FOCUS : RENEWABLE ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES

Project: GHG emissions reductions through use of energy efficient technologies by textile processing units in Tamil Nadu

Funded By: Small Grants Program of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) - Global Environment Facility (GEF) 

Duration: September 2006 to March 2008

Introduction & Role of TIDE

The textile processing units located in seven districts of Tamil Nadu use firewood harvested unsustainably and fossil fuels for meeting their thermal energy requirements. The units burn the wood in conventional stoves that are energy inefficient. This results in higher consumption of wood, higher quantity of GHG emissions and an unhealthy working environment. This project has the goal of creating sustainable mechanisms for the reduction of GHG emissions from textile processing units in Tamil Nadu. The expected project outputs include the development of a sustainable network to promote and disseminate energy efficient technologies for the textile processing units, and installing energy efficient stoves and solar systems.

The project activities focus on demonstration of fuel efficient devices, developing an entrepreneurial network and market development activities for generating demand. A project information centre was opened in Komarapalyam (Namakkal district). Fuel efficient textile bleaching stoves are being sold by entrepreneurs facilitated by the market development activities of the project office. Biomass briquettes are also sold. 

The business environment in the project area has not been congenial for investment in non-movable, high-value assets such as solar water heating systems. Therefore, the project has explored alternate renewable energy solutions to reduce emissions from the dyeing units. The project has developed energy efficient, biomass-fired water heaters for heating of water to temperatures that are required by the dyeing units. These water heaters are movable from one location to another. They save about 60% of biomass (as compared to consumption levels in conventional stoves) and are compatible with the operations of the units. We have demonstrated 100 litres and 500 litres water heaters in the project area and the response has been encouraging. The improved water heaters would reduce emissions by atleast 60% as compared to emissions from the existing stoves. 

The successful activities under the project have encouraged us to promote our products in the neighbouring district of Karur. The project is highly replicable in other regions of the state and in the country because biomass is the thermal energy source for most textile units. 

Read more about the survey on firewood consumption in textile processing.