BEVAE-181 Solved Assignment 2024-2025 | The importance of Biomass has been increasing day by day in our surroundings among renewable resources. Explain it with suitable examples.

BEVAE-181 Solved Assignment 2024-2025 | ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES | IGNOU

Q. The importance of Biomass has been increasing day by day in our surroundings among renewable resources. Explain it with suitable examples.

As the world moves towards sustainable and renewable sources of energy, biomass has emerged as one of the most promising and widely available energy resources. Biomass refers to all organic material that comes from plants and animals and is used as a source of energy. It includes wood, crop residues, animal manure, kitchen waste, algae, and even urban organic waste.

Biomass is renewable, abundantly available, and eco-friendly. It plays a vital role in reducing dependence on fossil fuels and helps in mitigating climate change. Let’s explore the increasing importance of biomass with examples and reasons.

1. What is Biomass?

Biomass is biological material that is derived from living or recently living organisms.
It can be used in solid, liquid, or gaseous forms to produce energy.

Types of Biomass Sources:

• Plant-based: Wood, crop stubble, leaves, sawdust

• Animal-based: Cow dung, poultry waste

• Agro-industrial waste: Sugarcane bagasse, coconut shells, groundnut shells

• Urban waste: Vegetable peels, food waste

• Aquatic biomass: Algae and water hyacinth

2. Importance of Biomass in the Present Context

a) Renewable and Sustainable Source of Energy

• Biomass is naturally replenished through photosynthesis and waste generation.

• It is non-exhaustible and can be produced continuously if managed properly.

b) Reduces Dependence on Fossil Fuels

• Biomass provides an alternative to coal, petrol, and diesel.

• Countries can reduce their import bills and become energy independent.

c) Utilization of Agricultural Waste

• In rural India, tons of crop residues like wheat straw, rice husk, sugarcane leaves, etc., go waste or are burnt.

• Biomass helps in converting these wastes into useful energy like briquettes or biogas, reducing air pollution.

d) Reduces Waste and Promotes Cleanliness

• Kitchen waste, vegetable peels, and cow dung can be turned into energy instead of being dumped in landfills.

• This promotes swachhata (cleanliness) and waste-to-energy models in urban and rural areas.

e) Helps in Rural Development

• Biomass energy supports rural employment through jobs in collection, processing, and maintenance of bioenergy systems.

• Biogas plants and improved cookstoves provide clean fuel to villages, reducing indoor pollution.

3. Forms of Biomass Energy and Their Uses

a) Biogas

• Produced from cow dung, food waste, and sewage in anaerobic digesters.

• Used for cooking, lighting, and even generating electricity.

Example:
In many parts of rural India, households have biogas plants that run on cow dung and kitchen waste, replacing LPG and firewood.

b) Biofuels

• Bioethanol (from sugarcane or corn) and Biodiesel (from jatropha, used cooking oil) are liquid fuels.

• Can be used in vehicles as a cleaner alternative to petrol and diesel.

Example:
India has a National Bio-Energy Mission to promote ethanol blending in petrol (like E20 fuel).

c) Biomass Briquettes and Pellets

• Agricultural waste is compressed into briquettes or pellets.

• Used as fuel in industrial boilers, brick kilns, and household stoves.

Example:
In Punjab and Haryana, paddy straw is being converted into briquettes to avoid stubble burning.

d) Direct Combustion of Wood

• Traditional use in villages for cooking and heating.

• Modern biomass stoves reduce smoke and increase efficiency.

4. Environmental Benefits of Biomass

• Carbon Neutrality: Biomass absorbs CO₂ while growing and releases it when burnt — creating a neutral carbon cycle.

• Reduction in Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Biomass energy emits lower greenhouse gases compared to fossil fuels.

• Waste Management: Organic waste is turned into productive energy instead of polluting water and land.

• Conservation of Forests: Use of agricultural residues can reduce pressure on forests for firewood.

5. Socio-Economic Benefits

• Employment Generation: Biomass energy projects generate jobs in collection, processing, transportation, and plant operations.

• Affordable Energy for Poor: Biogas and bio-briquettes provide cheap and clean energy to low-income households.

• Improved Health: Use of clean biomass technologies reduces indoor air pollution caused by traditional chulhas, improving the health of women and children.

6. Government Initiatives in India

• National Bio-Energy Mission aims to promote bioenergy through biogas, biomass pellets, and ethanol.

• SATAT Scheme (Sustainable Alternative Towards Affordable Transportation) promotes compressed biogas (CBG) for transport.

• PM Ujjwala Yojana and other rural clean energy schemes also indirectly support biomass use.

• Incentives are given for setting up biogas plants, bio-CNG units, and ethanol distilleries.

7. Challenges and the Way Forward

Conclusion

Biomass is a clean, renewable, and widely available source of energy that holds great promise for India’s energy future. It helps in managing waste, reducing pollution, creating rural employment, and providing clean cooking fuel. With growing environmental concerns and the need for sustainable development, the importance of biomass is increasing every day.

Through improved technology, public participation, and strong policy support, biomass can become a game-changer in the transition towards a cleaner, greener, and energy-secure India.