Biomass Power
Biomass is an important energy source for our country. MNRE has assessed the total biomass power potential at about 18,000 MW against which the present installed capacity is only about 1,260 MW as of 31 March 2013.
Biomass power generation is carbon-neutral and thus is a renewable form of energy. Among various renewable sources of power, biomass is the only firm source of energy generation. Unlike wind / solar energy which are in-firm, biomass power plants offer base load.
Also, biomass power generation provides employment opportunities in rural areas and is an effective source for rural economic upliftment, more particularly for the farming community.
Biomass power generation and rural economy are very closely interlaced considering the employment it creates in rural community. Given the intensive involvement of the agricultural community across cropping, segregation, collection, processing, storage, handling, supply logistics etc. for the supply of biomass, it has been estimated that the employment generation per MW of biomass is over 1000 persons. This segment has immense potential to provide employment opportunities in the rural areas.
PLANT
The 10MW ETA Biomass Power Plant is situated right on NH7 in Periyampatti Village, Sattur Taluk, Virudhunagar District, Tamil Nadu.Our power plant is one of the best performing biomass power plants in India.
Fuel Availability: The success of any power plant hinges on the continuous supply of fuel and this is all the more applicable to biomass industry. The plant is located in Sattur taluk where there is plenty of biomass available in nearby areas. In Sattur, Kovilpatti, Sivakasi, Kazhugumalai regions there are hundreds of matchsticks manufacturing units which functions in micro and mini industries scale. About 1/4th of the fuel requirement is sourced from these industries within a radius of about 15kms from the plant. The surrounding regions are rich in Juliflora which is also available in plenty.
