1. Innovation 1 – Biomass Gasifier
Case Study
By
Team Renegade (MICA - II)
Arpita Sahoo | Jagriti Chhateja
Sneha Chaturvedi | Noor Salam Khan
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2. Preface
Greetings from Team Renegade!!!
We would like to take this opportunity to thank Road2Ideas Team for
providing this wonderful opportunity…
We appeal you to “Go Green” with Road2Ideas 2012 and request you not to
print this Case Study unless really needed.
Our presentation theme symbolizes our spirit of “Go Green” Initiative and we
request you to read “Go Green Tip” on Thank You Slide 
Cheers
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3. Introduction – Biomass Gasifier
What is Biomass Gasifier?
 A gas system based on biomass
 Biomass is sold in the market ranging from Rs. 8 - Rs. 16
 Biomass is free in the villages. Anything can be used like
cotton balls, twigs, grass, branches, etc.
Price
 For Commercial:
 Huge size: Rs. 1500; takes 10 minutes to start up
 For Domestic Use:
 Small size: 3000 + Solar Panel-2500 : takes 3 minutes to
start up
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4. Key Characteristics of Innovation
 The gas operates basically on
electricity or solar panel system.
 Very cheap as compared to
LPG
 Releases 10 times less
pollution or harmful gasses than
LPG
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5. Sector Analysis
 India’s significant and sustained economic
growth is placing enormous demand on its energy
resources.
 The country imports about 80 percent of its oil.
 While dependence on imported coal is
increasing, supply of coal is likely to decrease
because of production and logistic constraints.
 According to a Central Electricity Authority
(CEA) report, the anticipated energy and peaking
shortage in the country is estimated to be 12.9
percent in 2012.
 In view of electricity supply shortages, huge quantities of diesel and furnace oil are
being used by all sectors – industrial, commercial, institutional and residential. Lack of
rural lighting is leading to large scale use of kerosene. This usage needs to be
curtailed, as it is leading to enormous costs in form of subsidies, and increasing the
country’s import dependence.
 More than 50 percent of the population has little or no commercial energy access
in their daily lives. Others with access often have to cope with poor and erratic
availability and other fuels to complement the shortfall.
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6. Category Analysis
 India’s climatic conditions offer an
ideal environment for biomass production.
 In fact, bio-energy has remained
critical to India’s energy mix, with a total
installed capacity of 3000 MW.
 Biomass gasification based power
production is able to generate power on
small scales and offers a solution for
producing off-grid green power
 India has an estimated potential of
over 30,000 MW of power from
biomass, but around 3000 MW has been
exploited. Thus, over 90% of potential
capacity lies untapped.
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7. Insights from Field Team (Primary Research)
Pictures taken on field
Innovation Venue: Dept. of Environment & Research, DAVV, Indore
Innovation Point of Contact: Mr. Sudhir Puloria
Innovations done by Dept. on Biomass Gasifier:
Smoke emission has been reduced.
Removable ash tray has been added
Ash residue is 4% on average or maximum 7%
Special Inlet for putting Biomass
Proper pipe fittings for regulation of primary and secondary gas
Running of this device can be supported by solar panels
Every component of the specifier is easily available at gram panchayat/municipal
corporation
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8. Secondary Research – Real Insights
 Biomass gasification represents an important form of electricity production using a
renewable resource – biomass. Its ability to use waste biomass in the form of crop and mill
waste further enhances its attractiveness.
 Gasification based power production is an exciting domain for businesses and
entrepreneurs in India. This renewable power source provides the benefit of distributed
power production such that small communities and remote villages could get access to
affordable electricity.
 Since India produces a lot of agricultural products, they transform the soil and since
generally the residues of the transformation process are not used, this provides a free
resource for gasification.
 Biomass gasification could use a whole range of crop waste and agriculture waste to
produce power. It uses gasifiers in conjunction with gas engines to produce electricity. It can
operate at small scales (10-25 kW) as well as medium scale (upto 2 MW). As a result, it
presents an interesting opportunity to many small scale and medium scale entrepreneurs
and businesses.
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9. Secondary Research – Real Insights
 While gasification is a fairly old technology, the use of biomass gasifiers
for power production has gained currency only in the recent past. India is
unique poised to benefit from this trend. Latest estimates suggest that India
could have as high as 30,000 MW of power from crop waste alone.
 Currently, India’s installed capacity for biomass gasification for power
production is small but this is expected to change soon.
 Biomass gasification technology is an option to replace/substitute the
existing oil based electricity generation in remote locations. It is also
important to recognize this modern bio energy technology is a promising
candidate for mitigating the climate change issues.
 An efficient biomass combustion system to meet the cooking needs
would release the pressure on wood for charcoal
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10. SWOT Analysis
Strengths: Weakness:
> Cost Effective > Initial cost is high (Rs. 1500 for big, 3000 for small
> Environment Friendly and 2500 for small solar panel)
> Uses Biodegradable Materials > Some smoke is still there
> Raw Material: Biomass is easily available. Also, it is > Ash: 4-7%(very less but still there)
very cheap as compared to LPG (1kg LPG= Rs 80; 1KG > Proves economical only when used for atleast 4-5
Bio mass—can be collected free or else in market 1kg = hours. This makes it infeasible for short duration
Rs 8 - 16) usage(like in households)
> All parts & components are easily available at the > Takes some time in starting up(warming up
Gram Panchayat level or at the Municipal level for urban time)..(refer my prev mail)
areas
> Saves LPG i.e made of petroleum (scarce resource)
Opportunity Threats
> Good for commercial use, such as restraunts, mess > Similar gassifiers made by several other vendors
etc; > Similar research in other universities and
> Suitable 4 use in community kitchens in organisations
villages, tribal groups or when food is to be prepared > Germany a world leader in gassifiers
for larger groups and gas needs to be on for a longer > As it cant be used for short duration cooking(such as
time in homes), its scope is limited presently
> With various gasifier types and processes, biomass > Farmers might start charging for biomass once they
gasification system can be designed in appropriate realise its economic worth
scale according to user demand
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11. Stage I – Table Analysis
Rating the innovation on a scale of 0 to 5 (5 being the highest score) on each of the
parameters outlined in the sandbox, the self assessment scores are:
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12. Stage II - C.K. Prahlad’s Sandbox
HIGH
HIGH HIGH
MODERATE
HIGH
MODERATE
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13. What’s the way forward – Key Recommendations
 Commercialization of product to make it cheaper
 Technological Development for reducing smoke further
 Technological Development for reduction of ash
 Like fossil fuel technology, biomass also requires professional
approach on collecting, processing and delivery mechanism.
This has happened in sugar and paper sectors
 Customization of the product for use in restaurants and
SHGs, Mess, tribal areas (where commercial LPG is not
available)
 The Government may provide subsidy for this instead of LPG
to make it economical
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14. Commercialization of product
Access to raw
material at
acceptable
price level
Commercial
Cheaper
Energy
Develop a
technology
that make the
technology
competitive
with
alternatives
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15. Policy Changes Needed
• Subsidy to biomass technologies to balance
the implicit subsidies to fossil fuels.
• Remove distortions in fossil energy tariffs
• Land supply for biomass generation
• Institutions and policies to be set in place for
competitive biomass energy service market
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16. Customization of Product
Power generation
using glasifiers in
plywood processing
unit
Finished good of
Cheaply and readily
plywood at cheaper
available of supply for
manufacturing cost due
fuel is created in-house
to cheap fuel
Collection of waste
plywood units and scrap
Such customization can be done for industries such as tea processing, coconut
and rice mills, etc.
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17. Integrate supply and production
The system is supplying
Installed a 40 KW A tree plantation with
the surplus power to
gasifier in 1988 for 4000 fast growing trees
Gujarat Electricity Board
meeting own power was set up on a private
since 1989 at a
requirement during the land to ensure wood
competitive price
periods of load shedding supply for the gasifier
(Rs.1.25/KWhr)
Case Study of Ankur Scientific Energy Technologies, a private firm located
at Vadodara, Gujarat
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18. Sources for Secondary Research
 “The Potential for Renewable Energy in India –
2012”, www.gyananalytics.com
 ‘Biomass Energy in India: Policies and Prospects’, Shukla
P.R., IIM-A
 www.glasification-guide.eu
 www.climatevision.gov
 Presentation by Dasappa S., IIS Bangalore
 www.teriin.org
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19. Thank You
Go Green Tip :
Take shorter showers to reduce water use.
This will lower your water and heating bills too 
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