Case Study: Rice Husks in Bihar
Geography: AQA GCSE, topic 6.4.12
Rice Husk Energy in Bihar, India
Bihar is one of the poorest states in India (a Newly Emerging Economy). Only 33% of people in Bihar have access to electricity. Since 2007, Bihar has used biomass (rice husks) to provide produce energy.
How do rice husk power plants work?
- Rice husk is the hard part of the rice plant that covers grains of rice.
- It is a waste product from farming rice.
- Small local rice husk plants turn the rice husk into a gas in a gasifier. This then turns a turbine, which rotates and generates electricity.
- The electricity can then be distributed to local people's houses and local businesses.
Benefits of rice husk plants
- 30,000 people get power from the rice husk generators.
- Households in Bihar who have no electricity get access to electricity for $2 per month.
- Burning biomass is more renewable than burning fossil fuels.
- Jobs are created for local people at the power plants. Each plant is small and employs 4 people on average.
Test yourself on Case Study: Rice Husks in Bihar
Which of the following is a waste product from rice production that can be used to generate electricity?
Which of the following is a rural state in north-east India that has begun using rice husks to generate sustainable power?
What are the components of rice husk power plants?
What are the benefits of using rice husks to generate electricity?