Cinnamon Firewood as a Biofuel for Electricity Generation

Biomass based electricity generation is now a well-established concept and in Sri Lanka, gliricidia has been accepted as the most suitable biofuel. Considering this and the fertilizer displacement benefits, the Government of Sri Lanka has given prominence for cultivating gliricidia on a large scale by declaring it as the fourth plantation crop. The objective of this paper is to discuss the use of cinnamon firewood as a biofuel for electricity generation. Thus, analysing cinnamon wood’s heat characteristics, examining its availability and assessing its potentiality for electricity generation are matters of paramount importance. Cinnamon wood is the residue left from peeling the cinnamon bark. The villagers in cinnamon growing areas were the first to identify the superior heat generating properties of cinnamon wood as compared to other types of firewood. However, its effectiveness as a biofuel for electricity generation could be best assessed by comparing its heat characteristics and other properties with those of gliricidia. Cinnamon grows in most parts of the country and cinnamon wood is available year-round as a byproduct. The process is sustainable, and the 32,345ha of cinnamon plantations presently available have the potential to add at least 80GWh annually to the national grid. Hence, there may not be a need to devote land purely for cultivation of biofuels.