India lags in Biomass Co-firing Targets

Q. Why is this in News?

A. The Ministry of Power is considering cutting coal supply to plants, which do not comply with biomass cofiring Norms.

• The Power Ministry in October 2021 had decreed that all thermal power plants ensure 5% compliance by October 2022.
• In 2020-21, only eight power plants had co-fired biomass pellets, and this number had risen to 39 recently.

Q. What is Biomass Co-firing?

A. 

• About:
  • Biomass co-firing is the practice of substituting a part of the fuel with biomass at coal thermal plants.
    • Coal and biomass are combusted together in boilers that have been designed to burn coal. For this purpose, the existing coal power plant has to be partly reconstructed and retrofitted.
    • Co-firing is an option to convert biomass to electricity, in an efficient and clean way, and to reduce GHG (Green house Gases) emissions of the power plant.
  • Biomass co-firing is a globally accepted cost-effective method for decarbonising a coal fleets.
  • India is a country where biomass is usually burnt on the field which reflects apathy towards resolving the problem of clean coal using a very simple solution that is readily available.
• Significance:
  • Biomass co-firing is an effective way to curb emissions from open burning of crop residue, it also decarbonised the process of electricity generation using coal.
    • Substituting 5-7 % of coal with biomass in coal-based power plants can save 38 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions.
  • It can help cut emissions from combustion of fossil fuels, address India’s burgeoning problem of farm stubble burning to some extent, reduce waste burden while also creating jobs in rural areas.
  • India has large biomass availability as well as rapid growth in coal-fired capacity.
• Challenges:
  • The existing infrastructure is not robust enough to substitute 5-7% of coal with biomass in coal-based power plants, which indeed can save 38 million Tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions.
  • Around 95,000-96,000 tonnes of biomass pellets are required per day for co-firing, but India’s pellet manufacturing capacity is 7,000 tonnes per day at present despite a surplus 228 million tonnes of agricultural residue available in the country.
    • This huge gap is due to the seasonal availability and unreliable supply of biomass pellets to the utility.
  • It is challenging to store biomass pellets for long durations at the plant sites since they absorb moisture from air quickly, rendering them useless for co-firing.
  • Only pellets with up to 14% of moisture can be used for combustion along with coal.

Q. What is Biomass?

A. 

• About:
  • Biomass is plant or animal material used as fuel to produce electricity or heat. Examples are wood, energy crops and waste from forests, yards, or farms.
  • Biomass has always been an important energy source for the country considering the benefits it offers.
• Benefits:
  • It is renewable, widely available, carbon-neutral and has the potential to provide significant employment in the rural areas.
  • It is also capable of providing firm energy. About 32% of the total primary energy use in the country is still derived from biomass and more than 70% of the country’s population depends upon it for its energy needs.
• Biomass Power & Cogeneration Programme:
  • About:
    • Initiated by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy.
    • For efficient utilization of biomass, bagasse-based cogeneration in sugar mills and biomass power generation have been taken up under the programme.
    • Biomass materials used for power generation include Rice husk, straw, cotton stalk, coconut shells, soya husk, de-oiled cakes, coffee waste, jute wastes, groundnut shells, saw dust etc.
  • Objective:
    • Promoting technologies for optimum use of the country's biomass resources for grid power generation.

Q. What are the other Related Initiatives?

A. 

• National Mission on use of Biomass in Coal Based Thermal Power Plants
• Carbon Capture and Storage
• Coal Beneficiation

Q. What is the Way Forward?

A. 

• 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.
• To exploit co-firing potential without adverse environmental impact, emerging economies need technology and policy preparation.
• Sustainability indicators for bioenergy, including protection of soil and water resources, biodiversity, land allocation and tenure, and food prices, need to be integrated into policy measures.