Kolkata, May 26 -- The West Bengal Pollution Control Board (WBPC) has allowed the use of biomass pellet / biomass briquette / agro-based fuel as alternative fuel of pet coke and furnace oil in the industrial boiler / furnace.
The move assumes significance in the backdrop of the Union Ministry of Power informing all the states to implement its orders inter-alia mentioning that all coal-based thermal power plants of power generation utilities with bowl-mills shall on an annual basis mandatorily use a minimum 5 per cent blend of biomass pallet made, primarily of agro residue along with coal with effect from financial year 2024-25.
WBPCB in October 2020 had issued a circular on policy for the use of Pet coke and furnace oil as a fuel in Bengal.
"We were receiving several appeals from industries for using agro waste / briquettes/ pellets as industrial fuel in boilers / furnaces. M/s. ITC Ltd. and M/s. Pepsico India Holdings Pvt Ltd had urged for allowing the use of biomass pellet/biomass briquette as fuel in their boilers," said an official of WBPCB.
The state PCB constituted a committee in the year 2022 in connection with the conversion of fuel from furnace oil to various agro-briquettes. The committee has opined that SO2 (sulphur dioxide) concentration in the emission due to burning of agro products is less when compared to furnace oil and the use of agro products may be permitted as an alternate fuel.
"So agro-based fuel will be part of the fuel policy for use of pet coke and furnace oil as a fuel in Bengal as it has lesser pollution potential than the latter," added the official.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.