Comparative Assessment Of Productivity And Greenhouse Gas Emissions In Mechanized Vs. Manual Beach Sand Mining And Sand Drying Methods

Abstract

The present study provides a comparative assessment of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and productivity between conventional (mechanized) and green mining (manual and solar-powered) methods of beach sand mining and drying in southern India. Three front-end loaders – JCB 433-4, Caterpillar 966H and JCB 407 were examined for their fuel consumption, productivity and associated GHGs emissions. Similarly, the productivity and GHGs emissions from the manual mining and solar drying methods were examined. The findings indicate that Caterpillar 966H had the highest productivity (262.07 tons/hr) but with a higher emission intensity of 0.158 kg CO_2e/ton, whereas JCB 433-4 demonstrated greater fuel efficiency with the lowest GHG emission intensity of 0.064 kgCO_2e/ton. On the other hand manual mining although having lower productivity (25 tons/hr), resulted in no direct emission of GHGs, highlighting its environmental advantages. In the sand drying methods, rotary dryer used 180 liters of diesel per hour to achieve a drying capacity of 15 tons/hr, resulting in a significant carbon footprint of 32.336 kg CO_2e/ton. On the other hand, solar drying, utilizing 5.8 kW/m² of solar irradiance, effectively dried beach sand without fuel consumption or GHG emissions, although its performance was influenced by space and climate conditions. The study underscores that while mechanized methods (conventional) of mining and drying beach sand were superior in productivity, they contribute significantly to GHG emissions. Manual mining and solar drying (green mining) may be less productive but provide zero-emission options that could be vital in promoting sustainable beach mineral sand management and strategies to mitigate climate change implications and also to offset carbon in India’s Nationally Determined Contribution.