Keeling Curve

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Project Summary / Description:

While I was traveling in rural Karnataka in 2015, I chance-encountered some activated carbon producers from coconut shells. I was so amazed by their production that I revisited them to better understand their challenges. This led me to a more thorough study of the little-known biomass activated carbon supply chain, and its silent contribution to keeping fossil sources at bay in the filtration industry. I also became aware of the crises that the biomass activated carbon sector is undergoing, and this motivated me to help solve these crises, such that biomass can remain a competitive source of activated carbon.

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Best Estimate of GHG Avoidance/Reduction of This Project (Tonnes CO2 Equivalent/Year):

Impact on Underrepresented Groups:

Traditionally, only coconut farmers benefit from the activated carbon supply chain, as biomass-based activated carbon can only be made from specific types of biomass. By opening up the biomass activated carbon supply chain to a broader range of feedstock, we enable many more farmers, many from traditionally marginalized regions or economically disadvantaged groups, to all benefit from this lucrative offtake chemical market. These beneficiary farmers are both male and female, distributed roughly equally.

Farmers are diverse, but take the example of Raspinder, a rice farmer in Punjab, India. He nets $500/year from a 2.5-acre land. After harvest, he hurries to clear his land of 6 tons of rice straws so that he can plant again. Normally, he burns the straws, which causes smoke to linger in his village for a week, and contributes to smog in the nearby city. Recently the local police has threatened him with fines of as much as 30% of his net income, and he has become very scared. With our portable system, he can earn an additional $200/year by selling the activated carbon (AC) output to the local AC supplier, double his income and avoid government fines.

Furthermore, while the developed economies (e.g. U.S., Europe) are the major consumers of activated carbon, what many people do not recognize is that traditionally, the biomass activated carbon production process is very polluting at its source at the rural villages, both to the regional air and the groundwater. Increasingly, rural villagers in countries such as India, Sri Lanka, and Indonesia are protesting against the local pollution. Our systems, as a side benefit, also eliminates these pollutions, such that the developed economies are no longer enjoying the benefits of activated carbon at the expense of these marginalized communities.

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Mission Statement:

Activated carbon is a specialized chemical used in water, air, and industrial filtration, and drives a $5 billion/year industry. This chemical can be produced either from specific types of biomass (such as coconut shells), or a fossil base (coal, peat). Currently, the biomass activated carbon supply chain is facing severe raw material shortages, which makes it difficult to compete against fossil-based activated carbon. We use technology to enable a broader range of biomass to be made into activated carbon, thereby making biomass-based activated carbon more price and performance competitive and maintain its source stability, thereby displacing the industry‚ needs for fossil resources to make activated carbon. At scale, this is expected to mitigate around 20 million tons/year of CO2 equivalent, growing at 12%/year.

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We do not currently have a website, as we do not need one to interact with our customers. Vidyut's LinkedIn is: https://in.linkedin.com/in/vidyutmohan