Energy audit in tea factories

In the first instance, 15 bought-leaf tea factories in Nilgiris have applied for energy audit under the energy conservation project launched by Tea Board in co-operation with United Nations Development Programme’s Global Environment Facility and implemented by Technology Informatics Design Endeavour (TIDE). 

Detailed energy audit is our first step towards conserving thermal and electrical energy in factories. All projects engage accredited energy auditors and regularly monitor the progress of the audit. The project will bear up to 75 per cent of the audit cost as per a slab-spread.

Annually, factories in the Nilgiris expend about Rs 41 crore on energy consumption. Most use firewood, but due to restriction in cutting trees up the hills, firewood is coming from the plains. Some 9,000 lorry-loads annually transport firewood amidst complaints of environmental pollution. With suitable modification of the machines and processing systems, it should be possible to save some 20 per cent of the energy cost.