NTPC’s Dadri plant generates power from agricultural waste.

New Delhi: NTPC Dadri has started power generation from agricultural residue-based fuel called biomass co-firing. Touted as the next big thing in renewable or green energy, biomass co-firing uses pellets made from paddy straw and other agricultural residues to generate electricity. Currently, the plant has started with 10% biomass co-firing in power generation. The process is seen as a step to redress seasonal stubble-burning of agricultural residues in fields leading to sudden, huge amounts of ash and smog in air with increased levels of air pollution of PM 2.5 and PM10. With 145 million tonnes of agricultural residue being burnt annually across agricultural fields in the country, biomass co-firing in power plants throughout the country, can produce about 30,000 MW electricity round the year, say officials from Dadri plant. “We have started producing electricity by partially replacing coal from pellets made of paddy straw and other agricultural residues in one unit of Dadri power plant. Blending of this bio-mass pellets in co-firing is one of the new initiatives towards improvement in environment measures at the plant. Currently, the plant has started with 10% biomass co-firing in power generation,” said A K Das, chief general manager, NTPC Dadri, who adds that other new initiatives include flue gas desulphurisation (FGD), solar thermal hybrid plant, combustion modification package and more.