AAKASH has been among the pioneers of the ‘Environment friendly sourcing of Energy’ for the use of mankind. It has made all efforts towards transforming economies, protecting and saving our planet from the ravages of climate change while seeking and advocating renewable Energy in a cost effective manner.
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Research
AAKASH has been pursuing a comprehensive research on Biomass Energy
through Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS) for about a decade. The Research team has
identified several tree and grass species, amongst which one of the clonal selection has
been identified and put into exploratory research on its growth, carbon absorption and other
parameters.
AAKASH has based its research and development approach to renewable energy power projects,
on the macro-investment theme, “How to obtain a sustainable and economically viable
feedstock supply for the renewable energy industry?”
The strategic high-level answer to that question is to apply agricultural-science to the
equation, and raise productivity and production output by squeezing every point of
inefficiency out of the entire production chain of essential basic products, in the
eco-friendliest manner possible.
One of the main points of our research was in highly efficient, large scale commercial
agricultural and specifically, clean energy generation models, using long standing and
proven independent techniques and current existing levels of integration, technically fused
to achieve a successful and sustainable model.
A sophisticated clean energy generation model first looks beyond the individual products to
be produced and instead focuses on how and where they are produced. Optimization models then
identify specific individual components to be included in the projects. The distributive
nature of the model not only examines the cost of production per unit of output but also, as
importantly, the carbon impact of each input and the resulting impact on the final finished
output.
The nature of the model facilitates the utilization of the interrelated components
internally from system to source, eliminating costly and complicated logistics and all the
associated transportation and logistics costs, which would have been otherwise needed.
Plantation
Mitigating climate change and boosting economy through Bamboo plantation
AAKASH is among those visionaries who have taken early steps towards a sustainable ecosystem. To reduce the carbon footprint and to promote renewable energy sources has been at the center of all business models of AAKASH. Bamboo plantation is encouraged and advocated by AAKASH for not only the energy requirement but also for environmental and social benefits.
WHY BAMBOO?
Bamboo is a green ‘gold’ which can be found naturally occurring across the globe in temperate climates. Easily cultivable, the plant of the grass family has a potential to replace the conventional energy sources with a highly reduced carbon footprint.
WHY INVEST IN BAMBOO?
WHY AAKASH BAMBOO?
AAKASH has identified specific Bamboo and Napier Grass and applied a
polyploidization process for rapidly increasing the growth rate. It is an
economically viable source of feedstock fuel used in the production of renewable
Energy. AAKASH bamboo has a potential to grow very fast and yields very high biomass
since the wall thickness of the Bamboo is 3 times more than other bamboo.
It is a fast-growing plant, growing at a speed of 1.5 feet a day and reaching a
height of about 35 feet in two and a half years. AAKASH bamboo is cultivable,
thornless and sterile, hence there never is a need for replanting.
Salient features of AAKASH Bamboo
- The plant can grow unharmed by insects and other pests even without the use of pesticides.
- It is a very good substitute for wood. It grows faster and requires less water.
- AAKASH Bamboo takes in more carbon dioxide from the air than any other plant and produces 8 times greater amount of oxygen than any other plant, effectively cleaning the air better and greatly reducing the effects of greenhouse gases.
- Akaash Bamboo plant fibers are the strongest natural fibers, making bamboo textiles very durable.
- AAKASH bamboo plant fibers have a high tensile strength and surpasses that of steel.
BAMBOO CULTURE AND MICROPROPAGATION
AAKASH Plantation has state-of-the-art highly sophisticated Micropropagation and Tissue
Culture Lab in Sri Lanka and South Africa where AAKASH Bamboos are micro-propagated and
primary hardening of plants are done.
IBPM SERVICES
AAKASH Plantation provides a Holistic Bamboo Support Services as Integrated Bamboo
Plantation Management Services which are as
follows
-
BAMBOO PLANTING
A bamboo plantation does not require high investment. If the suitable land is available, basic equipment for manual operations can be used. Establishing a bamboo nursery is a practical solution for maintaining a regular supply of planting material for plantations and subsequently commercial exploitation. Several factors should be considered in selecting a site for a bamboo propagation nursery. -
INTEGRATED NUTRIENT MANAGEMENT:
Based on the leaf analysis, soil and water analysis, growth stages of the Bamboo, Nutrients for the bamboo plants are scheduled. -
INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT:
AAKASH Plantation’s IBPM team regularly scouts and monitors the plants for any pests, pathological or entomological damages and controls them in the most economical and eco-friendly way. -
ENTERPRISE ENABLING:
AAKASH enables the unemployed youth and empower women through employment generation and enterprise set-up training on bamboo handicraft making, furniture making and also assisting them in market linkages. -
LAND PREPARATION & PLANTING
At AAKASH, the IBPM team surveys and analyzes the soil’s physical, chemical and biological properties, water quality and climate data. Based on the location's necessity, air quality data(CO, GHGs and O2 Concentration) are also collected.After the analysis, site corrections are made at the planting site, erecting and establishing Secondary Hardening and Nurseries.The land is prepared based on spacing and trenching is done, and basic potting and planting mixtures are prepared and applied. -
HARVESTING & MARKETING SUPPORT
The Bamboo plants become ready for harvesting from the sixteenth to eighteenth month, and with each subsequent year, there is a higher yield. Bamboo is a cash crop having a low gestation period, faster growth and recurring economic returns.IBPM team supports in harvesting of clumps and preparing them based on the industrial requirements like chips, pellets, crushed extract or as clump. Assistance is also provided in furniture manufacturing and marketing. -
CARBON CREDITS::
Our Plantations are eligible from the 2nd year for carbon credit collection, where a bamboo clump’s average Carbon becomes 5kg/clump/year.
Energy
Taking an early step towards a sustainable energy ecosystem
CONVENTIONAL ENERGY SOURCES
Energy consumption is ever growing and at an increased rate every year. Conventional
sources like Oil, Coal and Natural Gas are still a dominant source of Energy and are
fueling the world economy in a nonstop trail, leaving behind a high carbon footprint.
Very little is done to contain the adverse effects of consuming energy from these
sources. The emission of greenhouse gases, thermal pollution, and water pollution are
some major concerns that are not adequately addressed and whose negative impact can have
far reaching consequences for the generations to come.
There are alternative sources of energy that can gain prominence and reduce dependence
on these essential sources that come with claws and teeth. Renewable energy is one of
the answers to provide clean energy and mitigate climate change that is caused by the
conventional sources of energy.
Hydroelectricity, Solar and Wind are clean energy sources but they have their
limitations. Hydroelectricity for example can
be harnessed only on rivers, while solar energy can be captured only during the day.
Wind
energy on the other hand is also dependent on the natural wind flow which cannot be
consistent
and only fairly reliable
RENEWABLE BIO-ENERGY FROM AAKASH
AAKASH advocates the use of 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 sources with lesser environmental impact and carbon footprint
than those by oil, coal and natural gas.
Biomass is 100% sustainable and there is control over the carbon emissions. It also
generates more employment without the need for migration of labour.
Bamboo based Renewable Energy production provides for a higher carbon sequestration.
This is important because it ensures that carbon does not rise up and trap heat in
the atmosphere which causes global warming. Bamboo, by their very nature, absorb
more carbon dioxide than any other plants and hence it naturally provides for higher
carbon sequestration. Bamboo plantations on a large scale thus help mitigate climate
change.
AAKASH generates Energy from the Biomass in two ways:
- Steam generation which has the capacity of 10MW to any capacity
- Gasification which has the capacity of 0.5MW to 3 MW
ELECTRICITY FROM AAKASH BAMBOO
Electricity is an essential part of human life in the present world. We need electricity
for everyday purposes like lighting, cooling, food preparation, transportation,
ventilation, space heating and more. We are majorly dependent on thermal power plants
for our electricity needs while a small proportion of it is supplied by other sources.
Thermal power plants use fossil fuels which are rapidly depleting. Greenhouse gases
emitted by these power plants also pose a threat to the global environment from climate
change. There is thus an urgent need to seek alternative sources of fuels to meet an
increasing energy demand.
Electricity from biomass is one such answer to providing clean energy. AAKASH has
invested in developing power plants that run on biomass obtained from specific kinds of
Bamboo. The feed materials are in the form of biomass, chips and wood pellets. These
power plants are not only environment friendly, they are also sustainable.
STEAM POWER PLANT
AAKASH produces electricity by Steam Power Plants that use Bamboo biomass.
The biomass fuel is combusted with oxygen from the air in a combustion chamber to
produce heat. A biomass boiler is used to convert the heat into steam, which is run
through steam turbines for electricity generation.
The power plant’s byproduct is in the form of Bamboo Ash which are used as
fertilizers.
AKASH GROUP has developed a business model which is specifically designed for large
end users, such as the government, to encompass a strategy for the on-site
production of its energy requirements, utilizing significant advancement in science
and technology.
Having successfully developed Energy projects in Sri Lanka and Myanmar, AAKASH
is now seeking new opportunities across the world to enable them with sustainable
long term solutions for Energy requirements and also to reduce their carbon
footprint together with socio-economic growth and employment.
GASIFICATION
In addition to converting bamboo into biomass as chips and pellets and using them in
a combustion chamber, burning with oxygen, an alternative method of anaerobic
combustion where burning is done in the absence of oxygen is also utilized to
produce gaseous fuels. This gas is then used in combustion for the production of
heat and steam to be utilized in gas turbines, which results in the production of
electricity.
AAKASH uses microbial conversion of biomass for fuels. Microbial conversion
is
an anaerobic digestion process where a negligible amount of energy is consumed to
produce fuel called biogas. Biogas is employed as a fuel for gas for boilers and gas
turbines for electricity generation.
BIOFUELS
A cleaner, better and more efficient alternative to the conventional
In a bid to provide for the rising demands of automobile fuels and gas for
household cooking, AAKASH has extended
its expertise on Bamboo to meet the requirements.
BIO-CNG
Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) is less polluting to the environment than other popular
fuel such as Petrol and Diesel. At present CNG is mostly delivered through pipes
which are running for several thousand kilometers.
Bamboo is convertible into biogas which can be processed into Bio-CNG. Bio-CNG is a
renewable fuel that is identical in composition and better in purity than fossil
CNG. Bio-CNG from Bamboo generates income for the rural population and serves as an
import substitute. Every 300 acres of cultivated bamboo can feed one gas bunk on the
road side which does not need pipe lining for long distances. Bamboo based Bio-CNG
can be produced locally throughout the adjoining highways.
Agro Gas, a subsidiary of AAKASH has tested Bamboo and established a model of
a Bio-CNG plant in Pune, India. The technology is developed by Mr.Santhosh Gondlekar
after several years of continuous research and hard work. This is the first Bio-CNG
gas production and gas dispensing station in India.
Bio-CNG from Bamboo is also suitable for domestic and commercial use as a cooking
gas. This can reduce our dependence on natural gas which is more polluting.
ETHANOL
Ethanol is a form of fuel derived from the complex carbohydrate in plants. For
decades, scientists have been trying many potential plants as fuel. Many of the
plants happen to be in the food chain such as sugarcane, sugar beet, maize,
sorghum etc. Several years of research had led to the successful development of
bamboo cellulose to ethanol in countries like Japan, UK, China and Taiwan.
Scientific research for about a decade at the AAKASH, in the areas of
Biotechnology and Agronomy has led to the development of Bamboo and High Density
Energy Plantation as a means to produce highest quantity of cellulosic biomass
on a sustainable basis and at the affordable cost as a raw material for ethanol
production.
CULTIVATION OF BAMBOO AS ENERGY PLANTATION
- Doesn't harm the environment
- Increase the oxygen while reducing the CO2 5 times faster than any other tree
- Harvested every year, from 2nd years onwards
- Planted once, harvested for centuries
- Biomass at a cost attractive for Bioethanol production
- Higher income from farm cultivation
- Increases the renewable energy
- Cost effectiveness and eco friendly option for ethanol production
AAKASH’s two-fold Concerns
AAKASH has a two fold concern in its business. The first one is global in nature where
the production and marketing of green electricity and bio-ethanol generation from bamboo
plantations is the main aim.
AAKASH’s humanist concern, which is the second one, is rural specific; aiming at the
development of self sufficient energy producing village centres and charitable institutions
as a part of their CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) activities - Venturing Philanthropy
Investments and Sustainability.
Eco Living
Oxygen Park - Bamboo plantatIon is bio-friendly and absorbs 35% more
CO2 and releases 35% more O2 than a regular tree plantation. Bamboo can be planted
substantially in public parks and make them as Oxygen parks where the O2 will be released
more and create a better environment. It is commercially attractive and profitable to
construct such oxygen parks in hospital premises, commercial malls and also along the
roadside pavements.
Bamboo Plantation has immense commercial value addition to the paper, textile, furniture and
organic fertiliser Industries.
Bamboo Charcoal is one of the byproducts of the biomass conversion process that is used in
almost everything, from ice cream to toothpaste, water pacifiers, face masks and whatnots in
the Cosmetics Industry.
Above all, the countries that produce a lower amount of CO2 will ecologically have a better
standard of living than the ones that produce more of it.
Thus, AAKASH is technically equipped with the requisite technological support in the field
of bamboo plantation and renewable energy to provide any country in the world with
sustainable environment friendly industrial space that can be altruistically monitored.
Bamboo Village & Museum
Bamboo village & Museum is a showcase of different bamboo species, bamboo groves,
houses and huts constructed using bamboo; Bamboo depended Industries & Enterprises
like Handicraft, Ornament making, Furniture making , Lifestyle and Cosmetic products
making.
Bamboo-grove Habitat
- A self-sustainable community which develops and depends on bamboo as its major resource. Houses, resorts and buildings are constructed using treated bamboo, also the furniture and the interiors. The power production using bamboo as feedstock meets the power needs of the community.
- The bamboo clumps are harvested from the grove developed around the habitat, where the treated effluent water is used for irrigation of the bamboo plantation.
- The bamboo grove walking tour attracts tourists and the interactions with the inmates of the bamboo grove habitat forms a lifestyle experience.
- The Bamboo Grove Habitat is a carbon neutral, zero effluent discharge, Oxygen rich location.
LifeStyle
Embrace a sustainable lifestyle with Bamboo products
What if you could make conscious choices to preserve the future of the planet while not compromising our way of life. Well it is possible! Go green with Bamboo. Embrace a sustainable lifestyle with eco friendly products that becomes your everyday thing.
AAKASH facilitates a parallel industry of ‘Green Lifestyle Products’ that are more than appealing and are soft on mother nature. These products, elegant as they are, add to your style quotient while at the same time protect our natural environment, human and ecological health by being a substitute to plastics and other non biodegradable materials.
