Husk Power Systems
Origin: Husk
Power Systems is a start up company based in Bihar, India, that provides power
to thousands of rural Indians using proprietary technology that has been
developed by the firm that cost-effectively generates electricity using a
biomass gasifier that creates fuel from rice husks, a waste product of the rice
hullers that separate the husks as chaff from the rice, a staple food in the
region.
Product/Services : Husk Power Systems is a for-profit company, registered in 2008. Most of
its income comes from electricity sales. HPS supplies electricity to the
villagers using environment-
friendly biomass
gasification technology. Electricity is supplied to only those villages that
have demand of 15 kW and fall within the radius of 3 kilometers from the proposed HPS plant. The basic connection provides a household with two 15 W compact fluorescent lights and mobile phone charging throughout the period each day that the plant runs (up to eight hours in the evening). Sometimes poorer households share a basic connection and get one light each. If a household or business wants to pay more for a higher power connection, then this can be provided. A fuse blows if the customer attempts to use more than their
agreed power. Each plant serves about 500 customers, and has sufficient capacity to allow
for demand to increase. About 70% of homes within the distribution area get connected.
Customers :
HPS customers are village house holds, local businesses as rice mills, local cinemas, photocopy shops etc. As the distribution is limited within a certain area only so customers lying within the area are served.
Geographical Spread:
As of now HPS operations is concentrated only in rural areas of north Bihar. With over 140 plants operational covering around 100 villages in the area. HPS has planned expansions in other areas of Bihar, UP and Tamil Nadu.
Vision: "Power to empower millions of people
– from darkness to light."
Mission : "We provide reliable renewable and
affordable electricity that wows the world – customers by our exemplary service
and operational excellence, employees by personal growth and empowerment, and
our shareholders through profitability, social impact, and environmental
sustainability."
Operation and Technology:
Sack loads of rice husk or other biomass residues are poured into the gasifier hopper every 30 to 45 minutes. The biomass burns in a restricted supply of air to give energy-rich producer gas. The gas passes through a series of filters which clean it, and it is then used as the fuel for an engine that drives the electricity generator. Electricity is distributed to customers via insulated overhead cables. The basic connection provides a household with two 15 W compact fluorescent lights and mobile phone charging throughout the period each day that the plant runs (up to eight hours in the evening). Sometimes poorer households share a basic connection and get one light each. If a household or business wants to pay more for a higher power connection, then this can be provided. A fuse blows if the customer attempts to use more than their
agreed power. Each plant serves about 500 customers, and has sufficient capacity to allow
for demand to increase. About 70% of homes within the distribution area get connected.
No of Employees :
By 2011 HPS has 270 people trained and employed most of them at village level. Additional
temporary work created during plant construction at various villages.
No of Occupation : At plant level HPS provides employment to four people as plant operator, electrician, fuel handler and fuel collector. These people are trained prior to work and have proper income and safe work condition. At organizational level the management consists of CEO, COO, Senior Director - Training &
Technical Aggregation, Director- Human Resource.
Benefits:
By the end of March 2011, HPS had 65 fully operational plants, and a further ten under construction or starting operation. 48 plants are wholly owned and operated by HPS, and the other 17 run under some type of franchise or partnership. Plants have 500 customers on average, so about 32,500 households are supplied. With five or six members in a household, this means that about 180,000 people benefit from HPS
electricity.
Environmental Benefits:
Surveys show that households stop using kerosene lamps when they get HPS electricity, and save 6 - 7 litres/month of kerosene on average. The total kerosene saving for the 32,500 households supplied at the end of March 2011 is therefore about 2.7 million litres per year. Kerosene savings cut greenhouse gas emissions by an estimated 125 tonnes/year CO2 equivalent per plant (assessed as part of CDM certification). Thus the total saving for the 65 plants in operation at the end of March 2011 is about 8,100 tonnes/year of CO2.
Social Benefits:
Good-quality lighting throughout the evening is a huge benefit to households. Children can study properly, housework is easier, and families can relax and socialize. Better lighting deters petty crime, and reduces the frequency of snake-bites and dog-bites.
Economic Benefits:
Households with HPS power save typically INR 200 per month on kerosene, so their net monthly saving (after paying for their CFLs) is about INR 100 (US$2.2). With household earnings of typically US$75 to 100 per month, this frees up a significant amount of cash. Businesses benefit from better quality light and electric fans, and some new businesses have started because of the HPS supply, including photocopying shops and mini cinemas. Rice mills are paid about US$25 per tonne of rice husk, so earn an extra US$3,000 per year by supplying an HPS plant, as well as solving a disposal problem. Some mills have shared this benefit with their customers by cutting the charges that they make for milling.
Future Prospects:
HPS aims to continue its rapid growth, with a target of 2,014 operating plants by the end of
2014. Recent investment is supporting the immediate expansion, and HPS is also working
to obtain carbon finance and expand its franchising operations, to enable further growth.
A key factor in the success of HPS is its emphasis on staff training and strict operating
procedures, at village level and right through its organisational structure. The main
challenge for achieving growth is providing training to the 9,000 or more people that will
be needed to operate over 2,000 plants to the same level of performance. HPS is planning to
build a training centre, and also provide some training by distance learning.
The basic technology and plant operation are not expected to change, but the R&D and
monitoring that HPS undertake will lead to technical and operational improvement and
bring down costs. Current ideas under development and testing include programmable
pre-payment meters, char removal systems that cut water use, and automated plant
monitoring. Other ways of adding value to char are also under investigation.
Rice husk is a plentiful resource in India and many other countries, since about 25% of the
weight of the dried paddy is husk. Bihar alone produces three million tonnes/year of paddy,
which could provide sufficient husk to supply electricity to three million households. HPS
technology could therefore be used in many other rice-producing areas, as well as places
with other biomass residues.