India’s biggest biomass gasifier power plant, the first of its kind in the North-Eastern region, was commissioned at Chawmanu in Tripura’s Dhalai district. It has a generation capacity of one megawatt (4 x 250 kw). The plant has been set up by the Tripura Renewable Energy Development Agency (TREDA) at a cost of Rs 2.51 crores, out of which Rs 2.27 crores was sanctioned by the Union Ministry of Non-Conventional Energy Sources. Tripura Chief Minister, Manik Sarkar dedicated the power plant to the people at a colourful function at Kshetricherra, a remote tribal village of Dhalai district. Tripura Science and Technology Minister Jitendra Chowdhury and senior State and Central Government officials were present at the function.

The Forest Department will supply five metric tons of woody biomass daily to the power plant, which runs on dual fuel mode. To meet this demand, the forest department is raising a captive energy plantation. The power from here will electrify the homes of 20,000 people, mostly tribals living in about ten remote villages.

A 16-member cooperative society has been formed for the management of the power plant, and the State Government has exempted royalty on supply of woody biomass for a period of five years.