A Homegrown Model for Renewable
Energy and Carbon Removal
Energy and Carbon Removal
About Us
The continuous biomass feeding as well as continuous biochar removal in our biomass gasification systems delivers over 30% of the fed pine needles as highly stable biochar, while utilizing producer gas to continue to produce electricity, and is an effective way of carbon removal producing high value Carbon Dioxide Removal certificates (CDRs), the main source of revenue for the people involved in collection and conversion of pine needles.
Background
Recurrent forest fires spread by pine leaf-litter (commonly known as pine needles) and consequent loss of biodiversity as well as ecosystem services, for which rural communities depend on forests, have inspired us to find a solution to the forest fires by using pine needles for an economic activity. The natural response was harnessing of this energy for household use and we developed production systems for generation of electricity – to be fed in the grid, and biochar fuel briquettes – to be used by village households.
However, the inability of the grid to uptake generated electricity during frequent grid failures have created problems with this business model of depending on revenue from sale of electricity. This combined with perception of free fuelwood – in spite of substantial unmonetized labor inputs in its collection – being available from the forests have rendered the business model completely unviable.
Background
Recurrent forest fires spread by pine leaf-litter (commonly known as pine needles) and consequent loss of biodiversity as well as ecosystem services, for which rural communities depend on forests, have inspired us to find a solution to the forest fires by using pine needles for an economic activity. The natural response was harnessing of this energy for household use and we developed production systems for generation of electricity – to be fed in the grid, and biochar fuel briquettes – to be used by village households.
However, the inability of the grid to uptake generated electricity during frequent grid failures have created problems with this business model of depending on revenue from sale of electricity. This combined with perception of free fuelwood – in spite of substantial unmonetized labor inputs in its collection – being available from the forests have rendered the business model completely unviable.
Presently
We have responded to this by increasing the production of biochar as the main source of revenue instead of electricity, and shifting the use of biochar from fuel to farm manure which amends the soil ecology by retaining nutrients, moisture and providing surface for microbial population leading to increased farm productivity and permanent storage of carbon in the soil.
Contact Us
Address
PO Tripuradevi, via Berinag,
Dist. Pithoragarh, Kumaon 262531,
Uttarakhand, India.
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Our biomass gasification system produces stable biochar, while using producer gas for electricity. This process supports carbon removal, generating high-value CDR certificates, the primary revenue source for those involved in collection and conversion.
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