Balco bids green, introduces biomass briquettes to generate power

The subsidiary of Vedanta Aluminium Business and India’s iconic aluminium producer, Bharat Aluminium Company Limited (BALCO) is using biomass briquettes as a fuel mix, to improve the sustainability of thermal power generation.

The Korba-Chhattisgarh-based aluminium producer is utilizing 40-50 tonnes of biomass briquettes per day and further plans to augment the quantum of biomass consumption to scale down its dependency on fossil fuel. As a result of this initiative, BALCO's GHG emissions are expected to be diminished by 4.3 lakh tonnes of CO2 equivalent each year, showing a clear path towards Vedanta Aluminium's net-zero carbon target by 2050.

Additionally, since these biomass briquettes are made from agricultural waste, under guidelines issued by the Ministry of Power, Government of India, they reduce the amount of agricultural waste that is burnt has serious environmental consequences. Aside from fostering a circular economy, BALCO is also contributing to increasing farmers' incomes in the region by enabling them to sell their agro-waste profitably.

Abhijit Pati, the CEO & Director of BALCO, while speaking about the company’s endeavours toward carbon neutrality said, “BALCO is committed to being an active participant in the sustainable growth of Chhattisgarh and India at large. We are undertaking a multitude of initiatives to reduce our carbon footprint. Through such initiatives, we aim to achieve the larger goal of creating a sustainable future for the generations to come and we are dedicatedly driving the Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) dimensions of sustainability for building a greener tomorrow.”

Biomass briquettes are a biofuel alternative to coal and charcoal. Generally, briquettes are used in developing nations where cooking fuels aren't readily available. As of late, briquettes have become popular in first-world countries, where it is used to generate power from steam by heating industrial boilers. The briquettes are co-fired with coal to create the heat supplied to the boiler.

Pulkit Saxena, the Director of Bhoomi Agro Produce Pvt. Ltd., the supplier of biomass briquettes to BALCO, appreciated the endeavours of the aluminium producer by commenting, “I would like to congratulate BALCO and its team members for their commendable efforts to use biomass briquettes for lowering coal usage. The use of such green fuels will have a positive impact on the environment as well as on the agro-waste value chain, which includes small and marginal farmers. Such an initiative by a climate-conscious organization like BALCO will set an example for others too. We are proud to be their partners in this environment-friendly initiative.”