Positive outlook of making fuel pellets out of elephant grass

Currently, there have been no in-depth studies on biomass crops.  Science and Technology Enterprises - Vietseed Company Limited is know as one of the pioneers in the study of energy crops in Vietnam.

Vietseed established a team to do all research work from field trial to mechanization of planting, harvesting, processing and making fuel pellets out of elephant grass.

VS-19 is the elephant grass variety that Vietseeds eyed to manufacture pellets that can be used as a fuel source. This grass variety is selected by Vietseed and approved for circulation in October 2021. The VS-19 variety is widely adapted, high yielding and economic, in accordance with the definition of special-purpose biomass crops.

Especially, this VS-19 elephant grass can be harvested regularly with stable quality of raw material and low production cost. This variety of elephant grass can overcome the drawback of vegetal materials produced in croplands and forests such as straw, rice husk, sawdust, firewood which have been more and more scarce and expensive amid global energy crisis.

With the samples of VS-19 elephant grass-made fuel pellets collected from Hanoi, Khanh Hoa and Ninh Thuan in 2022, the testing results showed that heating values are 3.593 - 3.954 and 3.850 Kcal/kg respectively; ash ratio are 6.97 – 8.27 and 5.57% respectively, Sulphur contents are 0.167 - 0.062 and 0.169% respectively; Nitrogen contents are 1.32 – 0.05 and 1.04; CO2 fixation rates range between 16% and 18%.

“Initial results show that the above quality parameters for pellet fuel made out of VS-19 elephant grass are suitable for being used as fuel for thermoelectric generators, steam boilers and heaters,” said Dinh Thanh Long, Director of Lu Gia Commodities Company Limited and an experienced expert in fuel trading in Ho Chi Minh city.

To ensure the success of mass-production of pellet fuel from elephant grass biomass, Vietseed will continue to closely work with Nha Ho Research Institute for Cotton and Agricultural Development based in Ninh Thuan province on studying, experimenting and overcoming inherent weakness of elephant grass as well as processing fresh material.

At the same time, they will try to mechanize some stages of elephant grass production including growing, harvesting and post-harvest processing for fuel pellet production; identifying the connection between dry matter, recovery rate and the quality of finished fuel pellets; finding solutions to increase the lifespan of remained roots and replanting the area of dead roots from the second year after planting. In tandem with that, technologies that optimize drying of grass, crushing and pressing pellets suitable to the characteristics of grass biomass production will be tested.

In addition, based on its long-term orientation, Vietseed has started different programs such as adopting bio-technology in propagating elephant grass to reduce the cost of new planting and expand growing area; collecting and evaluating genetic resources; developing and selecting new elephant grass varieties; testing New Guinea-VS variety; analyzing CO2 absorption, aiming at net zero carbon.

“Based on the research findings we can come up with some useful solutions for improving farming productivity and effective use on the existing area of  grass grown specifically as animal feed,” said Le Dang Hung, Deputy Director of Vietseed.