Biopellet Prepared by Napier Grass- DrP. C. Patel

Bio-briquette Production from Super Napier Pakchong -1 Suitable for stable production Currently, Malaysia is one of the top countries investing in Napier grass cultivation. Napier grass was reported to have a massive potential to produce a high yield of biomass and can be harvested every quarter of a year, totaling up to 4 times of harvest in a year. Easily grown in tropical conditions, Napier grass can grow to upward of 4 m in height and has a long lifespan of 7 years. It is also one of the best alternatives in the form of biomass for conversion to solid fuel for industrial purposes due to its high heating value (av.16 MJ/kg). These advantages summarize the benefits of Napier grass, thus giving it a lot of credit as a great source for use in bioenergy applications. Napier grass will create an opportunity for scientists and investors to decide the adoption of the best species to be used as the main feedstock of bio pellets. In this study, two different species of Napier grass were used. The pellets of Napier grass exhibited good energy density comparable to those in the literature based on gross calorific values. The pellet density demonstrated a significant effect on time, pressure, and feedstock ratios. Both Pakchong Napier grass (PNG) (Super Napier Grass) and wild Napier grass (WNG) bio pellet densities obtained were higher than 0.650 g/cm3, and the durability was higher than 95%. This signifies that the pellet can withstand repeated transfer during handling without breakage.