Converting pruned tea plants into biomass pellets: A sustainable energy source

Kokilavani R; Sanki Khoiyang; Hiranmoy Kotal; Rashmi Mukherjee; Saikat Kumar Jana

doi:10.29333/ejosdr/16287

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Kokilavani R ¹ , Sanki Khoiyang ¹ , Hiranmoy Kotal ¹ , Rashmi Mukherjee ² , Saikat Kumar Jana ¹ ^*

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¹ National Institute of Technology, Arunachal Pradesh, INDIA² Raja Narendralal Khan Women’s College [Autonomous], INDIA^* Corresponding Author

Abstract

India has experienced a 22.4% rise in coal consumption over the past five years, intensifying concerns over depleting fossil fuel reserves, greenhouse gas emissions, and public health risks. To address these challenges, agro-waste, particularly pruned tea plant biomass from northeastern India, offers a sustainable alternative. This study presents a novel approach to converting pruned tea plant waste into biomass pellets, a renewable and eco-friendly fuel. The process involves drying, grinding, optimizing binder concentration, and pelletizing the biomass. The resulting pellets exhibited desirable properties, including low moisture content (<5%), a calorific value of 14-15.5 MJ/kg, and reduced emissions of hydrocarbons (5 ppm), carbon monoxide (0.05%), carbon dioxide (0.32%), and nitrogen oxides (7 ppm). Characterization through proximate and ultimate analyses confirmed their efficiency as clean fuel. These findings highlight the potential of tea plant biomass pellets as a cost-effective, portable, and sustainable energy source, promoting eco-friendly energy solutions and reducing dependence on fossil fuels.

Keywords

agro-waste
calorific value
biomass pellet
sustainable

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This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Article Type: Research Article

EUR J SUSTAIN DEV RES, Volume 9, Issue 2, 2025, Article No: em0286

https://doi.org/10.29333/ejosdr/16287

Publication date: 23 Apr 2025

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Article Downloads: 28

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How to cite this article

APA

R, K., Khoiyang, S., Kotal, H., Mukherjee, R., & Jana, S. K. (2025). Converting pruned tea plants into biomass pellets: A sustainable energy source. European Journal of Sustainable Development Research, 9(2), em0286. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejosdr/16287

Vancouver

R K, Khoiyang S, Kotal H, Mukherjee R, Jana SK. Converting pruned tea plants into biomass pellets: A sustainable energy source. EUR J SUSTAIN DEV RES. 2025;9(2):em0286. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejosdr/16287

AMA

R K, Khoiyang S, Kotal H, Mukherjee R, Jana SK. Converting pruned tea plants into biomass pellets: A sustainable energy source. EUR J SUSTAIN DEV RES. 2025;9(2), em0286. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejosdr/16287

Chicago

R, Kokilavani, Sanki Khoiyang, Hiranmoy Kotal, Rashmi Mukherjee, and Saikat Kumar Jana. "Converting pruned tea plants into biomass pellets: A sustainable energy source". European Journal of Sustainable Development Research 2025 9 no. 2 (2025): em0286. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejosdr/16287

Harvard

R, K., Khoiyang, S., Kotal, H., Mukherjee, R., and Jana, S. K. (2025). Converting pruned tea plants into biomass pellets: A sustainable energy source. European Journal of Sustainable Development Research, 9(2), em0286. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejosdr/16287

MLA

R, Kokilavani et al. "Converting pruned tea plants into biomass pellets: A sustainable energy source". European Journal of Sustainable Development Research, vol. 9, no. 2, 2025, em0286. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejosdr/16287