Industrial Innovations

Harnessing the Energy of Pineneedles for Rural Development

Small scale (10-30 kW) pineneedle gasification-based power plants, set up in distributed manner to create impact on employment, rural economy and ecological conservation in central Himalayas. Using pine needles as fuel in biomass gasification process to generate clean electricity and cooking charcoal for rural needs, generating conservation-based livelihoods, preventing forest fires and reducing deforestation. Optimization of operational scale for fuel collection within a 1 km radius from the plant, by mobilizing local communities.

Area: Energy Sciences

Innovator: Rajnish Jain - CEO, Avani Bio Energy Pvt. Ltd., yogarajnish@gmail.com

Funding agency: Ministry of Micro, Small Medium Enterprises (MSME), Govt of India

Benefits: Significant positive ecological impact through prevention of forest fires unlike agricultural fuels such as rice husk. Faster carbon sequestration by pine needles relative to other biomass sources as pine needle generation takes only one year. On demand renewable power generation unlike solar/wind.

Implementing institute: Avani Bio Energy Pvt. Ltd., Pithoragarh, Kumaon, Uttarakhand

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