Farm Waste to Biofuel - Fusion - WeRIndia

A new kind of biofuel conversion plant has been piloted in Kashipur, Uttarakhand. Its specialty is that it can convert all type of agricultural waste into bioethanol. This new technology has an obvious advantage over other biofuel plants which convert sugar or corn into biofuel.

The main advantage is that agricultural waste is a common by-product. It is commonly used as fodder for animals. The potential in the waste is not generally realized by most farmers. They throw it into ditches or set fire to it. This is only increases air pollution.

In order to make better use of the waste, scientists from the Department of Biotechnology in India found a way to make use of it. Science Minister Harsh Vardhan inaugurated a new kind of biofuel plant on April 22.

This new plant uses agricultural waste and converts it into a form of alcohol – ethyl alcohol or bioethanol. They can be used as biofuel and replace imported fuel.

The pilot of the plant was demonstrated in Kashipur, Uttarakhand near India Glycols Limited, a petrochemical company aimed at being green and clean. This is one of the best recycling technologies because of the sheer amount of agricultural waste produced in India. India’s farms produce around 100 million tonnes of agricultural waste every year. If all of the waste is used, it can produce 100 billion litres of ethanol.

The produced bioethanol can even be used as a substitute for petrol and diesel. It can be mixed with fuel to improve mileage and reduce pollution.

The current plant is capable of converting 10 tonnes of waste every day. This technology is said to be much better than other similar 2G ethanol converters. The agricultural waste that can be converted is not limited to any particular items. The plant yields bioethanol in just 24 hours compared to others which take days. It is truly a unique innovation.

Image Reference: TheBetterIndia