Biomass Availability in ASEAN

The ASEAN region is endowed with huge biomass resources. The region is home to the world’s largest producers of palm oil, sugar, rice, rubber, timber products, starch and coconuts. The range of these activities give rise to large quantities of calorific by-products that are presently not valorized or otherwise discarded as waste. The effective use of these waste by-products alone are thought to hold much potential for the regions’ future electricity production. A full resource assessment has not been done across the region and the assumption from one region to the next may differ with regard to resource availability. As an indication the following table on the potential for biomass generation has been compiled. It should also be noted that some of these figures are national targets.

The potential for power generation from biomass in the region amounts to about 13,5 GW installed capacity as shown in Table 4 – it should be noted that this figure does not take into account the potential power generation from biogas produced from anaerobic digestion from municipal solid waste, wastewater treatment of palm oil and tapioca industries, sewage treatment or animal farms. In addition the figure does not take into account Lao PDR where no data on potential production are available. Notwithstanding, only about 15% of these readily available and known resources would need to be diverted to the power sector to meet the regional renewable energy target of 2000 MW by 2010.

Data on the biomass resource base in most countries of the region is either outdated or inexistent – the Philippines for example is in need of updating its biomass resource base due to loss of interest in the technology during the 1990’s. It is only recently that there is a renewed interest on biomass due to technology improvements and positive experiences in other countries. In Cambodia a detailed resource assessment has recently been undertaken by a JICA funded project – this is scheduled to be completed at the end of 2005. In Lao PDR, data collection has recently started. Rice husks and wood residues hold most potential in the country – although a full assessment needs to be conducted.

Table 4. Potential for Biomass Power Production (in MW)

	Paddy	Palm Oil	Wood	Sugar Cane	Coconut	Total
Cambodia						700
Indonesia	450	260	275	360	250	1800
Lao PDR	60			8		68
Malaysia	156	2400	55			2600
Philippines	360			540	20	920
Thailand						7000
Vietnam	150		5	200		400
TOTAL	1500	2700	920	1500	270	13500

ASEAN Modern Biomass Case Studies

Sanguan Wongse Industries (SWI) is one of Thailand’s largest producers of cassava (tapioca) starch, accounting for about 12% if Thailand’s national total of 1,8 to 2,0 million tonnes per annum. SWI is based on Korat about 250 km northeast of Bangkok.

Design, construction and operation of the waste to energy plant is taken care of Korat Waste to Energy (KWTE) who then sells the biogas and electricity at a discounted rate to the SWI.

This project represents one of the largest waste to energy projects in the world – delivering biogas with a nominal capacity of 120,000m3 per day (33 MW of thermal energy) to fuel the factory’s starch dryers with the surplus gas being used for electricity generation – 3.15 MW power plant.

The design of the waste to energy plant is based on Waste Solutions Ltd Covered In Ground Anaerobic Reactor (CIGAR) which consists of a constructed in-ground lagoon that has been covered by a plastic membrane. A compressor pumps the accumulated gas under the membrane gas through a pipeline to the gas burners and electricity generators. A significant aspect of the CIGAR process is its low capital and operating costs, which makes the technology very applicable to a wide range of opportunities, particularly in developing countries.

The construction of the KWTE biogas plant was completed in April 2003 at a total cost of USD 1.4 million. The construction of the power plant was completed in March 2004 and in operation since April 2004. The total biogas production from the CIGAR digester amounts to 80,000 m3 per day.

The plant in its current configuration replaces already all of the factory’s heavy fuel oil consumption and 62% of its electrical energy needs. Overall now the factory is over 86% energy-independent. The system is sized so as to allow for SWI’s growth in starch production to 750 tonnes of cassava per day compared to today’s 550 tonnes per day.

Besides the obvious economic and environmental benefits, the plant produces the following benefits: i) land recovery – the old treatment system that comprised of over 200 hectares of lagoons and channels can now be brought back into agriculture production; ii) process water recovery – the treated water can be reused for irrigation or be further treated as an industrial water source; and iii) biomass recovery – the biomass recovered from the CIGAR is high in nutrient content and does not contain harmful organisms – it can be used as a fertilizer, stock food supplement or as soil conditioner.

The success of this project has lead to intense interest from the agricultural processing industry in Thailand and abroad. Two new plants based on CIGAR concept has set a new standard for affordable and environmentally sustainable treatment of solid and liquid wastes from agriculturally based processing industries. Two new plants based on CIGAR technology are currently under construction in Thailand. One of these will treat the wastewater from an ethanol distillery in central Thailand. Further projects based on CIGAR technology are in preparation in Thailand, Indonesia, China and Malaysia.

First Grid Connected Biomass based Power Generation Project from Landfill Gas - Malaysia

Landfill Gas (LFG) Power Generation at Air Hitam Sanitary Landfill, Puchong is the first grid connected Renewable Energy project in the country. This LFG project has a capacity of 2 MW and it has the status of Small Renewable Energy Programme (SREP) project, where it will gain the SREP benefits such as tax exemptions etc. This project is owned by Jana Landfill Sdn Bhd (JLSB), a wholly-owned subsidiary of TNB Energy Services Sdn Bhd and Worldwide Landfill Sdn Bhd as the landfill site operator. The project construction has been completed in November 2003. This project has secured the RE Tariff from TNB of RM 0.165 per kilowatthour.

The total investment cost for this project is about RM 9.8 millions, of which the equipment cost amounts to about RM 9 millions. The funding agency for this project is Bumiputra Commerce Berhad Bank. By proportion, the investment cost for this project to produce 1 MW of power is RM 4.9 millions. The feasibility study of this project was sponsored by Malaysian Electricity Supply Industry Trust Account (MESITA), Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) and UK Government Foreign and Commonwealths Office.

The power plant has 2 Austrian-made 1048kW reciprocating gas engines. Besides the gas engines, the gas generator also comprises a gas extraction system. This system is directly connected to the pipe from the gas field or well. The system functions as the fuel pre-treatment system of the biogas such as filtration, heating and cooling of the gas. This is to ensure the quality of biogas before entering the gas engine. The interconnection point of TNB substation with the gas power generator is located only 30 meters from the site. The overhead cable is used for connecting 415V generating voltage from the plant to the 11kV transmission voltage at the substation with the transformer rating at 1250 kVA. 90% availability is anticipated for the first phase. The operation mode of this power plant is as a base load power plant. Among the benefits gained from this project are the reduction in odour level to the surrounding area and mitigation of green house gasses emission. These benefits are also shared by the surrounding community, whereby previously they have to face the higher level of odour problem everyday. The concession period for this power plant is 15 years. JLSB extracted biogas from the wells, which were built at the landfill site. Each well can produce biogas for 20 years.