Jalore (Rajsthan): In a transcending move towards green energy and commitment towards environmental stewardship, Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) laid the foundation stone of its first cowdung to compressed biogas (CBG) project at Sanchore of Rajasthan.
This will also be the HPCL’s first project under waste to energy portfolio. The plant is proposed to utilize 100 tons per day of dung to produce biogas, which can be utilized as automotive fuel. The project is proposed to be commissioned in a year’s time.
The project’s ground breaking ceremony took place at Shree Godham Mahatirth Pathmeda Lok Punyarth Nyas of Pathmeda village under Sanchore tehsil of Jalore district in Rajasthan. Executive director, bio-fuel & renewables, Shuvendu Gupta and senior officials from HPCL attended the ceremony.
The project is being developed under GOBAR-Dhan scheme launched by Government of India in Apr’18 as a part of the biodegradable waste management component under Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen) to positively impact cleanliness and generate wealth and energy from cattle and organic waste.
How is compressed biogas produced?
Waste/biomass sources like agricultural residue, cattle dung, sugarcane press mud, municipal solid waste, sewage treatment plant waste, etc. produce biogas through the process of anaerobic decomposition. The biogas is purified to remove hydrogen sulphide (H2S), carbon dioxide (CO2), water vapour and compressed as CBG, which has methane (CH4) content of more than 90%.
Also Read: After ethanol, Bihar eyes compressed bio gas to power state’s growth
CBG has calorific value and other properties similar to CNG and hence can be utilized as green renewable automotive fuel. Thus it can replace CNG in automotive, industrial and commercial areas, given the abundance of biomass availability within the country.