Asia's largest CBG plant now operational in Punjab, informs Aman Arora
Chandigarh, August 12: Taking a major step toward clean and green energy, Asia's largest Compressed Biogas (CBG) plant has been commissioned in Sangrur district of Punjab, the officials informed on Friday.
Giving details, Punjab's New & Renewable Energy Sources Minister Aman Arora said that the plant with a total capacity of 33.23-ton CBG per day had been commissioned at village Bhuttal Kalan, Sangrur in April 2022.
The plant has also started commercial production of CBG, which is being supplied to the Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOCL) outlet, he added.
Additionally, PEDA has allocated 42 additional CBG projects, totalling 492.58 tonnes per day (TPD), based on paddy straw and other agricultural waste, in an effort to find a long-term and sustainable solution to the problem of stubble burning while also boosting the rural economy.
The Punjab Minister added that these projects are anticipated to attract private investment totalling around Rs. 1200 crore and create jobs for 8000 skilled and unskilled workers. These initiatives will decrease greenhouse gas emissions while boosting the rural economy by giving farmers extra money from agricultural waste.
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The Chief Executive PEDA, Sumeet Jarangal added that two more plants with total capacity of 14.25 ton CBG per day are likely to be completed in 2022-23. Within the next three years, the remaining projects are anticipated to be commissioned. According to him, all of these will consume around 16.5 lac ton paddy straw per annum to produce 492.58 ton CBG per day.
Additionally, the use of the fermented organic manure produced as a byproduct from these CBG plants for organic farming will support the growth of nearby related industries.
According to Aman Arora, the state of Punjab has a significant amount of potential for CBG projects based on agro-waste. He also mentioned that Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd. (HPCL) is constructing a project in the Bathinda district with a capacity of 100 KL 2G ethanol per day based on paddy straw and other agro-residue that will be completed by February 2023. Around 2 lac tonnes of paddy straw will be used in this project each year.
He further added that the state can accommodate 300 more projects with a capacity of 10 TPD each for which the Punjab government, led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, is offering various incentives, such as the elimination of stamp duty and registration fees, CLU and EDC fees, and a one-stop clearances system through Invest Punjab under the State NRSE Policy-2012.
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-PTC News