The Integrated Solar Dryer and Pyrolysis pilot project focusing on urban waste management, has been inaugurated by K J Sreeram, Director, CSIR-Central Leather Research Institute (CLRI), Chennai. The project is part of the Indo-German project ‘Pyrasol’ launched to transform urban organic waste into biochar and energy in smart cities. It was awarded to CSIR-CLRI by the Indo-German Science and Technology Centre (IGSTC). IGSTC, through its flagship programme ‘2+2 Projects’, catalyses innovation-centric research and development (R&D) projects by synergising the strength of research and academic institutions and public/private industries from India and Germany. Under this programme, the project titled ‘Pyrasol: Smart Cities integrated energy supply, carbon sequestration and urban organic waste treatment through combined solar sludge drying and pyrolysis’ was awarded by IGSTC to CSIR-CLRI, Chennai, Ramky Enviro Engineers, Chennai, Leibniz Universitat, Hannover and BiomaconGmbH, Rehburg. The project focuses on management, treatment, and disposal systems of urban wastes in Indian smart cities as well as in other urban centres with an integrated and interactive approach. Through this project, simple and robust processing technologies for urban organic waste will be combined in a synergistic manner and further developed to improve sanitation and welfare, supply regenerative energy, convert waste into products and reduce the carbon footprint of smart cities by an innovative organic waste drying system using the solar, natural chimney effect followed by a high efficient single-chamber pyrolysis. Indo-German Science and Technology Centre (IGSTC) was established by the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India and Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), Government of Germany to facilitate Indo-German R&D networking with emphasis on industry participation, applied research and technology development. The project will lead to technology development for the joint processing of Fibrous Organic Waste (FOW) and sewage sludge of Indian smart cities into hygienic and valuable biochar associated with energy recovery, carbon sequestration and environmental improvement. Image Source Also Read: National Solar Mission: Installations now 40% of 2022 target Also Read: Aerocompact launches compact PV mounting systems for solar parks