SUPER NAPIER GRASS FOR BIOGAS PRODUCTION

Super Napier is a Hybrid Napier Grass obtained by crossing Elephant Grass and Pearl Millet.
Super Napier is a highly yield-able grass that has a crude protein content of 14 to 18%.

Detailed characteristics of Napier grass

Parameter

TS (%) 24.61
VS (% of TS) 85.80
Moisture content (%) 75.39
Sugars (g/g) 8.64
Carbon (% DW) 44.36
Hydrogen (% DW) 5.86
Nitrogen (% DW) 1.48
Sulfur (% DW) 0.38
Oxygen (% DW) by difference 47.92
C/N ratio 29.97
Ash content (%) 6.14
Cellulose (%) 29.7
Hemicellulose ( %) 28.6
Lignin (%) 9.2

Gas Yield:
The average gas yield of Super Napier grass is 90-100 m3/FM.

Super Napier Grass – Cultivation and Harvest- a brief

It grows in all kinds of soil. It grows in all kinds of water. Even in saline water it will grow, yields do not
reducein saline water. Stem cuttings are used as planting material.

Planting material- Stem cuttings

Planting material required is 10,000 cutting per acre.

A basal dose of organic manure followed by Urea, Super Phosphate and Potash forms the nutritional
schedule. Every harvest needs only additional dose of urea only for better biomass growth and yield.

First harvest is done on 80th day. After that every 40-45 days one harvest can be made.Eight harvests can
be made in a year with 25 MT yield per harvest. The crop can be kept for 8 years in the field.

Super Napier can give yield of 200 Tons per acre per year which makes it as "King of Napier’s"

Super Napier Grass in Biogas Production

Research Background

(Biotechnological application of sustainable biogas production through dry anaerobic digestion of Napier
grass - Natthawud Dussadee, 1Rameshprabu Ramaraj,1 and Tapana Cheunbarn2-Published 2017 Apr 25)

Napier grass (Pennisetum purpureum), represents an interesting substrate for biogas production. The
research project evaluated biogas potential production from dry anaerobic digestion of Napier grass
using batch experiment. To enhance the biogas production from ensiled Napier grass, thermal and
alkaline pre-treatments were performed in batch mode. Alkali hydrolysis of Napier grass was performed
prior to batch dry anaerobic digestion at three different mild concentrations of sodium hydroxide
(NaOH). The study results confirmed that NaOH pre-treated sample produced high yield of biogas than
untreated (raw) and hot water pre-treated samples. Napier grass was used as the mono-substrate. The
biogas composition of carbon dioxide (30.10%), methane (63.50%) and 5 ppm of H2S was estimated
from the biogas. Therefore, fast-growing, high-yielding and organic matter-enriched of Napier grass was
promising energy crop for biogas production.

Super Napier Grass based Biogas Plants in India

 There are two biogas plants coming up using Super Napier grass as the feedstock one in Anekal,
Bangalore Urban district and second in Mydukuru, Kadapa district , Andhra Pradesh. These plants with
6 MT CBG per day belong to Hycons Renewables Private Ltd. These two plants are likely to be
commenced before 2021 end.