Carbon positive Industrial Ecosystem, Ahmadabad

Written by Anna da Costa / 30 January 2009 / Read Anna da Costa's latest blog entries.

Written with Thomas Henry Culhane

It’s no longer ‘food for fuel’, its ‘grass for gas’. Using waste grass clippings to produce fuel is just one of a holistic suite of solutions being implemented at Claris Pharmaceuticals in Gujarat, India’s first carbon positive corporation. Every element of this manufacturing plant, from the building design through to each of its operations has set new benchmarks for climate best practice.Finally the grass is greener on the other side.

Clean Decentralised Power

The power supply for this energy intensive business is 70% powered by on or near-site waste. Using clippings from their lawns and castor oil cake and sawdust from neighbouring farms, this plant excels in meeting its requirements with little to no ecological footprint. Cut grass, as an unlikely hero, provides 92% of its energy value when processed in a biomass gasifier and as a result, gives the plant 40 days of power per year. Future plans include utilising algae fed on CO2 extracted from waste flue gases, building a 2MW solar electric station to provide 30% of their electricity needs, and implementing solar thermal for water heating. Claris Pharmaceuticals use no fossil fuels for their thermal process heat, a huge achievement given the nature of their core operations – producing pharmaceuticals. 

Water saving

There are thirteen water recharging wells across the compound, which feed into an underground aquifer from which the lawns and plants are fed. The plant utilises rainwater harvesting also, and re-uses treated water.

Green Architecture and Operations

From the building orientation, which is carefully designed to create psychological harmony, to the way it sits on the soil, which minimises its impact on the microcosm of organisms that exist in the soil, this plant (which is still being completed) has incorporated features that will allow it to operate in harmony with the natural environment. The employees too are taught how they are part of climate solutions, and although they all work very hard, seem highly motivated and excited for the cause. The motor systems used during manufacture also utilise state of the art energy conservation technology, with variable speed drives ensuring they utilise only the energy they require. The whole plant is based on the principles of Vastu Shashtra (water, air, fire, earth, wind).