Biomass, which refers to plant or animal material used as fuel for electricity or heat production, has always been a significant energy source for the country. Examples of biomass include wood, waste from forests, yards, farms, and energy crops. Biomass is not only renewable but also carbon-neutral and abundant. Furthermore, it can provide employment opportunities in rural areas and supply firm energy. Currently, about 32% of the total primary energy use in the country is derived from biomass, supporting more than 70% of India’s population for their energy needs.
Biomass Power & Cogeneration Programme
The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy initiated the Biomass Power & Cogeneration Programme to ensure efficient utilization of biomass resources. The program embraces bagasse-based cogeneration in sugar mills and biomass power generation using materials such as rice husk, straw, cotton stalk, coconut shells, soya husk, de-oiled cakes, coffee waste, jute wastes, groundnut shells, and saw dust. The core objective of this initiative is to promote technologies to optimize the use of the country’s biomass resources for grid power generation.
Understanding Biomass Co-firing
Biomass co-firing is a practice where a portion of fuel at coal thermal plants is substituted with biomass. This process involves combusting coal and biomass together in boilers initially designed for burning coal. It requires partial reconstruction and retrofitting of the existing coal power plant. Biomass co-firing is a globally accepted method for decarbonizing a coal fleet while reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Significance of Biomass Co-firing
Biomass co-firing serves as an effective method to curb emissions from open burning of crop residue and to decarbonize the process of electricity generation using coal. Substituting 5-7% of coal with biomass in coal-based power plants can help save 38 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions. It can reduce waste burden, create jobs in rural areas, and to some extent, address India’s growing problem of farm stubble burning.
Implementation Challenges
Despite the significant potential of biomass co-firing, several challenges hinder its full-scale implementation. One major issue is the existing infrastructure, which is not robust enough to make this possibility a reality. The daily need for biomass pellets for co-firing stands at 95,000-96,000 tonnes; however, India’s pellet manufacturing capacity is currently only 7,000 tonnes per day. This gap exists due to seasonal availability and inconsistent supply of biomass pellets to utilities. It’s challenging to store biomass pellets for extended periods as they rapidly absorb moisture from the air, making them unfit for co-firing.
Related Initiatives and the Way Forward
Some other related initiatives include the National Mission on use of Biomass in Coal Based Thermal Power Plants, Carbon Capture and Storage, and Coal Beneficiation. To exploit the potential of co-firing without adverse environmental impacts, emerging economies need technological and policy preparations. Platforms need to be established to ensure farmers have an intrinsic role in this business model of pellet manufacturing and co-firing in power plants. Sustainability indicators for bioenergy like soil and water resources protection, biodiversity, land allocation, and food prices also require integration into policy measures.
