{"id":50350,"date":"2025-05-17T12:50:44","date_gmt":"2025-05-17T07:20:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/prevalentindia.in\/index.php\/2025\/05\/17\/from-fossil-fuels-to-biomass-why-industrial-india-must-act-now\/"},"modified":"2025-05-17T12:50:44","modified_gmt":"2025-05-17T07:20:44","slug":"from-fossil-fuels-to-biomass-why-industrial-india-must-act-now","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/prevalentindia.in\/index.php\/2025\/05\/17\/from-fossil-fuels-to-biomass-why-industrial-india-must-act-now\/","title":{"rendered":"From Fossil Fuels to Biomass: Why Industrial India Must Act Now"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<p><strong>New Delhi [India], May 16: <\/strong>India\u2019s industrial sector is undergoing rapid transformation, yet its reliance on fossil fuels\u2014coal, diesel, and furnace oil\u2014remains entrenched. While these conventional energy sources have long powered the nation\u2019s growth, they now present mounting economic and environmental challenges. More critically, they stand at odds with India\u2019s ambitious pledge to achieve net-zero emissions by 2070.<\/p>\n<p>Amid this contradiction lies a compelling opportunity: the transition to biomass energy.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The Untapped Potential of Biomass\u00a0 <\/strong><\/p>\n<p>According to the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), India generates over 500 million metric tons of agricultural residue annually, with at least 120 million metric tons surplus and available for energy use. Yet, much of this biomass is either wasted or burned openly, exacerbating air pollution and carbon emissions.<\/p>\n<p>The case for biomass is robust. Processed as briquettes, pellets, or in loose form, biomass can efficiently fuel industrial boilers, matching\u2014or even surpassing\u2014the performance of fossil fuels. Key advantages include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>60\u201370% lower CO<\/strong><strong>\u2082<\/strong><strong> emissions<\/strong>, as validated by the Indian Institute of Science (IISc).<\/li>\n<li><strong>Up to 25% operational cost savings<\/strong> compared to furnace oil-based systems (TERI estimates).<\/li>\n<li><strong>Reduced particulate matter and sulphur dioxide emissions<\/strong>, aiding compliance with environmental norms.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Enhanced ESG credentials<\/strong>, including eligibility for carbon credits and improved sustainability ratings.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Barriers to Adoption\u00a0 <\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Despite these benefits, biomass adoption in Indian industries remains sluggish. The primary obstacles include:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Fragmented supply chains<\/strong>: Unorganized sourcing leads to inconsistent fuel quality and availability.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Performance misconceptions<\/strong>: Many industries remain unaware that optimized biomass systems can deliver steam-to-fuel ratios comparable to fossil fuels.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Regulatory complexity<\/strong>: Navigating pollution control norms, factory acts, and local licenses remains a challenge without expert support.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Skill gaps<\/strong>: Few companies possess the in-house expertise to manage biomass combustion, logistics, or boiler retrofitting.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><strong>The Way Forward\u00a0 <\/strong><\/p>\n<p>To accelerate India\u2019s green energy transition, the industrial sector requires:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Standardised biomass fuel quality and calorific value benchmarks.<\/li>\n<li>Reliable, long-term sourcing models to ensure year-round supply.<\/li>\n<li>Streamlined policies and faster environmental clearances.<\/li>\n<li>Greater awareness of retrofit solutions and financing models like BOOT (Build, Own, Operate, Transfer).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Crucially, industries must recognize energy not just as an operational cost, but as a <strong>strategic lever<\/strong> for profitability, compliance, and climate action.<\/p>\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-69834 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/prevalentindia.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/PNN-2025-05-16T181128596.jpg\" alt=\"Fossil\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\"><\/p>\n<p><strong>Insights from NJ Renewable Energy<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>At NJ Renewable Energy Pvt. Ltd., we have spent over two decades partnering with industries\u2014from pharmaceuticals to automotive\u2014to facilitate their shift to biomass. Our approach goes beyond fuel supply; we provide end-to-end energy solutions, including manufacturing, steam supply, and compliance management.<\/p>\n<p>While the transition demands effort, the long-term benefits\u2014cost savings, sustainability gains, and regulatory alignment\u2014make it one of the most impactful decisions an industrial player can undertake.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The Bottom Line<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>India\u2019s net-zero ambitions hinge on decarbonizing its industrial base. Biomass offers a locally available, renewable, and cost-competitive alternative that aligns with both rural economic growth and waste management objectives.<\/p>\n<p>The shift from fossil fuels to biomass doesn\u2019t require reinvention\u2014just <strong>commitment, guidance, and execution<\/strong>. The time to act is now.<\/p>\n<p>Dhruvil Goradia is the Director of NJ Renewable Energy Pvt. Ltd., a pioneer in sustainable energy solutions for India\u2019s industrial sector.<\/p>\n<p><em>If you have any objection to this press release content, kindly contact pr.error.rectification@gmail.com to notify us. We will respond and rectify the situation in the next 24 hours.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>New Delhi [India], May 16: India\u2019s industrial sector is undergoing rapid transformation, yet its reliance on fossil fuels\u2014coal,<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":50351,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[575],"class_list":["post-50350","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business","tag-business"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/prevalentindia.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50350","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/prevalentindia.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/prevalentindia.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/prevalentindia.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/prevalentindia.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=50350"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/prevalentindia.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50350\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/prevalentindia.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/50351"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/prevalentindia.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=50350"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/prevalentindia.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=50350"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/prevalentindia.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=50350"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}