Energetica India Magazine January 2024

Flexi Biogas Plants for the Domestic Cooking Need of Rural Sikkim In hilly places, like Sikkim, where high transportation cost of construction material adds significantly to their expenses, conven - tional biogas plants are not feasible. Flexible balloon-style digesters made of neoprene-rubber can operate effectively in such areas. In India, where there are 535.78 million livestock, including approximately 302 million bovines there is sufficient room for the construction of biogas facilities. The GDP contribution of India’s cattle industry is large and is projected to rise. With its direct and indirect benefits, the spread of biogas technology is a boon for Indian farmers. In FY 2022, India’s installed biomass capacity was 10,205.61 MW. To ensure that all the advantages are obtained, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has started several programmes to promote effective technology for using biomass in various economic sectors. Sikkim, which occupies an area of 7096 km2 and located in the Eastern Himalayan Region, is mostly a hilly region surrounded by high Himalayan ranges. Sikkim has a considerable number of animals, including cattle, buffaloes, pigs, sheep, goats, yaks, and a few other types. In the north-eastern ranges bordering Tibet, Bhutan, and the western portion bordering Nepal, yaks are reared. The availability of animal excreta (organic waste) and their potential to produce biogas from various animals are shown in Table 1. CASE STUDY Anisha Pradhan Pradip Narale Mahendra S. Seveda Department of Renewable Energy Engineering, CAEPHT Ranipool Department of Renewable Energy Engineering, CAEPHT Ranipool Department of Renewable Energy Engineering, CAEPHT Ranipool Sl. no. Species Population no. Average excreta Animal residues (dung & urine), kg Potential of biogas production (%) 1. Cattle (cow/ bullock) 16,98,729 (kg/day/animal) 2,99,80935 100 2. Buffalo 1536 15.0 30,720 100 3. Yaks 6468 20.0 1,29,360 100 4. Sheep 4879 15 14,637 260 5. Goat 1,10,123 1.2 3,30,360 258 6. Pigs 38390 1.0 1,15,170 391 7. Others 28,246 2.5 70,615 250 8. Fowls (Poultry/Ducks) 2,55,888 1,27,941 616 Total 21,44,250 0.07 3,07,99738 Table 1: Species wise animal population and available residues along with their potential to produce biogas from different animals in Sikkim. Source: Department of animal husbandry & veterinary services, Sikkim Government 44 energetica INDIA- Jan_2024