Biggest bio-energy plant set to begin operations in India

With the policy for ex-situ management of crop stubble in place this year, the biggest bio-energy plant in India is all set to be inaugurated in Lehragaga.

Coming up with an investment of Rs 220 crore, the plant is being set up by Germany-based Verbio AG’s Indian subsidiary. It will be using crop residue (straw) to produce biogas and manure, with an aim to reduce 1.5 lakh tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions each year. This is the first major project to give a fillip to the ex-situ management of stubble in Punjab, and prevent farmers from burning the stubble to prepare them for the next wheat season.

A policy for ex-situ management was recently prepared by the state government and given a go ahead by the Commission for Air Quality Control last month. The state government has also formed a task force for its smooth implementation. The idea is to utilise 2.10 million tonnes of the total 18.32 million tonnes expected paddy straw production this year through ex-situ and raise it to 4.88 million tonnes by 2023-24.

Three years ago, the state government, in an affidavit to the Centre, had said the only option they had for stubble management, was in-situ management. This was done in order to get the Central assistance for the crop residue management by giving hundreds of stubble management machines to farmers on subsidy. However, for better management of stubble, the AAP government decided to also go in for ex-situ management.

As many as 41 CBG plants are already in different stages of being set up in the state. Among them, five are in Ludhiana and four each are coming up in Jalandhar, Bathinda and Gurdasapur. Three projects each are also coming up in Moga and Hoshiarpur. Officials say that they have already tied up with City Gas Distribution Company (through GAIL) for off-take of CBG through their CNG pipeline.