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Plants for power : the potential for cultivating crops as feedstock for energy production in Sumba


Document type: report
Download file(s): 467980 (2020 KB)
Abstract: In November 2010, Hivos initiated a campaign for turning the island of Sumba in the eastern part of Indonesia into ‘an Iconic Island for Renewable Energy’. The choice of Sumba was based on the results of a ‘preliminary resource assessment’ concluding that the island possessed strong potential for various types of renewable energy. Whether biomass from plant material could be a good source of renewable energy in Sumba is the subject of this report. This study was conducted in September–October 2011, and included a short desk study, four weeks’ field study in Sumba, a stakeholder meeting in Sumba to discuss results, and a final analysis by the research team. The team consisted of two social scientists, Jacqueline Vel and Respati Nugrohowardhani, both of whom have ample experience with research and rural development work in Sumba. The overall objectives were (a) to describe recent experiences and current cultivation practices of crops that could be used for production of biofuels and electricity generation in Sumba, including the waste streams; and (b) to indicate the potential for increasing energy feedstock production in a sustainable way. Hivos asked the team to develop a method to assess which crops, biomass streams, and value chains are suitable for developing into biomass-for-energy production, and to identify crucial factors for success or failure. This method takes into account resources availability in Sumba, general social sustainability, and ethical considerations. Additionally, the team used four pragmatic criteria for reducing the many potential crops to a shortlist for further consideration in this report.
Authors: Vel, J. , Nugrohowardhani, R.
Country: Indonesia
Category: Research
Keywords: agriculture , energy resources , sustainable development
Language: eng
Organization: Hivos – Humanist Institute for Development Cooperation
PAGE: 75
Place: The Hague
Publisher: Hivos
Year: 2012
Region: Southeast Asia
Right: © 2012 Hivos
Subject: Environment and Natural Resources
Title: Plants for power : the potential for cultivating crops as feedstock for energy production in Sumba