Engineers from Loughborough University, UK, have developed a wooden press to make biomass briquettes and address fuel poverty issues that affect women in India. The project involves conversion of waste into clean energy as a cost-effective, alternative fuel source to firewood and charcoal.

Snippet: The In India, about 1 million people die annually from respiratory diseases due to household air pollution. Much of that is caused by smoke and fumes from burning firewood and charcoal. These fuels are often used in an open fire or stove with incomplete combustion, generating a large amount of smoke.

University researchers built a prototype wooden press to make biomass briquettes and devised a briquette formula made from paper, sawdust and ash. These materials are easily accessible, and often wasted, in India (see video).

A metal version of the prototype press installed at a local charity allows women to create low-cost biomass briquettes, earn a wage, and gain vocational skills. The effort has been led by MyIndia, a social enterprise project that aims to tackle fuel poverty in the country. It is led by students who make up Enactus Loughborough, an entrepreneurial action group.