Emissions of SO2 and NOx from biofuels in India

Abstract

Concentrations of oxides of S and N in the atmosphere are strongly influenced by the emissions taking place from the burning of biofuels. This is particularly important in the developing countries where most of the energy requirement in the rural sector is met from biofuels. An experimental setup has been built to carry out controlled biomass burning and to derive emission factors for SO2 and NOx (NO and NO2) from various biofuels commonly used in India. Using these emission factors and the consumption data obtained from Tata Energy Research Institute’s (TERI) Energy Data Directory and Yearbook 1998‐99, the budget of SO2 and NOx from biofuels used in India has been estimated as 0.4 ± 0.3 and 1.0 ± 0.4 Tg, respectively, for the year 1990.