The commission for Air quality management has given a big relief to Delhi-NCR based Plywood and Decorative Panels Industries, after granting them permission to use ‘biomass Fuels’ in Boilers. The commission has issued a notification regarding use of biomass fuels for industrial application in NCR region. The notification dated 3 August 2022 state that the commission through various directions considering various relevant aspects related to emissions from industrial fuels, have already permitted biomass fuels for industrial applications in NCR (beyond the jurisdiction of GNCTD). This has been further supplemented through statutory direction No. 65 dated 23.06.2022 communicating a standard list of approved fuels for NCR.
Mr. Vikas Khanna, President, Delhi-NCR Plywood Manufacturers Association welcomed the stapes taken by the authority and said, “It will help the wood panel manufacturing industry located in Delhi NCR because every year the industry has to face a closer due to pollution issues. Now they will have a respite with this direction.”
The commission clarified that "Biomass Fuels" in the broader sense encompass all types of biomass that can be utilized for deriving suitable calorific value in industrial operations in boilers, furnaces etc. Such biomass fuels include agriculture crop residues straw, husk etc. and have been stipulated under a broader classification. In specific reference to plywood manufacturing units located in the NCR, beyond jurisdiction of NCT of Delhi, wood processing wastes such as wooden chips/ waste wood/ saw dust etc. generated during the manufacturing process may also accordingly be considered and permitted to be used under the broader category of "biomass fuels".