New Delhi: As disruptions in global fuel supply chains strain LPG availability, biomass-based energy solutions such as biogas are gaining attention as a viable alternative for India, offering a way to reduce dependence on imports amid the ongoing crisis, The New Indian Express reported.
The shortage of cooking gas, triggered by tensions in the Gulf region, has forced many households to scale back LPG use, with some even returning to firewood for cooking. This shift has raised concerns over increasing pressure on forests and worsening air pollution.
India consumes around 3.1 crore tonnes of LPG annually, nearly three-fifths of which is imported. A significant share of these imports passes through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical route now affected by the conflict. As a result, India has begun sourcing more expensive supplies from countries such as the US, Argentina and Australia instead of relying solely on traditional suppliers in West Asia.
In comparison, biomass-based biogas offers a low-cost and sustainable solution. A long-standing example is a biogas system set up in 1987 at a plantation in Goa, where kitchen waste and cattle dung have been used for decades to generate fuel for cooking.
Currently, around 43.1 lakh households in India use biogas systems, producing about 207 crore cubic metres annually. Experts say the country has the potential to scale this up significantly to nearly 4,800 crore cubic metres.
Biogas is produced from biomass sources such as agricultural residue, cattle dung, sugarcane by-products, municipal waste and sewage. Through a natural process in oxygen-free digesters, these materials break down to release gas that can be used for cooking and energy needs. Compressed biogas (CBG), which has properties similar to compressed natural gas, can also be used in transport, industry and commercial sectors.
With India generating nearly 6.20 crore tonnes of biomass every year, the resource base for expanding biogas production remains strong.
The government had launched the Sustainable Alternative Towards Affordable Transportation (SATAT) scheme in 2018, aiming to produce 1.5 crore tonnes of CBG annually by setting up 5,000 plants. The current fuel situation has renewed focus on scaling up such initiatives and promoting more household-level biogas systems.
Experts say that increasing the use of biomass for energy could help India manage the ongoing crisis while strengthening long-term energy security.
