Biocoal from Vegetable waste

Published on 13/10/2011

Energy is the basic need/pre-requisite for the economic development of any nation. According to different uses from the time of early man till now energy is being utilised time to time in different sectors in different forms. If we talk about the energy demand in future India by 2020, it is expected that approximately 669 million tonnes of Coal, 234 million tonnes of Crude oil and 223 million tonnes of firewood and 67 Billion cubic meters of Gas will be required at that time to meet the domestic demand. We are harnessing the resources of non-renewable energy like oil, natural gas, propane and these are being consumed at a very high rate. During the last ten years price hike in electricity has demonstrated consumer vulnerability and have compelled us to choose an alternative. Farmers are often expected to swallow higher energy costs although they are primary producers. The price of energy is so high today that it can substantially affect the prosperity of individuals and industries worldwide. We can overcome this problem by using energy efficient fuel Biocoal. The use of Biocoal can strengthen the economy, as well as help in increasing our energy self-reliance and control the energy costs.

Indian conditions offer wide range of potential among the non-conventional forms of energy like agricultural/industrial waste and municipal solid waste. It becomes possible due to the occurrence of the different Agro-climatic regions all over the country and availability of wide spectrum of residues. It is estimated that presently around 500 millions tones of agricultural and forest residues are generated annually and about 50 million tonnes of industrial waste consisting of Press mud, food & fruit processing waste, willow dust DGDS, spent wash and others.

Previously most of these used to be dumped as waste or burnt inefficiently causing air pollution. Due to their low bulk density and irregular sizes, handling and transportation of these materials was also difficult. But nowadays, these agricultural and municipal biodegradable wastes are converted into high density fuel pellets/briquettes through management of agricultural waste. These briquettes are efficiently being used to replace firewood, coal, liquid fuel and gas in domestic as well as in industrial uses across the world.

What is Biocoal?

Bio Coal as a Better Energy Alternative
Bio Coal as a Better Energy Alternative

‘Biocoals’ are solid fuels mainly non-conventional/renewable source of energy, having higher energy efficiency, low moisture and ash content and having zero potential of elimination of harmful gases like SO2 & NO2 other than conventional sources of energy. Pellets/briquettes of biocoal are made from processed agricultural refuse and process of converting agricultural waste to solid fuel is also non polluting. The agricultural solid waste is converted into high density and energy concentrated fuel briquettes and this is termed as Biocoal Briquetting. Biocoal Briquetting plants can be of various sizes which in which conversion of agricultural waste into solid fuels takes place. The application of coal, wood, furnace oil and other conventional fuels in industrial as well as in domestic practices can be readily substituted with the use of biocoals.

Biocoal is 100% natural due to existence of solid form lignin in the agro waste which acts as a natural binder there is no need to add chemicals or any other foreign substance to the process. This form of briquetting came to be known as Binderless Technology. Loose Biocoal has very low specific density of just 60 to 180 Kg/m3 but in the briquette form has high specific density (1200 Kg/m3) and bulk density (800 Kg/m3). Thus briquettes are 65% more energy efficient than that of loose biocoal. Costs for transportation of biocoal and loading/unloading are much lesser and storage requirement is also substantially reduced.

Manufacturing of Biocoal

The manufacturing process of biocoal involves various stages. In the very first step waste material is tested for their chemical composition in order to decide their suitability. Once waste has passed this test, it is dried in the sun until the moisture content falls down to 10-15% and this range of moisture content is ideal for briquetting. However if material has higher moisture content it needs to be dried before use. After ensuring the desired moisture content of the waste it is screened, chopped and ground to get the desired size and bulk density of the waste and is transported into huge bins. This brings uniformity and equal moisture content to the waste and through screening havier and metallic parts is segregated out. In the manufacturing process air used can be hot or wet as the case may be, for control of moisture. Now, Material which was stored into bin is discharged to the briquetting machine through extraction and conditioning screw. Here binder and steam may be added depending upon the binding capacity of the proper mix. By the time briquettes are achieved at very low speed of briquetting. These briquettes are now cooled by briquette\pellet cooler or ambient air and packed in bags.

Briquettes are ideally available in the size 8-25 mm in diameter and 25 to 50 mm in length. The size of these briquettes may vary from industry to industry depending upon their product specifications and their needs. These briquettes have got high calorific value which ranges from 3500 to 5000 kcal/kg depending on the raw material or the type of the waste used. Finely processed briquettes have low ash content of 10-15 % as compared to 20-40 % in coal. The machine can be set to produce the processed waste materials either in pellet form or into briquettes.

Calorific value of Biocoals

Burning of biocoal briquettes produces considerable amount of energy which is used in the different applications in the industries. It has been observed that the calorific value of biocoal is between 3500-5000 kcal/kg depending on the raw material or the type of the waste used. The table shown below depicts the typical values of energy and ash content in the biocoals produced from different agricultural wastes:

Agricultural waste

Energy (kcal/kg)

Ash content (%)

Groundnut Shell

4500

3.80

Bagasse

4700

1.80

Castor Seed Shells

3860

8.00

Saw Dust

4400

1.20

Cotton Stalks / Chips

4200

3.01

Bamboo Dust

3700

8.00

Babool Wood

4707

0.90

Coffee Husk

4200

5.30

Tobacco Waste

1100

49.40

Tea Waste

4000

6.70

Paddy Straw

3469

15.50

Mustard Stalk

4200

3.40

Mustard Shell

4300

3.70

Wheat Straw

4000

8.00

Sunflower Stalk

4300

3.70

Jute Waste

4800

3.00

Palm Husk

3900

4.90

Soya bean Husk

4170

4.10

Sugarcane Waste

3700

10.00

Barks Wood

3900

4.40

Forestry Waste

3000

7.00

Coir Pitch

4146

13.60

Rice Husks

3200

22.20

Wood Chips

4300

1.20

 

Environmental advantages of Biocoal Briquettes

Energy specialists all over the world are interested now in finding an alternative source of energy to fossil fuels and to reduce Greenhouse Gas emissionswhich are primarily responsible for global warming.Developed from Seed Shells, Biocoal Briquettes are the ready substitute for use in heating applications.With this development we can significantly reduce greenhouse gases and heating costs and the development of rural communities can also be sustainably assisted.

Heavy consumers can avail CARBON CREDIT benefits also as the burning of these briquettes does not produce any carbon (fly ash) content so it’s pretty good to earn some Standard Units of carbon Credit which is sold at Rs. 1200 approx. for 1 Carbon credit in International market. Briquettes produced from agricultural waste offer numerous advantages over fossil fuels, they are listed below:

  • Bio Coal Briquettes are cheaper than other traditional fuels used for the heating applications.
  • Oil and coal, when burnt, produces high content of sulphur and pollute the environment. In the case of biocoals this problem is practically not seen.
  • Bio Coal briquettes have a higher practical thermal value and much lower ash content (2-10% as compared to 20-40% in coal).
  • There is no emission of fly ash content when biocoals briquettes are burnt.
  • Due to their ideal size they posses for their complete combustion, biocoal briquettes have high burning efficiency.
  • In the case of biocoal briquettes combustion is more uniform compared to coal and boiler response to changes in steam requirements is faster due to higher quantity of volatile matter in biocoal Briquettes.
  • Usually production of biocoal briquettes takes place in the nearby area of their consumption centers and supplies do not depend on erratic transport from long distances.
  • In order to save nations foreign exchange biocoal offer industries to make maximum use of them.
  • Biocoals possess high density which provides easy handling, preservation and wastage during transportation is also minimised against conventional fuels which are added advantage.

Economy of Biocoals


Biocoals have proven their applicability to be very economical fuel in the industries and have replaced conventional fuels widely. This goes very clear with this graph. In this graph we are discussing about an industry which is involved in the production of steam. The cost of steam generation in rupees can be calculated in terms of furnace oil consumption in litres per day. With the increased demand of steam generation more quantity of oil is consumed and the cost also increases exponentially. If we compare between the cost of furnace oil and biocoal we can easily conclude that the cost of operating an industry is just doubled with the use of furnace oil for steam generation than that of biocoal. One can run the industry at approximately 50% less cost if biocoal is used as a fuel. Suppose that for steam generation in boiler, 1,000 litre of furnace oil is used and it costs around 50,000 rupees but for the generation of the same quantity of the steam, biocoal briquettes cost less than around 20,000 rupees.

Biomass Briquettes are available in the market at very attractive cost that is around Rs. 4.5/ Kg and Furnace Oil is available at Rs. 26/ litre. It is also very beneficial to the domestic customers to use the biocoal briquettes at very cheaper price. Hence we can say that the economy in the case of biocoal is more beneficial & acceptable to the owner of the industry.

Applications

Industries with thermal applications installed are using Groundnut Shell Bio Coal Briquettes for steam generation in boilers, heating purpose etc. and thus saving their nations foreign exchange, which is used to purchase conventional fuels. Promising results are shown with the use of Bio Coal as a fuel for energy & has got potential to replace the fuel even in coal based gas producing systems and oil firing in furnaces permanently. Few applicable industries that are in practice of using Bio Coal as a Fuel Source are – Ceramic and refectory Industries, Spinning mill, Solvent extraction plant, Lamination industries, Chemical units, Dyeing plants, Leather industries, Brick making units, Milk plants, Other industries having thermal applications, Food processing industries, Vegetable plant, textile industries, Gastifier system in thermal power plants. They are using biocoal with the hope that it is present in the abundance in our environment and economical too.

Present Scenario

Briquettes/white coal has been world widely accepted and demand for the briquetting plants is growing day by day. In modern time most advanced and developed nations are adapting the concepts of preservation and also concerned how to retain their natural resources. Energy plays the key factor in economic development in most countries today. Today governments and concerned agencies worldwide are also encouraging other developing countries to make use of this theory to meet the energy crisis in the coming future because the demand for fuel and energy is increasing day by day. They are practising this approach because most of the developing nations lack knowledge and technology but have an abundant supply of agro waste. Introduction of the briquetting industry would be a potentially profitable project with the lots of possibilities of conservation of our natural resources. Thus we can conclude that adoption of briquetting technology will be contributing towards a better environment and this will not only create a safe and hygienic way of disposing the waste, but turn it into a cash rich venture by converting waste into energy.

 

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19 COMMENTS

  1. Dear Sir/ Madam,

    Myself Shyamsunder wants to start business of biocoal / white coal in or around Pune. I indent to be produce as well sell the product. Wanting entire details which includes capital, cost, materials, raw materials, equipments, machinery, total land, manpower (skill / unskilled), government norms, government policies, subsidies, taxes policies, buyers, potential of this business. Request you to please reply on the same to shyamjilla3456@gmail.com or can call on 99 23 98 00 11

  2. i have gone through the information provided. i think every person and the Governament must think and act as fast as possible to switch overr to alternative energies to save ourselves and future genarations and to protect our environment and to save our other natural resources. And at the moment the awareness of the latest inventions and informations with regard to the use of alternative energy among the general public is missing and probably the Govt. is not keen to develop and encourage such programmes faster. so, i request all the people involved in this programme to reach every nook and corner of our country and to promate in a large scale in the interest of humanity,.

  3. Want to start a bio-coal plant in western U.P.
    Plz let me know the costing required to start this plant and
    Cost of raw materials required in it…

  4. This is really good and innovative information. The biomass briquettes produced from green vegetables are green substitutes of all the energy resources which offers high energy value without damaging our environment.
    Also, the briquette manufacturing technology called briquetting plants is the environment friendly way to get high energy efficiency fuel from the loose bio waste.

  5. Biomass briquette plant is made and manufactured by Radhe Industrial Corporation to put into process agro and industrial waste. All the divested material collected and compressed under high pressure without using ash so it is eco friendly process to make briquettes.

  6. Myself Sagar Partani wants to start business of biocoal / white coal in or around Amravati (maharashtra). I indent to be produce as well sell the product. Wanting entire details which includes capital, cost, materials, raw materials, equipments, machinery, total land, manpower (skill / unskilled), government norms, government policies, subsidies, taxes policies, buyers, potential of this business. Request you to please reply on the same to sagar28partani@gmail.com or can call on 9890260135

  7. I’m want to start business of biocoal / white coal in or around Hyderabad. I indent to be produce as well sell the product. Wanting entire details which includes capital, cost, materials, raw materials, equipments, machinery, total land, manpower (skill / unskilled), government norms, government policies, subsidies, taxes policies, buyers, potential of this business. Request you to please reply on the same to narasimhamurthy2@gmail.com

  8. Hi

    I am interested in setting up a plant in punjab.
    Do we have sufficient buyers of bio coal in this region.

    8527300866

  9. Myself Shyamsunder wants to start business of biocoal / white coal in or around Katni Dist MP . I indent to be produce as well sell the product. Wanting entire details which includes capital, cost, materials, raw materials, equipments, machinery, total land, manpower (skill / unskilled), government norms, government policies, subsidies, taxes policies, buyers, potential of this business. Request you to please reply on the same to .Mo 7030951652

  10. Dear Sir/ Madam,
    I wants to start business of biocoal / white coal in or around Indore. I indent to be produce as well sell the product. Wanting entire details which includes capital, cost, materials, raw materials, equipments, machinery, total land, manpower (skill / unskilled), government norms, government policies, subsidies, taxes policies, buyers, potential of this business.
    Please reply the same at patelankit2176@gmaul.com or 9165233797(WhatsApp no.).

  11. Myself shahbaz qazi wants to start business of biocoal / white coal in or around Aurangabad MH . I indent to be produce as well sell the product. Wanting entire details which includes capital, cost, materials, raw materials, equipments, machinery, total land, manpower (skill / unskilled), government norms, government policies, subsidies, taxes policies, buyers, potential of this business. Request you to please reply on the same to .Mo 9028145375 and mail: shahbazqazi40@gmail.com

  12. Dear Sir,
    Myself Ramesh Jadhav, I wants to start business of biocoal / white coal in or around Aurangabad or Gulbarga (any one place). I indent to be produce as well sell the product. Wanting entire details which includes capital, cost, materials, raw materials, equipments, machinery, total land, manpower (skill / unskilled), government norms, government policies, subsidies, taxes policies, buyers, potential of this business. Request you to please reply on the same to rnjadhav@gmail.com or call or whatsup to 8007970800,

    Awaiting for your reply.

    Regards

    Ramesh Jadhav

  13. Dear Sir,
    I look forward to setup the briquetting plant for purpose of generation input for my pulse mill plant.
    Kindly share the details of the setting up the plant ( structure of machine, cost of setting up, maintained required). Also, share if there are any available subsidies by government.
    Regards,
    Anjali

  14. Anjali, the Setting up cost ( Machinery approx 10 Lac – After Subsidy, Rent of 500 Gaj according to your area, Electricity Setup and fixed cost approx 2 lac, Labor and Manager 60,000 per month, Other Maintenance cost 2 lac per 6 months) and Raw Material Cost.

    Govt Support, 80 Depreciation Return, 5 year Income tax benefit, 30% Subsidy in machinery cost

    Feel free to get in touch 9811441939 or vermsh@gmail.com

  15. Dear Sir,
    I look forward to setup the briquetting plant in South India.

    Kindly share the details of the setting up the plant ( structure of machine, cost of setting up, maintained required). Also, share if there are any available subsidies by government.

    Regards,
    Sakib

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