India's rapidly growing economy requires considerable energy resources. Despite the still-large share of fossil fuels, India has set ambitious targets in the field of bioenergy. Particular progress has been made with liquid biofuels and compressed biogas, which currently cover almost a fifth of the country's transport fuel needs. Could India soon become the world leader in bioenergy production and consumption?

In early February 2024, Energy Week was held in India (Goa). The event, organised by the World Bioenergy Association (WBA), drew more than 35,000 participants and was opened by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi (Shri Narendra Modi), who highlighted the country's efforts to find energy solutions.

A mandate on the use of biomass

The driving force behind the use of solid biomass is a mandate issued by the Ministry of Power in 2021, which will come into force in the 2024-25 financial year; it requires thermal power stations to co-fire 5% biomass. The mandate was amended in 2023 to raise this figure to 7% in the 2025-26 financial year.

Given that India's thermal power stations currently use around 700 million tonnes of coal a year, it is clear that the problem is a serious one and demands a solution. The mandate described above would make India the world's largest producer and user of biomass in electricity generation.

Christian Rakos, President of the World Bioenergy Association (WBA) and winner of the 2024 Argus Biomass industry Lifetime Achievement Award, explains: "Converted into biomass pellets, India would need around 50 million tonnes of pellets to meet the targets."

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https://bioenergyinternational.com/india-set-to-become-the-worlds-largest-pellet-market/