India Emerges as Global Hub for Bioenergy Investments and Partnerships

India emerges as global hub for bioenergy investments and partnerships

New Delhi, July 29

Speaking at the event held at the India International Convention and Expo Centre (IICC), Lt Col Monish Ahuja (Retd), Chairman and Managing Director of Punjab Renewable Energy Systems Private Limited (PRESPL) and Chairman of the Confederation of Biomass Energy Industry of India (CBEII), said India has evolved into a preferred destination for bioenergy businesses and technologies.

"India has become a magnet and a centre for the kind of growth of projects that we are talking about and doing on the ground... we are the beacon light of business opportunities in the biomass bioenergy sector," Ahuja said.

He said the sector has evolved rapidly over the past decade, with biomass now finding applications across compressed biogas, ethanol, sustainable aviation fuel, biomass-to-green hydrogen and other renewable energy segments. He added that agriculture residue, once treated largely as waste, is increasingly becoming part of organised supply chains supporting industries and clean energy projects.

Ahuja said the expansion of the biomass value chain is also creating employment opportunities in rural and semi-urban areas, while state governments are introducing policies to attract investments based on locally available biomass resources. He added that improving technologies and larger-scale deployment are expected to make bioenergy increasingly competitive over time.

"Even if you look at a steady state of energy pricing, global energy pricing, we are about 30-40% cheaper. And the biggest thing is predictable energy price annually given to our clients," he said while explaining the cost competitiveness of biomass-based industrial steam compared with conventional energy sources.

Danish Ambassador to India Rasmus Abildgaard Kristensen said India offers significant opportunities for the global bioenergy industry because of its large biomass resource base.

"India is gifted with an enormous amount of feedstock for creating bioenergy... there is a huge potential here in this country, and I think that is a potential that should not be missed by the Indian people and government, but certainly not be missed by international companies," he said.

Kristensen said Denmark sees scope for greater collaboration with India in biogas and biomethane, adding that international companies are increasingly looking to partner with Indian businesses as the country's renewable energy ecosystem expands. Speakers at the conference said continued policy support, technology development and global partnerships are expected to accelerate the growth of India's bioenergy sector in the coming years.

— ANI