PROSPECTS FOR BIOMASS GASIFIERS FOR COOKING APPLICATIONS IN ASIA

Biomass constitutes the biggest source of energy in rural Asia. However, its utilization in the domestic sector is mostly inefficient and polluting, resulting in resource wastage and indoor air pollution. Traditional cook stoves, predominantly used in the households for domestic cooking, have been a major contributor to these ill effects. Improved cookstove programmes implemented in the developing world attempt to address these problems. Biomass gasification appears to have a significant potential in Asia for domestic cooking applications. A number of gasification-based cooking systems, which are more efficient than traditional stoves and are almost smoke-free, have been developed and demonstrated recently to highlight the potential benefits of introducing them in developing countries. These systems are based on two broad approaches, i.e., gasifier-stoves and central gas production with producer gas supply network.