Unlocking India’s bioenergy potential | Current Affairs | Vision IAS
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Unlocking India’s bioenergy potential

Posted 15 Feb 2025

2 min read

India’s potential in the sphere of bioenergy was highlighted during India Energy Week 2025.

What is Bioenergy? 

  • Bioenergy is a source of energy from the organic material that makes up plants, known as biomass. 
  • Biomass is material of biological origin, for example wood, dung or charcoal. 
  • Key Categories
    • Traditional bioenergy: Refers to the combustion of biomass in such forms as wood, animal waste etc. 
    • Modern bioenergy: Include liquid biofuels, biogas, etc.

India’s Status 

  • Energy Mix Contribution: Modern bioenergy accounts for 13% of total energy, projected 45% growth (2023-2030).
    • India will account for more than a third of global bioenergy demand growth.
  • Key driving factor: Annual Biomass production in the Country is around 750 MMT
  • Key Targets for using Bioenergy
    • 20% ethanol blending (by 2025/26) and 5% biodiesel blending (by 2030) 
    • 5% Compressed Bio-Gas (CBG) blending requirement (by 2028/29).
Image showing benefits of Bioenergy

Key challenges: Inadequate feedstock supply (fuel reliability and quality), Lack of public data on biomass availability across geographies, Limited storage options, etc.

Measures Required: Develop centralised and comprehensive feedstock assessment, Establish a centralised registry to track CBG production, Setting technical standards For biogas and biomethane facilities, etc. 

Key Initiative taken for Promoting Bioenergy  

  • National Bioenergy Programme (NBP), it includes Waste to Energy, Biomass and Biogas Programme
  • National Policy on Biofuels (2018, Revised 2022)
  • SATAT (Sustainable Alternative Towards Affordable Transportation) Initiative
  • GOBAR-Dhan Scheme (Galvanizing Organic Bio-Agro Resources)
  • Pradhan Mantri JI-VAN Yojana, financial support for advanced biofuels projects.
  • Tags :
  • Bioenergy
  • Biomass
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