Can Coal be Replaced with Biomass Briquettes?

India’s natural coal reserves are estimated to last another century and yet, coal shortage and fluctuating prices pose a threat to our country’s energy security. According to an article published by Business Standard, India is likely to face a supply shortage of about 42 million tons of coal in the third quarter of 2022. This is due to higher power demand and lower mine output this year. India is an agricultural country with huge untapped potential for using agricultural waste as biomass for producing Biofuels to replace conventional fuels such as coal and petroleum. Solid Biofuels, such as briquettes and pellets, are considered carbon-neutral and used in industrial boilers, which typically run on coal. Can Biofuels produced from agricultural waste be the new coal? How do they compare in terms of efficiency and cost? Read the article to find out. How are Biofuels Produced from Agri-waste Briquetting? Above mentioned values may vary from case to case. 2. Pricing The price of biomass briquettes depends on the burning efficiency, quality, and availability in a particular location and time of the year. Briquettes with higher GCV than coal are likely to be priced higher than coal when the demand is high, and supplies are short. The ongoing surge in coal prices has fueled the demand for locally manufactured briquettes and pellets at competitive prices. Below is an example of a change in the pricing trend of Groundnut Sawdust briquettes from June ‘21 to June ‘22 observed on BiofuelCircle, India’s 1st online marketplace for biomass and Biofuels: 3. Availability: India’s domestic coal production in financial 2021-22 was at a record high of 780 million tons and is projected to grow in FY 2022-23. And yet, each year, India depends on imported coal to meet its domestic requirements. This has been attributed to the boost in the economy after the pandemic which has led to surplus energy demands. It is estimated that if the current installed capacity for biomass-based power plants is fully utilized, it could bring down the demand for coal by close to 230 million tons. India being an agricultural country, there is immense scope for creating a solid Biofuel reserve from agricultural waste and biowaste generated from industries to ensure a continuous supply of fuels such as briquettes and pellets in place of coal. Currently, there are limitations such as the lack of a steady supply of agricultural waste and quality suppliers of Biofuels, which can create challenges in terms of Biofuel availability throughout the year. A scattered marketplace is a major challenge that needs to be addressed to accelerate the sourcing of biomass to make solid Biofuels for replacing coal. 4. Emissions It is a well-known fact that coal and other fossil fuels are major sources of greenhouse gas emissions, such as CO2, affecting climate change on a massive scale. Co-firing coal with briquettes and pellets is an effective way to cut down emissions from thermal plants. The debate on whether or not briquettes and pellets are an eco-friendly alternative is still ongoing. However, burning fossil fuels has a negative impact on the environment whereas emissions from briquettes and pellets are comparatively lower. Is Replacing Coal with Briquettes Economical? The transition from coal to Biofuels for industrial boilers depends on various factors. This needs careful consideration of certain parameters such as

• Gross calorific value
• Availability and ease of handling
• User’s readiness to modify their boilers
• Adapting to changes in boiler equipment
• Cost considerations

Co-firing is a viable option implemented by industries, where coal and an additional fuel source such as briquettes are used to power a boiler. This process results in lower emission of greenhouse gases, which is an advantage over burning coal. Can Briquettes and Pellets Replace Coals? Our massive dependency on coal to generate electricity makes it highly unlikely that a complete transition to solid Biofuels will be immediate. But the fact that coal reserves are depleting but the energy requirements continue to rise makes it necessary that we move towards cleaner fuels. In developing countries, the use of briquettes and pellets to fire industrial boilers has seen an upward trend. Rising coal prices and limited fossil fuel reserves are likely to further contribute to this shift in the coming years. A positive environmental impact works in favour of using Biofuels as a substitute for coal. The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy is set to achieve 500 GW of electricity from non-fossil fuels by the year 2030. A total of 152.90 GW of renewable energy projects have been installed as of January 2022, of which 10.63 GW is from Bio-power. This presents a great opportunity for use of Biofuels in place of coal.