Converting pruned tea plants into biomass pellets: A sustainable energy source

India has experienced a 22.4% rise in coal consumption over the past five years, intensifying concerns over depleting fossil fuel reserves, greenhouse gas emissions, and public health risks. To address these challenges, agro-waste, particularly pruned tea plant biomass from northeastern India, offers a sustainable alternative. This study presents a novel approach to converting pruned tea plant waste into biomass pellets, a renewable and eco-friendly fuel. The process involves drying, grinding, optimizing binder concentration, and pelletizing the biomass. The resulting pellets exhibited desirable properties, including low moisture content (<5%), a calorific value of 14-15.5 MJ/kg, and reduced emissions of hydrocarbons (5 ppm), carbon monoxide (0.05%), carbon dioxide (0.32%), and nitrogen oxides (7 ppm). Characterization through proximate and ultimate analyses confirmed their efficiency as clean fuel. These findings highlight the potential of tea plant biomass pellets as a cost-effective, portable, and sustainable energy source, promoting eco-friendly energy solutions and reducing dependence on fossil fuels.