Unit-III B

Different types of energy: Energy can neither be created not destroyed. But it can be converted
from one from to the other. Solar, Electrical, Mechanical, Electromagnetic, sound, heat,
Chemical.
The energy needs:
Before industrialization, our energy needs were minimum due to simple living. We need
energy for transportation, communication, lighting, industries and agriculture. We also need
energy to extract minerals from ores and to manufacture fertilizers, pesticides and all other
products. We need energy for space travel and all scientific activities. Thus, we see there is
hardly any aspect of life which we can think of that does not require energy. In fact, energy use is
an indication of the degree of development. Some 99 percent of the energy used to heat our earth
and all our buildings comes directly from sun. With Increase in standard of living and use of
modern equipments, fast transportation, and increase in global population to a current 7.527
billion (Aug 2017) the demand for energy has raised
Indian energy Scenario:

As on 31st
July 2017
Sector MW % of Total

State Sector 81,622 24.7%

Central Sector 103,868 31.5%

Private Sector 144,663 43.8%

Total 3,30,154 100%

As on 30th June 2017

Fuel MW % of
Total
 Total Thermal 2,20,456 66.8%

Coal 1,94,433 58.9%

Gas 25,185 7.6%

Oil 838 0.3%

Hydro (Renewable) 44,614 13.5%

Nuclear 6,780 2.1%

RES* (MNRE) 58,303 17.7%

Total 330,154

The above data indicate that currently 2/3rds of our reliance is still on coal, oil and gas
and 1/3rd on the renewable energy resources. To mitigate the pollution, we need to focus more on
renewable energy resources.

Why should we look for alternate energy sources?

Fossil fuels, which are main source of energy, are getting depleted. As a consequence the costs of
fossil fuels are increasing. Further, the fossil fuel based systems produce Detrimental effects on
the environments such as global warming, acid rains, smog, CO poisoning, Asthama etc. This in
turn will affect our health (and increased medical bills). The major difficulty with nuclear energy
is waste disposal and accidental leakage (e.g. leakage at Chernobyl nuclear power plant).

Insolation: It is a quantity indicating the amount of incident solar power on a unit surface,
commonly expressed in units of kW/m2. At the earth’s outer atmosphere, the solar insolation on
a 1 m2 surface oriented normal to the sun’s rays is called SOLAR CONSTANT and its value is
~1.37 kW/m2. Due to atmospheric effects, the peak solar insolation incident on a terrestrial
surface oriented normal to the sun at noon on a clear day is on the order of 1 kW/m2. 1KW/m2 is
generally called Peak Sun.
Other Non-conventional sources include, Wave power, Magneto-hydrodynamic power,
Some important conventional energy sources are discussed below:

1. COAL:

Coal is a major conventional energy sources. It was formed from the remains of the trees and
ferns grew in swamps around 500 millions year ago. The bacterial and chemical decomposition
of such plant debris (which remained buried under water or clay) produced an intermediate
product known as peat which is mainly cellulose (C6H10O5)n. Due to progressive decomposition
by heat and pressure, the cellulose lost moisture H2 and Oz and got converted in to coal as per the
given equation

The average formula of coal is (C3/H4/)n. Out of the 6000 billion tons coal stocks under earth
crust, 200 tons have been exploited the present society. The coal reserves are found in the states
like Jharkhand, Orissa, West Bengal, M.P. and A.P. Some important coal fields are : Talcher,
Raniganj, Jharia, Bokaro, PanchKonkam, Signoulli, Chanda etc.

2. PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GASES:

Petroleum is a complex mixture of hydrocarbons, mostly alkanes and cycloalkanes. It occurs

below the earth crust entrapped under rocky strata. In its crude form, the viscous black liquid is
known as petroleum and a gas in contact with petroleum layer which flows naturally from oil
wells is termed as natural gases. The composition of natural gas is a mixture of mainly methane,
(95.0%), small amounts of ethane, propane and butane (3.6%) and traces of CO2 (0.48%) and N2
(1.92%).

A liquid mixture of propane and butane can be obtained from natural gas or refinery gases at
room temperature under a pressure of 3-5 atmosphere. This is stored and distributed in 40-100
litre capacity steel cylinders.

The crude petroleum after being refined and purified, are available as petrol, diesel, kerosene,
lubricating oil, plastic etc. for commercial and domestic use. In India, the oil deposits, are found
at Ganga-Brahmaputra Valley, Bombay high, plains of Gujarat, Thar desert of Rajasthan and area
around Andaman Nicobar islands.

On the world basis, petroleum deposits are found at Saudi Arab, Iraq, Iran, Kuwait, USA,
Mexico, Russia etc. As per the current survey, it is found that world petroleum deposits are
diminishing at a very faster rate. If preventive steps are not taken, the existing petroleum will be
available maximum up to 40 years.

3. NUCLEAR ENERGY:

A small amount of radioactive substance (U235) can produce a lot of energy through the process
of nuclear fission. For example, one ton of uranium can provide energy which is much higher
than three million tons of coal or 12 million barrels of oil. In order to obtain nuclear energy,
nuclear reactors are required. There are around 300 nuclear reactors all over the world. India has
only four nuclear power stations (reactors).

The nuclear energy can be used in production of electrical energy, as a fuel for marine vessel and
space crafts and for the generation of heat in chemical processing plants. In India, Uranium
deposits are found at different parts of Rajasthan and Singhbum of Jharkhand.

Thorium is recovered from monazite sand found in the state of Kerala. Due to the higher energy
releasing tendency of these radioactive substances, these can be used in nuclear reactors to
release energy crisis. But the radioactive substances are exhaustible and can be used to develop
nuclear weapons of mass destruction. In addition, dumping or radioactive wastes cause serious
environmental hazards.

Non-conventional Sources of energy:

4. WIND POWER
Introduction
The wind wheel, like the water wheel, has been used by man for a long time for grinding
corn and pumping water. Ancient seamen used wind power to sail their ships. With the
development of the fossil fuelled and hydro-electric plants, there was decline in the use of wind
power. Another difficulty with wind power was the problem of energy storage. The energy could
not be made available, on demands, due to uncertainties of wind. Due to these two reasons, no
further attempt was made to develop wind power for large scale power generation. In recent
years, however, as a result of energy crisis in the world, it has been decided to investigate all
possible means of developing power, as alternatives to fuel fired plants. The wind could supply a
significant portion of the world’s energy demand.
Characteristics of Wind Power Wind as a source of energy is plentiful, inexhaustible and
pollution free but it has the disadvantage that the degree and period of its availability are
uncertain. Also, movement of large volumes of air is required, to produce even a moderate
amount of power. As a result, the wind power must be used as and when it is available, in
contrast to conventional methods where energy can be drawn upon when required. Wind power,
therefore, is regarded as a means of saving fuel, by injection of power into an electrical grid, or
run wind power plant in conjunction with a pumped storage plant. The power that can be
theoretically obtained from the wind is proportional to the cube of its velocity and thus high wind
velocities are most important. The energy developed is affected by: The Altitude of the Site The
velocity of the wind increases with the altitude. In general, the higher the wind wheel is placed
above ground, the greater will be wind power available. Velocity Duration Curve The variation
of velocity of wind over the period affects the power output, the wind speeds, between which a
wind wheel generator operates, are limited. A certain minimum wind velocity is required to
overcome frictional and other losses of the machine
On the other hand, it would be uneconomical to design a plant for very high velocity
wind which would occur only for a small period over the year. Therefore, the machine must be
designed for a rated wind velocity, for which the output is maximum. Typical wind velocities for
some sites may range between 30 kmph to 45 kmph. The rated wind velocity, for which a plant is
designed substantially, affects the specific output (K whr generated per annum per KW installed
capacity) and also the cost of construction. If the rated velocity is low, the specific output is high
as full output will be generated for a relatively longer duration of the year, whereas if the rated
velocity is high, the converse will be true. But with low rated wind velocity, a larger diameter
wheel will be required for a given KW rating, which in turn increases the cost of the plant.
Economic development of wind power, therefore, requires selection of sites where high specific
outputs are compatible with reasonable cost of construction of plant. It is, therefore, necessary to
obtain wind velocity duration curve for a particular site and to know the output of the machine
for varying wind velocities. The maximum efficiency of the wind power plant is found not to
exceed 40%.
Design of Wind Wheels Several types of wind wheels have been used but the advantage of
propeller rotating about a horizontal shaft, in a plane perpendicular to the direction of the wind
make it the most likely type to realize economic generation on a large scale. A propeller
consisting of two or three blades (with an aerofoil section) and capable of running at the high
speeds is likely to be the most efficient. Present technology has been able to build systems with
60 m long blades, on towers as high as 305 m. A large tower system, to support many small
rotor-generator units, can also be built. Wind pressure rotates the wind vanes or propellers
attached to a shaft. The revolving shaft rotates the rotor of a generator, through a mechanism of
gears couplings etc. Thus, electricity is generated. The wind power plants can be operated in
combination with steam or hydro power station, which will lead to saving in fuel and increase in
firm capacity, respectively of these plants. Wind energy can prove to be a potential source of
energy for solving the energy problem. It can certainly go a long way to supply pollution-free
energy to millions of people, living in the villages all over the world. The economic viability of
wind mills is better in situations where conventional transmission costs are extremely high
(because of inaccessibility and small load) or where continuous availability of supply is not
essential so that only a limited amount of storage on standby power need be provided.
5. GEOTHERMAL POWER
Introduction Many geothermal power plants are operating throughout the world.
Although larger geothermal power plants are in operation in America today, it is to the credit of
the Italians that the first impressive breakthrough in geothermal power exploitation was
achieved. It is common knowledge that the earth’s interior is made of a hot fluid called ‘magma’.
The outer crust of the earth has an average thickness of 32 Km and below that, is the magma.
The average increase in temperature with depth of the earth is 1°C for every 35 to 40 metre
depth. At a depth of 3 to 4 Kms, water boils up and at a depth of about 15 Kms, the temperature
is, in the range of 1000°C to 1200°C. If the magma finds its way through the weak spots of the
earth’s crust, it results into a volcano. At times, due to certain reasons the surface water
penetrates into the crust, where it turns into steam, due to intense heat, and comes out in the form
of springs or geysers. Moveover, the molten magma also contains water, which it releases in the
form of steam, which could be utilized for electric power generation.
Principle of Operation Various types of cycles have been suggested for geothermal
power generation. Only two important ones, which are being used in practice, are discussed here.
Indirect Condensing Cycle While developing Larderello power plant, it was thought, that
geothermal steam may corrode the turbines. Therefore, an indirect system was adopted, which
involved the use of a heat exchanger by means of which clean steam was raised from
contaminated natural steam In spite of the fact that about 15% to 20% of the steam power
potential had to be sacrificed in the heat exchanger, the cycle was considered economical,
because of the recovery of minerals and non-condensible gases from the new steam
 With the advancement in metallurgy technology and the declining economic attractions
of mineral extraction, through this process, this cycle has been rendered obsolete. Direct
Non-Condensing Cycle This is the simplest, cheapest and most widely used geothermal cycle.
Bore steam, either direct from dry bores, or after separation (using centrifugal separator) from
wet bores, is simply passed through a turbine and exhausted to atmosphere. Like hydro power
stations, geothermal power plants are unattended and do not need full time supervision. Since the
units are unattended, the warning alarm can be transmitted to the attended station where
appropriate action can be taken. If a well has been shut down, it requires several hours to get it
upto rated flow to clear it of water and debris. Some more time is required to warm up the steam
collection system piping the drain condensate from it. No attempt should be made to fast start
ups as it results in damage to the turbine blades. Steam temperature and steam line drains should
be closely monitored, for any indication of water. If there is any possibility of water coming
along with the steam, the unit should be tripped to prevent damage to the turbine. Rated turbine it
is possible to operate these plants at very high annual plant load factor of the order of 90% or
even more. In case of a geothermal plant, the usual practice is to regard all the production cost as
fixed cost, with zero variable cost as no fuel is required for its operation. This is justified by the
fact, that once geothermal steam has been made available by means of capital spent on
exploitation, drilling and pipe work, it may be regarded as free. Geothermal plants are, therefore,
ideally rated as base load plants. Most of the plants today are being used as base load plants as
they can achieve annual plant load factor of 90% or more. As a rule of thumb, the following
guidelines may be followed to assess its viability: (i) The fluid temperature at the bottom of the
bore should be at least 180°C. (ii) A temperature of 180°C should be available at depths not
exceeding 3 Kms. (iii) The yield from a 24 1/2 cm bore should be at least 20 tons/hr of steam.
India Project (Ladakh) At present geothermal energy makes a very small, but locally important,
contribution to world energy requirements. This situation will not change unless important
technological advances are made. Environmentally, it is probably the least objectionable form of
power generation available at present, with, the exception of hydroelectric methods.

HYDROELECTRIC POWER

The potential energy of falling water, captured and converted to mechanical energy by
waterwheels, powered the start of the industrial revolution. Wherever sufficient head, or change
in elevation, could be found, rivers and streams were dammed and mills were built. Water under
pressure flows through a turbine causing it to spin. The Turbine is connected to a generator,
which produces electricity. In order to produce enough electricity, a hydroelectric system
requires a location with the following features: Change in elevation or head: 20 feet @ 100
gal/min = 200 Watts. 100 feet head @ 20 gal/min gives the same output.

Small Hydro: Small Hydro Power is a reliable, mature and proven technology. It is
non-polluting, and does not involve setting up of large dams or problems of deforestation,
submergence and rehabilitation. India has an estimated potential of 10,000 MW
Micro Hydel : Hilly regions of India, particularly the Himalayan belts, are endowed with
rich hydel resources with tremendous potential. The MNES has launched a promotional scheme
for portable micro hydel sets for these areas. These sets are small, compact and light weight.
They have almost zero maintenance cost and can provide electricity/power to small cluster of
villages. They are ideal substitutes for diesel sets run in those areas at high generation cost.
Micro (upto 100kW) mini hydro (101-1000 kW) schemes can provide power for farms, hotels,
schools and rural communities, and help create local industry.

7. SOLAR ENERGY
Introduction Sun is the primary source of energy. The earth receives 1.6 × 1018 units of energy
from the Sun annually, which is 20,000 times the requirement of mankind on the earth. Some of
the solar energy causes evaporation of water, leading to rains and creation of rivers etc. Some of
it is utilized in photosynthesis which is essential for sustenance of life on earth. Man has tried,
from time immemorial, to harness this infinite source of energy, but has been able to tap only a
negligibly small fraction of this energy, till today. Three broad categories of possible large scale
applications of solar power are: (i) The heating and cooling of residential and commercial
buildings; (ii) The chemical and biological conversion of organic material to liquid, solid and
gaseous fuels; and (iii) Conversion of solar energy to electricity. The use of solar energy for
generation of electricity is costly as compared to conventional methods. However, due to scarcity
of fuel, solar energy will certainly find a place in planning the national energy resources.
Residential cooling and heating A major component of our electricity bill is due to heating and
cooling of buildings. This can be achieved using solar energy. A flat plate collector is located on
the roof of a house, which collects the solar energy. The cooling water is pumped through the
tubes of the solar collector. The heat is transferred from the collector to the water and the hot
water is stored in a storage tank which may be located at ground level or in the basement of the
house. Hot water is then utilized to heat or cool the house by adjusting the automatic valve.
Photosynthesis Production of Energy Sources Solar energy can be transformed into chemical
energy in the form of plants and trees, through the process of photosynthesis, which is the basis
of the world’s fossil fuels. It is, now possible, to produce organic matter with high heat content,
by using suitable chemical processes. It would, therefore, be an attractive proposition, if energy
could be received from outside the atmosphere and then transmitted to the earth. A man-made
satellite revolving around the earth will receive energy for all the 24 hours and will not be
affected by the weather conditions. The solar cell panels to be installed on the satellite may vary
in area from SUN Synchronous orbit of satellite Earth Receiving antenna 2-3 GHz Solar cell
panels Transmitting antenna. The solar cells arranged in space would generate d.c. electric power
and transmit it by means of microwaves (of about 10 cm. wave length), using a transmitting
antenna. Microwave transmission may be at 2 to 3 GHz, as this keeps the losses at minimum. On
the earth, this energy will be converted into high voltage d.c. or commercial frequency electric
power. The diameter of transmitting antenna would be around 1 km and that of the receiving
antenna, 7 to 10 Kms. The effeciency of transmission is estimated to be in the range of 55 to
75%. The overall efficiency, with the present technology, is around 25% but is likely to go upto
60% in the near future. The solar cells operate on the principle of photo electricity i.e., electrons
are liberated from the surface of a body when light is incident on it. Backed by semi-conductor
technology, it is now possible to utilize the phenomenon of photo-electricity. It is known that if
an n-type semi-conductor is brought in contact with a p-type material, a contact potential
difference is set-up at the junction (Schottky effect), due to diffusion of electrons. When the
p-type material is exposed to light, its electrons get excited, by the photons of light, and pass into
the n-type semi-conductor. Thus, an electric current is generated in a closed circuit. The
pnjunction silicon solar cells have emerged as the most important source of long duration power
supply necessary for space vehicles. These cells are actuated by both, direct Sun rays and diffuse
light. The efficiency of silicon solar cells increases with decreasing temperature. In cold weather
the decreased luminous flux is compensated for, by higher efficiency. The efficiency of these
solar cells varies from 15 to 20%. Although the energy from the Sun is available free of cost, the
cost of fabrication and installation of systems, for utilization of solar energy, is often too high to
be economically viable. In order to make solar installations economically attractive, plastic
materials are being increasingly used for the fabrication of various components of the system.
The efficiency of solar heating/cooling installation depends on the efficiency of collection of
solar energy and its transfer to the working fluid (e.g. water, air etc.).
Solar Concentrators Solar concentrators are the collection devices which increase the flux on
the absorber surface as compared to the flux impinging on the concentrator surface. Optical
concentration is achieved by the use of reflecting refracting elements, positioned to concentrate
the incident flux onto a suitable absorber. Due to the apparent motion of the Sun, the
concentrating surface, whether reflecting or refracting, will not be in a position to redirect the
sun rays onto the absorber, throughout the day if both the concentrator surface, and absorber are
stationary. Ideally, the total system consisting of mirrors or lenses and the absorber should follow
the Sun’s apparent motion so that the Sun rays are always captured by the absorber. In general, a
solar concentrator consists of the following: (i) a focussing device (ii) a blackened metallic
absorber provided with a transparent cover; and (iii) a tracking device for continuously following
the Sun. Temperatures as high as 3000°C can be achieved with such devices and they find
applications in both photo-thermal and photo-voltaic conversion of solar energy.
8. BIOMASS ENERGY:
Biomass is a term used to describe all organic matter produced by photosynthesis,
existing on the earth’s surface. They include all water- and land-based vegetation and trees, and
all waste biomass such as municipal solid waste (MSW), municipal biosolids (sewage), and
animal wastes (manures), forestry and agricultural residues, and certain types of industrial
wastes. The world's energy markets have relied heavily on the fossil fuels. Biomass is the only
other naturally occurring energy-containing carbon resource that is large enough in quantity to be
used as a substitute for fossil fuels. Through the process of photosynthesis, chlorophyll in plants
captures the sun's energy by converting carbon dioxide from the air and water from the ground
into carbohydrates, i.e., complex compounds composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. When
these carbohydrates are burned, they turn back into carbon dioxide and water and release the
sun's energy they contain. In this way, biomass functions as a sort of natural battery for storing
solar energy. The exploitation of energy from biomass has played a key role in the evolution of
mankind. Until relatively recently it was the only form of energy which was usefully exploited
by humans and is still the main source of energy for more than half the world’s population for
domestic energy needs. One of the simplest forms of biomass is a basic open fire used to provide
heat for cooking, warming water or warming the air in our home. More sophisticated
technologies exist for extracting this energy and converting it into useful heat or power in an
efficient way. In the mid-1800s, biomass, principally wood biomass, supplied over 90% of U.S.
energy and fuel needs, after which biomass energy usage began to decrease as fossil fuels
became the preferred energy resources. This eventuality of fossil fuel and the adverse impact of
fossil fuel usage on the environment are expected to be the driving forces that stimulate the
transformation of biomass into one of the dominant energy resources. Unlike fossil fuels,
biomass is renewable in the sense that only a short period of time is needed to replace what is
used as an energy resource. Biomass also is the only renewable energy source that releases
carbon dioxide in use. However the release is compensated by the fact that the biomass grown
uses the carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to store energy during photosynthesis. If the
biomass resource is being used sustainably, there are no net carbon emissions over the time
frame of a cycle of biomass production. Biopower technologies are proven electricity-generation
options in the United States, with 10GW of installed capacity. All of today's capacity is based on
mature, direct-combustion technology. Future efficiency improvements will include co-firing of
biomass in existing coal-fired boilers and the introduction of high-efficiency gasification,
combined-cycle systems, fuel cell systems, and modular systems. Generally, the prominent
biopower technologies are comprised of direct combustion, co-firing, gasification, pyrolysis,
anaerobic digestion, and fermentation. 1. Direct Combustion This is perhaps the simplest method
of extracting energy from biomass. Industrial biomass combustion facilities can burn many types
of biomass fuel, including wood, agricultural residues, wood pulping liquor, municipal solid
waste (MSW) and refuse-derived fuel. Biomass is burned to produce steam, the steam turns a
turbine and the turbine drives a generator, 2 producing electricity. Because of potential ash
build-up (which fouls boilers, reduces efficiency and increases costs), only certain types of
biomass materials are used for direct combustion. 2. Gasification is a process that exposes a solid
fuel to high temperatures and limited oxygen, to produce a gaseous fuel. The gas produced by the
process as shown in Figure 2 is a mix of gases such as carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide,
nitrogen, hydrogen, and methane. The gas is then used to drive a high efficiency, combined-cycle
gas turbine. Gasification has several advantages over burning solid fuel. One is convenience –
one of the resultant gases, methane, can be treated in a similar way as natural gas, and used for
the same purposes. Another advantage of gasification is that it produces a fuel that has had many
impurities removed and could therefore cause fewer pollution problems when burnt. Under
suitable circumstances, it can also produce synthesis gas, a mixture of carbon monoxide and
hydrogen which can be used to make hydrocarbon (e.g., methane and methanol) for replacing
fossil fuels. Hydrogen itself is a potential fuel without much pollution which can conceivably
substitute oil and petroleum in a foreseeable future
3. Pyrolysis: In its simplest form, pyrolysis represents heating the biomass to drive off the
volatile matter and leaving behind the charcoal. This process has doubled the energy density of
the original material because charcoal, which is half the weight of the original biomass, contains
the same amount of energy, making the fuel more transportable. The charcoal also burns at a
much higher temperature than the original biomass, making it more useful for manufacturing
processes. More sophisticated pyrolysis techniques are developed recently to collect volatiles
that are otherwise lost to the system. The collected volatiles produce a gas which is rich in
hydrogen (a potential fuel) and carbon monoxide. These compounds are synthesized into
methane, methanol, and other hydrocarbons. The steps involved in this process are illustrated in
Pyrolysis Process Flash pyrolysis is used to produce bio-crude, a combustible fuel. Heat is used
to chemically convert biomass into pyrolysis oil. The oil, which is easier to store and transport
than solid biomass material, is then burned like petroleum to generate electricity. Pyrolysis can
also convert biomass into phenol oil, a chemical used to make wood adhesives, molded plastics,
and foam insulation. 4. Digestion Biomass digestion works by utilizing anaerobic bacteria. These
microorganisms usually live at the bottom of swamps or in other places where there is no air,
consuming dead organic matter to produce methane and hydrogen. We put these bacteria to work
for us. By feeding organic matter such as animal dung or human sewage into tanks, called
digesters, and adding bacteria, we collect the emitted gas to use as an energy source. This process
is a very efficient means of extracting usable energy from such biomass. Usually, up to two thirds
of the fuel energy of the animal dung could be recovered. Another related technique is to collect
methane gas from landfill sites. A large proportion of household biomass waste, such as kitchen
scraps, lawn clipping and pruning, ends up at the local tip. Over a period of several decades,
anaerobic bacteria at the bottom of such tips could steadily decompose the organic matter and
emit methane. The gas can be extracted and used by capping a landfill site with an impervious
layer of clay and then inserting perforated pipes that would collect the gas and bring it to the
surface 5. Fermentation For centuries, people have used yeasts and other microorganisms to
ferment the sugar of various plants into ethanol. Producing fuel from biomass by fermentation is
just an extension of this process, although a wider range of plant material from sugar cane to
wood fiber can be used. For instance, the waste from a wheat mill in New South Wales is used to
produce ethanol through fermentation. Ethanol is then 3 mixed with diesel to produce diesehol, a
product used by trucks and buses in Australia. Technological advances will inevitably improve
the method. For example, scientists in Australia and the U.S. have substituted a genetically
engineered bacterium for yeast in the fermentation process. The process has vastly increased the
efficiency by which waste paper and other forms of wood fiber is fermented into ethanol.
Biofuels: Biomass is converted into transportation fuels such as ethanol, methanol, biodiesel and
additives for reformulated gasoline. Biofuels are used in pure form or blended with gasoline.
Ethanol: Ethanol, the most widely used biofuel, is made by fermenting biomass in a process
similar to brewing beer. Currently, most of the 1.5 billion gallons of ethanol used in the U.S. each
year is made from corn and blended with gasoline to improve vehicle performance and reduce air
pollution. Methanol: Biomass-derived methanol is produced through gasification. The biomass is
converted into a synthesis gas (syngas) that is processed into methanol. Biodiesel: Biodiesel fuel,
made from oils and fats found in micro-algae and other plants is substituted for or blended with
diesel fuel.
THE ROAD AHEAD:
The Indian power sector has an investment potential of Rs 15 trillion (US$ 225 billion) in the
next 4–5 years, thereby providing immense opportunities in power generation, distribution,
transmission, and equipment, according to Union Minister Mr Piyush Goyal.The government’s
immediate goal is to generate two trillion units (kilowatt hours) of energy by 2019. This means
doubling the current production capacity to provide 24x7 electricity for residential, industrial,
commercial and agriculture use.
The government has electrified 13,000 villages so far out of the total 18,452 villages and is
targeting electrification of all villages by 2019, within the targeted 1,000 days.
The Government of India is taking a number of steps and initiatives like 10-year tax exemption
for solar energy projects, etc., in order to achieve India's ambitious renewable energy targets of
adding 175 GW of renewable energy, including addition of 100 GW of solar power, by the year
2022. The government has also sought to restart the stalled hydro power projects and increase the
wind energy production target to 60 GW by 2022 from the current 20 GW.