|
India produces just about 25 per cent of its total annual oil requirement of 114 million tonnes, the reserves of which are fast depleting. The import cost of oil and natural gas today is over Rs. 120,000 crores. Oil and gas prices are escalating; the cost of a barrel of oil has doubled within a year. The presently known resources and future exploration of oil and gas may give mixed results. This situation has to be combated. Keeping in mind the changing scenario, research in the areas of alternate sustainable energy sources such as bio-fuel, photovoltaic cell for conversion of solar energy into electricity and hydrogen fuel cell has to be intensified.
Jatropha - Biodiesel
The country has nearly 63 million hectares of wasteland, out of which 33 million hectares have been allotted for tree plantation. Certain multi-purpose trees such as Jatropha can grow well in wasteland with very little water. Once grown, the crop has fifty years of life. Fruiting can take place in this plant in two years. It yields up to five tonnes per hectare oil seeds and produces two tonnes of bio-diesel. Presently, the cost of bio-diesel through the plant is approximately Rs. 17 to Rs. 19 per litre, which can be substantially reduced through choice of right size of the plant and using high yield variety plantation that has already been established by the researchers. Bio-diesel plants grown in 11 million hectares of land can yield a revenue of approximately Rs. 20,000 crore a year and provide employment to over 12 million people both for plantation and running of the extraction plants. This is a sustainable development process leading to large-scale employment of rural manpower. Also, it will reduce the foreign exchange outflow paid for importing crude oil, the cost of which is continuously rising in the international market. Use of Bio-diesel is carbon neutral. This oil can also be used for soap and candle industries. De-oiled cake is a raw material for composting and plantation is good for honey production. Bio-diesel has so far not been used for a power plant of large capacity. However, chemical analyses indicate that bio-diesel can safely be used in gas turbines in combined cycle mode, as they are normally used for high capacity power plants. Use of bio-diesel in diesel engines has been well demonstrated.
A quick estimate of land requirements to meet the fuel needs of a 500 MW combined cycle power plant is 2,70,000 hectares, which is significantly large. The yield of bio-diesel is 1.62 tonnes/hectare. The bio-diesel requirement for a 500 MW (CCGT plant) is approximately 4,40,000 tonnes per annum operating at 70 per cent plant load factor. The bio-diesel cost is estimated to be around Rs. 20 per litre, which accounts for all the costs associated with plantation and seed collection, oil extraction, trans-esterification and transportation. The risks associated with Jatropha derived bio-fuel appears to be low as these can grow on degraded lands. However, the oil contents in seeds can vary between 28 to 38 per cent by weight. The research is also required to increase the oil content to at least 50 per cent. Another area of interest will be to develop seeds, which can give regular fruiting throughout the year. Development of such seeds can increase the productivity substantially.
Hydrogen fuel
Hydrogen holds the potential to provide a clean, efficient, reliable and affordable supply of energy for meeting the growing energy needs in India’s economy while protecting the environment and ensuring energy security. Transition from the present fossil fuel based economy to hydrogen economy will require many challenges to overcome specially in the areas of production, storage, delivery, applications, creating infrastructure, economics and public awareness on safety and standards. Initially we have to concentrate on hydrogen production. Some of the routes which IIP can follow are:
Microbial degradation of wastes like bagasse and other biomass materials;
electrolysis of water for producing hydrogen gas using Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Water Electrolyser (PEMWE); and, steam reforming of methanol.
Solar energy
The current high capital costs of solar power stations can be reduced by grid-locked 100 MW sized Very Large Scale Solar Photovoltaic (VLSPV) or Solar Thermal Power Stations. In the very near future, breakthroughs in nanotechnologies promise significant increase in solar cell efficiencies from current 15% values to over 50% levels. These would in turn reduce the cost of solar energy production.
Conclusion
The energy scenario in the 21st century is going to see a major shift. Very soon, oil and gas will see its finiteness. It is high time that we realize this factor and work towards the fuel of the future.
The President Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, who recently visited the Indian Institute of Petroleum, Dehradun, congratulated the Institute for its significant contribution to the growth of the petroleum refining and processing sector and suggested it to think about re-aligning its research contribution from petroleum to alternate futuristic fuels. The Indian Institute of Petroleum has been carrying out, for the last 45 years, pioneering research in the hydrocarbon sector and has led many products to industrial applications. It has already filed over 3 dozen patents in India and abroad and is having industrial partnership in every one of its projects.
The President wished all members of the Institute success in their mission of achieving energy independence for the country by the year 2030.Source: President Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam’s address at the Indian Institute of Petroleum, Dehradun
*DPIO, PIB, New Delhi
|
