HPS Biomass Gasification Power Plant

Target SDGs

Market Suggested Retail Price

$30,000.00

Target Users (Target Impact Group)

Community, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises

Distributors / Implementing Organizations

Husk Power Systems in partnership with several organizations.

Competitive Landscape

Direct competitors include SimGas GesiShamba, NETPRO biomass plant, and TINYTECH Portable Biogas Plant.

Regions

North America

Countries

India, Tanzania

Manufacturing/Building Method

Manufactured on per demand basis.

Intellectural Property Type

Patent

User Provision Model

Directly from the company or partner organizations.

Distributions to Date Status

For August 2018 and in five years time, the company has lighted 12,000 households, a total of 35 villages and within 75 plants constructed, saving 15,000 CO2 tons/year. They aim to raise the power generation to 30 MW by 2021.

Design Specifications

Design and Components:

• Fuel: Rice Husk or other agricultural waste

• Water cooled

Each unit is composed of:

• Downward draft rice husk gasifier (40-50 kg husk/hr r gas)

• Venturi/gas cleaning cum cooling system

• Water seal

• Three stage gas filters including charcoal filter, husk/sawdust filter, and fabric filter

• Spark ignition engine and generator unit

• 2 lead acid batteries for cranking the engine

The facility also includes husk storage area, water tank, hand operated water pump, char and tar-water settling tanks, char/tar storage area and water recycling pumps.

The electricity generated is 3-phase – 415 Volts at the bus bar in the plant, and each phase being 230 Volts. Each of the 3-phases at 230 Volts constitutes one distribution circuit. The distribution grid is comprised of single phase lines extended into various parts of the village from which connections that feed into each household are drawn. The distribution system is comprised of double sheath cables mounted on bamboo poles and does not use transformers. Hence, the grid is not extended beyond 1.5 km to ensure at least 190 Volt at the farthest point on the grid.

Product Schematics

Technical Support

A key factor in the success of HPS is its emphasis on local staff recruitment and training in strict operating procedures at the village level. HPS is also planning to build a training centre (HPS University), and also provide some training by distance learning.

Replacement Components

Components can likely be outsourced directly through HPS.

Lifecycle

Plant estimated lifetime is over 20 years.

Manufacturer Specified Performance Parameters

Performance targets:

• 25-100 kW (usually 30W connected load at each household at 6 -7 hours of power consumption per day (2x15 watts CFLs & cellphone recharge))

• 32 kilowatts of electricity from 50 kilograms (110 lb) of husks per hour

• 400 households per each system installed

• 6 - 7 hours of power consumption per day (2 lights and phone charging)

• 56 BHP -1500 RPM

• Plots of size range from 185.8m² to 464.5 m²

By 2022 HSK's mission in India is to have 400 sites to be commissioned with a power generation of 2.5 MW. In West Africa is to have 50 sites commisioned with 2.5 MW power generation and in Tanzania 150 commisioned sites with a total of 7.5 MW generation possibility.

Vetted Performance Status

Husk actively sells its proprietary gasification plants and maintenance services to agro-processing units like rice mills to help them reduce diesel consumption by up to 60%.

Safety

There are some potential dangers to running the biogas plant: noise, hazardous waste material disposal, etc. HPS takes special care to train all the workers to adhere to strict health and safety standards.

Complementary Technical Systems

Char byproduct is being used in incense making businesses for some villages, and silica is another by-product being monetized. By displacing kerosene and diesel solutions, each plant can be registered under Certified Emission Reductions (CER). HPS is also piloting programs to train local electricians to manufacture simple electronic products such as pre-paid meters or innovative products such as small refrigeration devices for rural micro-enterprises. ^H

Academic Research and References

Compliance with regulations

HPS is supported by the IFC - an investment of 350,000 USD in convertible quasi-equity (2010), and adheres to IFC's environmental and social standards: PS 1: Social and Environmental Assessment Management System, and PS 2: Labour and Working Conditions.

Evaluation methods

Case study comparing HPS and DESI powerplant using secondary data: concludes that both offer great solution for BOP small-scale village power demands (between 25 – 40kW total demand):

IFMR, Center for Development Finance, (2011). White paper case study – Rural Market Insight Brief: Empowering Villages. IFMR, Center for Development Finance, India.

Evaluation Methods: Age of the organization, Funding sources, Legal IncorporationOperation Area, Number of Plants, Average Time to set up a Plant, Collection Frequency and Timing, Technology Type, Supplier, Estimated Capital Cost, Cost per unit, Plant Size, CDM Revenues, Target Market, Revenue Collection

Other Information

Additional technologies installed are Pre?paid meters, smart monitoring /smart grid, dry exhaust gasifier and absorption chille. A Husk Power University is being set up for training as well as an international franchising system.