Focus on Biomass as Energy Source
An Express News Service Article
March 23, 2011
Bangalore, India—India is targeting to generate about 10,000 MW of energy from biomass over the next decade, Deepak Gupta, Secretary, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), said here on Tuesday.
He was speaking at the inauguration of National Workshop on Dedicated Plantation-Based Biomass Power and Energy. He said power shortage was a big problem in the country and with a question on the safety of nuclear energy, there was an urgent need to resort to other sources of energy.
He added that currently up to 70 per cent of the electricity and other energy generation in the country depends on imports. He said if something was not done, by 2030 around 90 per cent of our energy generation would depend on imports.
Gupta pointed out that India had under-utilised its potential to generate energy from biomass. He said India could generate around 16,000 megawatt from biomass but was producing only around 1,000 megawatt. He said wasteland could be used to raise dedicated and high-yielding plants for biomass generation.
AK Verma, MD, Karnataka State Forest Industries Corporation Limited, highlighted the importance of plantation, especially bamboo, to provide sustainable supply of feedstock for power generation.
Dr D K Khare, Director, MNRE, said absence of clear state policy, clarity in procedures, and getting clearance from the Government and Forest Department for the plantation land were another roadblocks.
The secretary to the MNRE said the ideas and recommendations put forth in the workshop would be taken up and forwarded to government for implementation if they were found feasible and genuine.
Shankar Gowda Patil, Chairman, KSFIC, K Krishan, President, Grameena Abhivrudhi Mandali, Bangalore, were also present.