Vedanta Power sets-up Punjab’s largest torrefied biomass plant in Mansa

Talwandi Sabo Power Limited (TSPL), a Vedanta Power company and North India’s largest private thermal power producer, has established Punjab’s biggest biomass manufacturing facility, produced in the form of torrefied bio-pellets, near its 1980 MW thermal plant in Mansa.

Torrefied biomass is a high-grade, solid biofuel made from biomass or agricultural residue through a thermochemical process. The end-product is a high-quality biofuel with far greater energy density than the original feedstock. TSPL is a highly advanced, supercritical thermal power plant and can only use high-grade biofuels such as torrefied biomass. With a capacity of 500 tons per day, the new biomass plant will convert agricultural stubble into clean-burning, carbon-neutral bio-pellets, offering a sustainable alternative to coal.

Aligned with Vedanta’s decarbonization vision to be Net Zero by 2050, the newly developed facilities were inaugurated by Prof. (Dr.) Adarsh Pal Vig, Chairman of the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB), as Chief Guest, alongside senior officials from PPCB and Pankaj Sharma, Chief Operating Officer, TSPL.

Punjab generates nearly 15-20 million tons of crop stubble (parali) annually. Much of this is traditionally burned in the fields, contributing to severe seasonal air pollution across North India. With this use of biomass in its fuel mix, TSPL will decrease its carbon footprint in two ways. First, TSPL has procured over 8 lakh tons of agricultural stubble in the paddy season, for conversion into approximately 6.4 lakh tons of torrefied bio-pellets at this new facility.

Secondly, the company will reduce 5% use of coal daily by replacing a portion of coal with this carbon-neutral alternative. These two pathways together, will potentially avert nearly 2.6 million tons of CO₂ emissions.

Additionally, TSPL co-fires 450 tons of torrefied biomass daily procured from open markets and made from crop stubble. This is creating an ecosystem for farmers to divert their crop stubble into remunerative avenues, rather than burning it and causing massive air pollution.

Dr. Adarsh Pal Vig, Chairman of PPCB, commented, “By utilizing agricultural stubble in the form of torrefied bio-pellets, TSPL is significantly reducing coal consumption and advancing environmental compliance in thermal power generation. Their leadership in facilitating this development underscores the impact of proactive industrial action in driving environmental transformation.”

Rajinder Singh Ahuja, CEO, Vedanta Power, said, “This innovative solution will help mitigate Punjab’s stubble burning and lead towards a sustainable future. These plants complement our existing biofuel efforts and underscore our long-term vision for a more sustainable and future-ready power sector.”