GREEN POWER FROM RICE HUSK: THE FINANCIALLY PROFITABLE ANSWER TO ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES

摘要

Many waste materials are hazardous for the environment after being disposed on dumpingrngrounds. These hazards result from wash-out of toxic matter and emission of gases having arnnegative impact on ambient air and global climate. The combustion of coal, oil and naturalrngas generates carbon dioxide. Being released into the atmosphere in big quantities, this gasrnalso contributes considerably to the greenhouse effect. From this, the utilization of wasternmaterials and biomass fuels can be the answer to solve many environmental problems.rnUnfortunately, in many cases waste and biomass energies are not feasible under technicalrnor/and financial aspects. However, there is an exeption: rice husk.rnTo be used for power/heat generation, it is highly profitable and results in a positive impact tornthe environment. Adequate technologies are available as well as experience in operation. Ricernmills basically need electricity and, in general, other energies as well, e.g. heat for paddyrndrying, steam for parboiling or in a bran extraction plant. Applying state of the artrntechnologies for converting rice husk into energy, a rice mill can be completely independentrnfom external energy supplies. Electricity generation from rice husk is also an excellent optionrnfor independent power producers (IPP). A reasonable size for a rice husk power plant correspondsrnto an electricity generation capacity of 1 MW to 10 MW. Pay-back periods of 2.5 yearsrnor less and Internal Rates of Return (IRR) of 25 % up to 50 % p.a. are feasible. Further advantagesrnof rice husk to energy systems are: No cost causing deposition on site or transportationrnto dumping grounds. The blow-away of the light hull fragments with the wind contaminatingrnthe ambient environment and causing health problems is avoided. An environmentrnimpact assessment uncovers that a state of the art technology 6.5 MW rice husk power plantrndoes not only comply with environment protection standards but also results in a quantitiy ofrnsome 700,000 tons of carbon dioxide (CO_2) not being added to the atmosphere. Hence, greenrnpower from rice husk is the profitable answer to one of the biggest challenges of human beeing,rnthe global climate issue.