Not letting waste go waste : Nepal energy company gets financing to turn biomass into fuel pellets

The forest floor is full of dried leaves, mills throw away sawdust, and farms burn away agriculture residue. Now, a Nepali company has decided not to let waste go waste and turn this biomass into fuel pellets.

Biomass pellets can be a clean and cheap energy source, and an alternative to firewood, petroleum products, LPG and coal — all of which are unsustainable and harmful to health.

Bakas Renewable Energy is planning to produce nearly 20,000 metric tonnes of biomass pellets every year for the Nepali market from its plant in Province 2, and help reduce Nepal’s petroleum import bill and improve public health by reducing air pollution.

This week, Bakas signed a loan agreement with NMB Bank for debt financing of Rs160 million. Bakas was founded by Nepali forestry and environmental professionals who believe in a sustainable energy future for the country.

Business Oxygen Pvt Ltd (BO2) is making an equity investment of Rs50 million for developing the biomass pellet project at Ishworpur of Sarlahi District. BO2 is Nepal’s first international Private Equity Fund with a climate focus promoted by International Finance Corporation (IFC). The remaining Rs50 million investment will come from promoting shareholders.

Most of the raw material for production are sourced from the forest floor of Sagarnath Forest Development Project based on the agreement with Forest Products Development Board. Dried undergrowth is inflammable and one of the reasons for forest fires in the Tarai. More than 80% of Nepalis still depend on biomass for energy, much of it goes waste.

The rest of the raw material is farm residue, saw dust and agriculture waste. Bakas says collection and processing of the raw material will create jobs for local communities, mostly women and disadvantaged groups. The pellets are marketed and sold to brick kilns, cement and other industries that need energy for heating or cooling.

“This is an exciting project that assists adaptive resilience and will help the economy with clean energy in numerous ways including being a substitute for coal,” said Siddhant Raj Pandey, CEO of BO2 at a virtual signing ceremony on Monday in Kathmandu.

Bakas is the first company to produce biomass pellets on an industrial scale in Nepal, and it says the green fuel that is easy to store and handle, and is a proven technology globally for domestic heating, electricity generation and outdoor heating.

“This project is highly relevant to Nepal because it helps emission reduction caused by forest fires, reduces industrial use of coal and fossil fuels as well as provides employment to the poor and vulnerable people living in neighborhoods of the forest area,” said Santosh Mani Nepal, Chairman of Bakas Renewable Energy.

He said the idea for the project came from managing director Kuber Mani Nepal during the 2015 blockade, when Nepalis did not have LPG and other fuels. Biopellets were a feasible alternative that could be made abundantly available and reduce dependence on imported fossil fuel.

BO2 has also backed another renewable energy project, Gandaki Urja in Pokhara, which provides compressed biogas in cylinders, and turns the effluent from its industrial scale digesters into organic fertiliser.

Sunil KC, CEO of NMB Bank said he was excited about being part of a project to reduce Nepal’s carbon emission from coal and fossil fuels and promote renewable energy. NMB is a member of the steering committee of the Partnership for Carbon Accounting Financial from Asia and a member of Global Alliance for Banking on Values.

He said: “Our business model focuses on sustainable and value-based banking projects encompassing renewable energy projects, agribusinesses and projects focused on environment preservation. We are certain that the biopellet project will provide long term sustainable livelihood at the grassroots.”

 

Source : Nepalitimes

एनएमबी बैंकले वायोमास पेलेट परियोजनामा लगानी गर्ने

२०७७ कार्तिक ३ सोमबार, काठमाडौं । एनएमबी बैंकले वन तथा वातावरणका क्षेत्रका व्यवसायिक व्यक्तिहरूद्धारा प्रवद्र्धन गरिएको बकस रिन्युएबल ईनर्जी प्रा. लि.सँग वायोमास पेलेट उत्पादन गर्नका लागि १६ करोड वरावरको कर्जा सम्झौतामा हस्ताक्षर गरेको छ ।

बकस रिन्युएबल ईनर्जी प्रा. लि.लाई इन्टरनेसनल फाइनान्स कर्पोरेशनद्वारा प्रवद्र्घित नेपालको पहिलो अन्तर्राष्ट्रिय निजी इक्विटी फण्ड बिजनेस अक्सीजन प्राइभेट लिमिटेडले परियोजना विकास गर्नका लागि इक्विटीका रुपमा ५ करोड र बकस रिन्युएबल इनर्जी कम्पनिका प्रमोटरहरुद्धारा ५ करोड वरावरको लगानी रहेको छ । एनएमबी बैंकले प्रदान गर्ने १६ करोड वरावरको कर्जा रकमलाई कम्पनीले वायोमास पेलेट मेशिन खरीद गर्ने कार्यमा र चालु पुँजीमा उपयोग गर्ने छ ।

यस परियोजनाले वन क्षेत्रमा त्यसै खेर गइरहेको र प्रत्येक वर्ष वन डढेलोले खाने वनमारा तथा झाडिको वायोमासलाई पेलेटको रुपमा परिवर्तन गरेर औद्योगिक एवम् घरायसी ऊर्जाको लागि वैकल्पिक इन्धनको उत्पादन गर्ने छ । बायोमास पेलेट एक नविकरणीय ऊर्जा हो । यसले परम्परागत ऊर्जा जस्तै पेट्रोलियम पदार्थ, एलपीजी र कोइलाको विकल्प प्रदान गर्नेछ । सर्लाही जिल्लाको ईश्वरपुर नगरपालिका वडा नं. ५ मा स्थापना हुने यस आयोजनाले प्रति वर्ष १९ हजार ८ सय २४ मेट्रिक टन वरावरको पेलेट उत्पादन गर्ने लक्ष्य राखेको छ । पेलेट उत्पादनका लागि चाहिने कच्चा पदार्थ सागरनाथ वन विकास परियोजनावाट प्राप्त गरिने छ । सागरनाथ वन क्षेत्रमा हरेक वर्ष उम्रने वनमारा तथा अन्य झाडिहरु यस उद्योगको लागि कच्चा पदार्थ हुनेछ ।

वन पैदावर विकास समितिले पेलेट उत्पादनका लागि सागरनाथ वन विकास परियोजनमा रहेका वनमारा तथा झाडि जस्ता वायोमास बकस रिन्यूएवललाई नियमानुसार २० वर्षका लागि उपलब्ध गराउने सम्बन्धी संझौता गरिसकेको छ । प्रत्येक वर्ष सागरनाथ वन विकास परियोजनाले यस्ता झाडि तथा पातपतिंगर हटाई वन डढेलो नियन्त्रण गर्ने कार्यको लागि ठूलो रकम खर्च गर्दै आएको छ ।

विजनेश अक्सिनका प्रमुख कार्यकारी अधिकृत सिद्धांतराज पाण्डेले यसवाट वातावरणीय अनुकूलनमा सहयोग पुग्ने र स्वच्छ ऊर्जाको क्षेत्रमा मार्ग प्रशस्त भई मुलुक भित्र नै कोईलाको विकल्प तयार हुने बताए ।

एनएमबि बैंकका प्रमुख कार्यकारी अधिकृत सुनील केसीले कोईला तथा जीवावशेष ईन्धनको उपयोग कटौति गरी कार्बन उत्सर्जन घटाउने र नवीकरणीय ऊर्जाका संसाधनको प्रवद्र्घन गर्ने क्षेत्रमा लगानी रहेको परियोजनासँग सहकार्य गर्न पाऊँदा अत्यन्त खुशी भएको बताए । यस्ता परियोजनाहरूले वास्तविक रुपमा समाजको तल्लो तहसम्म पुगि विपन्न वर्गको जिवन रुपान्तरण गर्ने र भविष्यमा पनि यस्ता परियोजनाहरूमा लगानी गर्ने बताए ।

 

 

श्रोत:  बाह्रखरी

 

NMB Bank collaborates with BO2 and Bakas Renewable Energy

NMB Bank has signed a loan agreement with Bakas Renewable Energy Pvt. Ltd., a company promoted by forestry and environmental professionals in which Business Oxygen Pvt Ltd (BO2), Nepal’s first international Private Equity Fund with a climate focus promoted by International Finance Corporation (IFC) of the World Bank Group is making equity investment for developing a biomass pellet project at Ishworpur, Sarlahi District of Province No. 2.

The project has equity investment of NPR 5 crores from BO2 and remaining NPR 5 crores from Promoting Shareholders whilst NMB Bank will be providing debt financing of NPR 16 crores under term and working capital loan for production of Biomass Pellet, a premiere project dedicated to produce biomass pellets from unutilized forest floor biomass, saw dust and agricultural biomass. Biomass pellet fuel is a clean energy and an alternative to traditional means of domestic and industrial fuel such as firewood, petroleum products, LPG and coal. The project has a production capacity of 19,824 metric tonnes per year. Most of the raw materials for production are sourced from the forest floor of Sagarnath Forest Development Project based on the agreement with Forest Products Development Board.

Speaking at the virtual press meet organized to mark the association, Siddhant Raj Pandey, Chief Executive Officer of BO2 expressed, “This is one of our exciting projects that assists adaptive resilience and will help the economy with clean energy in numerous ways including being a substitute for coal”

“This project is highly relevant to Nepal. It helps emission reduction caused by forest fires, reduces industrial use of coal and fossil fuels as well as provides employment to the poor and vulnerable people living in neighborhoods of the forest area” said Santosh Mani Nepal, Chairman of BAKAS Renewable Energy Pvt. Ltd.

Kuber Mani Nepal, MD of Bakas Renewable Energy Pvt. Ltd., remembers the bad situation on fuel resources of Nepalese people during the blockade period, therefore, producing our own resources using modern state of the art technology can help to reduce the dependency on fuel resources and should be the priority of the country.

Sunil KC, Chief Executive Officer, NMB Bank shared his thoughts on NMB’s association with the project “We are delighted to be associated with the project of BO2 which aims to reduce carbon emission from coal and fossil fuels and promotes renewable energy resources. As a part of the steering committee of Partnership for Carbon Accounting Financial from Asia and a  member of Global Alliance for Banking on Values, our business model focuses on sustainable and value based banking projects encompassing renewable energy projects, M/SMEs, agribusinesses and projects focused on environmental preservation. The Bank is certain that projects such as these will translate in providing long term sustainable livelihood at the grassroots and we look forward to be a part of many such projects in the future”

 

Source : Arthiknews

Meera Biotech Pvt Ltd.

(MBPL) is a pharmaceutical company that manufactures pharmaceutical products like tablets and capsules.  The company intends to manufacture vaccines and biologics by implementing international best practices. This is one of the few pharmaceutical companies in Nepal that is owned and managed by people with medical degrees with extensive  local and international experience in the sector.

MBPL has signed a technology transfer agreement (TTA) with Korean bio-pharmaceutical company, Eubiologics, which is a South Korean bio-pharmaceutical company that engages in developing new vaccine for new epidemics and antibiotic resistance. MBPL is one of the first companies to have a TTA with a reputed foreign pharmaceutical company in Nepal.

Bo2 investments will help scale up their operations.

Contact Details:
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