Environment Ministry launches project to convert dried leaves into solid fuel

 

 

Thailand’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment has come up with an innovative project to transform natural waste, such as dried leaves in forests, into a renewable energy source. They have set a target, for 17 northern provinces, to convert 100 tonnes of dried leaves per day into solid fuel.

 

Natural Resources and Environment Minister Varawut Silpa-archa says that project could help reduce hotspots during the dry season by as much as 20% and, consequently, ease the problem of dust particles, especially PM2.5, in the atmosphere.

 

Instead of burning dried leaves in the forests, he said that utilizing the waste would be more sensible and could provide a new source of income for rural people.

 

Source: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/environment-ministry-launches-project-to-convert-dried-leaves-into-solid-fuel/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2020-11-27

 

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15 minutes ago, webfact said:

Environment Ministry launches project to convert dried leaves into solid fuel

Solid fuel to used for what purpose , to be burnt anyway ?

Edited November 27, 20205 yr by keith101

Maybe better to compost it   instead of burning it.

Kudos to the ministry, thats how jobs are created here.  Get the jobless to pick dried leaves.

I just had another crazy idea   they could hire people to pickup rubbish  there's tons of it strewn all over the country and washed up on the beaches in the rivers and canals

also they could buy some road sweeping machines and teams of people  to clear the sand/grit from the

roads, yet another team of dedicated dog catchers  and a further team dedicated to stop the burning of fields and forests   that's quite a few jobs created  ????

 

Nothing new or innovative, just not implemented here. First promoted here in 1994 at Queen Sirikit Exhibition Center, which showed a hand bricketting press for turning dry leaves etc into brickettes. Has been popular in Japan since 1925 and in Nepal since recorded history. I worked on the design of a project for turning forestry waste into fuel brickettes in Romania in 2003. The purpose of bricketting the dried leaves and not just throwing them into the incinerator, is because the uncompressed leaves take a lot of room in the incinerator for a given heat output. Therefore we brickette them which allows a lot more heat efficiency.

Sad. Disturbing forest habitat and taking the leaves from the delicate ecosystem is harmful to the forest. Leaves provide weed control, erosion control, habitat, nest material, replenish the soil, and provide many other uses in the forest. Maybe they should think about putting an end to the burning instead. Then they could target a 100% reduction in hotspots instead of just 20%. The forests and the people would benefit far more.

 

Leaves falling to the ground in forests are NOT waste. They provide nutrition to all sorts of plants and trees, serve as a habitat for myriads of small animals and bugs, and prevent the forest floor from drying out. Essentially, fallen leave sin forest are NECESSARY to maintain a healthy eco-climate. Hence, they should NOT be removed. Nobody needs a squeaky clean forest floor.

 

While the initiative of compressing dried leaves into fuel bricks is commendable, those leaves should be taken from city streets and parks, an not from forests. And perhaps my bonfire-obsessed neighbors also could donate a couple of tons every year instead of burning the stuff several times every year, blanketing the entire neighborhood in thick smoke every time.  

Edited November 28, 20205 yr by Misterwhisper

19 hours ago, webfact said:

Thailand’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment has come up with an innovative project to transform natural waste, such as dried leaves in forests, into a renewable energy source. They have set a target, for 17 northern provinces, to convert 100 tonnes of dried leaves per day into solid fuel.

Instead of leaving it to mulch and naturally feed the forest?

Great idea, but could he also extend that to the rice and sugar cane industry as farmers could provide him with tonnes of their waste and he could come up with another great idea on what to do with it instead of them burning it, sure this will reduce the PM 2.5 issue more than forest leaves, but then again, does the minister want to know the real reason PM 2.5 is around, or will it be the old, hear no evil, see no evil saying, cough, cough.

Edited November 28, 20205 yr by 4MyEgo

100 tons of dried leaves a day, I don't think they have thought it through,

can you imagine how many people that is going to take,it would be good

if they could make it work,but they better look quick, as the burning season 

is about to start and there will be no leaves left to collect.

 

I would like to think this year will be be different with no burning of the forests,

but I am not holding my breath ,pun intended, As nothing happens year after

year the people of the North have to suffer smoke and pollution of the air.

 

regards Worgeordie

 

Burning it still will not help the carbon footprint, should be mulched & used for fertilizer

21 hours ago, webfact said:

Environment Ministry launches project to convert dried leaves into solid fuel

 

Who's going to collect the Leaves and at what cost,still to be burned .

Let the people collect them for compost (if they not to Lazy).

AH! So that's where all the cannabis leaves roots and stems are going - fuel! I wondered why they removed the useless parts of the plant from the narco list. 

22 hours ago, webfact said:

Instead of burning dried leaves in the forests, he said that utilizing the waste would be more sensible and could provide a new source of income for rural people

Never seen leaves burnt in a forest here, why would they do that? let them rot and feed the land, adding mulch retaining moisture. I think yet another U-turn is on the way.

2 hours ago, digger70 said:

Who's going to collect the Leaves and at what cost,still to be burned .

I don't think you're understanding enough of their inventiveness to build (or order from Alibaba) a  50ft tall wind blower to blow the leaves into a 200ft net

On 11/27/2020 at 3:18 PM, keith101 said:

Solid fuel to used for what purpose , to be burnt anyway ?

Sounds about right to me.

But for sure it wont be Burnt in Power Stations to help reduce the Countries horrendous Carbon Footprint.