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What is the News?
The Ministry of Power has decided to set up a National Mission on the use of Biomass in thermal power plants.
About National Mission on the use of Biomass in thermal power plants:
- Aim of the mission: It aims to address the issue of air pollution by farm-stubble burning. Further, it will also reduce the carbon footprints of thermal power generation.
- Objectives:
- It will promote the use of Biomass in Thermal Power Plants to increase the present level of co-firing at 5% from biomass to a higher level.
- Further, Research and Development in boiler design will be taken up so that it can handle the higher amount of alkalis and silica present in biomass pellets.
- It will also sort out the constraints in the supply chain of biomass pellets and agro-residue to the power plants.
- Lastly, it will consider regulatory issues in biomass co-firing.
- Co-firing is a low-cost option for efficiently and cleanly converting biomass to electricity. It adds biomass as a partial substitute fuel in high-efficiency coal boilers.
- Implementation of the Mission: The procedure to implement the Mission is under finalization process.
- Duration: The duration of the proposed National Mission would be a minimum of 5 years.
- Significance: The proposed National Mission on biomass will also contribute to the National Clean Air Programme(NCAP).
About Biomass:
- Biomass is a renewable organic material that comes from plants and animals. It can be used as an energy source.
Biomass as an Energy Source in India:
- Firstly, Biomass has always been an important energy source for India. It is a renewable, widely available, carbon-neutral source with the potential to provide significant employment in rural areas.
- Secondly, about 32% of the total primary energy use in the country is still derived from biomass. Further, more than 70% of the country’s population depends upon it for its energy needs.
- Thirdly, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy is implementing the Biomass power & cogeneration programme with the main objective of promoting technologies for optimum use of the country’s biomass resources for grid power generation.
Source: PIB
