
Sen Carooppunnen, a Mauritian-born Australian national, proposes a project to generate over 40% of Mauritius' electricity from bamboo. This initiative comes amid concerns about raw material supply for energy production due to the Middle East conflict. Carooppunnen, who previously worked for Rogers Group and EDF, discovered the energy potential of Beema Bamboo in India in 2010. This specific bamboo species, developed by Dr. Barathi, is known for its rapid growth, high biomass production, and environmental benefits, yielding over 135 tons per hectare annually. It can grow 10-12 meters in 2.5 years and has a 40-year lifespan, also absorbing carbon dioxide. The technology for converting bamboo to electricity is already used in India, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Australia, with projects underway in Ghana and Mozambique. Carooppunnen's project aims to plant 20,000 hectares of bamboo, potentially replacing existing pine wood plantations, and build power plants to convert it into electricity. He believes this aligns with the government's goal of 60% renewable energy by 2030 and could replace coal, which currently relies on imported raw materials. He argues against using wood chips as an alternative due to similar import dependencies and rising freight costs. While authorities have shown interest, the final decision, which requires a change in agricultural and energy policy, is pending. Carooppunnen attributes the delay to a lack of political will and resistance from established en
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This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by Le Mauricien.