The initiative will involve signing 50-year agreements with farm producer companies to ensure a steady supply of biomass, benefiting bamboo farmers in Solapur, Latur, and Dharashiv districts, said officials.
Gurdeep Singh, NTPC chairman, said, “The Solapur plant consumes 4 million tons of coal annually. Initially, by mixing 10% bamboo biomass, we will require approximately 400,000 tons of biomass each year. As bamboo availability grows, this mix can increase to 20–30% or higher.”
Singh assured that NTPC is ready to immediately purchase bamboo biomass and sign long-term agreements, offering a reliable market for farmers.
The initiative was formalised during a meeting in December chaired by NTPC, which included key stakeholders such as Maharashtra Institution for Transformation (MITRA) CEO Praveen Singh Pardeshi, Pasha Patel, executive chairman of the Chief Minister’s Environment and Sustainable Development Task Force, NTPC Solapur project head Tapan Kumar Bandopadhyay, and Solapur Zilla Parishad CEO Kuldeep Jangam.
The meeting was convened following a letter from Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on December 26, urging NTPC to explore policies to support farmers in these districts.
Patel emphasised the potential of bamboo cultivation near canals, roadsides, and fields, stating that the Solapur NTPC plant could eventually transition entirely to bamboo biomass. He urged farmers to take advantage of government subsidies such as the ?7.04 lakh per hectare under MGNREGA and other financial support from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) for bamboo cultivation.
Representatives from farm producer companies welcomed the development. “Farmers hesitated to cultivate bamboo due to uncertainties around sales. NTPC’s 50-year purchase agreement has resolved this issue,” they said.
