ENERGY CONSERVATION IN SMALL SECTOR TEA
PROCESSING UNITS IN SOUTH INDIA
G A L L E R Y
Executing agency: Tea Board of India
Implementing agency: TIDE
GEF agency: UNDP
THE TEA INDUSTRY IN
SOUTH INDIA
250 tea factories
Annual production 233 m kgs / yr
Cost of energy is 40% of the
manufacturing cost
PROJECT OBJECTIVE


To reduce energy
consumption from tea
processing units in
South India, thereby
restricting Greenhouse
Gases emissions
To remove barriers to
energy conservation and
energy efficiency that
inhibit the realization of
large energy saving
potential in the tea
sector
TEA MANUFACTURE
Requires both electrical and
thermal energy
Baseline energy
consumption in south
Indian tea factories:
Electrical: 135 million
KWH / year which is about
5,40,400 KWH / y/ factory
Thermal: (mostly firewood)
was 362500 tons /y or 1450
tons / factory
BARRIERS AND INITIAL SUPPORT

Tea industry coming out of
recession after a long period so
the timing was right

Energy never a focus area for cost
cutting and factory modernization

High scepticism among the sector
especially with outsiders looking
at energy issues in the industry

Solid support from the Tea Board
of India
PHYSICAL PROGRESS

All tea factories reached
through newsletters, group
meetings, personal visits of
experts, stalls set up in
exhibitions etc. high attendance

Preliminary energy audits in
250 factories

Detailed energy audits in 95
factories

Tide Technical Reports
(equipment specific post audit)
in 100 factories
PHYSICAL PROGRESS

One energy lab and four fuel
labs set up in tea clusters

A set of 10 films on energy
efficient interventions in tea
industry produced. Will be
circulated to all tea factories

Energy plantations and small
hydro projects initiated

Wood gasifier introduced for
green tea panning
KNOWLEDGE PRODUCTS

Well defined project baseline from
data collected from all tea factories
in south India.

Energy audit reports from 100
factories (about 40% of the factories
covered)

100 TIDE technical reports Equipment and factory specific post
audit energy consumption reports

Energy score card as a self
assessment tool
KNOWLEDGE PRODUCTS

14 newsletters with articles,
information and update

About 15 power point
presentations on energy
conservation

Directory of energy efficient
equipment suppliers

Article published in MSME
journal
LEARNING





Technology a barrier and not access to finance as was
understood at the time of project conceptualization.
Energy use reform can be initiated through awareness and
technical support without any financial incentives
The tea sector is extremely demanding and would reject any
recommendation that is not backed by adequate data and
information..
All risk is dynamic and constantly changing. Decisions on energy
use reform are complex and they are not driven by techno
economics, equipment specifications or CO2 reduction potential
alone.
The project has developed some insights into how to gauge the
need and the risk perception and constantly modify its
intervention strategies.
ACHIEVEMENTS






214 tea factories purchase 1014 new energy efficient equipment
in the project period with an investment of US$ 3 million
Interventions currently saving 10 million KWH / yr and 25,000
tons firewood yr valued at Rs 12. 5 crores
Shift to sustainable fuel – briquette consumption increased by
30,000 tons in two years
Multi stakeholder engagement strategy – govt, civil society,
industry and academia working together in harmony with a
common goal
All knowledge on energy efficiency brought into public domain
Repeated requests from Assam and Darjeeling tea associations
for a similar intervention. Tea Board promises support.
For more information on this project contact:

Mr R Ambalavanan, Executive Director, Tea Board and
National Project Director, Shelwood, Coonoor Club Road,
Coonoor 643101, Nilgiris, Tamil Nadu. Tel: 0423-2231638/
2230316; teaboardcoonoor@rediffmail.com;
ambal007@gmail.com

Ms Svati Bhogle, National Project Manager, TIDE. Tel
0802331556 svati.bhogle@tide-india.org,

Mr Srinivasan Iyer, Team Leader, Energy and Environment
Unit, UNDP, 55, Lodhi Estate, New Delhi. Tel: 01146532333; srinivasan.iyer@undp.org