EnMass Energy starts biomass development

KARACHI: EnMass Energy, a United States-based green biomass start-up, is commencing its first large-scale biomass energy development project, a statement issued by the company said on Saturday.

EnMass Energy takes crop waste and turns it into clean and sustainable electricity for rural communities, helping them reduce energy poverty and mitigating climate change.

The first EnMass energy projects are expected to break ground in early 2017, with an additional 200MW scheduled for development in 2018, it said.

Pakistan possesses significant biomass potential, which is why it was chosen as the first location for an EnMass Energy project.

The country represents a perfect storm of both economic need for reliable power and biomass potential, the company said.

Pakistan faces a 6GW supply gap, meaning the electrical grid fails to meet 40 percent of its domestic demand on an average, and businesses, homes and factories are without power sometimes 12 hours a day.

EnMass Energy, a United States-based green biomass start-up, solutions to the power crisis in Pakistan had already prompted four bulk electricity purchasers to sign contracts for development and offtake of a total of 50 megawatts capacity.

“EnMass Energy is set up and poised to provide thousands - and eventually millions – of farmers across Pakistan with the opportunity to almost double their incomes and serve as important stakeholders in the EnMass energy supply chain network,” EnMass Founder and Chief Executive Officer Andrew Joiner said.

Biomass projects have been going on for decades in other parts of the world, but at this time there is no significant market for agricultural biomass in Pakistan, which is primarily due to the fragmented nature of the agricultural sector in the country, the statement said.

The EnMass Energy will utilise cotton stalks that are routinely burned in the fields, as they presently possess little to no economic value to the respective Pakistani farmers.

Consequently, this biomass is available for purchase at a low cost in relatively high quantities.

According to EnMass Energy forecasts, in fact, biomass as a fuel source can economically generate at least 3.4GW of power in the stable Punjab region alone.