WBA at India Energy Week 2025

India Energy Week (IEW) 2025 provided a vital platform for the World Biogas Association (WBA) to engage with key stakeholders, including government officials, industry leaders, and biogas plant operators, regarding the role of biogas in India’s energy transition and sustainable development. The WBA delegation, led by Charlotte Morton OBE (Chief Executive), included Dr Pradeep Monga (Policy Director and Senior Advisor), Mr Kuljit Popli (Country Director, India), Arti Gupta (Country Manager, India), and Flávio Ascenco (Senior Technical Lead).

With an ambitious push towards biofuels development (including a target to build 5,000 large-scale biomethane plants – also known as compressed biogas [CBG] plants – by 2030), India has been identified by WBA as a key market to roll out its groundbreaking #MakingBiogasHappen (MBH) programme.

IEW 2025 proved fertile ground for stakeholder engagement with the MBH programme and its implementation in India. The programme, supported by the Global Methane Hub, TotalEnergies and GHD, aims to significantly reduce the time typically required to develop the essential policies, regulations, and standards needed to support any industry. The rapid expansion of biogas production is crucial for meeting greenhouse gas emissions targets while providing energy and food security in India and globally.

The trip presented exciting opportunities for collaboration to support India’s ambition to become a biogas superpower.

Global Biofuels Alliance Meeting

A highlight was the Global Biofuels Alliance meeting, where Charlotte Morton OBE, WBA Chief Executive, joined a high-level panel discussion on “The Role of Non-Grain-Based Biofuels in India’s Energy Transition.” The session marked the launch of the Joint Statement on Sustainable Biofuels, affirming biofuels (including biogas) as a pillar of decarbonisation and a key driver of a clean, just, and inclusive energy transition. The statement also highlighted their role in climate action, energy security, and resilience in the global energy system.

Moderated by Dr Rahool S. Pai Panandiker, Managing Director and Partner at Boston Consulting Group (BCG), the panel also featured:

• Roberto Bocca, Head of the Centre for Energy and Materials and Member of Executive Committe, World Economic Forum
• Mary Burce Warlick, Deputy Executive Director, International Energy Agency (IEA)
• Pankaj Jain, Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Government of India

With India leading the way in biofuels ambition, the discussion reinforced the need to scale up biogas as a crucial component of India’s renewable energy mix.

Engaging Key Policymakers and Industry leaders

Charlotte Morton held a very positive meeting with Pankaj Jain, Secretary at the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Government of India. The discussion focused on WBA’s key involvement to support the biogas sector in forming a key part of the energy transition. WBA`s Global Biogas Regulatory Framework (part of the #MakingBiogasHappen programme) and how this can be tailored to India’s local circumstances for maximum impact in a national biogas roadmap. Charlotte emphasised the importance of clear policy support and incentives to unlock the full potential of biogas in India’s clean energy future.

WBA also connected with industry leaders from India bioenergy sector including Adani Total Gas, TruAlt Bioenergy, and CEID Consultants and Engineering Pvt Ltd to discuss biogas’s role in India’s evolving energy landscape and opportunities for investment and collaboration.

WBA Convenes Indian Biogas Industry Stakeholders at India Habitat Centre

On 13 February 2025, the WBA hosted a high-level stakeholder meeting at the India Habitat Centre in New Delhi. The event marked the launch of #MakingBiogasHappen INDIA, a landmark initiative designed to serve as a blueprint for the development of India’s biogas sector.

Key Participants and Discussions

The meeting brought together government officials, industry leaders, and key stakeholders, including:

Government Representatives:

• Mr Deepak Gupta, Former Secretary, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), Government of India
• Assistant Commissioner, Indore, Madhya Pradesh, along with a delegation from his office
• Mr Vivek Saxena, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) and Member Secretary, Haryana State Biodiversity Board

Institutions & Federations:

• GAIL, UNIDO, Invest India
• Indian Federation of Green Energy (IFGE), Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI)
• Organic Recycling Systems Limited (WBA member)

Industry Leaders:

• Indian Oil, Adani Ventures, Verbio, Geomiller, Futuria Fuels, SUEZ, Global Gases Dubai, CEID Consultants, REnergy Dynamics

Charlotte and Dr Monga introduced #MakingBiogasHappen phase two, presenting WBA’s Global Biogas Regulatory Framework (GBRF) and the Anaerobic Digestion Certification Scheme International (ADCS International). Representatives from Indore and Verbio shared case studies and success stories, while WBA Senior Technical Lead Flávio Ascenco provided insights from his visits to biogas plants across India. Mr Popli, Director of WBA India Office, emphasised that addressing feedstock management, plant certification, and financial viability is essential for the long-term success of India’s biogas sector.

Discussion: Challenges Facing Biogas Development in India

Feedstock Issues

• Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) and Organic Waste: Many plants struggle due to the lack of effective waste segregation at source, which reduces efficiency and biogas yields. Only a handful of plants have successfully operated with organic waste.
• Agricultural Waste (Paddy Straw, Agri Waste): Biogas plants using paddy straw and other agricultural residues are operating at only 50% of their designed capacity due to seasonal feedstock availability, poor storage practices, and limited plant adaptability for multiple feedstocks.
• Digestate Utilisation: Regulatory barriers prevent digestate from being effectively monetised as a soil conditioner or organic fertiliser, limiting its commercial viability.

Operational Challenges

• Incomplete Digestion: Some plants do not fully digest feedstock, leading to reduced efficiency due to improper enzyme usage and inadequate feedstock mixing.
• Offtake Uncertainty: Many plants lack a guaranteed market for their biogas. The absence of integration into city gas distribution networks leaves producers without a stable revenue stream.

Financial Viability

• Carbon Credit Barriers: Many plants are not standardised or certified, making it difficult for them to benefit from carbon credits – hindering their financial attractiveness and long-term viability.
• Lender Hesitancy: Financial institutions remain reluctant to invest in biogas due to uncertainties around feedstock availability, operational inefficiencies, and unclear offtake agreements. As a result, projects face high collateral demands and limited access to affordable finance.

Proposed Solutions and Next Steps

Standardisation and Certification

• Implementing uniform standards for biogas plants will enhance credibility and unlock access to carbon credits and investment opportunities.
• The ADCS International can play a pivotal role in improving operational performance and financial attractiveness.

Strengthening Global Support and Policy Reform

• Improved waste management policies, including mandatory source segregation, would significantly enhance biogas plant efficiency.
• Expanding government-backed funding mechanisms and ensuring reliable offtake agreements will make biogas a more attractive investment opportunity.

Commitment to Future Collaboration

The meeting concluded with a commitment to continued engagement, including:

• Regular stakeholder meetings to address sector challenges and monitor progress.
• Enhanced collaboration between government agencies, private sector players, and international organisations.
• Policy advocacy to accelerate the adoption of robust regulatory frameworks and ensure long-term sector viability.

Through #MakingBiogasHappen INDIA, WBA aims to position India as a global leader in biogas, supporting the country’s climate goals while strengthening energy security and sustainability.

Site Visits: Exploring India’s Biogas Potential

In the week leading up to IEW, Flávio Ascenco, WBA Senior Technical Lead, accompanied by colleagues, conducted a field tour across India to visit key biogas projects and assess industry challenges. His visits included:

• Hapur CBG Plant, Hapur – A 5.6 tonnes-per-day (TPD) multi-feedstock facility (site visit facilitated by CEID)
• Verbio India Biogas Plant, Lehragaga, Punjab – Potential to deliver 33 TPD utilising organic waste from the farming industry.
• Indian Potash Limited Biogas Plant, Muzaffarnagar – A 10 TPD facility using press mud (filter cake), a by-product of sugarcane juice filtration, as an anaerobic digestion (AD) feedstock.
• EverEnviro Resource Management Biogas Facility, Indore – A biomethane producer (known in India as compressed biogas [CBG]). The 17 TPD plant processes over 500 TPD of organic wastes.

WBA also met with Mr Shivam Verma, Commissioner of Municipal Corporation at Indore – whose clear commitment to establishing sustainable waste management and a circular economy through anaerobic digestion technologies aligns closely with WBA’s mission.

These visits highlighted India’s biogas progress and challenges, underscoring the need for investment, policy support, and collaboration. WBA’s hosts showed strong interest in the ADCS International to help India’s targeted 5,000 biogas plants (operational by 2030) meet global best practices in production and sustainability.

Looking Ahead

IEW 2025 reaffirmed biogas as a central pillar of India’s clean energy future. WBA’s engagements highlighted India’s commitment to biofuels while emphasising the need for policy clarity, investment incentives, and technology innovation to fully realise biogas’s potential.

Through #MakingBiogasHappen INDIA, WBA will continue collaborating with stakeholders to develop policy frameworks that drive investment and industry growth. Scaling up biogas production is essential for India’s energy transition and Net Zero ambitions.