--- title: "Is firewood in Nepal renewable?" subject: "Power Plant Design" chapter: 1 key: "semester_8/power_plant_design:firewood-renewable-nepal" source: https://www.bctengineer.com/q/semester_8/power_plant_design/firewood-renewable-nepal site: BCT Engineering --- # Is firewood in Nepal renewable? Power Plant Design · Chapter 1: Energy Sources and Electric Power Generation - Asked in: 2081 Chaitra, 4 marks; 2080 Chaitra, 6 marks; 2073 Bhadra, 6 marks; 2071 Magh, 6 marks (asked 4 times) - Answer checked by Claude Opus 5.5 (high effort) on 2026-10-14 - Page: https://www.bctengineer.com/q/semester_8/power_plant_design/firewood-renewable-nepal - Whole chapter: https://www.bctengineer.com/md/semester_8/power_plant_design/chapter-1 ## Question What is biomass energy? Is it renewable? What about the firewood being used in Nepal? ## Short answer Biomass energy is stored solar energy in organic matter released by burning, gasifying or digesting. It is renewable only if harvest does not exceed regrowth. In Nepal, firewood from sustainably managed community forests is renewable, but overharvesting near settlements causes deforestation and is unsustainable. ## Answer **Biomass energy** is the energy stored in organic matter of plant and animal origin (wood, crop residue, animal dung, energy crops, organic waste). Plants store solar energy by photosynthesis; burning, gasifying or digesting the biomass releases this energy as heat, gas or electricity. $$ 6\text{CO}_2 + 6\text{H}_2\text{O} \xrightarrow{\text{sunlight}} \text{C}_6\text{H}_{12}\text{O}_6 + 6\text{O}_2 $$ #### Is biomass renewable? Yes, **conditionally**. Biomass is renewable because: - New plants grow every season or every few years using sunlight, water and CO₂. - The CO₂ released on burning is roughly the CO₂ the plant absorbed while growing, so the carbon cycle is closed. - Dung, crop residue and organic waste are produced continuously. It stays renewable only if the **rate of use is not greater than the rate of regrowth** (sustainable harvesting). If forests are cut faster than they grow, biomass behaves like a depleting resource. #### Firewood in Nepal - Traditional biomass (firewood, dung, crop residue) supplies the largest share of Nepal's total energy, well over half (as per WECS energy synopsis reports). Firewood alone is the biggest part, used mainly for cooking and space heating in rural households. - **Where it is sustainable:** in the mid-hills, community forest user groups manage the harvest and forest cover has been recovering. Firewood taken from such managed forests, as dead branches, or from farm trees is renewable. - **Where it is not sustainable:** near dense settlements, in the Terai and in high mountain areas (where trees grow slowly), harvesting exceeds regrowth, causing deforestation, soil erosion and landslides. - **Traditional open stoves** have low efficiency (about 10–15%), so more wood is burnt for the same useful heat. Indoor smoke causes respiratory disease, mainly in women and children. - Collecting firewood takes a lot of time and slows the shift of rural households to modern energy. #### Justification Firewood in Nepal is renewable **in principle**, but present use is only partly sustainable. To keep it renewable: 1. Promote improved cooking stoves (ICS) and biogas (AEPC programmes). 2. Expand community forestry and plantation of fast-growing trees. 3. Replace firewood with electric cooking (induction) from hydropower where grid supply exists. 4. Use briquettes and gasifiers to raise efficiency. ## Check yourself The answer's key points as multiple-choice questions, with the correct option and why. 1. Biomass is renewable only under which condition? A. Rate of use is not greater than the rate of regrowth B. It is burnt only in modern boilers C. It is imported from other countries D. It is used only for electricity generation Answer: A. Biomass stays renewable only with sustainable harvesting; if forests are cut faster than they grow it behaves like a depleting resource. (Key point: Condition for renewability) 2. Why is the carbon cycle of biomass said to be closed? A. Biomass contains no carbon B. CO2 released on burning is roughly what the plant absorbed while growing C. Burning biomass produces only oxygen D. Plants release more CO2 than they absorb Answer: B. The plant took CO2 from the air during growth, so burning returns about the same amount. (Key point: Closed carbon cycle) 3. Where is firewood use in Nepal most likely to be sustainable? A. Near dense settlements B. In the Terai with heavy harvesting C. In mid-hill community forests managed by user groups D. In high mountain areas with slow tree growth Answer: C. Managed community forests, dead branches and farm trees keep harvest within regrowth; the other areas over-harvest. (Key point: Sustainable vs unsustainable firewood) 4. Which measure helps keep firewood use renewable by reducing wood burnt for the same useful heat? A. Using more open traditional stoves B. Improved cooking stoves (ICS) C. Cutting more fast-growing forests without replanting D. Burning wood indoors for heating Answer: B. Traditional open stoves are only 10-15% efficient; improved stoves raise efficiency so less wood is needed. (Key point: Making firewood use sustainable) ## Related in Power Plant Design - [Why biomass is a renewable source](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_8%2Fpower_plant_design%3Abiomass-renewable-claim) — Power Plant Design, chapter 1, asked 2× - [Biomass compared with geothermal energy](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_8%2Fpower_plant_design%3Abioenergy-vs-geothermal) — Power Plant Design, chapter 1 - [World renewable energy scenario](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_8%2Fpower_plant_design%3Aworld-renewable-scenario) — Power Plant Design, chapter 1 - [World renewable trends and impact on Nepal](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_8%2Fpower_plant_design%3Aworld-renewable-trend-nepal) — Power Plant Design, chapter 1 - [Energy sources in Nepal and wind scope](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_8%2Fpower_plant_design%3Aenergy-sources-nepal-wind) — Power Plant Design, chapter 1, asked 2× - [Geothermal energy uses and plant types in Nepal](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_8%2Fpower_plant_design%3Ageothermal-use-nepal) — Power Plant Design, chapter 1 ## Related in other subjects - [Renewable sources and least suitable for Nepal](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_4%2Fpower_system_analysis_i%3Arenewable-sources-least-suitable-nepal) — Power System Analysis I, chapter 1 - [Conventional vs renewable energy for generation](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_4%2Fpower_system_analysis_i%3Aconventional-vs-renewable-generation) — Power System Analysis I, chapter 1, asked 2× - [Types of renewable energy sources](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_4%2Fpower_system_analysis_i%3Arenewable-energy-types) — Power System Analysis I, chapter 1 - [Climate change and renewable energy](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Ftechnology_environment_and_society%3Acc-renewable-energy) — Technology, Environment and Society, chapter 6