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Bio-energy production: Govt plans to use biomass plants

By Sajid Chaudhry

ISLAMABAD: The government plans to produce bio-energy by utilising biomass plants, residues like wheat straw, rice husk, cotton sticks, corn cobs, kallar grass and other salt tolerant plants.

The project is proposed to be completed during 2007-2010, with an estimated cost of Rs 295.4 million. The production of bio-energy from plant residues is in vogue in many countries like United States of America (USA), Brazil, Northern America and European Union.

According to the sponsoring agency of the project ministry of science and technology, the project would carryout research on meaningful utilization of plan residual mater to convert into bio-fuel to be used as an alternative source of energy.

Crop residuals, which remain unutilized and wasted in the country, would have their best alternative profitable use and it will increase the profitability of the farming sector.

The project envisages utilizing the experience already gained to develop economically feasible production of bio-fuel from biomass. Further research and development studies would be undertaken on the conversion of plant residues like wheat straw, rice husk, cotton sticks, corm cobs, kallar grass and other salt tolerant plants into ethanol or biogas so as to use it as an alternate source of energy.

The objectives of the project are production of thermostable and high specific activity celluloses at a minimum cost, pretreatment of plant biomass including kallar grass, bagasse, corn cobs for saccharification by enzymes, utilization of sugar in fermentation process to produce alcohol by action of yeast; development of microbial consortia for economic conversion of the pentose rich residual matter to produce methane gas; undertaking study the possibility of using the nitrogen-rich residual mater obtained from methanogenic as a fertilizer; scaling up the processes of pretreatment, enzyme production, saccharification, alcohol fermentation and methanogenic fermentation for ultimate large scale operation; and development of feasibility for large-scale application on the basis of the results obtained from implementation of this project for perspective entrepreneurs.

The proposed executing agencies of the project include National Institute for Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, Faisalabad, School of Biological Sciences, Lahore, Institute of Biotechnology, Lahore, Biotechnology and Food Research Centre, Lahore and Shakarganj Sugar Mills Ltd Jhang. Under the project, additional laboratories would be established and properly equipped at the respective campuses of executive agencies.

The project document reveals that the technical expertise and other facilities of the Shakarganj Sugar Mill shall be available for implementation of many aspects of Research and development activities. The mills would not be benefited by Government of Pakistan funds. Monitoring of the project implementation would be done by a Steering Committee headed by the Member, Food and Agriculture, Planning Commission with members from implementation agencies, Alternate Energy Board and Hydrocarbon Development Institute.

The technical appraisal of the production of bio-energy from plant residues highlighted that some important aspects which include the production of bio-energy from plant residues is in vogue in many countries like United States of America (USA), Brazil, Northern America and European Union. The sponsor may indicate the unit cost of the bio-energy produced in those countries to access its viability in Pakistan.

The biogas technology was introduced during 70s but it could not make headway on large-scale production and adoption by the public. The sponsor may take in to account the reasons for its low adoptability and indicate steps to be undertaken to ensure its widespread adoption. Moreover, social acceptability may be assessed by the sponsors.

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