United Nations

Husks from rice mills for power generation have a number of advantages both to the users and to the country. Besides from helping to bridge the gap between demand and supply in the power sector, “Husk Power” is a renewable energy source which saves fossil fuels and improves the financial position of the industry.

The contributions of this project towards sustainable development are explained with the following indicators:

Contribution to Social Wellbeing:

• The project activity generates employment in the region and improves economic activities by strengthening the state’s local electricity grid. This includes improvement of electricity quality, frequency and availability;
• Suppliers of rice husks benefit from increased revenues. The collecting, transportation and handling of rice husks involves manpower;
• The project generates employment opportunities in the local communities.

Contribution to Economic Wellbeing:

• Biomass-based power contributes to the availability of continuous and sustained power to the local rice mills, thereby avoiding load shedding and improving quality of power;
• The main resources for power generation are rice husks. The project is thus generating additional revenue on account of supply of this biomass, which is otherwise being under-utilized/burnt with no commercial value.

Contribution to Environmental Wellbeing:

• The project activity utilizes locally available biomass for generating electricity which would have been otherwise generated through alternate fuels-based power plants, contributing to reduction in specific emissions (emissions of pollutant/unit of energy generated) including GHG emissions;
• Being a renewable resource, using biomass to generate electricity contributes to resource conservation;
• The project activity causes no negative impact on the surrounding environment as it utilizes locally available resources which would otherwise have gone to “waste”;
• The project helps to conserve local resources. It reduces pressure on the local environment. The uncontrolled burning of biomass in the absence of project is prevented by using the power plant under controlled conditions. This reduces the production of carbon monoxide and other harmful gases in the area.

Contribution to Technological Wellbeing:

• The project technology is energy efficient. The plants installation substantially upgrades the technological status of the industry which leads to developing skills and competencies. This promotes similar projects in the region.

For more information on this project, please click here.