powergridgood

It is possible to install large size power plants in rural area using any wood waste and agro waste and supply power required for irrigation pumps and also household requirements. Even global oil majors have lined up big plans on the renewable energy front; which India surely should follow suit. Considering the high potential in using the locally available surplus biomass we in VIT University, Vellore are developing technologies for using surplus biomass as source for generating power and producing liquid fuels which can replace petrol and diesel.The windmill works throughout the day and year irrespective of the wholesale PPR PIPE prevailing wind velocity. A total of 39 residues from 26 crops cultivated in India can be considered for bio fuel production and power generation. The capacity utilisation of the wind power generator is increased from a mere 18% to 25% to more than 85%.The writer is a researcher in bio-energy at the VIT University, Vellore.Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) has reportedly projected that domestic demand for petroleum crude would more than double to 500 million tonnes by 2040.15 EJ, equivalent to17% of India’s total primary energy consumption.

8 per cent and dampening prospects for plan to cut reliance on energy imports by 10 per cent through 2022.7 MT, while crude-petroleum consumption has gone up from 18. This fuel is named as BE-A fuel.For India Biomass-based energy generation has to be the major focus area of renewable energy programme.4 MT to 146.Other viable alternate energy sourcesProduction of bio oil and Butanol based fuel for replacing petrol: The government has recently announced incentive for using ethyl alcohol blended petrol in transport vehicles.VIT University installed a Biomass based power plant in 2004 using Juliflora (karuvelam) wood for gasification and using the gas in the diesel engine generator to save upto 80% diesel. No subsidy would mean that everyone pays Rs 6 for electricity and household consumers pay less if state government decides to provide direct subsidy. This would also threaten discoms’ revenue realisation but could help bring down electricity tariff for all consumers.

The proposed changes, however, could severely dent receipts of cash-strapped electricity distribution companies, which, helped by the revival scheme UDAY, are struggling to cut losses.The National Tariff Policy also proposes to compute tariffs, assuming aggregate technical and commercial (AT&C) losses of 15 per cent though the actuals are higher with average of around 21 per cent nationally. This has not only helped the government to reduce subsidy but also expanded the scope of LPG to below poverty line (BPL) families under the Ujjawala scheme.Once implemented nationally, the move could reduce the cost of electricity for businesses by up to 25-40 per cent to around Rs 6 a unit, helping them increase their earnings at a time when interest rates are firming up due to inflationary pressure. The big move now is to see that cross-subsidy surcharges are further brought down to zero within a specified period of time, maybe within three years.In 2015, the government had also indicated that targeted subsidy schemes would be introduced for a whole host of sectors to make the various social sector schemes inclusive.