Biomass Densification
Thermal
Gasifiers are used in many parts of the world for various purposes such as cooking, power generation, heating and cremation. In Nepal, a successful piloting on thermal base Tea processing Gasifier was conducted by AEPC for drying tea leaves in Ilam districts, which perform very well and still in operation. The unit was developed with technical assistance from IOE, Pulchowk. Furthermore, a piloting was also conducted for drying meat and other foods in Kathmandu districts with the technical assistance from Sun works Pvt. Ltd. Yet more research and development is needed to commercialize and scale-up the application of this innovative technology. AEPC is taking initiation to promote, commercialize and scale up gasifire technology in potential area of Nepal under National Rural and Renewable Programme(NRREP). Currently, different organizations are in the process of developing household as well as institutional gasifiers.
Electrical
Gasification is one of the renewable energy technologies suitable for rural electrification, as it can be applied on a small scale (from several kWe upwards), with a reasonable efficiency. The technology comes in different variations for biomass feed stock like wood, rice husk, corn cobs and alike agricultural wastes and produces a clean gas that can be used in a modified diesel or gas engine.
In recent years hundreds of units have been installed in South and Southeast Asia. In Nepal, few industries have installed the biomass gasifier electrification and cogeneration process due to shortage of power from the national grid and availability of biomass based raw material on the vicinity of the industries. Also some biomass gasifier based community electrification plants have been piloted by Renewable Energy for Rural Livelihood (RERL) programme and AEPC.
BESC have planned to pilot this technology at strategic locations for electrifying rural communities where national grid extension is very minimal atleast for another 10 years and installation of micro hydro & solar technologies are either technically or financially not viable.
Gasification to Electricity
