Biomass energy uses: an experience and application of alternative energy technologies in Nepal

Nepal is a mountainous country and its energy situation has been characterized by a very low energy consumption per capita of 15 GJ. Only four other countries in the world have per capita energy consumption lower than Nepal [1]. The total energy consumption of Nepal was estimated to be 270 million GJ in 1994/95 and has an average 2.4 percent increment. More than 90 percent of total energy use comes from biomass which is used for domestic sector and the commercial and other sectors utilize remaining 10 percent. Biomass is primarily used as fuel for cooking, space heating and cooking animal feeds as well as animal fodder. The share of fuelwood, agricultural resides and animal dung accounts respectively 79, 4 and 7 percent [2]. The forestry sector master plan has revealed that there is a gradual increase in fuelwood consumption. There was 11.3 million tons of fuelwood consumed in 1985/86 and this figure has been increased to 14.1 millions tons in 1995/96 [1]. The agricultural residues (paddy, maize and wheat residues and jute stick) estimates approximately 11.2 million tons per annum, however no data are available on quantity of its uses. Most of the agricultural residues are used in very crude form and burnt in ineffective stoves, efficiency less than 11 percent. The animal dung, a third major source of biomass energy after fuelwood and agriculture residue, has been estimated to be 11 million tons dry weight from 3 million cattle [3]. Nepal has huge hydropower (HP) potential, 83000 MW from 6000 river