Bioenergy and carbon sequestration potential from energy tree plantation in rural wasteland of North-Eastern India

Moonmoon Hiloidhari; Hemantajeet Medhi; Karabee Das; Indu Shekhar Thakur; D C Baruah

Authors

Moonmoon Hiloidhari Department of Energy, School of Engineering, Tezpur University, Tezpur-784028, Assam, India | School of Environmental Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi-110067, India
Hemantajeet Medhi Department of Energy, School of Engineering, Tezpur University, Tezpur-784028, Assam, India
Karabee Das IVEM, University of Groningen, The Netherlands
Indu Shekhar Thakur School of Environmental Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi-110067, India
D C Baruah Department of Energy, School of Engineering, Tezpur University, Tezpur-784028, Assam, India

Keywords:

Bioenergy, Carbon sequestration, Negative emission, Energy tree, Wasteland

Abstract

In this study, carbon sequestration potential via energy tree plantation in the rural wasteland of Assam, India was estimated under two different plantation species scenarios,viz., (i) Acacia nilotica, and (ii) Bambusa tulda. Furthermore, CO2 emission reduction potential in local tea industries by replacing coal with bioenergy available from the energy plantation was also investigated. It was observed that plantation of B. tulda could sequester more carbon than A. nilotica. Both the plantations could generate adequate bioenergy to substitute coal in tea industries. Over a 50-year time period, using bioenergy as a replacement to coal in tea industries could result in significant negative CO2 emission. Compared to A. nilotica, higher emission reduction is achievable from B. tulda bioenergy feedstock. It is also recommended to undertake further study through site-specific data coupled with life-cycle assessment for precise understanding of carbon sequestration potential of bioenergy plantation.