Biraj Gautam and Rabin Shrestha share their lessons from the latest visits to the micro hydro power sites in Jumla and Baglung.
Grid-Connected Biomass Gasification in Sri Lanka
One of our SEPS projects in Sri Lanka established a pilot community-based grid-connected wood gasification power plant (20 kW) in the village of Batugammana. It serves as an environmentally friendly income-generating opportunity for the rural population in Sri Lanka. Farmers living in the village supply sustainably grown fuel wood to power the plant, which in turn generates power that is eventually sold to the national grid.
Biomass energy has the potential to generate income for rural farmers as there is an attractive feed-in tariff for biomass power in Sri Lanka. This project, which has recently been successfully completed, mobilised the farmers in the village, formed a community-based company, conducted feasibility studies and obtained an energy permit from the Sri Lanka Sustainable Energy Authority for the grid-connected biomass power project.
A 20 kW power pellet (wood) gasifier and engine was purchased, together with an induction generator. The team designed and manufactured a suitable woodcutter and constructed a power house. Subsequently, they signed the “Standardised Power Purchase Agreement” with the Ceylon Electricity Board, which permits the energy produced to be sold to the grid. As a last step, the power plant was connected to the national grid. To ensure sustainability, a wood supply chain was established with the farmers, plant operators were trained and a 20 year power purchase agreement was signed.
Monitoring of the plant’s performance is still on-going. For more general information on this SEPS project, please visit our project page: Introducing grid-connected biomass gasification units for rural energy access and community development.
