Thailand continues micro-biodiesel program for rural communities
Quicknote bioenergy decentralisation
Thailand has been running a program to make small rural communities at the economic and geographic margins of the Kingdom, energy self-sufficient. One element of the program consists of training community leaders to become independent biodiesel producers.
The country's Energy Management and Conservation Centre (Emac) is now spearheading trainings in the northern Chiang Mai province to take advantage of the cost and environment benefits of biodiesel. This is its second workshop, which kicked off last month and runs until August next year. As many as 500 will be trained in biodiesel production.
"The aim is to help community members cope with rising global oil prices and promote the use of biodiesel," said Emac director Assoc Prof Prasert Rerkkriangkrai. More than 550 people participated in the first workshop which ran from September 2005 until this July. Once again, training course costs are 80percent subsidised by the Energy Ministry's Energy Policy and Planning Office (Eppo).
The first workshop saw three model communities built. They are now producing their own biodiesel from used vegetable oil and oil. The model communities are at tambons Nong Kaew in Chiang Mai, Kamphaeng Din in Phichit and Kud Nam Sai in Khon Kaen. "These three communities serve as models for others to study their operation and administration systems. People have shown great interest in joining the workshops. This is an indication of the effects of global oil prices and a move towards self sufficient energy," the director said.
The workshops are very intensive and focused, with small groups of six to eight people being trained each day and receiving instruction in production procedures, input materials, and safety. They are then equipped to build their own micro-biodiesel plants which have a capacity of 150 litres.
biodiesel :: biomass :: bioenergy :: biofuels :: energy :: sustainability :: decentralisation :: Thailand ::
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Thailand has been running a program to make small rural communities at the economic and geographic margins of the Kingdom, energy self-sufficient. One element of the program consists of training community leaders to become independent biodiesel producers.
The country's Energy Management and Conservation Centre (Emac) is now spearheading trainings in the northern Chiang Mai province to take advantage of the cost and environment benefits of biodiesel. This is its second workshop, which kicked off last month and runs until August next year. As many as 500 will be trained in biodiesel production.
"The aim is to help community members cope with rising global oil prices and promote the use of biodiesel," said Emac director Assoc Prof Prasert Rerkkriangkrai. More than 550 people participated in the first workshop which ran from September 2005 until this July. Once again, training course costs are 80percent subsidised by the Energy Ministry's Energy Policy and Planning Office (Eppo).
The first workshop saw three model communities built. They are now producing their own biodiesel from used vegetable oil and oil. The model communities are at tambons Nong Kaew in Chiang Mai, Kamphaeng Din in Phichit and Kud Nam Sai in Khon Kaen. "These three communities serve as models for others to study their operation and administration systems. People have shown great interest in joining the workshops. This is an indication of the effects of global oil prices and a move towards self sufficient energy," the director said.
The workshops are very intensive and focused, with small groups of six to eight people being trained each day and receiving instruction in production procedures, input materials, and safety. They are then equipped to build their own micro-biodiesel plants which have a capacity of 150 litres.
biodiesel :: biomass :: bioenergy :: biofuels :: energy :: sustainability :: decentralisation :: Thailand ::
Article continues
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
James Monroe Corp targets developing countries for ethanol plant exports
Many developing countries have abundant sugar crops, with fruit processing plants and sugarcane fields. Some export these crops, and receive low prices for their crops and their waste products. Also, many of these countries suffer from very high fuel costs, and have very low labor costs. Some lack the rail and freight logistics systems to handle giant ethanol plants, and the finances to build them, so a decentralised infrastructure is more interesting. To top it all off, some of these countries are also very hot, year round, and can run their vehicles on 190 proof fuel, which is much cheaper to produce than the 200 proof needed in the US. Even the byproducts of the ethanol process are edible. All of these factors have sent several small countries, investors, and governmental heavies into a race to see who can dominate their markets first.
Small, modular biofuel plants play a crucial role in carrying out the bioenergy paradigm in which local resource control, decentralisation and energy independence take center stage.
The company’s new marketing plan includes targeting plant-buying investors with strong foreign relationships, especially governmental ties, and building relationships with key people overseas.
Diversified ethanol's fuel plants and services come as an integrated package with the the following specifications:
ethanol :: biomass :: bioenergy :: biofuels :: energy :: sustainability :: developing world :: decentralisation ::
-The standard A500 plant costs US$1.6 million dollars.
-It is designed to operate 24/7, be low maintenance, and provide roughly 1.9 million liters (500,000 gallons) per year. It is guaranteed to produce 190 proof at 230 litres (62 gallons) per hour from milled feedstock when delivered. Additional profits are realized by selling the nutritient and edible by-product, wet cake distiller's grains, to local farmers for nearly the price of corn. If you require 200 proof, the matching small molecular sieve is available, additionally. Final numbers will be provided soon, when engineering is finished, including BTU information, and so on.
-the standard package and training should be more than enough to ensure success to clients, but if lenders require buyers to have a long-term guarantees, the company offers its Guaranteed Service and Management contract, for a percentage of profit sharing.
-The plant design is modular, so owners can keep adding lines. Or, if they prefer to build-up, the company offers an upgrade program where it will sell the owners' used equipment.
-The advantages of using small fermentation batches are numerous: there is less risk, permitting is easier, energy service to the facility is simple, shutting down one line for service doesn't shut down the entire plant, it is compatible with lower-cost locations, upgrading and growing the plant is simple, and one can quickly begin producing ethanol with a minimum of capital outlay.
-The plant can be switched to take herbaceous feedstocks (such as tropical grass grops) for the production of ethanol, once the enzymes become available. The only changes needed are a suitable grinder, different enzymes, and some fine-tuning.
-The power requirements for the plant: the design can be used with almost any type of boiler and any type of feedstock, including biomass heat. The model plant uses less energy (due to ease of selling wet distillers grains) and is therefore less dependent on fuel selection.
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posted by Biopact team at 3:44 PM 0 comments links to this post