in the domestic sector. This situat

in the domestic sector. This situation is more serious if we have to install gasifier systems in remote rural areas, where they are really needed. These are the regions mostly suffering from shortage or total absence of power. Such power is initially needed for blower operations and also for wood cutting. Feedstock preparation is thus an important aspect of the total system planning and such preparation typically involves cutting wood into pieces of the required size. Electrical power, human power, and the storage facility involved in such processes make their functioning cumbersome, especially in remote areas. For example, the chip size recommended by the manufacturers of the gasifier feed system must be ascertained before obtaining wood chips from a supplier, or before acquiring any chipping or shredding equipment. Miles [1992] brings out the emphasis laid in the report of the International Energy Agency Biomass Thermal Gasification Activity in which the gasification technology has constraints of feed preparation for wood-based systems and the need for special designs for loose biomass as feed are highlighted. The cutting of wood involves a sizable proportion (above 10 % and up to 15 %) of wood wasted as dust. Sawing alone generates 10 % sawdust on weight basis. Where the cost of wood is high, this wastage will be a major cost addition. For example, if a tonne (t) of wood costs around US$ 26, the price now prevalent in India, then the wastage cost is at least around US$ 3/t. Additional cost caused by loss of moisture from 30 % to 15 % (and hence reduction in weight) of the wood will result if the fuel is left to dry for just a few days after it is cut into small pieces. This further adds to the cost. Wood chips suitable for medium-size gasifier reactors are made available now by manual cutting. Mechanical cutters, electrical cutters, briquettes, and charcoaling can control the dimensions. However, the above methods of preparation of wood chips have disadvantages such as consumption of electricity, high human labour needs, dust collection, enormous noise production, and occasional unexpected accidents during processing. Therefore, it is not possible to process and store the wood for a long period. Hence, to alleviate these problems, one alternative is to focus on long sticks as the feed material in the gasifier. In the spirit of using an energy plantation for such a gasifier system, it is preferable to use such sticks from the branches of trees, which can be replenished at the plantation site within a shorter time span as compared to big trees being cut.