Vedanta Limited is expanding its biomass co-firing model in Punjab as part of a broader waste-to-energy push.
At the centre of the effort is the company’s Talwandi Sabo Power Limited (TSPL) plant in Mansa, which has recorded an average biomass co-firing rate of 5.21% in FY26 so far—above the compliance threshold set by the Commission for Air Quality Management for thermal plants within 300 km of Delhi.
According to company data, TSPL has co-fired more than 3.60 lakh metric tonnes of torrefied biomass this fiscal year, helping avoid an estimated 0.40 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions.
The model is built around converting paddy straw—often burned in fields into toxic smoke—into torrefied biomass pellets that can replace coal in power generation.
Vedanta says the initiative has already engaged around 3,800 farmers in the Mansa region and enabled the collection of over 8 lakh metric tonnes of paddy straw, building a structured supply chain for agricultural waste.
To strengthen capacity, the company has also supported a 1,000-tonne-per-day torrefied bio-pellet manufacturing facility in Punjab, aimed at ensuring steady fuel supply for thermal plants.
The ground impact is visible: stubble burning incidents in Mansa have dropped sharply from 2,253 in 2023 to 306 in 2025—an 87% decline. More than 100 villages reported zero farm fire cases, while over 28,000 acres of farmland were saved from burning.
“Sustainability is embedded in how we operate. At our Talwandi Sabo plant, we are enabling a cleaner thermal power transition by integrating biomass co-firing while continuing to deliver reliable power at scale,” Vedanta Limited CEO–Power Rajinder Singh Ahuja said.
He added that the company’s approach combines technology upgrades, supply chain partnerships, and farmer engagement to create a scalable “waste-to-wealth” model.
Experts caution, however, that scaling biomass co-firing nationwide will require steady policy support, stronger supply chains, and investment in biomass processing infrastructure, alongside solutions to cost and availability challenges.
Still, the Mansa experiment is emerging as a test case for how India’s thermal power sector can cut emissions while tackling one of North India’s most persistent agricultural pollution problems.
