Prospect of bioenergy substitution in tea industries of North East India

Tea industry plays a major part in the economy of the North Eastern region of India. About 54% of the tea produced in India comes from North East region. The energy requirement of the industry is high and is being provided by utilization of conventional fuel till now. But the increasing prices of fossil fuel have affected the economy of the industry and the production prices have gone up. This study is aimed at investigation of the prospect of switching over from conventional fuels to bioenergy in tea industry to a possible degree. The major areas of energy usage in a tea estate could be categorized as (i) thermal energy for process heat, (ii) electricity for machine operations, (iii) petroleum fuel for transportation and plantation and (iv) thermal and electrical energy for domestic purposes. Process heat and electricity are two major energy consuming areas in the industry. Biomass could be a possible alternative for supplementing and replacing the conventional fuel for these areas. Surplus agro-residues from nearby areas can be used for process heat. Biodiesel from locally produced non-farm and non-edible oil seeds could be alternative to petroleum fuel provided related issues are appropriately addressed. Densification of locally available loose biomass in conjunction with improved cook stove could reduce the consumption of wood. The economic feasibilities of these bioenergy technologies in the thrust areas are analyzed.