The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) is encouraging electricity generation from agro-residues like paddy husk with the help of biomass gasifier system.
This technology is promoted for meeting the electricity demands in rural areas including Bihar, stated, Piyush Goyal, Minister of state for Power, Coal & New and Renewable Energy in Lok Sabha.
The projects will be implemented in various levels, providing green energy to state governments, NGOs, village organizations, institutions, private entrepreneurs and like that, further stated the Minister.
MNRE is providing Central Finance Assistance (CFA) at the rate of Rs15,000 per KW and financial support of Rs1.0 lakh/ Km for a new distribution network.
In Bihar, 200 villages were provided electricity supply with the help of 70 biomass based gasifier systems of 32 KW each.
Each system provides electricity to 200-250 homes for 5 to 6 hours in the evening with an average load of 25-30 KW, added the Minister.
A recent Greenpeace study reports that Bihar alone produces 1.8 billion kilograms of rice husk per year, making cheaper availability of rice husk for electricity production.
According to agro-scientific research, 1 ton paddy husk is equivalent to 410- 570 kWh electricity.
In another initiative, OPIC has decided to provide Husk Power Systems (HPS) with $750,000 in debt financing for the installation of mini energy generation facilities in rural India.
To date, HPS has installed 60 biomass power plants that reach more than 250 villages and 1,50,000 people in rural Bihar.