. Alternate methods
of deriving fuel and energy will be necessary in the
near future. Biogas is one of the more efficient ways
of supplying energy resources to Nepal.
• Biomass systems release next to nothing as far as
carbon dioxide and the Kyoto Protocol would make it
possible for Nepal to trade CO2 emissions to
countries that release too much of it.
17. Recommendations Contd…
The Kyoto Protocol is an issue that is still being
debated. In order for this to go into effect, the nations
that account for more than 55% of the emissions have
to be approved. As the situation now stands, the
United States is at a stand still and is not concerning
themselves with the subject. Therefore, Nepal must
place their hope in other countries that have high
emission rates such and Russia and Japan. These
countries are not in any hurry to approve the Kyoto
Protocol, but it seems that they are more ready to
approve than the US.
