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White coal
The production of white coal (Briquettes made of Biomass) is mainly from agricultural waste.
White coal is a form of fuel produced by drying chopped wood or agricultural waste over a fire. White coal differs from charcoal which is carbonised wood.
It helps in the protection of the environment due to low levels of carbon emission. The production of white coal also help the farmers
to earn more money. Earlier the waste was not utilised and it used to go into the
drains. The mixture of agricultural
wastes like mustard sticks and the sesame seeds oilcake are used as bio-fuel.
The surge in demand for white coal has enabled to earn carbon credit points, which are sold in European market in return bringing a lot of
foreign exchange to India. In the near future, white coal is likely to replace the regular fuels
due to the low-level of carbon emission and also due to its high calorific value.
White coal production in Rajasthan
Rajasthan has great potential to produce white coal as Kota, Swaimadhopur, Tonk, Ganaganagar and Bharatpur towns produce large amount
of mustard and the agricultural residue is used in the production of the white coal. Rajasthan has emerged as the hub for
the production of white coal due to the availability of raw material and favourable climatic conditions.
More than 200 units are involved in the production of white coal around Ganganagar, Kota and Jaipur.
"In Rajasthan, mustard seeds are produced in large quantity. Around 70 per cent of the mustard is produced in the region. Earlier, farmers used
to throw the agricultural waste. Now it used by the industries. In addition to this, it is available at a cheap price. There are industries
set up in rest of the places like Gujarat , Maharashtra but due to non-availability of sufficient area for production, it is not a viable
option for the industries," said V.K. Parikh, an environmentalist.
Demand of white coal is rising
"There has been a world wide competition; people who are using bio-fuels are getting back 25 per cent of their costing. Thus, the fuel cost gets
cut by 25 %. The major companies in the region are engaging in this production. The future of these industries is bright and it will
grow. It is beneficial for the environment as well," said Parikh.
The white coal produces very low level of carbon which helps to protect
the environment as result the demand for the commodity has been rising
in Europe as it enables to earn Carbon Credit points. The rising coal price has also raised the demand for the commodity from Europe.
White Coal is a form of fuel produced by drying chopped wood or from agricultural
waste. It is much cheaper than coal and wood. In the near future, white coal is likely to replace the regular fuels
due to the low-level of carbon emission and also due to its high efficiency.
There is no sulphur in the white coal, therefore no toxic gases. Moisture content in white coal is nil. The biomass briquettes in
white cola have a higher practical thermal value, have
consistent quality, high burning efficiency and are ideally sized for complete combustion.
In white coal combustion is more uniform compared to coal and boiler response to changes in steam requirements is faster, due to higher quantity of volatile matter in
briquettes and have low ash contents. The calorific value of the finished briquettes is approximately 4 to 5 kcal .
The environmentalists have praised the production of white coal as it is
eco friendly and uses the waste materials from agriculture which was earlier thrown away. |
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History
In the mid-sixteenth to the late seventeenth centuries, white coal was used in England to smelt
lead ore. It produces more heat than green wood but less than charcoal
and thus prevents the lead evaporating. White coal could be use mixed with charcoal for other industrial uses than lead
smelting. White coal was produced in distinctive circular pits with a channel, known as Q-pits.
Nowadays White coal is made from - Groundnut shells, Cotton Flower & Salk, Castor Seed Shells, Forest Leaves, Wood chips & shavings, Sugarcane Bagasse, Rice husk & Paddy Straw,
Mustard waste, Coir dust, Coffee husk, Sunflower & waste, Maize stalks, bajra cobs, Sesame seeds oil cake, Wheat Straw etc.
Making white coal - Vedio |
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