ABC of Carbon Weekly Blog - B is for Biomass

India is attempting to move away from fossil fuels to make maximum use of its available biomass for energy generation. It is also drawing on international investment to finance its projects through the clean development mechanism (CDM). The Punjab Energy Development Agency (PEDA) announced on 2 November 2007 the allocation of 31 decentralised biomass power projects with aggregate capacity of 338 megawatts (MW) to private developers for setting up projects having capacity ranging from 5 MW to 20 MW. Science,Technology and Environment Minister Bikramjit Singh Majithia said that these power projects are being set up on a build, operate and own basis with private investment. All these power projects are scheduled to be commissioned by September 2009. One of the first of these projects was a groundbreaking project for generating power from rice straw. The report from Murad Baig in New Delhi says the project by Punjab Biomass Power is expected to benefit farmers who currently burn the rice straw after the paddy harvest. They will eventually earn from the sale of the straw and also benefit from extra electricity. With both the production and consumption of electricity in nearby areas, the series of small power stations in rural Punjab under this project will reduce wasteful transmission losses.