ANNOUNCEMENTS
Energy capitalization of renewable energy resources for alternate fuel purposes is an immensely significant current theme today and will lead to even more importance in coming future because of the upcoming demand of alternate renewable fuels like biofuel. There is a high demand for alternative fuel based on renewable energy and has seen Increasing utilisation due to wide availability.
Positioning biofuels as an alternative confers upon India a strategically advantageous position in the global energy market. A pivotal rationale behind this advantage lies in the fact that a substantial portion of biofuel production relies on agricultural residues, which are not suitable for edible feedstock. Consequently, this mitigates the potential discord between fuel production and food security. Non-edible agricultural residues emerge as prolific sources for biofuel production. In comparison to other renewable energy sources, biomass exhibits numerous merits, encompassing the ability to store feedstock, the diversity of biomass residues and products, and logistical simplicity in terms of use and transport.
In the huge agrarian landscape of India, where a significant expanse of land is dedicated to farming, diverse crops are cultivated across various agro-ecological regions. The voluminous production of wheat, rice, maize, millets, sugarcane, fibre crops, pulses, and oilseeds, amounting to millions of tons, underscores the substantial generation of crop residues on both on-farm and off-farm lands. The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy estimates an annual generation of approximately 6500 million tons of crop residues, with variations across regions influenced by crop types, cropping intensity, and crop productivity.
India is currently compelled to introduce technologies for the conversion of agricultural waste into bioenergy, thereby mitigating dependence on conventional petroleum and crude oil. However, the integration of novel technologies necessitates optimization and centralized biomass-based energy production. Traditional field-based measurements prove inadequate in furnishing comprehensive data on the spatial distribution of available biomass resources. In the context of a vast nation like India, remote sensing technology emerges as a pivotal tool for the accurate estimation of primary agricultural residue production and land cover mapping, thereby delineating the spatial distribution of biomass resources.
This study endeavors to present an innovative approach based on Geospatial Technology for a comprehensive assessment of bioenergy potential from spatially distributed crop residues, with a specific emphasis on rice straw. The proposed methodological framework integrates statistical and geospatial modelling to estimate theoretical, technical, environmental, and economic bioenergy potentials in five districts of Punjab. In contrast to previous attempts that predominantly relied on agricultural statistical data without accounting for geospatial distribution, this study incorporates net primary productivity-based estimations for theoretical biomass potential. Additionally, it incorporates factors such as soil organic carbon content and soil erodibility to ascertain the maximum available biomass potential. The study ultimately aims to provide detailed biomass information at a regional level, facilitating the identification of potential sites for biomass power plant localization.
Keywords: Bioenergy, Geospatial, Net Primary Productivity, Biomass, Rice Residue.
