Impact case study database

Each village in the Punjab produces ~1-2,000 tonnes of waste rice straw which must be cleared from fields within 21 days of harvest to plant wheat crops. It is often burnt while damp in open fields, using kerosene, creating a large carbon footprint and significant pollution. 20 million tonnes of rice straw is burnt annually in the Punjab alone.

In 2016, Aston and the Oglesby Charitable Trust created an Indian charitable trust, Energy Harvest Trust (EHT) to address this issue leading to five key impacts.

This required establishing infrastructure for engaging with farmers: harvesting and collecting straw; manufacturing, handling, and storing pellets; and identifying customers for using the pellets as fuel. This supply chain did not exist in the Punjab prior to establishing A2P Energy Solution (A2P) in 2018 (Impact 2) [ S1]. A key challenge was understanding how it would be used within communities - it needed to be local, reliable, energy efficient and economically viable [ R2].

In 2017, EHT worked with Nabha Power Ltd (NPL) (a division of L&T) to engage with villagers. A local entrepreneur hosted the plant, and other entrepreneurs began collecting paddy straw. Pellets were manufactured and sold to a local Pepsi plant, fuelling the boiler employed in crisp manufacture. [ S1,S2]

In 2018, the plant was expanded by A2P, and a new partnership established with Jawandsons, a major textile contributor to IKEA’s supply chain, now using paddy straw pellets as boiler fuel for steam production. The WWF is monitoring this project, working with IKEA to move it towards a more sustainable energy supply chain, and to replicate the model elsewhere. [ S1,S3,S4]

A2P was formed by Berry and Singh in Chandigarh, India. Building on [ R2,R4,R6], A2P has: a pyrolysis product made by local manufacturers (cost £20,000), a working business model, and several customers.

The first system was installed in partnership with NPL which had a power plant in the area and was working with 49 villages to provide infrastructure [ S2]. A2P has focussed on improving efficiencies of this pellet plant at Nabha which can now process 10-12 tons/day and mixes 70% rice straw and 30% sawdust to increase calorific value which can then be burnt in a controlled way to produce power. In 2020 business growth allowed A2P to employ 12 people directly in pellet manufacture, and 34 people seasonally (for collection/baling). [ S1]

A2P has issued contracts for the collection of 600-2,000 tons/year of rice straw to be turned into rice pellets by their first commercial demonstrator. The facility is with local manufacturers and is currently producing 5-10 tons pellets/day. Pellets reduce straw to 40% of the original volume, making it easier to store and transport, and are used for fuel and potentially animal food.

Burnt in the open field, 1 ton of paddy straw releases 3kg particulate matter, 60kg CO, 1,460kg CO2, 199kg ash, and 2kg SO2. In pellet form, straw has a lower moisture content, <5% versus 30% lying in the field. So, burning pellets substantially reduces CO/CO2 emissions, and since commercial boilers in India are mandated to regulate emissions, the 3kg/ton particulate matter is also eliminated directly. The locally produced pellets reduce reliance on transported fuel - Jawandsons now uses ~3 tons/day of pellets instead of groundnut shells transported hundreds of kilometres. [ S1,S4]

A second pellet and pyrolysis demonstrate was installed at PAU. This creates biochar, which can be used as a soil additive, and the resulting pyrolysis vapours are burnt directly at source and used to heat water which in turn can be used for refrigeration.

Joint field trials with PAU and Coromandel (2016-2019) showed a 7-15% increase in potato and onion crop yields when biochar is applied. Coromandel has now funded more work (2019-2021) to enable farmer-field trials and test paddy-straw biochar as a commercial product. They are also funding A2P for the development of a commercial grade biochar reactor. [ S1,S5]

There had been government resistance to ex-situ solutions, but state and national government agencies now seek advice from A2P on new projects, and the government has initiated a number of its own that build on A2P’s supply chain establishment and technical approach. [ S1]

Working with the IKEA supplier has also impacted IKEA’s sustainability strategy. Initially focused solely on the use of local and renewable materials in manufacturing, A2P’s work with paddy straw has influenced IKEA’s direction to include the energy used in production.

WWF also has an initiative to address the paddy straw burning problem, and A2P is assisting with this work to expand their suite of best-practices, and to influence the wider community of textile manufacturers. A new CSR initiative has been established to fund straw collection equipment for farmer entrepreneurs. With a single upfront donation of about £70k the equipment can be purchased to enable 1200 acres/season of straw to be collected. This straw produces a sustainable income of £35k/year for 5-6 years, and results in large reductions in annual emissions (~3.5 Mtons/yr CO2, 7.2 tons/yr particulates). Additionally, >50% of operating costs is invested directly back into the community via employment and services (straw collection). WWF has committed to co-brand this initiative in India, as well as support it through donation. [ S4,S1]