Ministry of Power has decided to benchmark the prices of biomass pellets used for co-firing in Thermal Power Plants. The decision comes in view of evolving market conditions for biomass pellets and requests received from stakeholders including thermal power plants, pellet manufacturers, farmers, and bankers.<br />'' <br />''The Ministry said, the benchmarked price shall take into account the business viability, impact on electricity tariff, and efficient and faster pellet procurement by power utilities. <br />''<br />''This will enable the Thermal Power Plants as well as Pellet Vendors to establish a sustainable supply mechanism for co-firing pellets. The benchmarked price, as finalized by the committee under Central Electricity Authority, will be effective from 1st January next year. In line with the Biomass policy, which mandates co-firing of Biomass with coal in Thermal Power Plants, around one lakh 80 thousand tons of biomass fuel has been co-fired so far in 47 thermal power plants in the country.<br />''<br />''<span style="color: #222222;">Union Power Minister R K Singh said that co-firing biomass in coal-based power plants is a key policy of the government towards energy security. He said, this will reduce the use of fossil fuels and also increase the income of farmers.</span><br />