Bioenergy is becoming a central driver of India’s transition towards sustainable energy. Dependence on biomass and waste organic matter, bioenergy presents a green substitute to fossil fuels. Not only does it result in the avoidance of greenhouse gases, but also in rural economic development and energy security.
India has an abundance of waste and excess biomass material available that can be utilized for energy conversion. Such opportunity can be optimized to reduce dependence on imported fossil fuels and facilitate efficient waste management.
Net Energy Ratio (NER) Importance
The Net Energy Ratio (NER) is one of the important measures in ascertaining if the production of bioenergy is sustainable. It is a measure of the ratio between output energy and input energy in production. A value of more than one implies net energy gain and hence makes the process sustainable.
Rajnath Ram, the director of NITI Aayog’s Energy Programme, also underscores that prudence should be exercised in bioenergy projects. “We need to make sure that energy put into making bioenergy is not more than the energy we get,” he said. Some crops such as maize and sugarcane have lower NERs and hence should be selected with caution.
Choice of suitable biomass will be important to maximize NERs. Wastes from agriculture, municipal solid waste, and other non-food biomass sources typically provide higher NERs compared to cultivation energy-absorbing energy crops or energy crops. Use of such feedstocks can make bioenergy programs more economically viable and sustainable.
Policy Implications and Future Outlook
India’s dedication to becoming a net-zero carbon emitter by 2070 puts bioenergy at the center of its renewable energy plan. Favorable NERs in bioenergy production become its objective, making environmental aspirations and economic prospects stronger.
NITI Aayog prefers policies that promote high-NER biomass source growth as well as the exploration of sustainable bioenergy technologies. Such policies can facilitate bioenergy incorporation into India’s energy basket, which in turn can facilitate a sustainable and feasible energy future.
