WHAT IS BAMBOO?
Bamboo is classified as a grass from the plant family and belongs to the Bambusoideae subfamily. Its stems, like all grass, are hollow and are the largest grass of all others. It can also grow rapidly into a forest without much intervention. It is the fastest growing plant in the world, with different growth rates depending on its different species.
Specific species of woody bamboos can grow as tall as thirty meters in height and as wide as twenty centimeters in diameter. Some species of bamboo can even reach heights of forty meters and grow thirty centimeters in diameter.
Bamboo requires far less attention than other plants and trees to grow. The fertilizer requirement of bamboo plants is also significantly less. This makes bamboo an ideal economical choice for alternative energy.
BAMBOO CULTIVATION
With the rise in deforestation, cultivation of bamboo trees is an economical and eco-friendly solution. Bamboo matures much faster when compared to other trees. Trees usually take around thirty years to grow to their full height, whereas on the other hand, bamboo requires only four years to completely mature. There is an increasing demand for bamboo trees in the global market as it is a strong plant that can be used as a replacement to wood for producing fuel. Different species of bamboo that are softer are utilized by artisans and some are even edible.
The global bamboo market is set to reach a mark of twelve billion dollars by the year 2029. India alone is sitting on raw stock of bamboo trees worth five thousand crores (Rs).
Bamboo can be grown on a wide-variety of soil like sandy soil to clay soil that should have a pH range of 4.5 to 6.0. It can be grown well in hot and humid temperatures. It cannot be grown in cold conditions as the climate kills the shoots.
The best time to cultivate bamboo is during the rainy season. About one acre of land is required to grow as many as 200 bamboo trees.
BAMBOO RENEWABLE ENERGY
What makes bamboo an ideal choice for a sustainable energy source is that it is different from other trees, which when cut from the bark, seize to grow. Whereas, a bamboo plant continuously produces new perennial culms from its underground root system year after year.In addition to this, Its growth rate is very fast, upto 1 meter a day.
Another reason bamboo energy makes an ideal choice as an alternative biomass energy source is because of its rapid growth rate. Production and harvesting of bamboo can help curb deforestation and reduce the pressure on existing forests. When compared to petroleum and other sources of energy, bamboo renewable energy produces and emits much fewer pollutants which makes it even more eco-friendly.
Utilizing bamboo as a renewable energy source is a good option as it is a fast-growing and extremely versatile crop. Bamboo holds significant potential to be a power generator for powering communities. This is because It renews itself rapidly and grows much faster than any other crop, which makes it sustainable as well.
One billion people still live without access to electricity, worldwide. Bamboo as alternative energy has immense potential to be used for electricity generation and powering those communities. A single bamboo pole has the ability to provide enough electricity to a household to last one whole month.
Bamboo is also the answer to fighting climate change as it produces 30% more oxygen when compared to trees spanning across an equal area of land.
ABOUT AAKASH
AAKASH is among those visionaries who have taken early steps towards a sustainable ecosystem. Bamboo plantation is encouraged for not just the energy requirements fulfilled by Bamboo Biomass but also for the environmental benefits.
AAKASH advocates the use of Bamboo Biomass to meet the energy requirements in a clean and renewable manner. AAKASH has identified that Bamboo can provide as much energy as the conventional source with lesser environmental impact and carbon footprint.
AAKASH works with the collaborators involved in bringing about a constant business model on all aspects of Bamboo cultivation. Farming the plantation to mitigate climate change, would enhance the investors with power generation, infrastructure or the productive business style. AAKASH involves various stakeholders aiming at forming a business based on Bamboo and Bamboo biomass, ensuring an effective ecosystem.
