Chandigarh, Aug 12 , 2022: Taking a firm step towards clean and green energy, a compressed biogas (CBG) plant was commissioned in Sangrur district of Punjab.

Disclosing this here on Friday, Punjab’s New and Renewable Energy Sources Minister Aman Arora said the plant with a total capacity of 33.23 tons CBG per day had been commissioned at the Bhuttal Kalan village.

The plant has now started commercial production of CBG, which is being supplied to an Indian Oil Corporation Ltd outlet.

In addition to this, PEDA has also allocated 42 additional CBG projects of total capacity 492.58 tons per day based on paddy straw and other agro-residue to develop a lasting and sustainable solution to prevent stubble burning problem while also strengthening the rural areas.

The minister said these projects are expected to fetch private investment of around Rs 1,200 crore, besides generating employment opportunities for 8,000 skilled and unskilled persons. With the projects, emission of greenhouse gases will also be reduced and the rural economy will get a boost by providing additional income to farmers from agro residue.

Chief Executive PEDA Sumeet Jarangal said that two more plants of total capacity 14.25 tons CBG per day are likely to be completed in 2022-23.

The remaining projects are expected to be commissioned within the next three years. All these projects will consume near 16.5 lakh tons paddy straw per annum to produce 492.58 tons CBG per day, he added.

Apart from this, fermented organic manure produced from these CBG plants as bi-product will be used for organic farming, which will further help local allied industries to flourish.

There is huge potential of CBG projects based on agro-waste in Punjab, said Arora, while adding that Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd is setting up a project of capacity 100 KL 2G ethanol per day based on paddy straw and other agro-residue in Bathinda district, which would be completed by February 2023.

This project will consume about 2 lakh tons of paddy straw per annum.