India’s ‘largest’ power producer to shift to biomass use across all plants

According to The Economic Times, India’s largest power producer NTPC is to start biomass co-firing across all of its coal-based thermal power stations.

The Economic Times has reported that sources have said that NTPC will start procuring biomass pellets as well as torrefied biomass pellets and briquettes for the co-firing of its coal fired plants.

In an attempt to reduce greenhouse gases emitted by its plants, NTPC plans to burn biomass such as scrap lumber, crop residues, forest debris, manure and some types of waste residues as well as coal to generate electricity.

NTPC’s objective behind the move is said to be to reduce air pollution that is caused by the burning of surplus agricultural residue in fields. Based on IISc Bangalore survey data from 2002-2004 and cited by The Economic Times, India had around 145 million tonnes per year of surplus agro residue which can generate 18,728MW of electricity.  

Sources have told The Economic Times that the use of biomass co-firing technology is able to generate renewable energy using agro residue based fuel that can also be cost competitive with wind and solar energy.