Renewable energy minister Farooq Abdullah urged private sector to generate electricity from agro-industrial waste to reduce dependence on fossil fuels and combat environment pollution.

“The industry needs to add to huge power generation capacities as the country is aiming at sustaining high growth and emerging as an economic superpower on the global horizon,” he said at a conference organised by The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM).

“There is potential to recover 1,300 megawatt of power from industrial wastes which is projected to increase to 2,000 megawatt by 2017. Projects of over 135 megawatt have been installed so far in distilleries, pulp and paper mills, food processing and starch industries,” Abdullah said.

“The focus of modern biomass programme is on co-generation, especially in the sugar industry. A co-generation potential of 17,000 megawatt is identified with 6,000 megawatt from sugar industry,” he added.

The minister urged Indian industry to invest in green buildings which consume less energy. “The future is green and there is tremendous opportunity for generating power from agro-industrial waste. Global warming, rising population and coal shortages are contributing to shift attention to biomass as a clean source of fuel.”

Mr Abdullah said the ministry of new and renewable energy will collaborate with ASSOCHAM to develop Chandigarh and Ahmedabad as model cities where these new technologies can be used extensively.

Waste to energy projects will help reduce the gap between demand and supply of power and limit reliance of industrial units on grid-based electricity or fossil fuel-powered generators.