India Straw Pellet Production Line Starts Installation

RICHI MACHINERY has begun installing a 5-ton-per-hour straw pellet production line in northern India, targeting the dual challenges of agricultural waste management and renewable fuel supply in one of the world's most intensively farmed regions.

Market Context

India generates an estimated 150 million tons of rice and wheat straw annually across the northern states of Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh. With short windows between harvest and next planting, farmers historically burn straw in fields—a practice that blankets northern India and neighboring countries in smoke each post-harvest season, contributing to some of the world's worst air pollution episodes.

Pelletizing offers an alternative: converting low-density straw into compact fuel suitable for industrial boilers, power plants, and even livestock bedding applications. The pellets can replace coal in industrial applications while eliminating open burning and its associated health impacts.

Raw Material and Technical Challenges

Straw presents processing challenges distinct from woody biomass. It is fibrous, low in bulk density often below 100 kg per cubic meter in baled form, and highly variable in moisture content depending on harvest timing and weather. Fresh straw can exceed 20 percent moisture, while field-dried material may fall below 10 percent—variation that must be managed through the drying and conditioning stages.

Pelletizing also requires careful moisture control during compression. Too dry, and the lignin cannot bind effectively; too wet, and pellets expand or crack during cooling. RICHI's process design incorporates moisture monitoring and adjustment points throughout the line.

Production Line Design

The straw pellet line comprises:

• Straw pre-chopper and conveyor system for breaking bales and removing tramp metal
• Hammer mill with screens sized for uniform particle distribution
• Rotary dryer with temperature control to achieve target moisture regardless of input variation
• MZLH series straw pellet making machine with increased roller pressure for fibrous materials
• Counterflow cooler for pellet stabilization
• Screening system for removing fines for reprocessing
• Bagging and palletizing unit for finished product

Operating parameters are calibrated to achieve consistent 6–8 mm pellet diameter with moisture below 12 percent and durability sufficient for handling and transport.

Installation and Commissioning

Installation began in January 2026 at the customer's site in Haryana state. Mechanical assembly is progressing with foundation work completed and major equipment being positioned. Electrical and control system integration will follow in February, with commissioning and trial production scheduled for March.

The customer intends to operate initially at 5 tons per hour, with provisions for future expansion as the market for biomass fuel develops in northern India.

Benefits and Regional Impact

The plant addresses multiple objectives. For farmers, it provides a reliable channel for straw that currently has low or negative value. For the customer, it creates a product with established industrial demand. For the region, it reduces the air pollution that each year closes schools, disrupts transport, and contributes to respiratory illness across millions of people.

The biomass pellet project also demonstrates RICHI's capability to adapt equipment for low-density, fibrous biomass materials—expertise increasingly relevant as agricultural regions worldwide confront similar waste management challenges.