The document discusses the viability of biomass, particularly napier grass, as an alternative energy source in India amidst rising biomass prices and decreasing availability of traditional biomass resources. It highlights the benefits of napier grass, such as high yield and low resource requirements, aligning with renewable energy goals and offering potential for both electricity generation and low-carbon biofuels. The cultivation and economic considerations for napier grass are explored in detail, indicating its role in sustainable energy and agricultural practices.

1. BIOMASS
A VIABLE ALTERNATIVE
T Chandrashekar/ Chandraprakash Yadav

2. COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE BIOMASS
IN INDIA
• Rice Husk
• Bagasse
• Cane Trash
• Mulberry Trash
• Coconut shell and residues
• Mustard husk
• Julie Flora
• Casurina

3. STATUS OF BIOMASS & BIOMASS POWER
PLANTS IN INDIA
• The sizes built is of 2 – 3 MW, 5 -6 MW & 10 MW combinations
• Conceived to fire 80 % with biomass and balance by coal..etc
• The price of biomass was around Rs 600 –Rs 700 per ton, till
end 2009
• Today biomass price has more than Rs 3000 per ton and huge
demand due to usage by other non-power industries like
cement, paper,..so on. Hence majority of plants are not working
today.
• Not sufficient quantity of biomass is available on continuous
basis, thus affecting the generation on power.
• Biomass growing is yet to be popularised as a commercial crop
amongst farmer community
• Majority of the present biomass is used as a fuel or agricultural
manure production in rural areas – no scientific approach

4. Napier Grass or Giant king grass
Napier Grass or Giant King Grass is conceived
as an viable alternative and long-term solution
for biomass power plants.
• Natural hybrid of Pennisetum Purpureum
• Also known as elephant grass
• Not genetically modified
• Widely adaptive and stress resistant
• Modest need for fertilizer – basically a weed
• No pesticide needed in most cases

5. Napier Grass - characteristics
• Rapid growth to 4 m height and Perennial grass with 7 year life
• Very high productivity, Up to 350 tonnes/hectare (wet), four or more harvests
per year possible.
• Best in tropical and subtropical areas. Needs >100 days of sunshine per year,
800mm rain or irrigation
• Little growth below 10 C, frost will kill tops, roots can survive and propagated
by division or seedlings
• Also as feed for cows, sheep, pigs, fowl and fish
• Suitable for wide range of soils including acidic red loam and mildly saline soil.
Can be planted on dry lands, agricultural fields, hillsides and plains

6. Advantages of Napier Grass
• Supports India’s national priorities – renewable capacity addition
• Renewable and locally produced as non-food energy crop
• Cleaner environment with reduced carbon emissions
• Very good heat value(> 3800 Kcals/kg at 26% moisture) and less ash
content (<9%) – double advantage
• Land can support both food and fuel needs -improved agriculture to feed
the job for rural population.
• Fast growth, produces much higher yield per hectare of land – 120 to 130
tons/annum
• Can grow on marginal lands, less water and tropical climate as well
• Has ability to coppice – growing from stems after each harvest
• Provides multiple opportunities- feedstock for liquid biofuels, as coal co-
combustion/replacement for electricity generation & animal feed
• Once cultivated, keep growing for next 6 to 7 years - harvesting can be
done repeatedly every three months

7. ADDED ADVANTAGES OF NAPIER GRASS
• Grassoline—a new term for renewable, low carbon liquid biofuels made from
grass
• Examples - Cellulosic ethanol, methanol and green gasoline
• Does not use food crops such as corn for its production (presently one third of
corn crop is used)
• Cellulosic biomass can be converted into any type of fuel – ethanol, ordinary
gasoline, diesel and even jet fuel (Bio-diesel from Jatropha, palm oil, algae,
grass, etc)
• A plant producing 34,000 barrels/day of Grassoline would require 5,000 tons
of biomass every day
• The move toward Grassoline can fundamentally change the world towards
alternate liquid biofuels for transportation
• Biomass for direct combustion in an electric power plant
• Agricultural waste for producing best quality organic manure

8. Grassoline Can Be Low Carbon
Burning grass New grass crop
or grassoline absorbs CO2
releases CO2

9. Trend to biomass development
• China has made renewable biofuels a national priority and banned biofuels
made from food crops
• US has passed the world's first low-carbon fuel standard that favours biofuels
made from grass and other non-food materials
• BP plans to build a cellulosic ethanol plant in Florida using grass as feedstock
• Toyota’s new hybrid vehicles can be “even greener” using cellulosic biofuels
• Cellulosic biofuels offer the most environmentally attractive and
technologically feasible near-term alternative to oil
• Grassoline will come from agricultural waste and dedicated energy crops such
as fast-growing grasses
• India can grow enough of these feed stocks to replace about one fifth of the
country’s total consumption of oil without affecting food supplies.
• As a feed stock for Renewable Methane - Biomethanation (anerobic
digestion) is source of renewable energy because it produces methane gas
that can be burned to generate electricity and heat. Microorganisms break
down biodegradable material in the absence of oxygen. Widely used today to
treat wastewater sludge and organic waste because it reduces volume of the
waste destined for landfills
• Identified by United Nations Development Program as a decentralized energy
source

10. Global Trend to Biomass Power generation
• FirstEnergy in Ohio, USA is converting an old coal-fired power plant
to 100% biomass
• Dragon Power in China has built and operating 19--100% biomass
power plants
• Biomass can provide electricity 24 hours a day
• Agricultural waste such as rice husk, wheat straw and other agri –
trash is currently used for fuel, however quantity and quality of
agricultural waste varies with season
• Dedicated energy crops are desired for power plant fuel
requirements
• Napier Grass is Reliable with consistent quality
• Average household in India uses 900 kWh/year or average power of
0.12 kW and hence 30 MW plant can supply 225,000 Indian
households
• 30 MW power plant requires 1000-2200 hectares of land (using
Napier grass with yield of 350 tonnes/hectare wet and 150-175 tons
dry. 30 MW grass-fired electricity generating plant needs 460 tonnes
of grass every day.

11. Role of Biomass for Energy-Summary
• Analysis shows that there is enough land on Earth to grow
for food and fuel as well if the crop has high productivity
(yield). Means no displacing or switching from food crops
growing.
• Dedicated energy crop. Also for use in liquid biofuels & for
direct combustion
• Direct combustion of biomass allows 24 hour electricity
generation
• Without negative side effects such as soil depletion or
invasive species
• Solar energy only when the sun shines and Wind energy
only when the wind blows
• Biomass together with solar, wind and ocean power can
make a big contribution
• All alternative fuels are currently more expensive than coal
or oil and need government subsidies

12. What is the Future?
• Renewable Energy—Napier Grass as a viable fuel
• Non-food feedstock for low carbon, liquid biofuels for transportation
including cellulosic ethanol
• Low carbon biomass - replacement/to reduce consumption of coal in
electric power plants
• The next crop of grass absorbs the carbon dioxide emitted from the
burned grass released from power plant stacks ,as it grows
• Simplest and fastest way to partially clean up coal power plants and
introduce renewable biomass fuels on a large scale
• Feedstock for bio-methane production
• Alternative Energy- Disposable methanol Fuel Cell Cartridges for fuel
cell powered portable electronics notebook computers and mobile
phones
• The demand for biomass is likely to grow further due to the carbon
intensive industries shifting to more and more usage of biomass – to
set off/avail carbon benefits globally.
• The available biomass fuels are secondary in nature and hence their
sales & pricing are controlled by traders/middle-men

13. Our experience - Napier Grass growing
• Coimbatore University came out with high quality
seeds. Presently Rajendra University is also
developing hybrid breed.
• Nearly 130 acres planted with Napier Grass during
Apl’11 and ready for harvesting from Sept’11
onwards. Further 300 acres planned for cultivation.
• Annual Yield is expected to be around 120 -130
tons
• Developing pellets &briquettes manufacturing unit
using Napier grass

14. Cost Economics
Amount in Indian Rupees
1 Hectare=2.47105381 acres
Project Cost - Cultivation of Napier Grass (1 Acre) Length & Breadth per Acre 209
Lease Farming Row Spacing (ft) 4
) Spacing between Seeds (ft) 2
Seeds per acre (43560 sq.ft -208.71 X 208.71)) incl.replacements 6006
Sl.No. Item of expenditure Year 1 Cost per Seed (INR) 0.5
I Land on Lease 7500 Land Lease per annum 7500
II Materials No. of Harvests / year 6
Planting material including provision for
1 mortality 3003 Yield - tons / acre 100
2 Farm Yard Manure 2000 Sale price per ton ( in dry form) 1750
Administrative Expenses & contingenices / acre per year as % to
3 Fertilisers 1500 Materials + Ops Exp. 5
4 Pesticides 300 Maintenance - 2nd Year 10713
5 Fuel for irrigation 300 Materials
6 Implements 200 Farm Yard Manure (FYM) per acre per harvest 333
7 Farm Equipment / Irrigation Units 500 Fertilisers per acre per harvest 250
Sub total 7803 Pesticides per acre per harvest 50
III Operations Fuel for irrigation per acre per harvest 50
1 Land preparation ( tractor ploughing ) 750 Implements per acre per year 200
2 Making ridges and furrows 300 Operations - per acre per harvest
3 Planting 1200 Application of manures and fertilisers 90
4 Application of manures and fertilisers 540 Irrigation / watering 280
5 Irrigation / watering 1680 Weeding & interculture 180
6 Weeding & interculture 1080 Harvesting & post harvest process 150
Harvesting & moving produce to collection
7 point 900 Cost of Funds (Interest Rate per annum on 1st Year Investment) 0
Sub total 6450 Farm Equipment / Irrigation Units like Bore well, Electric Motor etc. 500
Cost of Funds - excl. Lease Rent
IV Component 0 Maintenance cost escalation per year-3rd year onwards 10%
Administrative & Contingencies 713 Sale price escalation per annum 5%
TOTAL COST 22466
Rounded off 22500

15. Financials – for 6 years
Indian Rupees
Benefits YEAR-1 YEAR-2 YEAR-3 YEAR-4 YEAR-5 YEAR-6
Yield ( tons / acre) 120 120 120 120 120 120
Yield after drying ( tons / acre) 60 60 60 60 60 60
Income 1,05,000.00 1,10,250.00 1,15,762.50 1,21,550.63 1,27,628.16 1,34,009.56
No of Acres 100 100 100 100 100 100
Total Income for 100 acres 1,05,00,000.00 1,10,25,000.00 1,15,76,250.00 1,21,55,062.50 1,27,62,815.63 1,34,00,956.41
Costs
Land Lease 7,500.00 8,250.00 9,075.00 9,982.50 10,980.75 12,078.83
Material,OperationsCost of Funds 15,000.00 10,713.07 11,784.38 12,962.82 14,259.10 15,685.01
Total cost per Acre 22,500.00 18,963.07 20,859.38 22,945.32 25,239.85 27,763.84
Total Cost for 100 acres 22,50,000.00 18,96,307.34 20,85,938.08 22,94,531.89 25,23,985.07 27,76,383.58
Net benefit per Acre 82,500.00 91,286.93 94,903.12 98,605.31 1,02,388.31 1,06,245.73
Total Benefit for 100 Acres 82,50,000.00 91,28,692.66 94,90,311.92 98,60,530.61 1,02,38,830.55 1,06,24,572.82

16. For details/enquiries connect to –
T Chandrashekar Chandraprakash Yadav
thyagathur@rediffmail.com chandraprakash007@rediffmail.com
Ph: +91 9840883275 Ph: +91 9561710449