Potential for biomass electricity in four Asian countries

Of all forms of renewable energy, biomass offers the best near-term opportunity for supplying a significant portion of the world's need for electric power. Biomass is especially competitive when fuel supply costs are partially defrayed as production activities associated with the processing of another product, e.g., sugar, rice, or vegetable oil. Not only do such processing situations provide cost savings, they also generate very large supplies of fuel and therefore can contribute significantly to the local energy mix. The three factors of: adequate biomass supplies; increasing demand for electricity; and supportive policies are examined for four Asian countries, the Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia. Information presented for each of the four countries include: the types and amounts of bioresidues and their associated electric power generation potential; present and future supplies and demand for electricity; and existing or planned government and electric utility policies that could impact the generation and use of biomass power.