BIO FUELS VS FOOD
The world is still trying hard to over come the double crisis of sky rocketing energy prices as well as the increasing costs and fears of food shortages. Some of the options being proposed and tried out in some countries by converting food grains into bio fuels is being blamed at least partly for the increasing cost of food.
Similar views have been expressed in Sri Lanka too, as we too have been affected by the double crisis of energy and food prices. In this light, it is not surprising that His Excellency the President being reported to proclaim that no lands suitable for food production will be diverted for bio fuels production.
We of the Bio Energy Association of Sri Lanka support this view in principle. However, it is important to understand clearly, the situation prevailing in Sri Lanka, which is distinctly different and perhaps unique, when compared to the initiatives taken by countries such as USA and Brazil. They have opted for the generation of ethanol from food grains such as corn and sugar cane. Such options will definitely cause a diversion of land and other resources from food production, and we believe that the President’s views were directed quite rightly against any such move in Sri Lanka.
However, it is unfortunate that some politicians, as well as state officials, have not taken the trouble to understand the unique advantages that Sri Lanka is blessed with, and are hiding behind the President’s statement as an excuse for inaction and sadly for erecting barriers against efforts by intrepid developers of renewable energy. But quite unwittingly land allocated for food is being diverted to animal feed production. What we must aim at is food production with residue that is suitable for animal feed.
We, therefore, invite all concerned to take the trouble to understand and appreciate the fact that Sri Lanka need not blindly follow the path taken by the West in our efforts to wean ourselves from the grip of over dependence of fossil fuels. Sri Lanka is blessed with ample sunshine and good rainfall, to grow our green energy, without affecting in any way our efforts is gaining food security. In fact our association has proposed initiatives and methodologies to utilize species of trees and other bio mass resources, which do not hinder, but enhance Sri Lanka’s food production efforts.
To correctly understand this situation, it is necessary to consider, the several sources of energy that the country needs as well as the available indigenous renewable resources to meet such energy needs.
The primary needs of energy are for:
- Electricity for domestic, commercial and industrial needs
- Thermal Energy for industrial processes
- Thermal energy for domestic and commercial needs
- Transport fuels
- Power to drive farm implements and process machinery
The generation of alternate and renewable resources for the first three requirements is a simple matter based on currently available technologies by the use of Hydro, Dendro and Wind and Photovoltaic for electricity and use of sustainably grown fuel wood species to provide the thermal energy for the requirements (2) & (3). Biomass could be used for small scale production of biodiesel for farm applications. The species of fuel wood recommended by us are short rotation coppicing and Nitrogen fixing species such as Gliricidia sepium and ipil ipil. Our recommendation is to grow them as inter crops in industrial plantations of tea and coconut and also in home steds and agricultural lands using the well known alley cropping techniques.
The synergy of the fuel wood with food or industrial plantation is well established, and therefore will in no way interfere with the food production or the production of tea and coconuts. There are ample well substantiated literature and living examples of these techniques for anyone interested to observe and verify these claims.
We also propose expanding the alley cropping techniques to the large extents of marginal and unproductive lands, estimated at 1.7 million ha identified by the Land Resource Utilization Unit of the Ministry of Lands, thereby enhancing the food production drive of the government . Such an initiative will help generate large amounts of fuel wood as a by product, while producing the much needed substitute for Nitrogen fertilizer, to enhance the viability of the main cash crops gown in the alleys. This will support animal husbandry as well, as ample stocks of fodder for livestock will be available, Such methodology depends only on the rains during the Maha season and provides the farmers with year round avenues of much enhanced income from the fuel wood component of the plantation. The total potential for power generation, if Sri Lanka has the courage to harness on our resource and natural advantages rather than blindly applying the methods followed by other countries, is estimated to be in excess of 4000 MW.
The development of alternatives for transport fuel is more difficult. The traditional option of using ethanol by using food grain and sugar cane is the reason for this current furor over Food Vs Bio Fuels. We certainly do not support this option in any way in the long term. However generation of some ethanol is a natural by product of the sugar manufacture and since the increase of the indigenous manufacture of the countries sugar requirements is already an accepted national policy, the quantum of ethanol from such enhanced manufacture of sugar can easily be diverted to the transport sector without any danger to the food production efforts. This will be a valuable means of embarking on the path to emancipation form the fossil fuels in the transport sector, as the mixing of ethanol and bio diesel up to 10% is feasible for the petrol and diesel vehicles respectively, without any modifications to the engine. The potential of using non food oils such as Jetropha and pongamia piñata is already being tested out in many countries including India. The Ministry of Agricultural Development is also embarking on a project of this nature. These crops have he advantage of being able to be developed in very poor lands which are not suitable for traditional food crops. They too can be intercropped with food crops where the conditions permit.
The Ceylon Petroleum Corporation has already indicated their willingness to purchase fuel ethanol and bio diesel manufactured to their specifications . A study conducted by the Ministry of Science and Technology is promoting action to reach at east a target of 1% replacement of fossil fuels in transport sector urgently.
However, technologies are now being tested out in commercial scale to generate transport fuels using biomass and algae. These technologies do not in any way divert any land or other resources from food production. More over the relative utilization of the lands using these techniques is many hundred time that of the food grains as shown in the graph below .
A very important factor to be considered is the ever increasing transport cost in energy generation. The best method to minimize this additional burden is to grow and use our own energy sources in places where it is produced and used. When such decentralized units are formed, the disposal of waste too can be tackled in a beneficial manner by incorporating and reusing some of the products.
Comparative Yields – Gallons per Acre
What is important is to drive and focus the considerable knowledge and expertise available with our scientist and technologists to develop our own capabilities to generate these alternate fuels without waiting for both the knowledge and hardware to come from abroad.
We, therefore, request His Excellency The President to take necessary steps to ensure that his comments on this issue are not taken out of context and to provide the leadership and firm direction for Sri Lanka to harness it’s own indigenous and renewable energy resources.
It is our firm believe that Sri Lanka does posses both the capability as well as the resources, but is lacking in focus and commitment.
The tendency to see energy only in terms of electricity generation, hampers an integrated approach. The energy used in the rural areas are mainly thermal and shaft power where processing and handling of agricultural produce predominates.
The proposed method of growing suitable biomass for decentralized energy production will allow several uses of energy such as cogeneration of power and heat often used in agricultural produce. The energy used in producing and transporting chemical fertilizer would become an unbearable cost for most farmers so an energy source that addresses the issue of soil fertility must be evaluated not confining the selection based on the narrow and ill conceived ‘least-cost’ option adopted by energy planners, which has proved to be a fallacy in the light of leapfrogging fossil fuel prices