Government to set up National Mission on use of Biomass in coal based thermal power plants

The Union Power Ministry has announced that it will set up a National Mission on the use of Biomass in coal-based thermal power plants.

As per the official release by the ministry, the modalities of the operation and structure of the National Mission are under finalization.

It is also being expected that the mission will have a Steering Committee which will be headed by the Power Secretary while comprising all the stakeholders including the representatives from Petroleum and New and Renewable Energy Ministries.

Ministry of Power decides to set up a National Mission on use of Biomass in coal based thermal power plants #ClimateActionNow #Cleanenergyhttps://t.co/Msel85lXoO

— Ministry of Power (@MinOfPower) May 25, 2021

Objective of National Mission:

• The National Mission on the use of Biomass is intended to address the issue of air pollution because of farm-stubble burning and reducing the carbon footprints of thermal power generation.

• It will work on increasing the level of co-firing from the present 5% to higher levels to have a larger share of carbon-neutral power generation from the thermal power plants.

• The mission will also work to facilitate overcoming the disruptions in the supply chain of the biomass pellets and agro-residue and its transport up to the power plants.

• The National Mission will also consider regulatory issues in biomass co-firing.

• It will take up Research and Development activity in boiler design for handling the higher amount of alkalis and silica in biomass pellets.

National Mission on use of Biomass: Key Points

• The National Mission by the government will also further support the energy transition in the country as well as its targets to move towards cleaner energy sources.

• The National Mission on the use of Biomass will also contribute to the National Clean Air Programme.

What is Biomass?

It is a plant or animal material that is used s a fuel to produce heat or electricity. Some of the examples of Biomass energy crops, wood, and waste from yards, forests, or farms.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has defined bioenergy as a renewable form of energy. The International Energy Agency has also described bioenergy as the most significant source of renewable energy.