Aman Arora unveils Punjab State Policy for Biofuels, says 50% agri waste to be used to enhance soil content

As an agrarian state, Punjab has important imaginable for biofuels production, generating astir 20 cardinal tonne of paddy straw annually, of which astir 12 cardinal tonne are presently utilised successful assorted applications. To code the contented of stubble burning and guarantee the technological disposal of paddy straw, establishing CBG projects is an effectual solution. Punjab has allocated 58 CBG projects with a full accumulation capableness of astir 720 tonne CBG per time based connected paddy straw and different cultivation residues. Once operational, these projects volition utilise astir 24-25 lakh tonne of paddy straw each year, portion besides creating nonstop employment for astir 5,000 individuals and indirect employment for an further 7,500 people, helium added.

Urging the authorities farmers, manufacture and different stakeholders to collaborate with the authorities and clasp biofuel initiatives for a greener future, Arora said that the paddy-wheat rhythm has led to the over-exploitation of groundwater and degradation of ungraded wellness and biofuels nutrient less greenhouse gases compared to fossil fuels, making them a cleaner alternative. Additionally, they lend to a circular system by converting discarded into energy, reducing biology interaction and promoting sustainable cultivation practices. He besides encouraged inter-cropping and harvest rotation arsenic effectual strategies to support ungraded fertility and minimise the antagonistic impacts of monoculture practices. By diversifying harvest production, farmers tin heighten ungraded health, amended output resilience and beforehand sustainable farming methods that payment some the situation and cultivation productivity, helium added.

The Cabinet Minister added that 4 projects with a full capableness of 85 tonne per time (TPD) of CBG are presently operational. Additionally, 1 much CBG task with a capableness of 20 TPD is acceptable to beryllium commissioned successful 2024-25. Six further projects with a combined capableness of 59 TPD of CBG volition beryllium launched successful 2025-26.

During a sheet treatment connected the issue, Suresh Kumar, erstwhile main chief caput to erstwhile CM Amarinder Singh added that solution to the unsustainable agriculture was biofuels. He said, “At slightest 75 per cent of powerfulness assemblage is ember based but we are engaging successful unsustainable agriculture. We are really mining the onshore and don’t fto it breathe. Power utility’s 70 per cent income is spent connected powerfulness subsidy to the farms. This is unsustainable. This calls for optimal usage of biofuels.”

He added that farmers should beryllium fixed doable options. They volition leap connected immoderate caller thought if it is economical. He said authorities of expertise, bureaucracy and subject does not let the experts, bureaucrats and scientists to pass with each different portion formulating a argumentation truthful that it could beryllium cohesive. “What usage is subject oregon a argumentation if a husbandman cannot recognize it?” helium asked.

A Venu Prasad, erstwhile Additional Chief Secretary to CM Bhagwant Mann, said that it was unfortunate that contempt producing truthful overmuch of biomass, it was not being used. If enactment to use, it tin easiness unit connected the powerfulness utility. He said that Punjab would beryllium a powerfulness deficient authorities successful the coming years from a powerfulness surplus authorities and star energy, greenish powerfulness and biomass were the lone options the authorities had to fulfil its request for power. “I person ever been suggesting that a 1,000 MW biomass powerfulness availability tin bring the workplace powerfulness subsidy of Punjab down to lone Rs 5,000 crore from Rs 10,000 crore annually. The champion mode to usage biomass is to usage it in-situ, 2nd champion was to supply it arsenic nutrient to cattle. The past alternate was to make power,” helium said.

Retired IAS officer, Kahan Singh Pannu, said the worrying portion was that Punjab volition not person h2o up to 1000 feet by 2039. “We person to spot the sustainability. We person to spot agriculture successful totality. Fermented integrated worldly produced by CBG plants are not arsenic nutritious for crops arsenic farmland manure,” helium said. He for a mechanics successful consultation with PAU experts truthful that this could beryllium made nutritious. Otherwise, the fermented material, produced successful immense quantities would beryllium a bigger issue, helium said. JS Samra, an adept connected renewable vigor with Centre for Research successful Rural and Industrial Development (CRIID) said that determination was a argumentation paralysis arsenic determination was not a azygous portion successful Punjab making torrified pellets but nary telephone was being taken connected making it convenient for the units to commencement producing these pellets. He said that 2nd procreation Ethanol was the solution to burning of stubble but a 2G Ethanol portion needed an concern of Rs 1000 crore compared to 1G works that needed an concern of Rs 200 to 300 crore.

Vivek Verma, MD of Spray Engineering Devices Limited, said that determination was nary infrastructure disposable to acquisition star powerfulness from the farmers. Otherwise, farmers tin usage 30 per cent of their onshore for mounting up star plants.

Girish Ghildiyal of HMEL-Mittal Energy Limited listed the challenges earlier the 2G ethanol manufacture from straw.

“These are method issues that request to beryllium sorted. There should beryllium aviator projects and those should beryllium made to succeed. For instance, straw is lone generated erstwhile a year. Then its measurement is truthful overmuch that much resources are needed to store it than to nutrient biofuel.”