Half the population of the Indian state of Bihar lives below the poverty line, including, until now, having no access to any type of energy. "Empowering Bihar" is the title of a new Greenpeace India report showing how renewable energy, particularly biomass and solar, can promote social and economic development through a decentralised power generation system.
Husk Power Systems is the name of the initiative that supplies electricity to a population spread across 125 villages in Bihar. It is one of two projects that Greenpeace India recently unveiled to the press, outlined in the report “Empowering Bihar”. Both demonstrate the importance of decentralised renewable energy systems. The other project involves various solar installations at the Tripolia Social Service Hospital, an entity that performs an important role in medical and health care.
Gyanesh Pandey and Ratnesh Kumar, two young entrepreneurs, are the brains behind Husk Power Systems, which comprises a network of 35 small plants producing electricity from biomass gasification using rice husks. The electricity is then distributed through small networks to the 125 villages for at least six hours a day. Until now, these settlements had no electricity or only enjoyed very limited access (four hours maximum) at high costs because the power was generated using diesel and kerosene.
One-third savings in electricity bill
Between 10,000 and 11,000 electric supply connections among households, industries and irrigation systems are spread over the 125 villages in Bihar, thereby allowing almost 90% of the population to access power. In addition to paying much less for electricity than when it was generated using fossil fuels (80 rupees (€1.30) per month compared to 125 rupees (€2)), each small plant employs at least four people, making the project a source of economic and social development.
The plan is to ramp up to 60 plants with an installed capacity of 2 MW. The project was initially set up using the entrepreneurs’ own funds, but it subsequently received financial backing from the Shell Foundation and the International Finance Corporation, among others. In a recent press release presenting the results and the report, Greenpeace said ahead of regional elections in India that “if the next government is committed to decentralised renewable energy, Bihar can be a model for the world".
RenewableEnergyMagazine.com
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