Suitability of Pearl Millet as an Alternate Lignocellulosic Feedstock for Biofuel Production in India

摘要

Due to the depletion of the world petroleum energy reserves and the increased public concern about global warming are strongly attracting worldwide interest in alternative fuels. In 2011, India collaborated with United States Partnership to Advance Clean Energy (PACE) for production of biofuel with low carbon emission. For this reason, both the countries were issued a funding opportunity to establish a JCER&DC (Joint Clean Energy Research and Development Centre. National Renewable Energy laboratory (NREL) had executed various ethanol research projects for cellulosic ethanol production for commercial scale production from various sources. Cellulose (41.6 %) and hemicellulose (22.32 %) are the principal component for cellulosic biofuel production. These carbohydrates (Cellulose and hemicellulose) are present in the bajra biomass. The feasibility of a new energy crop will be largely depends on its production costs, availability, conversion efficiency and cost of existing fuels. These characters are present in the bajra crop which makes the crop suitable as a bioenergy crop.