NTPC to mix bamboo and coal in Solapur thermal plant for clean energy

In the first such initiative in India to produce clean energy, NTPC (National Thermal Power Corporation) has decided to mix bamboo with coal to generate power at its thermal plant in Maharashtra's Solapur, the executive chairman of the CM's task force said on 6 January, Monday.

This development comes after Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis wrote to the NTPC chairman proposing to start India's first biomass-based (bamboo) thermal power project at its Solapur super thermal power station, a 1,320 MW coal-fired project.

Pasha Patel, executive chairman of the chief minister's environment and sustainable development task force, said bamboo will be purchased from farmers in Solapur and other adjoining regions, and the Solapur thermal power project will be the first project in India to start using bamboo as a biomass in power production.

Patel told PTI that Fadnavis wrote a letter to NTPC chairman Gurdeep Singh on 24 November, proposing to start India's first biomass-based (bamboo) thermal power project in Solapur and assured the state government's support.

He said a meeting was held in Solapur between NTPC chairman Singh and other officials and farmers, who agreed to large-scale bamboo plantations.

Fadnavis stated in the letter that 70 per cent of power generation is still dependent on coal, which causes air pollution, and underlined the need for alternative environmental-friendly means for power production.

"Currently, Solapur thermal power station consumes 40 lakh tonne coal to generate power every year. If 1 kg of coal is fired, it produces 2.08 kg of carbon, imagine the carbon emission every year," said Patel.

He cited the Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change's observation regarding phasing out coal-based thermal power plants to save mankind.

"Several countries are now doing away with coal-based thermal plants. We should also make some progress in that direction. I proposed to use bamboo as a biomass at the Solapur plant on the pilot project and as the bamboo cultivation is likely to increase, it can be used to generate power," he added.

Following this suggestion, the chief minister wrote to the NTPC chairman and proposed that the first biomass-based thermal power project in India be started at the Solapur thermal power station.

"The calorific values of coal and bamboo are 4,000 and they will remain so after coal and bamboo are burnt. The advantages of bamboo are its availability throughout the year and cultivation in any region," Patel said.

Patel said a meeting was held between NTPC chairman Singh, Maharashtra Institution for Transformation (MITRA) CEO Praveen Singh Pardeshi, NTPC Solapur project head Tapan Kumar Bandopadhyay, and farmers.

He said farmers can avail subsidies offered per hectare through MGNREGA. "Additionally, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) has also prepared subsidy plans for up to ten years to support bamboo cultivation," he said.

According to Patel, NTPC can buy bamboo in bulk from farmers. He said farmers were initially apprehensive about cultivating bamboo on a large scale owing to the unavailability of big buyers.

"This problem is solved with NTPC's assurance of a 50-year purchase agreement. Farmers have welcomed this decision and are ready to go large-scale bamboo cultivation," he said. Patel said the NTPC has asked farmers to cultivate bamboo on 1 lakh hectares and assured them that the corporation will buy all the produce.

The MITRA CEO assured necessary support for bamboo cultivation and encouraged farmer production companies to take the lead. "He also mentioned plans to provide machinery for processing bamboo biomass pellets through CSR initiatives," said Patel.