The CAQM has permitted the use of Biomass in NCR, but is it forever?

Keypoints

1. CAQM has permitted using biomass fuels as an alternative to piped natural gas in the National Capital Region (NCR).
2. Due to the?increased prices of fossils, industries are looking for cost-effective alternatives like Biomass.
3. Users of gas boilers should shift to biomass boilers to reduce fuel prices and carbon emissions.
4. Steamax’s innovative solution OBR Kit can retrofit the existing oil/gas-fired systems.
5. The OBR kit?reduces fuel costs by up to 40-50%. Low CAPEX is required for the kit installation that is <50% of the new boiler.

The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM)?has permitted using biomass fuels as an alternative to piped natural gas in the National Capital Region (NCR). To this effect, the Commission, through statutory Directions Number 53,62 and 63 dated 04.02.2022, 17.03.2022 and 18.05.2022, respectively, issued to the state Governments of Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan and the GNCTD in respect of industries in NCR directed that:

1. Industries shall completely?switch over to PNG or biomass fuels latest by 30.09.2022?(for industries in areas in NCR where PNG infrastructure/ supply is available).?And by 31.12.2022?(for industries in areas in NCR where PNG infrastructure supply is not available), failing which such industries shall be closed down and not permitted to schedule their operations.
2. Using biomass fuels as an alternative option, in addition to PNG or other cleaner fuels, shall be permitted even in NCR’s new/under commissioning industries.

CAQM standards for industries

The emissions from industries using polluting fuels like coal, diesel, etc., create an adverse impact on air quality in the NCR, and shifting industries to PNG/cleaner fuels has always been a priority for CAQM. Therefore, CAQM has set specific standards for the industries, which are below:

1. The max permissible Emission Standards for Particulate Matter (PM) emissions for the Biomass fueled boilers shall be 80 mg/Nm3; however, such industries shall aim for an emission level of 50 mg/ Nm3.
2. The CAQM has also asked for industries switching to biomass fuel to take a fresh consent to operate (CTO) from the respective state pollution control board.
3. Non-switchover shall result in the closure of industries using other fuels.

Will the CAQM decision meet long-term sustainable goals?

Well, everyone is curious about the decision of the government. Will biomass be banned again if the supply of PNG is available to the industries? Or the decision of the government is meant to be long-term? The answer to this is still the suspense. There is no clear judgement based on the government’s new decision. All the above facts will clear with the time as the government may or may not change its judgements.

Should gas boilers users shift to biomass boilers?

Boilers are usually gas and oil operated. Due to the increased prices of fossils, industries are looking for cost-effective alternatives. Biomass can significantly reduce fuel prices and reduce carbon emissions. Companies, however, do not prefer installing a new boiler as it takes months to complete installation. It will affect the overall productivity, thus creating a loss for the companies. Installing a new biomass-based boiler requires a huge installation CAPEX. It may also lead to production loss for the companies.

Safer Alternative:?Steamax’s Oil to Biomass Kit

Steamax came up with an innovative solution that is OBR Kit. The existing diesel/gas-fired system is retrofitted with the OBR kit. The first step is the removal of the diesel/gas burner. Then comes the installation of the OBR kit. Let us understand the advantages of the kit-

1. The kit is flexible with different kinds of fuels. Users can shift between Biomass and gas or oil within a few hours.
2. The OBR kit reduces fuel costs by up to 40-50%. Low CAPEX is required for the kit installation that is <50% of the new boiler.
3. The OBR kit consists of auto fuel feeding and ash removal systems. Therefore, it ensures clean and efficient biomass combustion.
4. The kit is designed to meet the government emission norms and doesn’t require any change in the pressure parts.

Might you be wondering about biomass fuel, right? Don’t worry; we can help you with that too. Steamax provides an end-to-end solution to all our customers. That means from equipment to fuel supply to operation and maintenance; we can take charge of your every problem. Are you ready to make the switch??Contact us?today for more information.