In India, electricity use in rural areas accounts only 23 of national total usage. It is necessary to expand the access to electricity in rural India for sustainable development. Biomass, a viable resource, is the most direct and simple way at households and rural areas. Organic waste can be converted into an alternative source for cooking, heating, and electricity. Biogas is a biofuel produced from organic waste (food scraps and animal waste) through anaerobic digestion. It is mainly composed of methane and carbon dioxide produced through anaerobic digestion in either large-scale or small-scale digesters. Traditionally, biogas has been used for cooking. Based on village level survey, electrical energy is the only commercial form of energy that has been used in villages. Biogas production paves the way to produce electricity at villages through high temperature fuel cell unit like solid oxide fuel cell; thus, it is the best possible way to generate and utilize power close to where people live.The present paper discusses the rural energy requirement, overview of biogas production and fuel cells, potential and operational challenges for biogas fed solid oxide fuel cell, technical barriers with solid oxide fuel cell, and issues related to rural electrification using renewable energy. Also, a comparative analysis of SOFC with bio- and thermochemical conversion of biomass has been analysed with a case study.
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