Thermal plants not co-firing enough biomass likely to face penalty

The power ministry would also consider reducing coal supply to TPPs not complying with its policy on biomass co-firing, according to a Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change statement

The central government has suggested the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) consider penalising thermal power plants (TPPs) that are not taking enough steps to curb emissions and not co-firing sufficient quantities of biomass.

The power ministry would also consider reducing coal supply to TPPs not complying with its policy on biomass co-firing, according to a Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) statement released on Monday. 

Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav and Power Minister R K Singh co-chaired the inter-ministerial meeting to review the progress of biomass co-firing in thermal power plants on Monday. They noted that the target of co-firing 5 per cent of biomass with coal in TPPs was still far off despite guidelines mandating them to do so.

The meeting was held in the backdrop of the onset of the harvesting season for kharif crops. Senior officials from the two ministries, state governments of Haryana, Punjab, and Uttar Pradesh, and heads of all power utilities in the National Capital Region (NCR) region, CAQM, Central Electricity Authority and the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) attended the meeting. 

To address the issue of air pollution and to reduce the carbon footprint of thermal power generation, the power ministry had in October 2021 issued a revised policy for the use of agro residue-based biomass and mandated the use of 5 to 7 per cent of biomass co-fired along with the coal for all TPPs. 

Though the number of TPPs co-firing biomass pellets has increased from eight in 2020-21 to 39 now, it still falls short of the government’s target. According to the ministry data, 10 TPPs have started co-firing in the NCR. 

“As on date, 83,066 metric tonnes of biomass has been co-fired in 39 TPPs across the country totaling to a capacity of 55,390 megawatt (Mw). In the NCR, the biomass co-fired is 22,696 MT, of which 95 per cent has been done by National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC),” the environment ministry statement said. 

Biomass pellets have the same calorific value as coal and mixing them with coal saves consumption as well as reportedly cuts emissions. 

All TPPs were directed that they should issue enough tenders to cover the 5 per cent requirement of biomass with special emphasis on plants located in Punjab and Haryana. “Power utilities should make all-out efforts to complete the procurement process for existing tenders as soon as possible,” the statement said. 

Meanwhile, the power minister has directed that till the time supply from the tenders is not started, power utilities should start procurement for the short term via alternate methods like spot market or commission agents as the harvesting season has already started.

Thermal power plants in the NCR were also directed to install biomass pellet manufacturing plants (torrefied/non-torrefied) on their premises, including the private power companies.

According to the power minister, principal secretaries (environment) of each state would act as nodal person for biomass co-firing in the state.

Status Check:

• 39 TPPs co-firing biomass pellets
• 83,066 mt of biomass co-fired
• 55,390 Mw capacity generated
• TTPs mandated to use 5-7% of biomass co-fired