This study analyzed the availability of bioenergy resources and potential for biogas generation from dairy manure in North Kolkata, India. A survey found over 9,000 buffaloes producing over 1,000 tons of manure daily on 164 dairy farms. The manure could generate over 4,000 cubic meters of biogas and 7,500 kWh of electricity per day, meeting the area's cooking energy demand of 52 GJ/day and electricity demand of 2,350 kWh/day with 375 kWh of excess electricity available for other uses. A large-scale anaerobic digester could utilize all available manure to meet local energy needs through biogas and grid-connected electricity while generating additional revenue.

1. A STUDY ON AVAILABILITY AND
POSSIBILITIES OF BIO-ENERGY FROM
DAIRY-MANURE AT NORTH KOLKATA IN
INDIA
Rathin Biswas*, Sanjoy Das, Ratan Mandal
School Energy Studies, Jadavpur University, Kolkata-700032, INDIA
* Corresponding Author. Tel: (033) 25615039, E-mail:
rathin.d.great@gmail.com

2. 
The World is gradually shifting towards Renewable
energy due to the lack of Conventional Fuels. There is a plenty of
ways by which Renewable Energy comes for.

A survey-based work had been done at North
Barrackpore of North Kolkata of West Bengal in India where a
large no of dairy-farms produces tons of milk every day, but only
few of them utilizes its dairy-manure or dairy-waste. So, the
availability of Bio-energy Resources and the possibilities of Biogas generation as well as electricity generation are analyzed
here.

3. 
To inspect the survey area to get the possible bio-energy
generation from the available dairy manure.

To inspect the experimental area to get the local energy demand
for cooking purpose as well as for electricity purpose.

The main objective is to compare between the possibilities of
energy production from dairy manure and energy demand of that area to
show that bio-gas from such type of source can be able to meet not only
the energy demand that need for cooking purpose, but also the energy
demand for electricity.

4. Table-1 : Categorical Division of Farms based on Number of Buffaloes
Farm
Category
Farm size based on
no. of buffaloes
Average no. of
buffaloes per farm
Number of
Farms
Category 1
10-15
12
42
Category 2
16-30
24
31
Category 3
31-40
36
20
Category 4
41-52
48
16
Category 5
53-66
60
13
Category 6
67-80
72
11
Category 7
81-110
96
8
Category 8
111-135
120
8
Category 9
136-175
156
7
Category 10
176-250
204
5
Category 11
251-350
300
2
Category 12
351-450
408
1

5. The farm contains only buffaloes.
Buffalo waste : 12 kg/animal-day. [1,2]
Bio-Gas generation from wet buffalo-dung : 0.037 m3/kg.[3]
To generate one unit of electricity (kWh), the gas requirement is
about 0.54 m3.[2] i.e., 1 m3 of Bio-Gas generates 1.85 kWh of
electricity.
Hydraulic Retention Time (HRT) : 50 days.
Feed Slurry is prepared by mixing dung with water (1:1) so that
the slurry is having a total solid content of 10% (w/w) weight by
weight ratio.
Density of Slurry (10% Total Solid) : 1020 kg/ m3.
Feeding once in a day.

6. Table-2
Farm size based on
no. of buffaloes
Average no. of
buffaloes per farm
Number of Farms
No. of buffaloes
Buffalo Waste
[kg/aday]
Category wise Total
Bio-Gas Production
[m3/day]
Category wise Total
Electricity
Generation
[kWh/day]
Bio-Gas Production
from each farm of
each category
[m3/day]
Electricity
Generation from
each farm of each
category [kWh/day]
Category-1
10-15
12
42
504
6048
223.776
413.9856
5.328
9.8568
Category-2
16-30
24
31
744
8928
330.336
611.1216
10.656
19.7136
Category-3
31-40
36
20
720
8640
319.68
591.408
15.984
29.5704
Category-4
41-52
48
16
768
9216
340.992
630.8352
21.312
39.4272
Category-5
53-66
60
13
780
9360
346.32
640.692
26.64
49.284
Category-6
67-80
72
11
792
9504
351.648
650.5488
31.968
59.1408
Category-7
81-110
96
8
768
9216
340.992
630.8352
42.624
78.8544
Category-8
111-135
120
8
960
11520
426.24
788.544
53.28
98.568
Category-9
136-175
156
7
1092
13104
484.848
896.9688
69.264
128.1384
Category-10
176-250
204
5
1020
12240
452.88
837.828
90.576
167.5656
Category-11
251-350
300
2
600
7200
266.4
492.84
133.2
246.42
Category-12
351-450
408
1
408
4896
181.152
335.1312
181.152
335.1312
164
9156
109872
4065.26
7520.738
TOTAL

7. There are 402 houses and 11 hotels (Dhaba) that need energy for cooking
purposes. Energy Demand for Cooking Purpose at Households
Table-3 :
Type of
Fuel Used
Avg. Fuel
Consumption
per day [kg]
No. of
Households
Total Fuel
Consumed
per day [kg]
Net Calorific
Value (CV) by
mass MJ/Kg[4,5]
Total Energy
Consumed
per day [GJ]
Wood (dry)
7
223
1566
17.1
26.78
House coal
4
137
548
33.9
18.6
0.8
42
33.6
49.5
1.67
LPG
 Total Energy demand per day for cooking purpose at households : 47.05
GJ/day.
Table-4: Energy Demand for Cooking Purpose at Hotels (Dhaba)
Type of
Fuel Used
Avg. Fuel
Consumption
per day [kg]
No. of
Hotels
(Dhaba)
Total Fuel
Consumed
per day [kg]
Net Calorific
Value (CV) by
mass MJ/Kg[4,5]
Total Energy
Consumed
per day [GJ]
House coal
15
7
105
33.9
3.6
LPG
6
4
24
49.5
1.19
 Total Energy demand per day for cooking purpose at Hotels : 4.79 GJ/day.
Now, The Total Energy demand per day for cooking purpose : 51.84
GJ/day.

8. Except 402 households and 11 hotels, there are 164 dairy farms, 26 commercial
shops and Gram-Panchayet who uses electricity. All the lighting loads are of 50 watts Tube
Lights (with choke) whose avg. consumption in 1 hour is 0.05 units[6], all Fans (48”) are of
80 watts whose avg. consumption in 1 hour is 0.08 units[6] and Gram-Panchayet uses
Water-Pump of 15 HP, i.e. 1 Pump consumes 11.25 kW per hour.
Table-5 : Total electricity demand of the locality except Dairy Farms.
Type
Households
Shops
Hotels
GramPanchayet
Panchayet
Office
Total
Electric
Power
Quantity of
Total Energy
Operated Quantity
Component Consumption Electronic
Consumption
Hours
of Types
with wattage
[kWh]
Component
[kWh/day]
Light(40)
0.05
2
6
402
241.2
Fan(80)
0.08
2
16
402
1029.12
Light(40)
0.05
2
4
26
10.4
Fan(80)
0.08
1
10
26
20.8
Light(40)
0.05
5
12
11
33
Fan(80)
0.08
5
16
11
70.4
Street Light(40)
0.05
50
12
1
30
Water Pumping
11.25
2
6
1
135
Light(40)
0.05
10
9
1
4.5
Fan(80)
0.08
10
9
1
7.2
1581.62

9. The rest of the energy in form of electricity, is consumed
by the dairy farms itself. They uses only Tube lights for lightening
and Water-Pump for pumping.
Dairy farms uses,
 One Tube of 40 watts (i.e. 0.05 kWh considering choke) for
every 12 buffaloes which are running about 12 hours a day.
 Total Energy consumed per day for this purpose
= ((9156/12)X0.05)X12= 457.8 kWh/day
 One Motor of 6 HP or 4.5 kW per hour for 400 buffaloes which
are running about 3 hours a day i.e. 23 pump of 4.5 kWh is
needed.
 Total Energy consumed per day for this purpose
=(23X4.5)X3= 310.5 kWh/day
So, the electricity demand for the diary farms = (457.8+310.5) = 768.3
kWh/day
Now, The Total Energy demand as Electricity :
= (1581.62+768.3) = 2350 kWh of Electricity /day

10.  Based on the data available in Table-2, We can set up a large scale
anaerobic Bio-Gas digester of 4065 m3.
 Average calorific value of biogas is 20 MJ/m3 (4713kcal/m3)[7]. So, The Total
Produced Energy = (4065*20) = 81300MJ/day = 81.3 GJ/day
 If we use all the produced gas to generate electricity, Then we can generate
7520.7 kWh of electricity per day.
 The Total Energy demand for cooking purpose : 51.84 GJ/day.
The Total Energy demand as Electricity : 2350 kWh of Electricity /day

11.  Primarily, If Generated Energy is taken as cooking purpose by producing BioGas only, then (81.3-51.84)= 29.46 GJ of Energy per day will remain after
fulfilling the Local cooking demand.
 The Rest of 29.46 GJ of energy or 2725.05 kWh of Electricity per day[54],
which can definitely be able to meet the Local Electricity Demand.
 Now, after fulfillment of total energy Demand, 375 kWh of Excess Electricity
remains per day.
 If this excess Energy i.e. 375 kWh or 202.7 m3 of Excess Bio-Gas per day,
can be used for extra business purpose.

12. Excess
Energy
5%
Electricity
Demand
31%
Cooking
Demand
64%

13. 
It is already shown that the examined area had a huge
potential of Bio-Energy i.e. 81.3 GJ of energy per day or 4065
m3 of bio-gas per day or 7520 kWh of Electricity per day.

This study shows that, a large scale Bio-Gas Plant can
be able to meet the all type of energy demand of that area.

This study also shows, after fulfillment of the local
energy demand, 375 kWh of Electricity per day or 202.7 m3 of
Bio-Gas per day which can be utilized for extra business
purpose by selling as cooking gas through bottling and/or
selling Electricity through Grid.

14. 1) “Effect of Binary Combinations of Buffalo, Cow and Goat Dung with Different Agro
Wastes on Reproduction and Development of Earthworm Eiseniafetida (Haplotoxida:
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Zoology 7 (1): 23-29, 2012]
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Ramachandra*, N.V. Joshi, D.K. Subramanian [Renewable and Sustainable Energy
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uk/docs/calorific_values.pdf]
6) CESC Power Consumption Guide
7) “BIOGAS PURIFICATION USING WATER SCRUBBING SYSTEMS” by Dr. VirendraK.
Vijay,
Centre
for
Rural
Development
&
Technology,
IIT,
Delhi.
[http://web.iitd.ac.in/~vkvijay/Biogas%20Purification%20using%20
Water%20Scrubbing%20Systems_Dr%20VK%20Vijay,%20IIIT%20Delhi.pdf]