Although every plant/ vegetation system could be converted into methane gas through anaerobic conversions, the world’s scientists and engineers seem to look at none of these as the Real Energy source for all of mankind. Instead, we are bombarded with the idea that there are “free energy” through Solar, Wind and Cosmic energies!
Let us look at one such plant/ vegetation resource in India: the Banana Plant systems. India has an estimated 1, 200, 000 ha of banana plantation, generating not less than 18 million T of agrowastes (solids). This could be converted into not less than 1.35 million T of methane gas. If these were to be converted into Combined Heat + Electricity, the Energy potential from Banana Plantation wastes alone would be about 15, 870, 500 MWH (megawatt-hour). This converts into not less than 1830 MW (Heat + electricity Power, 24 x 360)
The aforementioned data could be extrapolated to many other unused (wasted) vegetation systems: Bagasse’, Parthenium weeds, water hyacinth weeds, various grasses, tree/ shrub plant wastes, and garden clippings etc. If we consider just 10% of India’s total land area, it works out to 33, 000, 000 ha; and at 15 T (green weight @ 23% solids) vegetation per ha, we would have not less than 113, 850, 000 T (solids) of wasted vegetation systems (annually available renewable resources). Converting these into methane gas and then to CHP, India would be able to generate not less than 11, 600 MW (heat + electric Power), utilizing a fraction of the vegetation systems that are now being wasted as useless
In spite of this fact and reality, our official scientists, engineers, planners, economists and statesmen (who consider that they have the “Democratic Power” to “rule” India) bend over backwards to “importing” wrong technologies in the name of Solar, Wind and so on, at very high costs.
This writer wishes to tell all those “blindfolded” persons that we need not import anything at all; instead the entire energy needs could be solved through such locally available Renewable Resources (RR)
