Bio-energy can help in meeting India’s energy demands

Bio-energy can help in meeting India’s energy demands

There are now new technologies that allow clean and sustainable energy to be produced from what in the past was considered waste. Bio-energy is renewable energy made available from organic materials derived from biological sources. It is the energy derived from biomass such as bagasse, cotton stalk, coconut shell and wood, plants, etc. With global warming and growing concerns, biomass can play a vital role, especially in rural areas.

Bio-energy role meeting India’s energy demands:

Energy demand: Energy abounds in India, but the demand is more than what can be produced. The challenge is to leverage the available energy sources for meeting the growing demand. Bioenergy can help in meeting India’s energy demands through its plantation program and other small-scale initiatives.

Climate change mitigation: Bioenergy can play a pivotal role in providing energy and meeting climate change mitigation targets. Bioenergy offers important benefits compared to fossil fuels, especially regarding greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

Market growth: The recent price rise in petroleum-based fuels has led to a renewed focus on finding alternate sources of fuel. Government policies in turn are encouraging private parties to invest in renewable energy solutions. The market for renewable energy systems for residential and commercial applications is set to grow exponentially over the next five years. However, it is still in a nascent stage and bioenergy does not figure in most energy studies.

Waste to energy: Waste treatment and disposal in India have become a major concern. However, there may be some great news on the horizon. Waste to Energy Projects is soon likely to make a big difference, especially for the country’s energy needs.

Income generation: Bio-energy could be a blessing in disguise for the country’s energy, agriculture, and the overall economy. It can help in meeting the country’s rising demand for non-conventional sources of energy and employment generation.

Reduce imports: The global energy market is undergoing a transformation that is forcing a self-proclaimed super-power to look beyond its immediate requirement of oil, coal, and gas. While conventional fuels such as oil and coal do have the potential to meet India’s fossil fuel-based energy demands, the country has to now rely more on imported eco-friendly bioenergy fuels for meeting its energy requirements.

Various government efforts in reaping bioenergy:

175 GW national target: The government plans to achieve the 175 GW target by boosting domestic manufacturing and technology development in the renewable energy sector by the year 2022, which includes 100 GW from solar, 60 GW from wind, 10 GW from bio-power and 5 GW from small hydro-power.

National Policy on Biofuels: In view of the pro-active approach towards sustainable and cleaner energy, both for stationary as well as vehicular fuels, and keeping in view the need to create a robust policy framework in this area, Govt. has issued a National Policy on Biofuels last year. The policy is aimed at taking forward the indicative target of achieving 20% blending of biofuels with fossil-based fuels by 2030.

Policy for biomass and bagasse cogeneration: This policy for biomass and bagasse cogeneration promotes gaseous fuel (biogas or bioCNG) as well as liquid fuel derived from biomass and bagasse. The intended purpose of the policy is to incentivize bagasse used in sugar mills, promote new biomass-based gasifier projects for producing biogas/bioCNG, and to set a minimum carbon footprint standard for liquid biofuel from biomass.

Fiscal Incentives: There are both fiscal and non-fiscal incentives for biogas & biomass power projects in India. Income tax holiday of 10 years, concessional customs and excise duty exemption for machinery and components for initial setting up of Biomass power projects, general sales tax exemption are available in certain States.

Waste to energy projects: The solid-waste problem in India continues to be enormous. Waste to energy projects are also being set up for generation of energy from urban, industrial and agricultural waste such as vegetable and other market wastes, slaughterhouse waste, agricultural residues and industrial wastes & effluents.

National Biomass Repository: The government expects the bio commodities like bioethanol and biodiesel to be used on a large scale for green fuel. The proposed policy intends to create an energy security and demands for a "National Biomass Repository" to support the economy through majority Indian feedstock. According to a press release given by MNRE, such inventions by India can become a "game changer" in the global energy scenario.