Re: GAS-L: A plague of criticism, any solutions?

[ascent@wilnetonline.net]

Dear Sir,

I am Ingrid  Fernandes, Sr. Manager, Ankur Scientific, India.  We are
basically a Biomass Gasification company and have been in the business for a
number of years now, making enough money not only to support ourselves but
also to support further technology development work through our own
resources.  Do visit our web site www.ankurscientific.com .

Regards,

Ingrid

----- Original Message -----
From: Kevin Chisholm <kchisholm@ca.inter.net>
To: Laszlo Paszner <lpaszner@shaw.ca>
Cc: <Carefreeland@aol.com>; <agniesco@hd2.dot.net.in>; <stoves@crest.org>;
<gasification@crest.org>; <bioenergy@crest.org>; <LINVENT@aol.com>
Sent: Wednesday, August 28, 2002 2:55 PM
Subject: Re: GAS-L: A plague of criticism, any solutions?


> Dear Dr. Paszner
>
> Thank you for your very interesting overview on
> bioenergy.
>
> Laszlo Paszner wrote:
> >
> > Dear All,
> >
> ....del...>
> > Biomass is largely "undersold" as an alternate renewable energy source
by
> > the world authorities and the media.  It is lucky if it gets honorable
> > mention among the renewable energy sources of wind, solar and tidal.
The
> > authorities are brainwashed by the petrochemical companies. This is so
> > because the technologies for these energy forms are owned by the
> > petrochemical companies, Shell, BP, Texaco, SUNCOR etc.  Promotion of
wind,
> > solar and tidal energy forms is safe, they do not cut into the gasoline
> > markets.  Wide-scale promotion of wind and solar  installations for
> > developing countries channels much needed developmental funds again to
the
> > petrochemical companies (you remember they own these technologies -
bought
> > into them quietly 5-6 years ago) leaving the developing countries
further
> > in debt and dependent without solving their problem (lack of energy in
> > rural areas).  These are "passive" energy forms because they will not
> > generate wide-spread sustainable jobs after their installation.  As a
> > result, this power form, regardless of its renewable nature, will remain
> > inaccessible to the poor because they are left without a
> > dispasible  income.  Biomass growing and ethanol production are highly
> > labor intensive (active) job creators.  Thus growing biomass (growing
the
> > seedlings, planting, tending and harvesting the forests) requires
> > continuous attention and will maintain a substantial number of permanent
> > rural jobs.  For every 50 million L/yr ethanol plant, we generate
between
> > 75 to 150 permanent, well paying rural jobs.  Yet, biomass is not
promoted
> > as the true future renewable energy source.
> >
> I would suggest that there is not a conspiracy by
> multi-National Oil Companies to hold back the
> development of biomass. I would suggest that they can
> make more money from oil than they can make from
> biomass, and that is the reason why they process oil.
> It is very dificult to imagine the multi-National Oil
> Companies saying "We can make more money on biomass,
> but we are not going to do that, because we are oil
> processors."
>
> The cruel reality seems to be that it is somewhere
> between difficult and impossible to make money from
> biomass energy.
>
>
> > For the biomass program, fast growing and high yielding crops become
> > important.  Comparatively speaking, trees produce 4-8 T/ha . yr biomass
in
> > the temperate regions, better yields (18-30 T/ha . yr) can be obtained
with
> > both deciduous and coniferous wood species in tropical and sub-tropical
> > countries.  Similar or better yields can be obtained with
sugarcane/sweet
> > sorghum and mineral giant reed; up to 45 T/ha .yr.  Exceptionally, up to
> > 60-75 T/ha .yr can be had with Eucalyptus species.  So by selective
biomass
> > cultivation the target biomass supply will become available while
> > simultaneously also solving the world's poverty problems.
>
> With a ratio of about 15:1 in terms of tropical
> eucalyptus to temperate forestry yields, if biomass
> energy even had a chance of being economic, one would
> see at least some biomass energy companies making money
> from eucalyptus energy processing. Are there any "stand
> alone biomass energy successes" anywhere in the world?
> There may be some businesses successes because of
> peculiar circumstances, such as waste product disposal,
> or special incentives. The cruel reality seems to be
> that, simply put, there is no money to be made in
> biomass energy.
>
> Am I mising something here? Is there anyone making
> "stand alone money" in biomass anywhere in the world?
> Is it perhaps a case that biomass energy economics are
> ruled by a Law that says "The bigger you are, the more
> you lose?"
>
> Kindest regards,
>
> Kevin Chisholm
> >
>
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