Belagavi faces a severe LPG shortage due to global supply disruptions, forcing hotels to switch to eco-friendly biomass stoves. The crisis has hit businesses hard but boosted demand for sustainable fuel alternatives.
For the last month, the war in the Middle East has been causing major problems for hotel owners in the border district of Belagavi, and there's no end in sight. The city is facing a severe shortage of commercial LPG cylinders, which has directly hit the hotel industry. Many hotels, canteens, and restaurants are in deep trouble, with some even having to temporarily shut down. To get out of this mess, hotel owners are now turning to biomass stoves.
The city's 350-plus hotels need around 1,600 commercial cylinders every day. However, the current supply is only about 600 cylinders. This huge gap has made it a challenge to run kitchens and has delivered a big blow to the income of hotel owners. The Iran-Israel conflict has disrupted the global fuel supply chain, and its effects are being felt in India's LPG supply. Because we depend on imports for fuel, cities like Belagavi are also facing this crisis. Some hotels have even started using traditional firewood stoves.
A Shift Towards Biomass Stoves
In this difficult situation, hotel owners are switching to biomass stoves as an alternative. Earlier, only about 30 hotels in the city used this technology. Now, that number has jumped to over 180. The main reasons for this shift are lower costs and the easy availability of local fuel.
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These biomass stoves were developed in a collaboration between TERI and the Indian Institute of Science. Belagavi-based entrepreneur Sameer Surendra Kanabargi has been manufacturing and supplying these stoves for the last 25 years through his firm, Phoenix Product.
What's Special About Biomass Stoves?
These stoves run on biofuels like agricultural waste, coconut shells, and wood. They are about 75% more efficient than regular wood stoves. Compared to gas, they are 70-80% cheaper. They can also be used to generate steam for making idlis or boiling milk and water, making them a great eco-friendly alternative.
The demand that these stoves received over the last decade has been surpassed in just a few days. Along with hotels, small and medium industries are also starting to use biomass gasifiers. This technology is already in use in about 200 industries across the country, and many more are showing interest in adopting it.
Biomass stoves are not just an alternative; they have multiple uses. They can be used for cooking, generating steam, and heating water all at the same time, which makes fuel use very efficient. "Due to the cylinder shortage, we have started using a biomass stove in our hotel," says Ajay Pai, President of the Belagavi Hotel Owners' Association.
