Tackling global warming with chocolate seems an unlikely idea. In New Hampshire, a test to generate electricity using cocoa-bean shells has successfully been carried out.

This novel idea to combat climate change came about after the Swiss-owned Lindt chocolate plant in the state decided to change its operations. It makes truffles at the plant. To do so, it imports large blocks of chocolate from Europe.

Lindt USA now wants to process cocoa beans at the plant instead. Cocoa processing means tons of cocoa-bean shells that have to be disposed of. The shells have similar thermal properties to wood and are mixed with coal in a ratio of 1:33. The power engineers were concerned that the power plant’s coal-grinding machinery could also deal with the cocoa shells. But there were no problems.

State officials now have to approve the new method, but if all goes well, power generation with chocolate could be up and running by 2010. With the sweet smell of success!

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