Crop Residue to Clean Fuel

A New Era of Sustainable Energy Solutions

Dr. Nimish Kapoor

During the 2023 G20 Summit in New Delhi, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi launched the Global Biofuels Alliance (GBA), aiming to accelerate biofuel adoption as a key player in the global energy transition. India, producing over 600 million tonnes of biomass annually, is pushing investments in biofuel infrastructure, advancing toward carbon neutrality by 2070. Innovators like Greenjoules, a startup converting agricultural waste into biofuels, are leading this charge. With biofuels that reduce carbon emissions by up to 95%, Greenjoules exemplifies the cutting-edge solutions trans-forming agricultural waste into sustainable energy, addressing both air pollution and fossil fuel dependency.

Greenjoules Technology: Revolutionising Biofuels with Sustainable Solutions

Greenjoules, a renewable energy startup, has been producing green biofuels from agricultural waste seeking to address two major issues: depleting carbon reserves and crop burning. Unlike fossil fuels, which release stored carbon, Greenjoules uses carbon absorbed by crops during growth. When these biofuels are burned, the carbon is re-released into the atmosphere, forming a carbon-neutral cycle.

The startup employs catalytic thermal cracking to convert agricultural waste into crude oil substitutes. This crude is then processed into green diesel, green naphtha, and Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) - a cleaner alternative to traditional jet fuels. Additionally, Greenjoules pro-duces LPG-like gas and carbon-rich solids for use in construction and agriculture.

The key innovation lies in Greenjoules' special catalyst blend and proprietary processing methods, which improve fuel quality by removing sulfur, increasing paraffins, and reducing acidity. Unlike ethanol and biodiesel, which are made from food-related raw materials and can raise food prices, Green-joules fuels are derived from agro-waste, avoiding these issues. Moreover, they have properties identical to fossil fuels, making them a direct, scalable replacement.

While the biofuels market is still evolving, Greenjoules stands out by offering fully compatible alternatives to fossil fuels, positioning it as a leader in the field, with significant potential for growth as the demand for sustainable energy increases.

Abhilasha Biofuel and Abhilasha Biochar

Greenjoules startup is known for producing Abhilasha Biofuels, a renewable biofuels portfolio including a liquid biofuel and a gaseous biofuel, made entirely from agricultural residue and renewable wastes from agro processing industries. Abhilasha Biofuel uses agri-waste as a source of raw material unlike biodiesel that uses plant matter like vegetable oils. Due to this difference, this biofuel has a much lower manufacturing foot-print than biodiesel, among other advantages.

Abhilasha Biofuel is made from the biomass produced by plants taking in carbon dioxide captured from the air during photosynthesis. By using that to make fuel process only returning the carbon dioxide taken up by the plant, back to the atmos-phere. Any non-toxic, agriculture waste and agro-industry waste has the potential to be a raw material. The quality of the fuel will depend on certain other factors like process conditions, properties of wastes, etc.

Greenjoules' Abhilasha Biofuel has been tested and validated by IIT Chennai and has been found to have properties like High-Speed Diesel (HSD). It has also been tested by Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) and found to be exactly like HSD in its properties and conforms to BIS VI and Euro VI standards. It can be used neat or as a blend with fossil diesel in any machinery without modifications. The ultra-low sulfur content in the fuel, and consequently in the exhaust, means that one of the most dangerous pollutants-sulfur oxides-is practically non-existent. This reduction not only creates further opportunities for energy capture and capital expenditure reduction in pollution-mitigating equipment but also eliminates hazards such as acid rain.

The second product, Abhilasha Biochar, is a by-product of biofuel manufacturing and is a soil amendment that increases soil fertility, improves water retention and aids in the absorption of various nutrients. Recently, Biochar has been seen as an exciting raw material in green construction. It can be used to make mortar for good insulation properties, create buildings that absorb pollutants and in replacing some conventional materials like sand in mortar.

From Idea to Start-up: Greenjoules' Journey

During late winters, there is heavy smog in many parts of Northern India, brought about by the burning of crop residue. The smog is extremely thick and engulfs entire cities bringing with it pollution, breathing and health issues.

Shri Viraraghavan Sankaran, founder and CEO of Green-joules, wanted to do something as a remedy to this situation. The idea was so compelling that Shri Sankaran, who at that time (in 2016) was based in Europe and earning a handsome salary, decided to quit and come back to India to help develop this technology.

Smt. Radhika, the Chief Operating Officer of the startup says, "The idea of Greenjoules evolved in 2016, but the startup was formally incorporated in 2018. We spent the first two years developing the technology, isolating the raw material, finding suppliers and conducting experiments in a pilot plant at a place called Wada about two hours from Mumbai".  She added, "the first piece of equipment we bought was a second hand dilapidated thermo cracker which we refurbished to run our experiments on a reactor still with us and producing 40,000 liters a month".

The startup relocated to Chakan, Pune, and began producing biofuels under the brand name Abhilasha Biofuels. This biofuel today finds uses in trucks, cranes, boilers, DG sets, etc. Tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions are being saved every day. Currently the startup supplies large corporations with the green diesel and is in talks with the oil marketing companies for commercialising this technology at a larger level.

Committed to nurturing talent, they decided to hire only fresh graduates, providing extensive training to engineers and technicians in high-tech operations. This approach ensures that future expansions will be supported by a skilled, experienced workforce. The company's big break came in 2020 when Hindustan Unilever Limited became a key client. Today, the startup has a diverse customer base, is developing new products like Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) and Naphtha, and is in talks to open a facility in Europe.

Government and Stake-holders' Support

Greenjoules was awarded with a Nidhi Fund (seed fund) of Rs. 50 Lakh from the Department of Science & Technology, Govern-ment of India, in the early years of its journey. Furthermore, the startup was able to secure working capital funding of Rs 3.5 Cr through the Credit Guarantee Fund Trust for Micro and Small Enterprises (CGTMSE) scheme of the Government of India. The startup has applied for 7 patents, and they are currently under process.

Keep Working with Unwavering Optimism

Shri Sethunath Ramaswamy, Chief Business Officer of the startup suggests that science and technology-based startups need to be well-funded. The gestation period is always much longer than initially expected. Anything new to the world is adopted slowly, and one often encounters significant waiting times. One aspect rarely discussed about startups is the substantial amount of time required for various processes. No amount of money or talent can eliminate the delays between taking action and seeing its consequences. Experiment results, test reports from institutions, and customer trials to validate the product all take time. According to him, "the lesson here is to not get frustrated but to keep working with increased optimism and to encourage those working under you."

(The author is a science communication specialist. Feedback on this article can be sent to feedback.employment news@gmail.com).

Views expressed are personal.