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Tackling Air Pollution This Rice Season: How Torrefaction Can Transform Paddy Straw into Carbon-Negative Fuel

  • Writer: Manoj Koshy
    Manoj Koshy
  • Jun 1
  • 2 min read


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Every year, the post-harvest months of October and November bring not just a shift in crop cycles in Punjab and Haryana, but also a sharp spike in air pollution levels across Delhi-NCR. The culprit? Stubble burning—an age-old practice where farmers set fire to leftover paddy straw to clear fields quickly for the next crop.


The Problem: Stubble Burning and Its Impact

Punjab and Haryana produce nearly 20 million tons of paddy straw annually. With limited options for disposal, more than 30-40% of this biomass is burned in open fields, releasing massive amounts of particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10), methane, carbon monoxide, and black carbon into the atmosphere.

This leads to:

  • Severe air pollution across Delhi-NCR and northern India

  • Respiratory illnesses, especially in children and the elderly

  • Loss of soil fertility and organic carbon

  • Massive emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs)


The Solution: Torrefaction Technology by Shaiva Energy

At Shaiva Energy, we offer an innovative torrefaction-based system that addresses this crisis at its root. Our modular plants can convert paddy straw into torrefied biochar—a high-carbon, energy-dense material with multiple benefits.


How It Works:

  • Paddy straw is collected and fed into the torrefaction reactor

  • The biomass is heated in a low-oxygen environment (250–300°C)

  • This process removes volatiles and moisture, increasing fixed carbon content

  • The result: biochar and torrefied pellets that are cleaner and more stable


Why This Matters

Pollution Control

Torrefaction captures up to 80–90% of greenhouse gases, significantly reducing air pollution compared to open burning.

Carbon Credit Generation

Each ton of biochar produced can lock away up to 2.5 tons of COâ‚‚ equivalent, qualifying for carbon credits under voluntary carbon markets (VCM). Farmers, cooperatives, and governments can monetize this benefit.

Industrial-Grade Fuel

The torrefied biomass has high calorific value and can be used as a coal substitute in:

  • Cement kilns

  • Steel furnaces

  • Thermal power plants

Scalable, Decentralized Model

Our compact torrefaction units can be deployed village by village, creating rural employment, cutting transportation costs, and ensuring local valorization of crop waste.


Turning Crisis into Opportunity

Instead of letting this rice season once again choke millions in smog, India can turn paddy straw into an asset. With the right policy push and industrial adoption, torrefaction can enable:

  • A cleaner harvest cycle

  • Additional revenue for farmers

  • Climate-resilient fuel sources

  • A real dent in India's emissions


Let’s Act Now

At Shaiva Energy, we are working with state governments, industry leaders, and carbon investors to scale up torrefaction infrastructure across northern India. If you're a farmer producer organisation (FPO), climate investor, or clean energy stakeholder—we invite you to collaborate.

Join us in building a carbon-negative, pollution-free future—starting this harvest season.

 
 
 
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