New Delhi, April 9 Vedanta Power announced on Thursday that it has scaled up its waste-to-energy model in Punjab, and its power plant has co-fired over 3.29 lakh metric tonnes of torrefied biomass in FY26.
This development is significant as the country seeks to address seasonal air pollution caused by stubble burning. The company's Talwandi Sabo Power Ltd (TSPL) plant in Mansa, Punjab, achieved an average biomass co-firing rate of 5.16 per cent in FY26, exceeding regulatory requirements set by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), according to the company.
Under CAQM regulations, thermal power plants within a 300 km radius of Delhi are required to co-fire biomass, along with coal, to curb emissions and address the burning of crop residue.
"TSPL has co-fired over 3.29 lakh metric tonnes of torrefied biomass in FY26, leading to an estimated reduction of 0.40 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions," Vedanta Power, a subsidiary of Vedanta Ltd, said.
The model involves procuring paddy straw from farmers, which is then converted into torrefied biomass pellets and used as fuel in thermal power generation, offering an alternative to open-field burning.
Vedanta Power said it has engaged around 3,800 farmers in the Mansa region and facilitated the collection of over 8 lakh metric tonnes of paddy straw, helping to build a structured biomass supply chain ecosystem.
"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.