Principal Scientific Adviser (PSA) to the Government of India recently convened the first meeting to discuss biomass cultivation on degraded land for green biohydrogen production and bioenergy generation.This significant meeting gathered key stakeholders, and research institutes, to explore the potential of utilising degraded, barren, and uncultivated lands for biomass cultivation.The Government of India established the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser (PSA) in November 1999.The PSA’s office aims to provide pragmatic and objective advice to the Prime Minister and the cabinet in matters of Science and Technology.The Office of PSA was placed under the Cabinet Secretariat in August 2018.
Key Highlights of the Meeting
Biomass Cultivation Prospects
- Seaweed Cultivation: Highlighted prospects for seaweed cultivation as biomass for bioenergy production and fostering a marine biomanufacturing start-up ecosystem.
- Plant-Based Biomass: Discussed biomass production using various plants, including algae, molasses, and sugarcane.
Government Programs and Data Utilisation
- Highlighted one of the objectives of the National Green Hydrogen Mission is to initiate focused pilots for biomass-based green biohydrogen production.
- The Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (MNRE) highlighted the various programs at the Ministry for Bioenergy and also talked about the National Biomass Atlas for agri-residue surplus data.
Economic and Strategic Frameworks
- Data on Biomass: The National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC), and Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), presented the Bhuvan portal for biomass availability from agri-residue and degraded Land Mapping and emphasised the need for data on the characterisation of biomass for understanding the potential of biomass.
The National Biomass Atlas of India is a tool that helps people understand the country’s biomass availability.The Biomass and Energy Management Division of the Sardar Swaran Singh National Institute of Bio-Energy (SSS-NIBE) under the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) developed the atlas.The atlas shows state-wise and crop-wise fractions of different residues available per crop, as well as images of different crops and their crop residue ratios.
Biomass Cultivation on Degraded Land
- Biomass cultivation on degraded land refers to the practice of growing organic matter, such as crops or trees, on land that has been rendered unsuitable for conventional agriculture due to factors like soil erosion, salinisation, or deforestation.
- Biomass is renewable organic material that comes from plants and animals. Biomass contains stored chemical energy from the sun that is produced by plants through photosynthesis.