Thermal plants' biomass shortfall due to supply challenges: APP

New Delhi: The Association of Power Producers (APP) on Thursday said the inability of several thermal power plants to meet biomass co-firing targets in FY 2024–25 was primarily due to limited biomass availability and technical constraints -- not a lack of intent or effort by generators.This comes after the CAQM issued show-cause notices to six thermal power stations within a 300-km radius of Delhi and proposed environmental compensation of Rs 61.85 crore for the reported shortfall, the Association said in a statement. APP noted that the domestic market for torrefied biomass pellets -- mandated for plants equipped with ball and tube mills -- remains significantly underdeveloped. The industry continues to face challenges such as insufficient supplier capacity, high rejection rates due to moisture or volatile matter, and the absence of OEM-validated solutions, it stated. It cited the example of Talwandi Sabo Power Ltd (TSPL), a 1,980-MW plant in Punjab, which struggled to procure adequate torrefied biomass despite floating multiple tenders in FY25.