Asia’s largest Compressed Bio Gas (CBG) plant at Sangrur (Punjab) will reduce stubble burning of 40,000 – 45,000 acres, translating reduction of 150,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions annually, Oil Minister H S Puri said.

The plant, inaugurated by Puri in the presence of Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, will provide direct employment to 390 and indirectly to 585.

Puri, in his address, emphasised it as a step forward in achieving the objectives of the Sustainable Alternative Towards Affordable Transportation (SATAT) scheme, launched by the Centre in October 2018, to establish an ecosystem for the production of CBG from various waste/biomass sources in the country. 

The scheme aims to empower and unleash the rural economy by supporting farmers, increasing India’s domestic energy production and self-sufficiency and reducing air pollution leading to a clean energy transition. Additionally, 38 CBG/Biogas plants have been commissioned under the SATAT initiative.

The CBG plant at Sangrur, spread across 20 acres produces six tonnes per day (TPD) CBG, processing 300 tonnes per day of paddy straw to produce 33 TPD of CBG using eight digesters of 10,000 cubic meters.

Talking about the benefits of the Sangrur CBG plant for the rural economy, Puri observed that this plant would consume 100,000 tonnes of paddy straw, procured from 6-8 satellite locations within a 10 km radius of the plant. There shall be daily production of about 600-650 tonnes of FOM (Fermented Organic Manure), which can be used for organic farming.

The plant will reduce stubble burning of 40,000-45,000 acres of fields, translating into an annual reduction of 150,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions, ensuring that the citizens of Sangrur breathe in cleaner air and contribute towards India’s COP26 Climate Change targets.

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