Possibility to Introduce Bamboo as an Energy Crop

Abstract

Demand for energy is increasing day by day all over the world especially for the short term renewable energy. Biomass energy has great potential to be an alternative for fossil fuel. Bamboo belongs to grass family and biomass can be processed in various ways to produce different energy products. This research focuses on comparison with bamboo and the other bio mass available in Sri Lanka and possibility of vegetative propagation to plant in small to medium scale wood lots. It will work as a substitution for replace tree bio mass on fuel-wood sector in future. Compare to most energy crops, bamboo biomass has better fuel characteristics. It can grow in degraded land so that it requires less care and less compete with food crops for land. However, bamboo takes comparatively lesser time to mature. First part of the results revealed that small to medium scale commercial propagation can be done through vegetative propagation. Medium with river sand and top soil 1:1 ratio showed highest germination percentage for the bamboo seed. Second part of this study reviled the characterize of energy quality attributes of bamboo species (Dendrocalamus strictus, Bamboosa vulgaris, Dendrocalamus asper, Bamboosa bamboos, Bamboosa balcoa, Dendrocalamus hookery) biomass, when compared to other raw materials of residual origin with a high potential for use in thermal energy generation processes. All the evaluated bamboo species in the energy quality characteristics are almost similar range equivalent to those of biomasses saucers traditionally used in thermal energy generation. Bamboosa vulgaris had the highest calorific value among the tested bamboo species.