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India's biomass capacity
addition programme for the
ongoing XI Plan period
appears to be on track.
According to information
tabled in Parliament, a total of
460 mw of new capacity has
been installed in the XI Plan so
far, against the Plan target of
500 mw. The country is also
on course to have cumulative
biomass-based power capacity
of 1,000 mw with 980 mw
being the achievement realized
so far.
Chhattisgarh is currently
the leading state with respect
to installed biomass-based
power capacity. With 226 mw
of capacity, it accounts for
nearly a fourth of the country's
total. Andhra Pradesh with 210
mw comes a close second, followed
by Tamil Nadu (179 mw)
and Maharashtra with 126 mw
(see table).
Statistics further indicate
that over 380 mw worth biomass-
based power plants are
under various stages of implementation.
Of these, the maximum
of 100 mw is in Maharashtra.
Chhattisgarh appears
to be consolidating its leadership
position with 71 mw of
biomass power plants under
development. It is also interesting
to note that in the near
future, states like Gujarat,
Madhya Pradesh and Orissa
would be making their debut
on India's biomass power map.
The Centre is encouraging
setting up of biomass power
plants through various technological
routes like combustion
and gasification. Various
financial incentives like capital
subsidy, concessional
import duty on machinery and
components and accelerated
depreciation, are being
offered to biomass power
projects. The total potential of
biomass-based power in
India, based on agro and forest
residues, is estimated at
around 16,500 mw, implying a
very large proportion of the
potential is yet untapped.
The above discussion does
not take into account energy
(electricity) generated from
bagasse-based power plants
attached to sugar mills, which
is growing to be big source of
clean energy and a profitable
business for sugar companies.
According to information
available, India's potential for
bagasse-based cogeneration
power projects is around
5,000 mw out of which 1,307
mw was realized up to December
2009. During the first
three quarters of 2010-11, a
total of 259 mw of bagassebased
cogeneration capacity
was achieved.
It is estimated that a typical
sugar mill with a capacity of
2,500 tccpd (tonnes of cane
crushed per day) can co-generate
bagasse-based power
to the tune of 13.5 mw. After
meeting the captive requirement
of 4.5 mw, it would
have an exportable surplus
of 9 mw.
| Biomass-based power capacity |
(MW) |
| State |
Operational |
Under Impl. |
| Chhattisgarh |
226 |
71 |
| Andhra Pradesh |
210 |
8 |
| Tamil Nadu |
179 |
28 |
| Maharashtra |
126 |
100 |
| Karnataka |
82 |
0 |
| Rajasthan |
71 |
20 |
| Punjab |
51 |
18 |
| West Bengal |
16 |
24 |
| Uttar Pradesh |
15 |
21 |
| Haryana |
4 |
0 |
| Gujarat |
0 |
30 |
| Madhya Pradesh |
0 |
44 |
| Orissa |
0 |
20 |
| Total |
980 |
383 |
|