Bio-gas, Bio-CNG plants to setup in Punjab for tackling paddy straw burning

Chandigarh, January 17: Paddy straw burning has emerged as a major environmental concern in several states including New Delhi, Haryana, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh etc. Notably, as a part of the state’s concerted efforts to find sustainable solutions to paddy straw burning, the Punjab government signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOC) for setting up of biogas and bio-CNG plants.

 

The MoU with IOC was signed by Punjab Bureau of Industrial Promotion (PBIP) and Punjab Energy Development Agency (PEDA) for setting up of biogas and bio-CNG plants in the state. It will facilitate regulatory clearances and incentives by the state government and will be followed up with a separate technical cooperation MoU between the public sector undertaking and PEDA.

The plants, to be based on a new concept and technology, will be set up at a total investment of Rs 5000 crores, and will generate employment for around 4000 people. The project will be initiated with 42 plants becoming operational in 2018, probably before the paddy season. It will be scaled up to 400 plants over the next 3-4 years, making it one of the biggest such projects in the country.

It is estimated that 400 units will consume biomass of about 10 million tons per annum and will produce about 1400 million kg per annum CNG and 6000 million kg per annum manure. The IOC CGM Subodh Kumar underlined the viability of the project, which was expected to generate 18-20 percent people profits.

By converting biomass to compressed biogas and bio-CNG, the plants will take help curb the menace of stubble burning and create additional income to farmers. The project will also create rural employment & entrepreneurial opportunities, besides providing a green organic source of compost for soil enrichment.

Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh, on this occasion, suggested setting up of societies of unemployed youth and encourage them to set up the proposed units with the support of the state government, and the IOC taking up the end product sales. The IOC CGM agreed to explore the suggestion.