Hyderabad: Sow & Reap Chara, a climate technology firm from Hyderabad has entered into an agreement with Sagar Cements to set up biochar and gasification facilities to reduce emissions. The 10-year agreement includes setting up of the facilities at the cement maker’s plant in Mattampally, Telangana, reports The Hindu.
Under the agreement, Sow & Reap Chara will use agricultural residues, including cotton crop waste that is often burned after harvest, to produce syngas and biochar. The biomass will be sourced entirely from villages located within a 20-kilometre radius of the cement plant. The syngas will be used as an alternative fuel at the facility, while the biochar will be returned to farmers for use as manure.
Sow & Reap Chara founder and chief executive Suraj Teja said the partnership shows how new climate-focused solutions can be applied directly within heavy industries. He said the project would help lower emissions from cement production while also creating benefits for nearby farming communities.
The company plans to install a total of 20 gasification units at the site. Four units will be set up in the first phase and are expected to begin operations in March. Each unit will require an investment of about ₹14 crore. A single unit can process 15,000 tonnes of biomass every year and produce around 3,750 tonnes of biochar, helping reduce nearly 8,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions annually.
The emission reductions will generate carbon credits, which can be purchased by companies seeking to offset their emissions. With all 20 units in operation, the project is expected to generate about 160,000 carbon credits each year, with a target of nearly one million credits over the next five years. The model will also be extended to other manufacturing units operated by Sagar Cements and its subsidiaries across the country.
Sagar Cements Joint Managing Director S. Sreekanth Reddy said the company is backing new approaches that help lower its environmental impact while delivering wider benefits to society.
