Latest News about Indian Biomass Industry & NTPC

🌱 1. Biomass Industry in India

• Supply shortage remains severe: India’s 5% biomass blending mandate equates to roughly 100,000 tons per day demand—yet actual supply remains just 5,000–7,000 tons, severely limiting policy effectiveness and exacerbating stubble burning woes  .
• Policy relaxations underway: The government on June 29, 2025 revised and simplified MNRE guidelines under the National Biomass Programme. These changes aim to ease regulatory processes, especially for MSMEs and stubble-burn–affected zones, encouraging broader adoption of bioenergy, particularly pellets and cogeneration projects  .
• Implementation still uneven: According to a June 2025 report by YES Securities, India’s biofuel sector is shifting from promise to partial implementation—policy frameworks are strong, but infrastructure, logistics, and scaling have lagged behind  .

🔥 2. NTPC’s Biomass Initiatives

• Record biomass use: In March 2025, NTPC achieved its highest ever biomass pellets utilization—102,035 metric tonnes—in a single month, reinforcing its zero‑waste and rural‑waste‑to‑energy commitments  .
• Awards for biomass co‑firing: NTPC Dadri received the national accolade for highest biomass co-firing in FY 2024‑25 during the National Biomass Conference, highlighting its leadership in integrating agricultural residues with coal power generation  .
• Technology upgrades: NTPC pioneered 20 % co-firing of torrefied biomass at its Tanda plant (Uttar Pradesh), a first for India’s power sector. Earlier, Dadri was co-firing 7–10 % non-torrefied biomass. Torrefied pellets mimic coal in characteristics, enabling higher substitution without major retrofits  .
• Procurement plans: In January 2025, NTPC issued bids to procure 219,000 tonnes of non-torrefied biomass pellets for Dadri plant—all sourced from agro-residue—with delivery required over 365 days  .

🧩 3. Broader Outlook & Strategic Moves

• Major renewable push ahead: NTPC plans to invest over ₹2 trillion (≈ $23 billion) across renewable energy initiatives in Madhya Pradesh—including solar, wind, pumped storage and other non‑fossil solutions  .
• Central support increasing: The Cabinet’s approval of elevated green energy investment caps for NTPC (and NLC India) helps the utility accelerate non‑fossil fuel capacity transition plans  .
• Industry capacity-building: National events such as IPS 2025 in Raipur spotlight advancements in biomass pellets, torrefaction, biochar, and supply-chain innovation—NTPC executives and experts are key participants