Research of over one and a half years on the idea to generate electricity with the aid of a bull’s pulling power has yielded initial success. The aim is to ensure that the animals don’t get sent to slaughter.
The experiment is the brainchild of Balkrishna, managing director and primary stakeholder of Patanjali, and involves a leading Indian multinational automobile manufacturer and a Turkish partner. A prototype has been designed and is being tweaked to generate more electricity.
So far the design, involving a turbine, has managed to yield nearly 2.5 kilowatts of power, said those aware of the research project.
“At a time when more and more male bovines are being slaughtered, we want to change the perception that they (bulls) are not very valuable,” Balkrishna told ET, confirming that Patanjali is conducting research on this at its sprawling Haridwar headquarters “While in the morning they can be used in the farms, in the evening they can be utilised for generation of electricity.”
He added: “We need to go back to the basics. In ancient times, bulls were used to ferry massive artillery. If their power is put to optimum use with the help of technology, they can be of tremendous use.”
Balkrishna clarified the move is aimed at aiding the poor who cannot afford electricity and to save the male bovines. “We are undertaking research as to how more watts of power can be produced with the use of bulls so that a farmer can use them to light his household,” he said.
“We are yet to achieve our desired goal(s) as far as production of large units of power is concerned.” Patanjali won’t sell the power thus produced, said a senior executive of the company.
“The idea is to produce a design which can be provided to farmers, who already have bulls, for generation of electricity,” he said, adding that the power thus generated can be easily stored. The population of bulls is on the decline, said another official, accounting for less than 30% of the cattle population.
“If the trial turns out to be a grand success, it would ensure that bulls will be utilised than butchered,” said the executive cited above.
ET was the first to report last October that Patanjali was signing a memorandum of understanding with a Dutch company on a programme involving sex selection as its unique selling point, producing 92% female offspring. The programme, involving artificial insemination, is aimed at breed improvement so that fewer bulls are sent to slaughterhouses.