TEA WASTE BIOCHAR - AS UPCOMING INDUSTRIAL FUEL SOURCE

Tea waste is?the discarded leaves, buds, and stems of tea plants, as well as other waste products from the tea production process.?These include.

• Tea sweepings
• Tea fluff
• Tea fiber
• Tea stalks
• Pruned tea tree branches
• Discarded summer and fall teas
• Residues remaining after tea preparation
• Calorific Value: 20-22 MJ/Kg whereas same for Hydrogen is between 120 and 142 megajoules per kilogram (MJ/kg)

?Applications:

• Pellet production:?Compressing tea waste into pellets improves its handling and combustion efficiency.?
• Gasification:?Converting tea waste into a combustible gas through high-temperature processes, allowing for more flexible energy applications.?
• Biochar production:?Pyrolyzing tea waste can yield biochar, a valuable soil amendment with carbon sequestration potential.?

Biochar is the best option During pyrolysis, biochar is only one of the many valuable bioenergy and bioproducts produced. Volatile gases (methane, carbon monoxide and other combustible gases), hydrocarbons and most of the oxygen in the biomass are burned or driven off, leaving carbon-enriched biochar. All of the emissions (better known as air pollution and greenhouse gases) typically associated with burning biomass are captured and condensed into liquid fuels like bio-oil, industrial chemicals, or syngas (synthetic gas). These products can be containerized for sale, for future use at the production facility or used on-site as part of the process for energy production. Many energy industries have given directives to use alternative fuel sources along with coal to minimize carbon footprint.

Biochar Vs Coal as FUEL

biochar has a significantly lower carbon footprint compared to coal?because while coal releases large amounts of carbon dioxide when burned, biochar essentially captures and stores carbon from the atmosphere during its production process, making it considered "carbon negative" and a more environmentally friendly option;?essentially, when you use biochar, you are removing carbon from the air rather than adding to it like with coal.?Often referred to as "green coal", biochar has earned this nickname due to its eco-friendly properties.

Biochar contribute to climate change mitigation

• Reducing greenhouse gas emissions
• Sequestering carbon in a stable form
• A circular approach to sustainability

Global impact of biochar use

The global potential of biochar has been increasingly recognised. Some?studies?suggest that widespread adoption could?offset?12% of global GHG emissions by 2030 (the equivalent of removing over a billion petrol cars from the road), making it one of the most effective negative emissions technologies available. Initiatives like carbon credits for biochar applications are helping incentivise its use, paving the way for large-scale implementation.

While biochar is no silver bullet, its ability to address both the causes and effects of climate change makes it an extremely exciting prospect in the fight against climate change. By integrating biochar into climate strategies, we can take a significant step toward reducing greenhouse gas levels and building a more sustainable future.

Hence making biochar from tea waste can be a promising alternative than using coal, coke as fuel source.

Research and Development

We require research and development to quantify tea waste in India and cost control in pyrolysis so that biochar from tea can be a very economic option for tea planters. Using a carbon negative fuel will also help industries to get CBAM clearance in a better manner.

MSK Scope: It does the testing for fuel characteristics and also is doing ecological studies at tea gardens.