Seeing the environmental toll of burning sugarcane waste, Dr Karve sought eco-friendly alternatives, leading to her groundbreaking work with biochar technology.
Dr Karve’s method of biomass gasification uses controlled air to burn off volatile gasses, leaving behind almost pure carbon in the form of biochar. This cleaner fuel reduces air pollution.
She also developed the Samuchit Steam Cooker Stove, which uses just 100 grams of biochar briquettes to cook rice-based meals, offering a highly efficient alternative to traditional firewood stoves.
Biochar briquettes are a cleaner, more efficient fuel, reducing both carbon emissions and reliance on firewood, which is often called the “kitchen killer” due to its harmful health effects.
In rural India, where waste biomass is commonly used in inefficient traditional stoves, Dr Karve’s biochar briquettes and stoves provide a high-performance, sustainable fuel alternative.
Her stove design has evolved into the Samuchit Transflasher Kiln, which efficiently manages garden waste in urban homes, transforming it into biochar for fuel or soil enrichment.
The Samuchit Steam Cooker Stove significantly reduces indoor air pollution, providing a safer cooking environment and addressing health issues caused by smoke from firewood.