Government Highlights Progress of Bioenergy Projects

27 Mar 2026 CW Team

Annual generation in million (mn) units showed variation across the five years covered by the authority, with biomass generation recorded at 3,738.674 mn units and bagasse generation at 9,335.316625 mn units in 2024-25. Earlier years showed biomass generation of 3,512.978 mn units in 2020-21 and 3,161.323 mn units in 2022-23, reflecting a mixed trend. The data emphasised the role of different bioenergy streams in augmenting the country’s renewable mix.

The authority said co-firing of carbon neutral biomass pellets with coal in thermal power plants prevented about five point seven million (mn) tonnes (t) of carbon dioxide since the initiative began in financial year 2019–20. Benefits included reduced fossil fuel use, avoidance of open burning of agricultural residues and improved regional air quality through lower particulate emissions. Key barriers to scaling were aggregation and year round storage of feedstock and relatively high capital cost per megawatt compared with solar and wind.

The ministry outlined initiatives under the National Bioenergy Programme and support for briquette, pellet and compressed biogas plants, and incentives under the Crop Residue Management scheme that provide financial assistance of fifty per cent to farmers and eighty per cent to rural entrepreneurs and cooperatives. Financial support of Rs. 15.0 mn for paddy supply chain projects was noted and the scheme is not applicable in Maharashtra. Additional support from the Central Pollution Control Board, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs was set out to promote pelletisation, biomass aggregation and urban waste to energy facilities, and the minister presented the information to the Rajya Sabha.

The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy outlined progress of bioenergy projects and provided year-wise data as of 28 February 2026 based on information from the Central Electricity Authority. The ministry defined megawatt (MW) as the unit for installed capacity and million (mn) for large energy and emission quantities. Installed biomass capacity rose to 387.8 MW in financial year 2024-25 while waste to energy capacity reached 254.41 MW and biogas plants numbered 12,067. Annual generation in million (mn) units showed variation across the five years covered by the authority, with biomass generation recorded at 3,738.674 mn units and bagasse generation at 9,335.316625 mn units in 2024-25. Earlier years showed biomass generation of 3,512.978 mn units in 2020-21 and 3,161.323 mn units in 2022-23, reflecting a mixed trend. The data emphasised the role of different bioenergy streams in augmenting the country’s renewable mix. The authority said co-firing of carbon neutral biomass pellets with coal in thermal power plants prevented about five point seven million (mn) tonnes (t) of carbon dioxide since the initiative began in financial year 2019–20. Benefits included reduced fossil fuel use, avoidance of open burning of agricultural residues and improved regional air quality through lower particulate emissions. Key barriers to scaling were aggregation and year round storage of feedstock and relatively high capital cost per megawatt compared with solar and wind. The ministry outlined initiatives under the National Bioenergy Programme and support for briquette, pellet and compressed biogas plants, and incentives under the Crop Residue Management scheme that provide financial assistance of fifty per cent to farmers and eighty per cent to rural entrepreneurs and cooperatives. Financial support of Rs. 15.0 mn for paddy supply chain projects was noted and the scheme is not applicable in Maharashtra. Additional support from the Central Pollution Control Board, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs was set out to promote pelletisation, biomass aggregation and urban waste to energy facilities, and the minister presented the information to the Rajya Sabha.

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