TERI: the gasifier that transforms waste into electricity

In India, rural communities are faced with frequent power cuts – sometimes even several times a day. Access to energy is a key challenge, which the Indian research institute TERI (The Energy and Resources Institute) is trying to overcome with its two-stage biomass gasifier. The gasifier first produces gas from plant waste, without using any water. This gas is then used to drive a motor that generates electricity. And the result is that the local population becomes energy independent and can go about their daily lives.

At the 2014 EDF Pulse Awards. the international jury awarded the ‘Access to electricity’ prize to the TERI gasifier jointly with the South African urban lighting project from the municipality of Nelson Mandela Bay. This initiative has the potential to change thousands of lives and to support the development of areas that, until now, have been disadvantaged.