Nepal's biomass capacity estimated at 89 million tonnes

 Kathmandu, Sept. 1

A recent study conducted by Nepali and foreign experts has estimated that Nepal has the potential of about 89 million tonnes of waste biomass annually which will be mainly obtained from agricultural, municipal, livestock, fowl and human sectors.

The study published in the 'Regional Environmental Change' and led by Sagar Kafle and co-authored by researchers from Nepal, Germany, Netherlands, and the USA has revealed the potential of such waste biomass in Nepal and highlighted the possibilities and challenges of converting it to valuable products.

They said that Nepal has enormous waste biomass potential, a resource that can significantly boost the economy if properly managed and valorised.

However, most of the waste biomass in Nepal is conventionally used, like as kitchen fuel and animal feed, without proper valorisation. Open dumping and burning, especially of municipal waste, is a common practice in Nepal, impacting the overall ecosystems.

The study has shown enormous waste potential in the Tarai, especially in Koshi Province, mostly in Morang district. Considering the geographical constraints and current consumptions, the study has estimated about 21 tonnes of waste is available in Nepal for further valorisation, such as to produce pellets, briquettes, biogas, animal feed, fertiliser and biochar.  

“Our study has revealed the potential at the sub-national level in Nepal, highlighting its possibilities and challenges for converting the fuel, feed, and fertilisers,” said Kafle, Assistant Professor at the Institute of Engineering, Tribhuvan University, and currently a PhD student at the Auburn University, USA.

Prof. Dr. Sushil Adhikari, co-author of the study and Professor at Auburn University, highlighted the opportunities for producing fuel, feed, and fertilizers from such waste biomass.

“The pellets and briquettes produced from waste biomass could effectively replace coal in thermal power industries such as brick and cement. It can reduce the country’s carbon dioxide emissions by up to 52 per cent and can meet up to 12 per cent of current energy consumption,” he said.

According to Prof. Adhikari, in Nepal, where mass transportation systems are lacking, and transportation costs are high, such densified feed blocks could be a game changer in feed industries.

Likewise, biogas from waste biomass could reduce the dependency on imported LPG fuel and produce nutrient-rich fertilisers as by-products.

“The country lacks location-specific data on the potential and availability of waste biomass, which is important for planning waste-based industries,” said Dr. Prajal Pradhan, another co-author of the study and Assistant Professor at the University of Groningen, the Netherlands.

He highlighted the lack of mass transportation infrastructures and networks and challenges due to the topography and terrain, which creates difficulties in raw materials and final product transportation. Additionally, uncertainty in investment and market, insufficient management regulations and policies, and poor inter-sectorial coordination hinder the promotion of such industries. 

Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 2 September 2024.