[Please also read the earlier blog posts:

… in that order]

The paradox of the tropical world, with over 135 nations, degenerating into dilapidated poor nations, where natural resources are abundant, is perhaps the greatest tragedy of the modern world. India, with a population of 1.15 billion, is one amongst these poorer nations. Of the 3.5 billion people in these nations, who earn less than $1 per day, India has about 800 million people; of the 1 billion people in these nations, who do not have potable water, India has about 350 million people; of the 1 billion poorest amongst these who do not have even one square meal a day, India has over 350 million people (nearly half of these being children aged less than five years). The paradox is more outrageous, when we note that it is in India that the greatest proponent of “uplifting the poor” was born and who led India to independence from the British Colonialists, through Non-violence … the great MAHATMA GANDHI! But alas! We think and talk about this “half naked fakir” only on a few occasions (his birth date & death anniversary). But the answer to the world’s Sustainable GREEN Development is possible ONLY through the idea that Gandhi propounded: “… through wiping the tears of every poor man in every village …”

 

Pilot Plant for Sustainability Engineering

Pilot Plant for Sustainability Engineering

The schematic illustration here portrays the different techno-commercial processes that create value additions to every gram of agro-bio materials (agro-biogenics) in village regions. Although Food Processing would also be undertaken, the illustration does not portray the same. The particular situation here is based on 30 Ha area Renewable Resources in a southern Indian village. The average rainfall in this region is in the range 1100 mm to 1350 mm.

The following INPUT/ OUTPUT material balance may be noted:

INPUT MATERIALS

A. RENEWABLE RESOURCES (vegetation systems, rain water, atmospheric oxygen etc)

  1. Non-food vegetation materials ….. 1225 T

  2. Food materials ……………………… 275 T

  3. Organic wastes …………………… 120 T

  4. Rainwater ……………………… 2, 750, 000 L

  5. Atmospheric Oxygen for Methane burning, obtained from 900 T of Air (at standard pressure conditions)

B. OTHER EXTERNAL INPUTS

  1. Slag/ Pozzolana Cement …………….. 142 T

  2. Ferric Chloride (Inorganic Chemical)… 15 T

  3. Polymers/ Bio-Polymers …………….. 150 T (50% solids)

  4. Calcium Chloride (Inorganic Chemical ) …. 12 T

  5. Salt/ Turmeric/ tamarind/ condiments etc for Food processing (not specified)

OUTPUT MATERIALS (Three Stages)

I. STAGE – I:

  1. Food Materials for Processing (after local use) … 250 T

  2. Vegetation matter for Engineered Composites …. 612.5 T

  3. Vegetation matter + Organic wastes for methane gas … 732.5 T

    (About 30 to 50 local people would have 300 days employment)

II. STAGE – 2:

  1. Anaerobically Digested Methane Gas ………. 55 T

  2. Digester based Carbon Di Oxide gas ……….. 95 T

  3. Digester based Hydrogen Sulfide gas ……… 1.5 T

  4. Digester based Sludge Bio-Fertilizer … 1, 395 T (3.3% solids)

  5. Cellulosic/ Plant Fibrous matter (dry) …….. 165 T

    (About 60 local people would have 300 days employment)

NOTE:

  1. We are not presenting the data on water usage, as almost all of the water collected (or recovered from vegetation and other processes) would be recycled. The Water in Bio-fertilizer (sludge form) is about 97%, and this entire quantity would be recycled back into the soil (Self Regenerative Recycling – acronym SRR). Thus, only about 50% of the originally collected rainwater would have to be replenished every year, on account of the engineering processes. As much as 50% of rain water collected would be available for personal uses of the local people.

  2. The total number of local personnel who would have 300 days work and wages is about 150

     

III. STAGE – III (MARKETABLE/ UTILIZABLE PRODUCTS):

  1. Natural Fiber Polymer Composites (NFPC) … 318 T … Rs.31.8 M ($636, 000)

  2. Sludge Bio-Fertilizer … 1395 T (3.3% solids) recycled for local soil regeneration (SRR) … valued … Rs.690, 525 ($13, 810/50)

  3. Electricity and Heat generated using Methane gas … 708, 408 units … Fully used for in-house processes … valued Rs.3, 542, 400 ($70, 848)

  4. Inorganic Fillers for Polymer Composites … 156 T … Rs.3.12 M ($62, 400)

  5. Intermediate Inorganic Chemicals (in solution) … 12.8 T … Rs.96, 000 ($1920)

  6. GREEN Sulfur … 1.4 T … Rs.56, 000 ($1120)

  1. Processed Foods … 312.5 T … Rs.23.4375 M ($468, 750)

    (MARKETABLE VALUES ……… Rs.58, 509, 500 = $1, 170, 190)

A FEW OBSERVATIONS

  1. The estimated Capital investments for the Pilot plant (which would be named: APIX_30_PILOT) is Rs.30 M ($600, 000)

  2. This APIX-SEP (Agro-Polymer Industry Complex-Sustainability Engineered project) Pilot plant, by itself, is Technically feasible and Economically viable. While the Technologies involved are tried/ tested systems (anaerobic biogas generation, chemical cleaning of biogas, chemical separation of biogas constituents, conversion of cellulosic fibrous matter into Polymer Composites …), the estimated ROI (before taxation) is about Rs.12 million ($240, 000). This is 40%

  3. The project would be supported by various GREEN “channel supports”: Carbon Credits and Government Tax concessions.

  4. Unlike many GREEN projects, APIX-SEP units would be totally Self-Sustainable, and these would be “self-perpetuating”

  5. The APIX-SEP group would not own any land; but the entire operations in the farmlands would be “leased out/ outsourced” to the group. The farmers and other vegetation material owners would be paid the values of these vegetation (Rs.1000 = $20 per “green” ton of non-food vegetation and one-half market value of other crops. Etc. Even organic wastes would be offered a value @ Rs.1000 per ton)

  6. The biggest draw is that every Pilot project such as APIX_30_Pilot in remote villages would be welcomed by the local people, as almost the entire employable people would have “full time” jobs … in home environment. This would be a boon to every individual, as there would be no need to travel far away into alien lands/ towns/ cities, in search of livelihood. Each such APIX_30_Pilot plant system would employ not less than 150 local people for the various works needed to be carried out

We shall discuss the “pros” and “cons” and also the techno-commercial and environmental management of such APIX-SEP units, in a later discussion.

Please also visit: http://www.agro-biogenics.com

http://pvhramani.wordpress.com

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