Biomass, Environment and Health: A Macro Assessment

Biomass, Environment and Health:

A Macro Assessment

P.R. Shukla

Structure of the Presentation 1. Biomass Energy Use

2. Biomass Energy and Environment

3. Local / Global Environment and Health

4. Biomass Electricity and Climate Change Mitigation

5. Ancillary Benefits from mitigation of Local Emissions and Climate Change

Global Biomass Energy Consumption   Energy Consumption Per Capita

Energy Consumption

  Peta joules 1993

% change since 1973

Mega Joules1993

% change since 1973

Africa 4 815 76 6 991 0

Europe 552 -14 761 -21

North / Central America

1 825 106 4 130 53

South America 2 748 26 8 888 -17

Asia 9 009 47 2 690 1

Oceania 185 16 6 693 -14

World 19 926 47 3 594 4

Source: WRI (1996)

Biomass Energy in Asian Countries Country Energy Consumption

 Per Capita

Energy Consumption  Petajoules

1993% change since 1973

Per Capita1993

% change since 1973

Bangladesh 277 27 2 401 -20

Bhutan 12 79 7 345 21

Cambodia 54 21 5 560 -11

China 2 018 54 1 687 15

India 2 824 58 3 132 4

Indonesia 1 465 54 7 642 4

Lao PDR 39 35 8 366 -15

Malaysia 90 61 4 686 -3

Biomass Energy in Asian Countries (cont…)

Country Energy Consumption 

Per Capita Energy Consumption

Mongolia 13 0 5 689 -41

Myanmar 193 48 4 324 -4

Nepal 206 88 9 882 12

Pakistan 296 101 2 228 8

Philippines 382 44 5 892 -9

Sri Lanka 89 45 4 996 6

Thailand 526 75 9 141 19

Viet Nam 251 54 3 516 -1

Other 274 - - -

Total 9 009 47 2 690 1

Source: WRI, 1996

  Petajoules 1993

% change since 1973

Per Capita1993

% change since 1973

Biomass Energy and Carbon Emissions

Global GHG EmissionsBTC

Fossil Fuels (1990) 6 1850 to 1986 Total

Fossil Fuel 195 Deforestation + Land-use Change 117

1980’s (annual) Fossil Fuel 5.4 Deforestation + Land-use Change 1.6

Forests and Carbon Forests cover 3.4 billion hectares of land or

25% of Earth’s surface Forests store 340 BTC in Vegetation and 620

BTC in Soil Elimination of deforestation can reduce

release of 1.2 BTC of carbon flux each year 100 BTC carbon can be sequestered over the

century by foresting upto a billion hectares

Biomass and Carbon Unsustainable fuelBiomass use contributes 0.5

BTC each year Biomass burning emit 22 million tons of

methane and 0.2 million tons of NOx Biomass products annually sequester 1 BTC Biomass products hold 25 BTC. This amount

can be doubled if Biomass substitute other materials

Biomass/ Energy crops can mitigate 1- 4 BTC by the mid-century by substituting fossil fuels

Sequestration Potential of Global C (1995-2050)

Measure

ForestationAgro-forestryRegenerationSlowingdeforestationTotal

C sequestered(BTC)30.60.7

11.5 - 28.710.8 - 20.8

60 - 87

Cost($/tC)

6-8522

3.7 - 4.6

Total Cost($ Billion)

1743

30 - 6044 - 97

280 - 340

Biomass Production under Changing Climate

Higher Productivity from: CO2 Fertilization Higher Precipitation

Lower Productivity from: Pest, Disease, Fire Species Migration Change in Soil Nutrients

Biomass for Energy

Availability of Land Competition with other

biomass substitutes Conversion Technologies

Synfuels Energy Conversion

Biomass Yield From Various Activities

0

300

600

900

1200

1500

Ene

rgy

Yie

ld (G

J/H

ecta

res/

Yea

r)

Biomass fromCommercialForests, USA

Maize, USA(Grain+Stover)

Sugarcane(TotalAbove groundBiomass)

AlamoSwichgrass ,

USA

Eucalyptus at AracruzBrazil

Ave

rage

Yie

ld fo

r Z

ambi

a on

10

000

Hec

tars

Ave

rage

of F

ive

Exp

erim

enta

l Pl

ots,

Tea

xs (1

993-

94)

0

300

600

900

1200

1500

Ene

rgy

Yie

ld (G

J/H

ecta

res/

Yea

r)

CommercialForests, USA

Maize, USA(Grain+Stover)

(Total

Biomass)

Alamo,

USA

Eucalyptus atBrazil

Rec

ord

yiel

d (1

994)

,Io

wa

Cor

n-G

row

er's

Con

test

Ave

rage

Yie

ld fo

r Z

ambi

a on

10

000

Hec

tars

Ave

rage

of F

ive

Exp

erim

enta

l Pl

ots,

Tea

xs (1

993-

94)

Ave

rage

for

Yea

rs 2

-6 fo

rE

xper

imen

tal P

lot,

Ala

bam

a

Max

imum

Sta

nd y

ield

(198

6-91

)

Glo

bal A

vera

ge Y

ield

(198

7)

Ave

rage

Yie

ld (1

985-

87)

Low

Est

imat

e

Hig

h E

stim

ate

Ave

rage

Com

mer

cial

yie

ld o

n80

000

Hec

tare

s (19

86-9

1)

Biomass Energy and Climate Change Mitigation

Biomass Energy Options

Synthetic fuels (Synfuels) Liquids (to replace refined oil products) Solids like Charcoal (to replace coal)

Biomass Electricity Technologies Gasifier Engine Direct Combustion

Electricity Generation Cost

0

2

4

6

8

10

100 KW Biomass 1 MW Biomass 50 MW Biomass 500 MW Coal

Technology

cent

s / k

wh

Fuel Cost O&M Cost Capital Cost

Cost of Delivered Electricity Cost

0

2

4

6

8

10

100 KW Biomass 1 MW Biomass 50 MW Biomass 500 MW CoalTechnology

cent

s / k

wh

Fuel Cost O&M Cost T&D Cost Capital Cost

Costs of Biomass and Coal power

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4Price of Biomass ($ / GJ)

Gen

erat

ion

Cos

t (ce

nts /

kw

h)

50 MW Biomass plant 1 MW Biomass plant100 KW Biomass plant Coal Plant

Cost of Biomass and Coal Power (with environmental taxes)

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4Biomass Price ($ / GJ)

Gen

erat

ion

Cos

t (C

ents

/ kw

h)

50 MW Biomass plantCoal PlantCoal plant ($ 1/GJ Tax)Coal plant ($ 2/GJ Tax)

Biomass Electricity under Carbon Emissions Limitations

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 2025 2030 2035Year

Gig

a W

atts

BAU 10% Emissions Reduction

20%Emissions Reduction

Institutional Issues for Biomass Power

Market Failure Weak Market Linkages Biomass Energy Feedstock System Financing the Biomass Growers Risk Coverage Decentralized Power Generation Role of the Government

Biomass Power: Implementation Issues

Ownership Decentralization Technology Choices Management of Finances Identification of Niche Market Participatory Approach Monitoring and Control Dissemination Approach

Climate Changeand Health

Health Impacts of Climate ChangeDirect Health Impacts from:

Exposure to Thermal Extremes Altered Frequency of Extreme Events Enhanced Weather Variability

Indirect Health Impacts from Changes in: Vector Borne Diseases Incidence of Diarrhea, infectious diseases Sea Level Rise: Water Contamination and

dislocation disorders Mal-nutrition from changes in food supplies

Climate System temperature precipitation

Malaria System

susceptibles

immunes

deaths

infected

diseased

Mosquito System

Mosquito longevity

Frequency of biting of human

Mosquito density

Parasite development

1

5 2 3

6

4

7

Human System

Linkages of Climate and Malaria

1 2 3

4 5

6 7

Climate Change Malaria transmission Potential InfectionDevelopment of immunity Loss of immunity

Morbidity Mortality

Major Tropical Vector Borne Diseases

Disease Population at Impact of Risk (Million) Climate Change

Malaria 2400 Highly LikelySchistosomiasis 600 Very LikelyFilarisis 1094 LikelyDengue 1800 Very LikelyYellow Fever 450 Very LikelyRiver Blindness 123 Very LikleyGuinea Worm 100 Unknown

Biomass Energy:Ancillary (Health) Benefits of Climate Change Mitigation

Ancillary Benefits of Biomass Power1 MW Biomass vs. Coal Power

70

31.48

19.45

2.296.15

13.1

66.36

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

S02 NOX Particulate

Em

issi

ons (

ton)

Coal Power Biomass PowerCarbon EmissionMitigation/ year

1376 Ton

Local Pollution (ton/year)

Pollutant

WHO Guidelines Effects  Annual Mean 98

Percentile(Micrograms/cum of

air) 

Sulfur Dioxide

40-60 100-150 Exacerbations of respiratory illness (short-term Exposure), Increased respiratory symptoms like chronic bronchitis from long-term exposures.SPM

  Same as for sulfur dioxide

Black Smoke

Total SPM

40-6060-90

100-150150-230

Combined Exposure to SO2 and SPM may have pulmonary effects Nitrogen

Dioxide 

1 hour24 hour

400-

-150

Effects of lung infection in asthmatics from short-term exposures.

Health Effects of Air Pollutants

Indoor Air Pollution from CookstovesYea

rMeasurement

conditionsNo.of

measurements

Particulate Concentration

(Micrograms/cum)198

2Cooking with Biomass

22 15800  Cooking with

dung32 18300

  Cooking with charcoal

10 5500198

8Cooking, measured 0.7 meters from the ceiling.

390 4000-21000

Individual Exposure during cooking (2-5 hrs each day)198

3in 4 villages 65 6800

1988

in 5 villages 129 4700198

8in 2 villages 44 3600

1988

in 8 villages 165 3700

Biomass EnergyOption for Long-Term

Climate Change Mitigation

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

1990 2005 2020 2035 2050 2065 2080 2095

Carbon CaptureEnergy EfficiencyWindSolarBiomassHydroNuclearGasOilIndia 550 ppmv emission

Stabilization of GHG Concentration Mitigation Options for India

Emissions Gap

Mitigation T

arget

1990 2005 2020 2035 2050 2065 20802095

0

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

Mill

ions

of T

onne

s of C

arbo

n pe

r ye

ar

soil carbon sequestrationsequestration from fossil power generationsequestration from synfuels productionsequestration from H2 productionend-use technology improvementsnuclearsolarbiomass550 ppmv emissions

Stabilization of GHG Concentration Global Mitigation Options

Mitigation T

arget

Conclusions Biomass Energy has an important role in

meeting the objectives of UNFCCC Biomass production will be impacted by

climate change Biomass Energy offer direct health benefits

as a substitute for fossil energy Biomass energy as can contribute to health

benefits as climate change mitigation option Biomass energy links climate change and

sustainable development