Biomass co-firing by thermal plants saves over 35 lakh MT CO₂, stubble burning in Punjab down 80%

Time of India

a day ago

New Delhi: More than 35 lakh metric tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions have been saved through
biomass co-firing
by
thermal power plants
, while stubble burning incidents in Punjab have fallen by over 80 per cent between 2021 and 2024, according to the Commission for Air Quality Management (
CAQM
).
As of mid-2025, 11 thermal power plants (TPPs) in the National Capital Region (NCR) and 71 nationwide have adopted biomass co-firing, resulting in savings of 25.79 lakh MT CO₂ in NCR and 34.77 lakh MT across the country. The biomass co-firing mandate, introduced in 2021, requires NCR plants to co-fire 5–10 per cent biomass with coal. In June 2025, CAQM extended the mandate to brick kilns in non-NCR Punjab and Haryana, targeting at least 50 per cent biomass use by November 2028.
Between 2021 and 2024, stubble fire counts in Punjab dropped from 71,304 to 10,909 and in Haryana from 6,829 to 1,315. Thermal power plants in Punjab have been using paddy straw as biomass fuel, creating additional income sources for farmers.
Delhi-NCR recorded an average AQI of 167 between January and September 2023, the second-best in six years. July 2025 saw an AQI of 79, the cleanest July in a decade. PM₁₀ levels have declined by 15 per cent since 2017-18, and Stage III restrictions under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) were lifted in early 2025 due to sustained improvement in air quality.
'CAQM's impact in being able to address stubble burning and nudge incorporation of cleaner methods in areas such as thermal power generation has been a key step towards inculcating systematic changes,' said Dr. Ranjana Ray Chaudhuri, Associate Professor, TERI School of Advanced Studies. She called for advanced combustion techniques, carbon capture, renewable integration, and firm biomass supply chains to further cut emissions.
Agricultural economist Deepak Pareek said, 'By converting crop residue into biomass or biochar, farmers can unlock a powerful combination of economic and environmental gains. Biomass sales to industries like thermal power plants create new income streams, cut waste disposal costs, and replace polluting fossil fuels with renewable energy.'
Environmental expert Dr. Rajeev Sharma noted that CAQM's measures, including support for pellet manufacturing, have increased biomass co-firing volumes in TPPs from 11.7 lakh MT in FY24 to 21.49 lakh MT by mid-FY26.
CAQM has also implemented measures beyond the power sector, including mandatory dust control SOPs at construction sites, AI-based vehicle counting, drone surveillance, and public participation campaigns. The commission's framework is being considered for replication in other high-pollution cities such as Bengaluru.