SAMARTH advances India’s biomass co-firing mission
India’s SAMARTH mission is helping transform surplus agricultural residue into a source of cleaner power generation while addressing the environmental impact of stubble burning.
What is SAMARTH?
Launched by the Ministry of Power on July 12, 2021, SAMARTH — the Sustainable Agrarian Mission on the Use of Agri-Residue in Thermal Power Plants — supports the use of biomass pellets in coal-fired thermal power plants across the country.
The Making of SAMARTH Mission
The mission builds on policy measures introduced in 2017 to promote biomass co-firing. Following advisories from the Central Electricity Authority, the Ministry of Power launched the National Mission on Biomass Use in Thermal Power Plants in 2021. The initiative was subsequently renamed SAMARTH.
A revised Biomass Co-Firing Policy, introduced in October 2021 and further updated in June 2023, made it mandatory for coal-fired thermal power plants to co-fire biomass pellets with coal. The policy sets a co-firing target of 5% to 10%, depending on the plant and applicable requirements.
Setting the Biomass Benchmark
For 2025–26, the prescribed requirement is 7% biomass pellets for bowl mills and 7% torrefied pellets for ball-and-race mills. Ball-and-tube mills are required to use 5% torrefied pellets with volatility below 22% under the 2024–25 framework.
Mill-Wise Co-Firing Mandates
| Mill Type | 2024–25 | 2025–26 |
| Bowl Mills | 5% Biomass Pellets | 7% Biomass Pellets |
| Ball & Race Mills | 5% Torrefied Pellets | 7% Torrefied Pellets |
| Ball & Tube Mills | 5% Torrefied Pellets with <22% Volatility | – |
Support That Makes It Work
To support implementation, the government has introduced several enabling measures, including financial incentives for pellet manufacturing units, Priority Sector Lending recognition from the Reserve Bank of India, and a dedicated biomass procurement category on the Government e-Marketplace. The SAMARTH platform also provides vendor information and supports awareness-building across the sector.
As of June 30, 2025, 71 thermal power plants had started biomass co-firing. Cumulative biomass co-fired stood at 28.15 lakh metric tonnes, contributing to 3,549 million units of power generation and an estimated 33.78 lakh metric tonnes of CO₂ savings.
| Parameters | All India TPPs |
| No. of TPPs started Co-firing (Nos.) | 71 |
| Cumulative Biomass Co-fired (LMT) | 28.15 |
| Cumulative Power Generated (MU) | 3549 |
| Cumulative CO2 saved by Biomass Co-firing (LMT) | 33.78 |
By creating a productive use for agricultural residue, SAMARTH is helping reduce open-field burning, support rural employment and lower the carbon intensity of existing power infrastructure. The mission represents an important step in connecting India’s energy needs with more sustainable agricultural and environmental practices.