Aiming to give a boost to renewable energy, government today said it is planning to launch a national mission on biomass on the lines of the programme to promote solar energy in the country.

"We are working on national mission on biomass which will be put up before the Cabinet for final approval," New and Renewable Energy Minister Farooq Abdulah said here.

The Minister was talking to reporters on the sidelines of a CII conference on biomass.

The minister said the project will be on the lines of Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM) under which government is planning to produce more than 20,000 MW of power from solar energy resources by the year 2020.

Referring to the proposed national mission for biomass, Abdullah said it will be carried out in two phases.

"First phase will be in 12th Plan and the second phase will be in 13th Plan," he said.

Asked about the monetary allocation for the biomass mission, he said the details would be known only after the Cabinet gives its approval for it.

Abdullah told the conference that the country was working to reap the advantages of the biomass products such as ethanol, which will help in saving the expenditure on petroleum products.

He said by adding five per cent ethanol in petroleum projects, the country can save over Rs 4,000 crore annually but it was earlier providing to be difficult as "certain lobbies" were working against this project.

"But government finally put its foot down" by stating strong action will be taken against those who work against this programme, Abdullah said.

He said gradually government will move towards adding 10 per cent ethanol in petroleum products.