Electrical Power Generation Potential of Paddy Waste

Abstract

India is one of the developing countries whose economy is largely based on agriculture. It has still many remote villages without electricity supply. This paper reports the experimental results of proximate analysis and calorific values of different components of paddy waste. Based on the results, its potential towards electricity generation and corresponding land requirement for energy plantation has been calculated. The results show that approximately 1481 hectares of land are required to generate 20 MWh/day of electricity. The results are also compared with that of coal samples of six different local mines being used in thermal power plants. This comparison reveals that paddy waste can be used to generate considerable amount of power output with negligible emission of suspended particulate matters. Its ash fusion temperatures are also experimentally found out and it is observed that it can be used safely up to a temperature of 9000C without any clinker formation in the boiler.