India's Booming Biomass Energy Industry: A Powerful Catalyst for Sustainable Energy Growth

Biomass refers to renewable organic material derived from plants and animals. It can be used directly as a source of heat or transformed into liquid and gaseous fuels through various conversion processes.

India is rapidly emerging as a global leader in biomass energy, driven by the need to diversify energy sources and reduce reliance on fossil fuels. With a population exceeding 1.4 billion, the country is harnessing biomass, including agricultural residues, animal waste and organic matter, as a crucial component of its renewable energy strategy.

Evolution of biomass energy in India

Biomass, historically an ancient energy source for cooking and heating in rural India, has transformed into a necessary component of the nation’s energy policy. Efficiently burned biomass offers benefits in electricity and heat generation. With a consistently strong supply of raw materials from the agricultural sector, the economy has been able to unlock these advancements.

As of March 2023, India’s biomass energy sector has an installed capacity of 10,232 MW. This includes non-bagasse and bagasse cogeneration plants. The overall capacity for biogas energy power is 1,384 MWeq. With an installed capacity of 513 MWeq, Maharashtra ranks first followed by Karnataka at 355 MWeq. Both states account for nearly 62% of the total installed capacity, excluding small biogas plant installations. India generates 450 to 500 million tonnes (MT) of biomass, which constitutes 32% of the nation’s total primary energy consumption.

Drivers of growth:

• Government policies and incentives: The Biomass Power and Bagasse Co-generation Programme and the National Policy on Biofuels are among the programmes creating a positive legal framework. The purpose of these policies is to promote biomass usage in India’s energy mix by making financial subscriptions and the establishment of biomass power plants easy.
• National Biofuels Policy: Introduced in 2018, the policy categorises ethanol productions into basic and advanced levels and provides aid to farmers producing surplus grains, finances 2G refineries and biodiesel supply chains, expands raw material availability, and allocates budgetary support for proper coordination within the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare.
• Technological advancements: The attraction of biomass energy has grown with the rise of efficient biomass conversion technologies like improved cookstoves, biomass digesters, and gasification plants. There is significant investment in R&D to capture biomass torrefaction and palletisation technology. These processes will significantly increase the efficiency and transportation viability of biomass energy.
• Rising environmental awareness: As global awareness of climate change increases, so does the interest in renewable energy sources. Biomass is seen as a key player in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and managing agricultural waste effectively.

Economic and environmental impact

The impact of biomass energy in India extends beyond just energy production:

• Rural employment and economic development: Biomass energy projects create job opportunities within the countryside, where such opportunities are limited. These projects engage the local population in biomass collection and in the operation of the facilities, thus boosting local businesses.
• Carbon emissions reduction: Biomass energy decreases pollution and carbon emissions by substituting fossil fuels and limiting the open burning of waste. This is in congruence with the carbon footprint constraints that India has made under the Paris Agreement.
• Waste Management: By using agricultural waste, solid municipal waste and other organic waste that would otherwise be discarded in landfills or burned, biomass energy encourages better waste management. This conversion of waste to energy not only purifies the ecosystem but also aids eliminate pollution and transforms waste into a priceless asset.
• Energy Security: Biomass energy also helps India’s energy independence by expanding the energy sources. It uses local materials and lessens reliance on imported fossil fuels, which are usually unstable in terms of price and availability.

Challenges and solutions

• Logistical and technical challenges: Efficient logistics are crucial for biomass energy systems. Decentralising energy production to use local waste reduces transportation costs and enhances system efficiency. Advanced logistics technologies, such as GPS and IoT, can further optimise biomass supply chains by improving route and schedule management.
• Financial barriers: To take biomass projects off the ground, substantial initial funding is harder to come by. To ease these burdens, for example, governments can give out tax breaks and subsidize certain activities. Furthermore, green bonds and carbon credits may also draw more private investors and make projects economically viable.
• Technological hurdles: The evolution of technology should be coherent with the attempts to enhance biomass conversion efficiency and economy fabrication. Funding their R&D - through public-private partnerships, for instance - may provide such novel approaches in biomass processing as torrefaction, which would greatly reduce the capital cost of biomass energy facilities.

Advancements in the sector

• Integration with waste management

  Waste management is of utmost importance, especially regarding the problems linked to urban solid waste in cities. The cultivation of biomass crops appears to be a green energy technology that tackles the emission issue while simultaneously providing waste management and bioenergy production. These benefits have appeared to be significant advancements for the industry because they improve the environmental performance and promote sustainability.

• Biomass co-firing in power plants

  Co-firing in power plants involves incorporating biomass alongside more conventional fuels such as coal. This serves the dual purpose of lowering greenhouse gas emissions and reducing fossil fuel usage. This practice further enables the use of agricultural waste and regards the materials as valuable resources, promoting sustainable practices.

• Advanced conversion technologies

  The production of biomass energy in traditional ways deals with problems such as low technical efficiency and significant environmental impacts. Newer approaches, such as gasification, make it possible to turn biomass into gas in a controlled environment at high temperatures, making the overall process of generating heat and electricity more efficient. Organic material undergoing Thermal Pyrolysis is broken down at high temperatures and low oxygen levels to generate bio-oil, syngas, and chars, which can be used for different types of energy. Biogas, derived from Anaerobic digestion, serves as a source of renewable energy because it is produced by breaking down organic matter without oxygen and is mostly made up of methane. These advanced techniques make energy conversion more efficient while minimising environmental impacts, thus aiding in sustainable development.

Conclusion

The biomass energy capacity in India is anticipated to grow from 10,232 MW in 2023 to 14,970 MW by 2030, representing a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.27%. Investment in biomass energy in India is not just an energy concern, as it covers economic growth, environmental sustainability, social empowerment and waste management. This holistic approach fosters job creation, enhances energy security, and promotes technological innovation, making it a vital component of sustainable development. While further developing biomass energy capacity, India demonstrates an effective model on how sustainable energy practices can be incorporated into an energy strategy. This flourishing sector is undoubtedly a great driver of India's energy expansion and offers much hope for a sustainable future. The future looks promising for biomass energy in India, with government and private investments in biomass plant efficiencies and the exploration of new biomass sources to drive growth. The integration of biomass energy into the national grid and its role in achieving energy self-sufficiency and sustainability remains a focus area for policymakers and industry leaders alike.