Crop Residue as Sustainable Energy Option: Case of Amritsar District, Punjab, India

Historically, biomass energy is the oldest form of energy, for domestic purposes. Amongst biomass, crop-residue resources are abundant, especially in agriculture-dominated areas. Worldwide, of the total renewable energy potential, one-fourth of total renewable energy is being produced by biomass and waste. Within biomass, co-generation plants using process-based agricultural wastes are used for power generation. However, a major proportion of crop residues, that is, non-processed residues, are burnt in the open fields themselves, resulting in air pollution, greenhouse gases and climate change, deterioration of soil health due to loss of nutrients, moisture, etc. The present article assesses crop-residue generation, utilisation, and surplus-availability for energy generation in Amritsar district. Amritsar district is the second most populated among 22 districts of Punjab state. Agriculture is the main economic activity in the district, covering 82.2% of its geographical area. It has been estimated that a total of 2.5 million tonnes of crop residues are being generated annually within the Amritsar district. Out of the total residues, almost two-thirds of residues remain unutilised. The residues are being burnt, resulting in deteriorating air-quality, which could be used as a sustainable renewable energy source. The total surplus residue has the potential for 721 MW of power generation.