Prospects, Trade-affs and Challenges of Using Woody Biomass for Power Generation and Thermal Applications in Sri Lanka Integrated Development Association (IDEA) No. 20, Hantana Place, Kandy September 2001 Tha outher in a retired CER Engineer, Former bireceer (Energy UNG Beiquatting Progremma: in Sudan and Besnarca ‘the Ringenel Weed Baevalapnart Fregrammn HWECR YF aN): Reng Commervetion Pur, Prayct Manager, National Fasleoad Comarention Programe. Served ax Extarnational Conautters parven on qProspects, Trade-offs and Challenges of Using Woody Biomass for Power Generation and Thermo! Applications in Sef Lanka demonstrations stages te the process development stoge. Et it ¢ matter of time for it to emerge os ¢ mature and commercially wintle recognition of the potential and the multiple benefits of hiemass power by phe public and relevant biomass is fo be @ chaice in tee energy mix Jn Sri Lanka. Unlike ony ether source of fuel, biomass if complew iy that it de inte? with a vost mumber of develypmenr itves such as poverty, fond use ond ownership patterns,biomass power generation should not endanger the energy security of using biomass for cooking by the urban and rural poor. This would be amounting to adding additional siress and burden on an already under privileged community. Taking away a benefit from one sector and giving fo another sector is net development. Electricity from biomass has been a eommercial and technical success with low cost weod and agricultural residues and in cofiring with coal using conventional combustion technologies. These technologies can be used to generate heat as weil ox electricity and the capital cost of using biomass and fossil fuels are almost the same becouse similar experience suggests that building modest scale («25MW) biomass plats moke economic sense when conversion facilities have at their sisposal a supply of low cost wood residues, But, since availability of low cost residues ix restricted te a power generation to make an impact va the energy scenario in the country. Modern technologies have higher efficiencies (around 40%) and tow capital cost (US$ = 1500/kW) which could accommodate = more expensive biomass fuels te compere with fossil fuels but technical viability with the use of Biomass is demonstrated only in few isolated cases. In genero! there is no track record like in the combustion technologies to go in for commercio! scales at present without subsidies or incentives ax provided in countries ike USA and some EEC countries. In addition to the complexity of the technology, stakehoklers are confronted mith uncertainty about the potential of expanding biomass energy based on mostly undeveloped feedstock supply systems. There is no generally available market