RENEWABLE ENERGY
Renewable energy is that energy which can be renewed after use. It does not get exhausted after extensive use and is unlimited in nature. Renewable energy is the answer to a cleaner and greener future for our planet.
Renewable energy is non-replenishable and is extracted from natural sources. It is the process of harnessing nature’s power to provide green renewable energy in producing electricity. This electricity can be used to power a number of things such as homes, vehicles and can be used to power even generators in power plants. Using renewable energy can help to reduce energy imports to a great extent. It can also help to reduce fossil fuel use, which is the largest source of carbon dioxide emissions on the planet.
Renewable energy can also play an important role in the plant’s energy security. Therefore, It can be a viable option in reducing greenhouse gas emissions as well. Biofuel which uses biomass to produce energy is one of the biggest renewable green energy sources that is used in the world.
WHAT IS BIOFUEL?
Biofuel is made from organic matter which is called biomass, either directly or indirectly. Climate change due to production and emission of greenhouse gasses has resulted in global warming. These toxic gases that are being emitted from the burning of fossil fuels such as petroleum, coal and natural gas are impacting the environment very negatively.
Additionally, fossil-fuels are non-renewable and thus its reserves are under immense pressure of being exhausted in the near future. Therefore, there has been a long hard search for alternative fuels which are inexhaustible and also that can produce energy while not harming the environment. This led to the discovery of biofuels.
Biofuels are naturally sourced from organic matter that is renewable and can be used in the production of heat when burned. This in turn acts as energy that helps power machines by conducting electricity in power plants.
WHY DO WE NEED BIOFUEL?
The economic and environmental cost of producing biofuel is very low. Biofuel is a much cleaner and energy-efficient process of producing energy than burning fossil fuels. With the increase in world population, the demand for energy to produce electricity to power homes and the society at large is also likely to increase immensely.
Many households and power plants along with fossil fuels like petrol and kerosene, majorly utilise wood, which increases the depletion of natural resources like forests. Also use of petrol and kerosene has been putting pressure on fossil fuels that are not sustainable energy sources.
Therefore, It is of paramount importance to opt for alternative energy sources that are renewable, green and safe for the environment. Renewable energy like biofuel that is sustainable is key to protecting the environment from climate change.
WHAT IS BAMBOO?
Bamboo is classified as a grass from the plant family and belongs to the Bambusoideae subfamily. Its stems, like all grass, are hollow and are the largest grass of all others. It can also grow rapidly into a forest without much intervention. It is the fastest growing plant in the world, with different growth rates depending on its different species.
Specific species of woody bamboos can grow as tall as thirty metres in height and as wide as twenty centimetres in diameter. Some species of bamboo can even reach heights of forty metres and grow thirty centimetres in diameter.
Bamboo requires far less attention than other plants and trees to grow. The fertilizer requirement of bamboo plants is also significantly less. This makes bamboo an ideal economical choice for alternative energy.
BAMBOO AS BIOFUEL
What makes bamboo an ideal choice for a sustainable energy source is that it is different from other trees, which when cut from the bark seize to grow. Whereas, a bamboo plant continuously produces new perennial culms from its underground root system year after year.In addition to this, Its growth rate is very fast, upto 1 metre a day.
Another reason bamboo makes an ideal choice for biofuel is because of its rapid growth rate. Production and harvesting of bamboo can help curb deforestation and reduce the pressure on existing forests. When compared to petroleum and other sources of energy, it produces and emits much fewer pollutants which makes it even more eco-friendly.
Utilizing bamboo as biomass for biofuel is a good option as it is a fast-growing and extremely versatile crop. Bamboo holds significant potential to be a power generator for powering communities. This is because It renews itself rapidly and grows much faster than any other crop, which makes it sustainable as well.
One billion people still live without access to electricity, worldwide. Bamboo as biomass for biofuel has immense potential to be used for electricity generation and powering those communities. A single bamboo pole has the ability to provide enough electricity to a household to last one whole month. Bamboo is also the answer to fighting climate change as it produces 30% more oxygen when compared to trees spanning across an equal area of land.
BAMBOO POWERED VEHICLES
In addition to being biomass for biofuel for electricity generation to provide electricity to power plants and communities, there have been known applications for using bamboo biomass for powering motor vehicles. This puts the pressure off of fossil fuels that take millions of years to occur and offers a more beneficial and sustainable alternative for energy.
The benefits of bamboo have come a long way from being used merely in traditional handicrafts and decoration of lawns and landscapes. It indeed has a much wider application for generating clean energy and helping the environment stay healthy.
