Sustainable Solutions: Biochar - remediating wastewater

This video was produced by the Department of Biotechnology, Government of India on work by Dr. Shashi Kumar at ICGEB New Delhi, India.
Ethanol production from distilleries generates large amounts of Spent Wash, a dark brown wastewater containing hazardous melanoidin. This pigment inhibits the photosynthetic activity of plants. To produce 1L EtOH, 15L Spent Wash is generated. Indian distilleries produce huge amounts of Spent Wash that can be cost-effectively remediated by passing through a biochar filter.
Algae biomass can be processed directly as wet biomass through Hydrothermal liquefication (HTL/autoclaving) to produce bio-crude oil and biochar. Biocrude oil can be processed further through the existing refinery to produce biofuel. The biochar can be used to clean Spent Wash. A team of researchers led by Dr. Shashi Kumar at ICGEB has developed a solution to process the algal biomass to produce the BioProduct- Biochar and Biocrude Oil. Biochar after filtration can be added to compost to create new biofertilizers that fix carbon in soil (carbon credit) and enrich soil fertility to improve crop productivity (40% higher tomato productivity). This innovative approach turns environmental problems into a valuable resource, supporting sustainable agriculture and a cleaner environment.
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