ASSESSMENT AND FORECASTING OF BIOMASS POTENTIAL AND ENERGY DEMAND OF WONDO GENET DISTRICT, SIDAMA REGIONAL STATE, ETHIOPIA

Abstract

Biomass energy is one of the important alternative sources of energy because it is renewable, cheaper, readily available and environmentally friendly.In Ethiopia, the lack of access to modern energy services that are clean, efficient and environmentally sustainable is a critical limitation of economic growth and sustainable development.The main aim of the present study was to assess biomass potential and energy potential from chat,sugarcane and coffee husk in Wondo Genet District and to forecast biomass and energy potential of the District for the coming ten years.Secondary data from agricultural office of Wondo Geneet District were used as data source of yearly available biomass potential and also purposively 60 electric city user households from the District were interviewed on their amount of energy consumption per month. Biomass potential forecasting for the next ten years was done using empirical formula. In the District in 2019 the total area covered by chat, coffee plant and sugarcane was 5414 hectares and from crop production 7255.03tons per year of residue was produced.The amount of energy produced from chat waste, coffee husk and sugarcane waste was 46397.62 GJ/year. Yearly growth rate of agricultural residues of chat,sugarcane and coffee husk is 2.7%, 2.3% and 1.4% per year respectively and after ten years residues will be grown 9224.602 tons/year.In the year of 2019,the average energy consumption of households in the District was 6KWh/day and total energy consumption of households in the Distric was 2040.22152GWh/year.The energy demand for households after ten years will be grown 472.021009979GJ/year. KEY WORDS: Biomass, Chat, coffee husk, energy