Solid biomass from forests, farms and cities provides a major energy source for heat and power generation, potentially accounting for a fifth of global energy consumption by 2050 amid accelerated adoption of renewables. But wood and crop residues need to be collected from widely dispersed sites and stored for use at the optimal time, and at a cost-effective scale, in district-heating systems, power plants, and combined heat and power plants. This technology brief from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) examines the multi-dimensional logistical challenges of establishing a steady supply chain for solid biomass.
Straw and other agricultural residues from production of food crops are being collected to provide heat and power in some villages in India. A separate chapter of the report tells about a company Punjab Renewable Energy Systems Pvt. Ltd. (PRESPL), which was organised in 2011 to meet the fuel needs of Punjab Biomass Power Ltd., a 12 MW paddy straw power plant in India.
Download Technology Brief from the IRENA website