Off-grid biomass plants light up villages; experts demand clarity on tariff regulation

Flooded rice fields are an important source of the greenhouse gas CH4. Possible carbon sources for CH4 and CO2 production in rice fields are soil organic matter (SOM), root organic carbon (ROC) and rice straw (RS), but partitioning of the flux between the different carbon sources is difficult. We conducted greenhouse experiments using soil microcosms planted with rice.

Biomass power sector is in trouble. About 60 per cent of the country’s grid-connected power plants that run on biomass are either closed or about to be closed. Reason: rising fuel price, unrevised tariff and government apathy.

For full text: http://www.downtoearth.org.in/content/looming-biomess

Conservation agriculture (CA) is an agricultural management practice in which there is minimum soil disturbance, retention of residue for soil cover and rotation of major crops. In contrast, soil in traditional agriculture is intensively tilled to prepare a fine and well-pulverized seedbed. Soil tillage or land preparation is the most energy-consuming operation among all field operations. Compared to traditional agriculture, farmers can save up to 40% of time, labour and fuels in CA.

Biomass-based power project developers have been facing challenges such as increasing raw material costs, low tariffs, inadequate power evacuation infrastructure etc. While the developers have sought tariff revisions, the issues related to evacuation facilities has not been on the priority list of state governments.