Biogas energy is usually connected to low-carbon economy or hydro economy, environment and ecology protection, agriculture development, hunger alleviation, and poverty reduction, making the country greener and cleaner. Vietnam is an agricultural country with abundant biomass waste sources. Such biomass waste sources are currently being disposed by firing, resulting in pollution and damages to human health. The research and development of biomass fuels and energy, creation of energies and fuels which are clean, cheap, and contribute part to ensuring energy security and environment protection are on an obvious road.
Gasification of biomass fuels is a method to turn biomass fuels (containing C) into CO and Hydrogen through reactions with oxygen and vapor at high temperature in anaerobic environment. This technology can use synthetic gas at higher temperature and more efficiently than the directly-firing method. The combustion at high temperature (at secondary gas space) to 1,700oC helps eject eroding components like Cl, K… or toxic substances like dioxin and furan to create clean gas, decreasing the emissions of Cox, NOx and material grains, differently from that in the directly-firing method.
To utilize cheap biomass fuel sources, gasification helps cook stoves extract gas without black carbon, creating blue flame during firing, gaining use with high efficiency and safety. Each ton of rice husk can create an energy value equivalent to 378 liters of kerosene or 415 liters of petrol, meaning an easiness to provide enough fuel for a household in Vietnam for a year. Such gas volume can also be used for larger-scale commercial activities as roasting and frying coffee, frying tea, and heating terra-cotta… In addition, with the huge potential of biomass in Vietnam, the exploitation of fuels (pellets, scrolls, dried fuels…) for production and business can also create another auxiliary industry, creating more jobs for localities and traditional handicraft villages.
Using gasification technology to make civil cook stoves, people will be able to use cheap gas stoves and can sell biochar for money. Industries in need for heating energy without high power such as those for frying tee, heating terra-cotta, roasting coffee, supplying heat to steam boilers… can apply this technology. The model of initial processing of agricultural products and materials closed to biomass fuel sources as the residues of such agricultural products (coffee husk for coffee initial processing) are also very suitable with gasification technology. The use of biochar as fertilizer can help effectively improve soil with safety to environment.
Presently, biomass is globally the forth greatest energy source, accounting for 14-16% of energy consumption. In developing countries, biomass is often the greatest energy source, contributing about 35% of total energy supply.
Vietnam is in stage of strong economic development in which demand for energy decreases fast. In the mean time, fossil fuel sources have been being exhausted. From 2015, Vietnam will become an energy-import country. The exploitation of regenerative energy has an important meaning in economy, society, energy security, sustainable development, increasing added value for some agricultural sectors, and creating jobs through industries auxiliary for biomass fuels, as well as biomass production industries.
(By Industry and Commerce Magazine)