Ambitious project to convert jungle fire-causing pine needles into biofuel starts in Mandi, find how it will work
The Newz Radar
MANDI: Canara HSBC Life Insurance (CHL) in collaboration with the Ashray Foundation officially inaugurated the production of its ambitious biofuel industry project, “Cheer – Urja”, in Tepar village of Panarsa area of Mandi district in Himachal Pradesh on Friday (December 8, 2023).
Initially inaugurated in March 2023, the production faced delays due to floods in July-August, disrupting operations. The primary goal of ‘Project Cheer-Urja; is to mitigate forest fire risks and preserve biodiversity by transforming pine needles into briquettes, a biofuel source. It also aims to generate local employment opportunities for the community.
The project involves enhancing the capabilities of self-help groups through skill development training, engaging the youth and promoting financial literacy among villagers. The inauguration ceremony was attended by Ajay Mehta, head of CSR & Sustainability (CHL); Nalin Johri, executive director of Ashray Foundation, District Forest Officer Jagdish and Tepar sarpanch Neelam. The active participation of gram panchayat members, self-help groups and youth further enriched the ceremony.
Speaking on the occasion, Mehta said, “Pine needles pose a major threat to the environment, forest biodiversity and the local economy in entire Himalayan region due to their non-biodegradable and highly inflammable nature. In our project, we propose to address the challenge of utilising pine needles for social benefit by making briquettes, which can be used as fuel for domestic and industrial purpose.”
“We have adopted technology from IIT-Mandi and have succeeded in making clean, dense and easily manageable briquettes and pellets with pure pine needles by mixing them with several biomasses,” Mehta said, adding that the briquetting unit on their campus has the capacity to produce four tons of briquettes in eight hours.
He explained that due to the low sulphur content, briquettes have a positive impact on the environment. “The use of briquettes also reduces CO2 and CH4 emissions, thus helping in the reduction of greenhouse gases and associated climate change,” he added.
Kalpana Pankaj from CHL conducted a financial literacy session, focusing on empowering residents with financial knowledge, covering various topics such as financial planning, cash management, savings and investments. The CSR team of Canara HSBC Life Insurance (CHL) also visited the production site to celebrate the successful production of briquettes and monitor the project.
