Thyssenkrupp Industries, the Indian arm of German conglomerate, has signed an exclusive license agreement with Babcock & Wilcox Volund of Denmark for a biomass boiler technology for India and neighbouring countries that could substantially reduce pollution, the company said in a statement.

Thyssenkrupp said that its biomass boilers could help reduce pollution in North India, where burning of crop waste in fields has been a major source of pollutions and has resulted in pollution levels soaring in the capital. Vivek Bhatia, CEO and MD, Thyssenkrupp Industries India, said: “Through this agreement with Babcock & Wilcox, we will be able to find a sustainable solution to this issue by utilising this crop waste for clean energy generation. Babcock & Wilcox's water-cooled vibrating grate technology for biomass boilers can address various biomass fuels, even those with high alkali and chlorine content.”

Babcock & Wilcox water-cooled vibrating grate was developed for combustion of biomass and multi-fuels with little or almost no ash content. This technology is well-suited for fuels with high alkali and chlorine content, such as rice straw - a common by-product of agriculture in India and other countries in the region. Thyssenkrupp aims to offer this technology in India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Myanmar and Bhutan.

Koen W. Bogers, MD, B&W Volund, said: “This agreement with Thyssenkrupp Industries India is an important step for B&W Volund in accessing the growing renewable energy market in India.”