Brazilian clean technology solar biogas integrated microalgae bioeconomy project

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This process has a great synergy between its elements, respecting the environment with waste treatment and giving prime destination for each element. This is not a process improvement, but the junction of four in a single production adapted to the reality of the Northeast and has not yet been done, but that can be fully applicable to the reality of semi-arid process systems.

Production with Clean Energy

General aspects 

The PP Bio is a process that has the cultivation of microalgae as a primary product, associating several clean to form a complete system sustainable and environmentally friendly energy technologies.

Seaweed and algae are aquatic plants that live in seawater, freshwater or brackish, abundant in much of the Northeast, which perform photosynthesis and capture CO2 from the atmosphere, consuming mineral water and generating organic material. These essential oils are extracted for industries of food, drugs and cosmetics, still leaving an organic byproduct that is generated in a biogas digester, mixing of CO2 and CH4.

These gases are in trouble for the issue of global warming. However, CH4 is a fuel with high calorific value and can be applied as compressed natural gas (CNG) technology developed and used in the market.

Many areas in the Northeast do not yet have distribution of CNG because of the pipe network to be extremely expensive to serve populations with low purchasing power.

Hundreds of organic wastes ranging from urban waste from agribusinesses to leaf and fruit crops rot in the environment generating primarily CO2 and CH4, villains of global warming.

It is possible to draw a parallel with cashew, which does not take advantage of the stalk that can be used for the extraction of essences and the remainder is also used in the production of biogas.

The gases generated in a digester can be separated through a scrubbing tower where the CO2 is absorbed and released CH4, which can be used in the generation of electricity by burning in a boiler or a power generator. This new CO2 is returned to create creation of microalgae, which no longer exist emission of harmful gases.

In turn, the sun may be used for heating processes of oil extraction as well as in part of desalination process water without the need for burning organic fuel production, thereby increasing the energy efficiency of the system.

Market

Many algae and microalgae oils are high price in domestic and international markets such as beta-carotene, with high antioxidant power, vitamin B-12 and many others.

The cultivation of microalgae is widely studied outside of Brazil, and there are plans to produce biodiesel oil being processed in Argentina (Patagonia), USA, Israel, Australia, and other countries.

Some Brazilian universities have conducted research in this area, but until then, there is no cultivation of industrial form in semiarid full.

Several surveys indicate that areas of twelve to fifty times smaller are necessary in the cultivation of microalgae for the production of oil, compared to production of castor.Only your initial investment is higher, considering the preparation of breeding. However, when considering carbon sequestration, the process becomes feasible.

There are hundreds of microalgae can be grown in abundant brackish waters of the backwoods of each species and different ingredients are extracted with high added value.

Some are made of up to 80% of their body weight in oil, if the market fails to have high value, fit to be inserted in the biodiesel production chain, where we developed a species adapted to the region and the extraction process suitable for the same .

The PP Bio aims to promote the paths to a technique that will make economically viable processes of enterprises and municipalities, pointing to a new supply chain, considering abundant supplies in the Northeast region as the land, brackish water, and sunlight. But critics point until it reaches its feasibility, are the development of species of microalgae adapted to the reality of the Northeast and the discovery of methods of bacteriological control to achieve a status of optimal growth and economic viability.

Introduction to Bio PP

Find the best species of microalgae adapted to the interior, with the greatest market viability, is one of the goals of this project.

In the production chain of cashew found a tailing almond nut used for animal feed. In this case, the supply chain could be changed for the extraction of noble oil effluents, with subsequent feeding of animals, where the excrement of them are used for digestion, generating the value chain with the extraction of oil.

Biodigestion

The digestion is a biochemical process where organic no commercial value, such as leaves, animal manure solids from wastewater treatment and agro industrial waste materials can be digested generating on average 4% of the original mass of biogas that has 60% CH4. The remainder of the original mass can be used as organic fertilizer.

Gas separation

The separation of gases is done in a tower where the biogas is introduced from the bottom and propelled into contact with the water, against the current that, under certain conditions, absorbs CO2 instead of CH4. This in turn is released from the top of the tower. The CH4 is then treated and used in compression to convey biogas (CNG) or electricity generation. The CO2 is used in solution with a nutrient cultivation of microalgae, mixing by dispersing the breeding designed for this purpose.

Cultivation of microalgae

Microalgae consume CO2, carbon source, and have an average of 22% in this composition, and for each pound of live cultivated microalgae, is absorbed approximately 0.8 kg of CO2, 0.6 kg O2 releasing to the atmosphere where 30% to 80% of the living mass becomes oils, depending on the type of algae, the active may be separated with higher added value.

To understand the numbers, it means that on a hectare of planting microalgae will have an average yield of 5.5 ton / month of dry microalgae, generating 2.5 tons of special oils considering algae with 40% oil. However, you can get up to 80%, absorbing 4.4 ton of CO2 release of 3.3 tons of oxygen to the atmosphere, which produces 3.3 tons of organic material. In the digester, if not used for animal feed, it generates 3.0 tons of organic fertilizer and 50 kg of CO2 and 80 Nm³ CH4 gas. Here we use smaller numbers, concluding that there is much room for the development of the process.

Bio PP, The Union of Processes

The focus of Bio PP is the union of systems of cultivation of microalgae, biodigester, gas separation and oil extraction system with the generation of various products adapted to the reality of semi-arid tower.

The application of this knowledge generates the operation of a new supply chain, overriding environmental, social and energy issues. Here we find the feasibility of obtaining a supply chain facing the northeastern hinterland, with the cultivation of microalgae adapted to the region. The goal is to produce useful, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and others with the absorption of CO2 from any source to generate this gas industries of food supplies.

In this case, a digester is used in the production of biogas or CNG. The source of the organic material may be multiple, including stems and leaves of the castor bean plant, enabling the production cost of biodiesel through these sources. Waste of food or leftover treated wastewater industry are also used.

The PP Bio focuses its attention on the formation of a nursery in the city of microalgae Paudalho - PE where the research is done for ever deeper knowledge semilaboratorial scale, obtaining data for the pilot project to be developed in the backcountry.

The project is divided into two phases, the first being called incubators Microalgae, lasting eighteen months. The second phase is the implementation of the Pilot Project, which developed the solar power as an energy alternative heating in oil extraction from microalgae. See the flowchart below:

Innovation

As well as practical application of stem and leaves mamoneiro for biogas generation and utilization of CO2 from various sources for growing algae and microalgae, are unknown does not exist in Brazil the cultivation of microalgae for biodiesel with dissolution CO2, which prevents the increase in growth rate thereof.

Another process that is not known is the pilot-scale extraction of essential oils from algae or reject the use of microalgae after extraction of active elements in the generation of biogas digesters on or use of this waste in animal husbandry, with their feces being used to generate environmentally friendly fuel.

The environments used as the waters of brackish lagoons do not have commercial use in a wide area of ​​territory. Even if it is executed in artificial ponds, the use of land will be dry regions and low value.

The Bio PP has a great synergy between its elements, respecting the environment with waste treatment and giving prime destination for each element.

This is not a process improvement, but the junction of four in a single production adapted to the reality of the Northeast and has not yet been done, but that can be fully applicable to the reality of semi-arid process systems.

If we join cane bagasse as raw material, waste or even cashew plantation of castor, where the stems and leaves are completely neglected, can be removed much more energy, enabling economically biodiesel from castor, which today is only feasible with strong fiscal incentive.

The inputs in this production cycle are the sun, the water not used for inactive wells and organic waste coming from agribusiness and urban waste. These items generate useful products to solve the problem of energy, global warming and food.

New forms of carbon sequestration are also global and emerging needs of the First World, eager for consistent and feasible projects.

Using a land of semiarid Northeast, will be deployed a Research and Development with the construction of a pilot plant, uniting all processes: the cultivation of microalgae, digestion, separation of gases, electric generators small through the wind process, vegetable oil extraction from algae, organic from agribusiness, agricultural and urban wastes, biogas purification unit and extracts generated on current technology.      

Advantages

Among the many advantages of Bio PP, we can highlight: 
- the use of dry lands and brackish water of the northeastern semi-arid region for the production of inputs; 
- the double carbon sequestration in the cultivation of microalgae fermentation process and biogas; 
- the production of carrier gas, without impact on global warming, 
- generating inputs food, cosmetic and suitable for the transesterification process of generating biodiesel oils, depending upon the kind of microalgae to be cultured; 
- the use of agro-industrial wastes Northeast as the cashew nut, castor bean, leather and footwear industry and slaughterhouses, which could be handled in useful elements for agriculture.

Final Thoughts

The project unites Bio PP and other processes known in development as the cultivation of microalgae, adding greater value than the separate processes, creating multiple sources of income and enabling the whole production chain. 

With the support of FINEP, the FACEPE and other companies, the PP Bio is an alternative to the Northeast, with the possibility of new ways to north-eastern man, adding environmental solutions that will certainly overcome the problem of degradation by generating Power and useful inputs.

If the PP Bio is applied intensively, may contribute as a new energy model for Brazil and other regions of the world.

Extant requerida: PI 0704811-0 of 11/06/2007.

Braziian solar bio innovation claeff Norteast Brazil

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Analysis of the problem

Populations such as those in the coastal and hinterland Amazon caatinga have usually lived in the plant extraction mainly from the extraction of vegetable or essential oils for their extraction require heat today comes from deforestation. Typically lack electricity or when they have to rely on expensive fossil fuel.

Another important point for the technology is transforming emconcentradores industrial roofs with solar rays heat generation at high temperature and electricity simultaneously thereby reducing the emission of CO2 which exacerbates the issue of global warming, reducing dependence on foreign energy.

 The solar energy to produce electricity and heat simultaneously is the focus of our development that aims to build a pickup of low-cost solar energy for multiple applications and dual function. Known are two major technologies for capturing solar energy.

One is the PV, which slabs of silicon or other material absorbs energy from light so turning directly into electrical energy without absorbing a portion of the light which turns into heat.

Another is that transforms heat as much as possible light energy into heat energy in a black body, thereby heating a fluid such as water, oil, air or salts and thus this energy could be used in a turbine for electricity generation or heating systems industrial, residential as the shower, etc.

In the photovoltaic solar rays fall directly on the silicon plates which absorb light generated within the cell a potential difference produces a continuous electrical current. One of the problems of this system is currently the cost of the plates that have made impossible their use on a large scale, generating electricity in much higher than the conventional with the loss of radiative energy transformed into heat cost.

In heating water or other fluid captured directly from the sun turning sunlight into heating system, already widely used, low-cost, one can notice a lot in homes for heating water for shower and others.

Although simple, the municipality of São Paulo system began requiring a municipal law that new homes have solar heating system, which has a capacity to heat water up to 55 ° C.

Industrial and agro-industrial processes typically require temperatures between 80 and 120 ° C, outside, so this technology. In this system the diffuse light and incident radiation is absorbed, but with varying angles depending on the sun position, showing also low efficiency, since capture is also dependent on the angle of incidence of sunlight varies in the daytime.

Are not widespread solar heating systems with concentrators of solar rays to midsize facilities, except for small systems called solar cooker, but this is not meant to be energy efficient, but only to fulfill the function of baking food or water heating.

Nowadays you can make sunlight concentrators with automatic positioning always getting the sun's rays into proper position with maximum efficiency, with a low cost and with very simple mechanisms with low power consumption proportional to the energy captured.

Capture solar energy systems for concentration of large rays are few in operation worldwide and are generating power at a cost that is only now with the high cost of oil starts to become viable.

Within the field of solar concentrators few rays evolutionary ideas are observed to decrease the cost of generation of electricity or heat from solar energy, except those listed in manufacturers of photovoltaic cells to improve efficiency and cost reduction manufacturing the same.

In the heating of water by absorbing plates without concentrating systems, is obtained, for example, the maximum hot water temperature between 55 to 65 ° C, thus becomes a limited either technique when temperatures ranging from 80 to 120 ° C for the process.

Now dominate electric heaters with firewood consumption, oil or gas, all with impact acclimatise in CO2 emissions to the atmosphere, when you want higher temperatures and in this case the sunlight concentrators meet this need without any power consumption.

Systems that produce water or other fluid at temperatures close to or higher than 100 ° C reduces the investment hot water reservoirs, as higher energy as heat is concentrated into smaller volumes of fluid mass. The hot water or other fluid can be stored for up to 48 hours without having large investments when stocks higher temperatures.

Moreover photovoltaics good quality support higher concentrations of light intensity, which was observed in our studies, thus generating greater amounts of electricity, but there is a limit of maximum temperature for this generation efficiency and how much focus the sun's rays on This heats the cell at temperatures 200 ° C acimade thus losing its ability to generate current.

The removal of heat to photovoltaic cells when working at temperatures above 90 ° C is essential to maintain the efficiency of the power generation process.

Technical proposal

We propose here the development of electricity generation by photovoltaic cells in concentrator solar rays, with simultaneous use of the heat diffusion process on the cells where the cooling fluid of the same, keeping the optimum working temperature and generating hot fluid useful in some industrial process heating, agribusiness, remote locations, clubs, farms, nurseries etc.

Proposition product and process

The proposed research project seeks technology, patents, designs for data installations of plants generating electricity and heat for industrial processes, agro-industries, clubs, hotels, and especially to meet the problem of energy and warmth to the riverside from Amazon and the backcountry of the savanna, without consuming fuel or cause emission of CO2.

With this plant for electricity generation, heat generation united for multiple applications such as industries, hotels, agribusinesses without fuel like coal, oil, gas etc. could be designed

Among the products that the company could commercialize this research would be the sale of technology, sale of plant design, plant construction for the sale of energy and heat to industries with sales of carbon credits, production of small generating plant to small industries, agribusiness, hotels, clubs, spas, farms etc, especially in remote locations.

Technical Advantages

 In the normal process of collecting solar energy in photovoltaic cells, part of the energy turns into heat and is not converted into electricity and is lost and the cost of the plates

PV are high as they are imported and the same support higher concentrations of light energy using solar concentrators that glass or other material costs would fall much plates.

Adding a solar boiler behind the cell waste heat in the cells would be availed with dual function of cooling the cells in maintaining optimum condition of use and heat up some fluid that would be used in processes such as heat.

Usually in industries there is a need of electricity and heat and heat is an important item in terms of cost to production processes, so this process would fit like a glove on the needs.

Environmental advantages

Currently consumes some heat to processoscomo LPG, oil, natural gas and others that with the replacement of heating the solar base implies the non-CO2 emissions and enabling the sale of carbon credits.

Generation and transmission of electricity involves environmental damage, with derepresas construction and use of areas for passing linhões and energy consumption and waste in the production of aluminum, in contrast to the generation at point of use energy primarily to regions of the northeastern hinterland where there is an abundance of sunshine.

Dual of electricity and heat in a single process where the catchment area of ​​electricity with less than conventional photovoltaics cost considering the total catchment area of ​​the equipment generating process.

The diffuse heat from the photovoltaic cells in concentrator ray procedure being used for heating processes.

Commercial advantages

The process generates water, hot air or oil with much higher temperatures than conventional plates to capture heat for heating residential showers, meeting the needs of other industrial applications or other applications.

Energy associated with heating available in remote less proportionate cost catchment area sites. No consumption of fossil fuels release CO2 into the atmosphere.Equipment installation and easy operation. Ability to store thermal energy and electrical energy in batteries and heated fluid tanks for later use. Less than other methods of capturing solar energy cost comparison.

Social Aspects

In the proposed process where the backbone of the pickups can be fabricated by a simple metal structure results in a new fitness industries small metal frame and providers of manpower regional assembly in a new supply chain services.

Relevance of the Project

The Brazil ceased to participate in the development of many high-tech supply chains for not fostering research in some areas and the production process of solar energy by photovoltaic cells is one of them. Currently this technology is in countries like USA, Germany, Japan and all solar pickups are imported.

A national technology with a patent (IP 018.080.038.481) INPI required can decrease this delay in giving alternative solar energy chain tailored to the interior problem and the environmentally sound technical solutions.

With the rising price of fossil fuels the feasibility of new techniques is blunts, added care with no emission of gases that affect global warming. The technique described here is the truly revolutionary aspect of the union's use of electrical energy and heat while increasing process efficiency and compatible costs.

Project Goals

• Get local technology to capture solar energy front making imported alternatives, that is adapted to regional needs.
• Transform the technology required to commercially accepted process adapted to the market.
• Survey of field data that enables future installation of medium and large.
• Development solar technology proposed in the pickup showing technique, cost viability.
• Development of the technique with additional patents record ensuring the entire chain within the technique.
• Technical training involving this technology for the plant sale.
• Contribute to framing companies in the eco-friendly system, with reduction of CO2 emissions, selling facilities and technology.
• Ensure all records with the developed process.
• Get product design to fit their production and sale.

Feasibility

Large companies have a strong focus on sustainability, social responsibility and environmental, with reduced power consumption programs with substitution processes of energy generation to renewable energy. The Northeast and Amazon have a multitude of communities without access to electricity generation projects where community heat and power are key to improving living standards.

A process that meets both requests with the ability to generate electricity and heat simultaneously for productive processes from a candy factory or heating inside the home of a petrochemical plant reducing manufacturing costs, is certainly desirable and attractive to the market mainly considering an environmentally friendly energy.

The costs of photovoltaic cells on an industrial roof generates little energy proportional needs of industry and investment costs and even then only the radiant energy is transformed into electricity, wasting heat energy that could be used.

The concentration of solar rays for a dual capture enables compliance costs, reducing the cost of photovoltaic cells. Thus the potential of the proposed process is very large considering all this market.

Market for the project

Many companies have to reduce power consumption and replacement processes of energy generation to renewable energy programs, as well as assistance to populations with insertion programs to supply chains and in this respect the proposed technology fits well in these cases.

As already mentioned, the Northeast and Amazon have a multitude of communities without access to electricity where community projects to generate power and heat are essential for the improvement of living standards.

Can also be used in industrial roofs with this system to capture heat generation industry for reducing the energy consumption a reduction in costs. There is a clear opportunity for entrepreneurs and investors in the acquisition of products, technology and equipment.

Coconut fiber ,coirpith products fr coir industry

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REUSE OF BY-PRODUCTS IN COIR INDUSTRY:  A CASE STUDY
Sudhira H.S. and Ann Jacob,
Department of Environmental Engineering,
Sri Jayachamarajendra College of Engineering, Mysore, Karnataka, India.

Photos

by-products in coir industry

Keywords Coir pith, retting, composting, decomposing, briquetting, mushroom cultivationAbstract Coir industry is one of the important traditional cottage industries widely spread over South India. The case of Coco products, a small-scale industry located in Gubbi, Tumkur District, Karnataka, India, which is in the Coir fibre production, is considered. Coconut husk is the basic raw material of the industry. Tumkur district happens to be one of the prominent coconut growing areas in the state. The speciality of this region is that edible copra is obtained from coconut. The Coir fibre extracted from the husk is used in local bedding, mat and matting, rubberized Coir mattress, yarn and rope making etc. The byproduct of this industry is Coir pith. In the process of extraction of Coir fibre from husk, generally about 1/3rd of it is obtained as fibre and 2/3rd of it is obtained as Coir pith. Coir pith with a range of interesting properties finds various applications. Coir pith has a high lignin (31%) and cellulose (27 %) content and a carbon-nitrogen (C/N) ratio of 104: 1. (Shekar, 1999). Coir pith also has a very high water holding capacity of 5 to 6 times its weight. It should be noted that Coir pith is very stable because of the presence of high percentage of lignin. Hence Coir pith left to itself takes decades to decompose. Studies by various institutions have resulted in methods to speed up the process of decomposition (lignin reduction) by fungal/microbial culture. The decomposing or composting of Coir pith is done near agriculture fields, in heaps generally by the Pleurotus sojarcaju species an edible mushroom, which takes around 35-45 days. Composted Coir pith is used along with organic supplements in crop fields in horticulture and floriculture. It is also used as a rooting and growing medium for certain ornamental flowering plants. Decomposed Coir pith is also used as hydroponics systems for growing roses and vegetables under controlled conditions. The Coir pith in sterilized condition finds use in mushroom cultivation and floriculture. The Coir pith also finds application as an alternative for 'Peat Moss' the extraction of which has been banned in most of the European country. It also finds application as a mulching material for grapevine. Coir pith has a calorific value of 3975 k cal/kg, close to 4200 k cal/kg of coal. It can also be used as fuel briquettes with the ash content almost 1/10th of coal. A proper methodology or technology for briquetting Coir pith is yet to be developed for manufacturing a commercially viable product. Here in our case, on an average a husk weighs about 300 g, 80-85 g is obtained as fibre and around 200 g is obtained as Coir pith. Further on an average 5000 husks are defibred per day, which yields 1000 kg (1 ton) of Coir pith per day while around 5-6 tons is composted or decomposed in batches for every 35-45 days depending upon the requirement. As mentioned earlier, out of the rest of Coir pith, some quantity is sterilized and dispatched to be used chiefly in floriculture. Thus, the Coir pith, which was once a waste and had a disposal problem, has a commercial value. Infact today it is even being exported to other countries by some other units and has both internal and external market. Finally, we have arrived at cleaner and eco-friendly as well as profitable method of disposing the byproduct - Coir pith. INTRODUCTION  Coir industry is one of the important traditional cottage industries in India. It is a labour intensive and export oriented industry. It provides employment to over 50,000 workers all round the year 80 % of the workers engages in the industry is women. Coir industry in India is over one and half century old. The first factory in India was setup during the pre-independence period in Alleppey by a European called James Dhara of Irish origin. The basic raw material of the industry is the coconut husk, from which the Coir fibre is extracted. The husk is the out fibrous material of the coconut. The biological name of coconut plant is Cocus nucifera. Here we are presenting the case of Coco Products, located in Gubbi, Tumkur district of Karnataka State, India. Coconut plantations are one of the chief crops of farmers all over Karnataka. Hence there is a lot of availability of the above said raw material, coconut husk. Before the existence of the Coir industry, the coconut husk was dried and used as fuel. This is even practiced at some places. With the amount of raw material available there are 196 registered Coir industries in Karnataka State. In Karnataka alone the coconut production is in 290, 000 ha area and the production of coconuts in 1493 million nuts during the year 1996-1997. Earlier, coconut husks were considered to be a throwaway material, it found a commercial value for extraction of Coir fibre. The Coir fibre is extracted from a process called retting. Retting involves soaking the husks in water for a certain period until the fibre becomes loose and soft. The soaking is done in cement tanks in this case. During the retting process, the husk becomes soft and a number of substances like carbohydrate glycosides, tannin and nitrogen compounds are brought in solution. The carbohydrates and nitrogen compounds are acted upon a great variety of anaerobic organisms, which produce various organic acids and gas. When the fermentation progresses, the temperature of the husk increases, water becoming turbid due to gas formation and frothing and pectin in the middle lamella of the husks slowly dissolves. Subsequently, the rate of fermentation shows down and the water becomes clear without the evolution of gases and the consequent frothing and, at this stage the husks are ready for removal. The time required for retting is influenced by various factors such as the stage of maturity of coconuts, the weather and the nature of weather and the nature of weather (P.K. Thampan, 1987). The retted husks are beaten in machines called Defibring machine or with wooden mallets as in the traditional case, and hence the Coir fibre is extracted. Broadly, there are two major types of Coir fibre. They are white fibre and brown fibre. The Coir fibre extracted from the husk by crushing in defibring machines in our case is used in local bedding, mat and matting, rubberised Coir mattress and rope making etc. For the rubberised Coir mattress curled Coir is used. In the process of extraction of Coir fibre from husk, generally one third of it is obtained as fibre and two thirds of it is obtained as Coir pith. Coir pith was earlier considered as 'waste'. Wastes are often materials for which beneficial uses are not known is not economical, so that some sort of innovation is needed to find ways of using them. (R. Iranpour et al, 1999).    Coir pith with a range of interesting properties finds various applications. Coir pith has a high lignin (31 %) and cellulose (27 %) content and carbon-nitrogen ratio of 104:1(C.A. Shekar, 1999). Coir pith also has to vary high water holding capacity of 5 to 6 times its weight. It should be noted that Coir pith is a very stable product because of the presence of high percentage of lignin. Hence Coir pith left to itself, takes decades to decompose. The Coir industry under study completes 25 years of Coir fibre production this year. The characteristics of Coir pith, that were generated as waste, 20-25 years back, were found to be on par with the decomposed Coir pith, unlike the raw Coir pith. Hence the Coir pith left to itself takes a span of 20 years to decompose itself. Further the Coir pith will decompose in the soil only very slowly, as its pentosan lignin ratio is less than 0.5, which is the minimum, required for the slow decomposition of organic matter in the soil. (P.K. Thampan, 1987). The nutritive value of Coir pith is given in the following table (Before composting).  Table 1 : Present Nutrient Level of Coir Pith in kg/t (Joachim, A.W.R) Nutrient  Coir Pith  Nitrogen  4.42 P2O5 0.71 Potash  1.02 The Coir pith is excellent surface mulch in all kinds of soil. It absorbs over eight times its weight of water and parts with it slowly. It has been found that by incorporation of 2 percent weight of Coir pith with sandy soil, the water holding capacity of the latter is increased by 40 percent. Coir Pith Composting Since Coir pith takes decades to decompose and in the early 1990's it posed environmental hazard and disposal problem. Various research institutions were successful in methods to speed up the process of decomposition by fungal or microbial culture. Coir pith can be successfully composted either in the area of the industrial yard or in the agricultural fields itself. The Coir pith composting is done by using mushroom cultures or fungal cultures. The mushroom popularly used belongs to the Pleurotus species. They are commercially sold in spawn bottles. Normally one spawn bottle weighs around 300g. Further to compost about 1 ton of Coir pith 1.5 kg of spawn and 5 kg of urea are needed. The composting technique is as described below.  Mark an area of 5 m length and 3 m width in selected place which is preferably under shade. Spread uniformly on the marked area, one hundred kilogram (approximately) of Coir pith. Inoculate with one bottle of the spawn of Pleurotus species by applying uniformly over the well spread Coir pith. Cover uniformly with another hundred kilogram of Coir pith over the Pleurotus species inoculated layer of Coir pith. Apply one kilogram of urea uniformly over the layer of Coir pith. Cover the applied urea with the next layer of one hundred kilogram of Coir pith. Repeat the process of sandwiching the Pleurotus species and urea alternatively with hundred kilogram layers of Coir pith to a height of one meter. Sprinkle water if the moisture content of Coir pith is below 200 %. Normally the heaps of Coir pith at the industry have 500 percent moisture. Therefore if the Coir pith is found over dried sprinkling of water is required. Keep the heap for thirty days of decomposition and sprinkle water if necessary periodically. At the end of thirty days, the Coir pith may be found turned into dark or black mass of compost, having a reduced C : N ratio of 24:1 and with increased availability of macro nutrients and micro nutrients.    By addition of urea to Pleurotus species the nutrient level increased as given.  Table 2 : Nutrient Level of Coir Pith after Decomposition by Addition  of Urea to Pleurotus species in kg/t Nutrient  Coir Pith  Nitrogen  4.42 P2O5 0.71 Potash  1.02 Coir pith compost could also be effectively marketed. Marketable Compost should be  (i) of consistent size,  (ii) Free of glass, plastic and metals and  (iii) free of objectionable odours (Tchobanaglous et al, 1993). This composted Coir pith confirms to all these conditions. Further by the addition of certain nutrients like urea, super phosphate and murate of potash, it could make a basic nutrient complex - the manure mixture of 6:6:10. If this is done successfully this can commercially marketed as 'Enriched Bio-manure'. Composted Coir pith is used along with organic supplements in crop fields in horticulture and floriculture. It is also used as a rooting and growing medium for certain ornamental flowering plants. Decomposed Coir pith is also used as hydroponic systems for growing roses and vegetables under controlled conditions. The raw Coir pith is also sieved for separating it from small Coir fibres of 5 to 10 centimeters in length. This results in obtaining fine Coir pith. This is further sterilized to avoid the phytotoxic pathogens. The moisture content of this will be 40 %. The pH and electron conductivity of the sieved-sterilized Coir pith is 6.5 and 1.1-m mho respectively. This sieved-sterilized Coir pith is used as soil conditions in floriculture. Coir pith has a calorific value of 3975 kcal/kg, close to 4200 k cal/kg of coal. It can also be used as fuel briquettes with the ash content almost 1/10th of coal. There have been developed hydraulically operated briquetting machine to produce solid and strong round fuel briquette (by Dry process), which can server very well as an alternate economic fuel in place of coal in industries. Coir pith with a range of interesting properties finds applications in nurseries, floriculture etc. The use of Coir pith in eucalyptus has been dealt here. The composting of Coir pith is done at the agriculture field as in this case. The composted Coir pith is applied uniformly on the mother bed of eucalyptus. Once the plants are transferred from mother need in plastic covers of 1/2 litre volume. It is mixed with Coir pith compost and mud in the ratio of 1:2 by volume. After about 1 and half month, the plants are transferred to other places and are ready for plantations are called 'Plantlets'.      Finally today, we have various applications of the Coir pith, which was once a waste and caused disposal problem. The Coir pith being chiefly composted and with certain additives, can become a good supplement for fertilizers. Further, some more research has to be undertakes on the wastewater that is obtained after retting. Though there has been no physical ill effects visible, it is recommended that its use for agriculture or irrigation fields should be explored. REFERENCES P.K. Thampan.1987. Handbook on Coconut Palm. Oxford & IBH.pages 272-273. R. Iranpour, Moghddam, O., Kharraghani. S., Longley, J., Jelee, J., Schroeden, E. 1990. "The Future of Environmental Engineering; Resources and Economics", Water 21, Sept-Oct 1999, 12-14. Jachim AWR. 1973. The Manurial Value and Decomposability of Coir Fibre Dust. Trop. Agri., 272-73. Tchobanoglous G., Theisen, H. and Vigil, S, 1993. Integrated Solid Management, McGraw Hill, New York. Shekar, C.A. 1999. Application of Coir pith in Internal and Export Market. National Seminar on Coir, Coir Products and Coir Pith.  Acknowledgement The authors gratefully acknowledge the encouragement given by Prof. T.P. Halappa Gowda, Head, Department of Environmental Engineering, Sri Jayachamarajendra College of Engineering, Mysore, Karnataka, India. The authors are also very grateful to Dr. M. Mahadevaswamy, Department of Environmental Engineering, Sri Jayachamarajendra College of Engineering, Mysore, for his constant guidance. The authors are also thankful to everyone in the Department of Environmental Engineering, Sri Jayachamarajendra College of Engineering, Mysore. Further the authors are also thankful to Mr. M.K. Srinath, Datta Krishna Orchards, Gubbi, Tumkur District, Karnataka, India. The authors are also thankful to everybody who helped during the preparation of the manuscript.

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