New energy hope for dry regions

 

A national UK consortium is embarking on a 36-month mission to investigate the possibilities for biomass production and energy conversion in low-water areas of India.

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The research, which is funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), aims to improve the living conditions of people in the region as well as providing long-term academic benefit.

The project will be run by engineers from Aston University, Birmingham alongside colleagues from Warwick, Leeds, Bristol and Coventry universities.

The partners will also work in close collaboration with the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Delhi.

The broad aim of the project is to cultivate biomass resources in Northern India and convert them to energy for use in food preservation, ice production and other applications involving low-temperature heat (such as food processing). There will also be an emphasis on teaching practical skills to local people.

Principal Investigator Dr Davies of Aston University explained: "Traditionally, biomass from trees and shrubs has been and remains the principal source of energy for many people and it is likely to be a major energy resource of the future.

"However, the distributed and low-grade nature of the biomass fuel makes it essential to introduce more effective means of production and use.

"Biomass production requires water and land which are also needed for other purposes. Our approach therefore is to introduce technologies having multiple benefits," he said.

Growing crops for energy, food, fodder and more

"We will set up a plantation in the village of Manpura (which is an isolated community in Rajasthan) to grow crops which can yield not only energy but also food, fodder, soap and botanical pesticides."

A significant measure of the success of the project will be the qualitative impact on the lives on the local population.

Lack of basic services which require energy and water has lead to increasing numbers of rural Indians abandoning their traditional way of life and heading towards already over-populated cities.

Dr Davies explained: "A key element of the work will be the identification of socio-economic success factors in the project through interviews, focus groups and observations in India, facilitated by our partners at IIT-Delhi.

"This socio-economic study will measure the project’s success in the areas where it has been implemented. We will also carry out modelling, taking into account both the physical systems (for example engines or refrigerators) and the human participants."

The project will begin later this month.

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