%0 Journal Article
%T Assessment of the Potential of Biomass Gasification for Electricity Generation in Bangladesh
%A Barun Kumar Das
%A S. M. Najmul Hoque
%J Journal of Renewable Energy
%D 2014
%I Hindawi Publishing Corporation
%R 10.1155/2014/429518
%X Bangladesh is an agriculture based country where more than 65 percent of the people live in rural areas and over 70% of total primary energy consumption is covered by biomass, mainly agricultural waste and wood. Only about 6% of the entire population has access to natural gas, primarily in urban areas. Electricity production in Bangladesh largely depends on fossil fuel whose reserve is now under threat and the government is now focusing on the alternating sources to harness electricity to meet the continuous increasing demand. To reduce the dependency on fossil fuels, biomass to electricity could play a vital role in this regard. This paper explores the biomass based power generation potential of Bangladesh through gasification technology¡ªan efficient thermochemical process for distributed power generation. It has been estimated that the total power generation from the agricultural residue is about 1178£¿MWe. Among them, the generation potential from rice husk, and bagasses is 1010£¿MWe, and 50£¿MWe, respectively. On the other hand, wheat straw, jute stalks, maize residues, lentil straw, and coconut shell are also the promising biomass resources for power generation which counted around 118£¿MWe. The forest residue and municipal solid waste could also contribute to the total power generation 250£¿MWe and 100£¿MWe, respectively. 1. Introduction 1.1. Energy Status in Bangladesh Bangladesh is one of the world¡¯s most densely (1142.29/km2 in 2010) populated nations with an area of 147,570£¿km2 and a population of about 150 million [1]. Two-thirds of the country¡¯s total population lives in rural areas, meeting most of their energy needs (domestic, commercial, and industrial) from traditional biomass fuels [1] and about 51% of its populations have no access to power [2]. Bangladesh¡¯s per capita energy consumption is very low, the lowest within the Indian subcontinent. The 2010 energy consumption value stands at about 209£¿kgOE which is quite low compared to 566£¿kgOE for India, 487£¿kgOE for Pakistan, 478£¿kgOE for Sri Lanka, and 341£¿kgOE for Nepal and far below the world average of 1680£¿kgOE [1]. The installed capacity in Bangladesh increased by roughly 3,415£¿MW between 2009 and 2012 and is now about 8,535£¿MW [3]. According to reports, Bangladesh at present generates 5000£¿MW power. Peak hour demand is of 6,000£¿MW every day and increases on hot summer days. Bangladesh¡¯s electricity supply strongly relies on natural gas. More than 67.21% of the power plants are fired by the gas. Hydropower is responsible only for 2.58% of the total electricity supply. HFO based power
%U http://www.hindawi.com/journals/jre/2014/429518/