Sugarfed proposes 2 plants to make bio-CNG

60 ACRE LAND ATTACHED WITH THE REDUNDANT SUGARMILL AT RAKHRA WOULD BE HANDED OVER TO THE IOCL, WHERE IT WOULD INSTALL BIOCNG PLANT USING PADDY STUBBLE AS FUEL

CHANDIGARH: The Punjab State Federation of Sugar Mills Limited (Sugarfed), a subsidiary of state cooperative department, has proposed two plants to produce bio-compressed natural gas (bio-CNG) at Rakhra near Patiala and at Batala, also run by the state federation. Bio-CNG is a form of compressed biogas with high methane content. It can be a good alternative for vehicle fuel.

“Bio-CNG is in high demand and is going to last long, as a future fuel,” said state cooperative department registrar, Vikas Garg who added that the state cabinet had given an in-principle approval to go ahead with the two projects and a committee comprising officials of the state cooperative department, Sugarfed, and Indian oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) had been formed.

For Batala plant, the cooperative department has invited tenders from private players to operate it. Sugarfed managing director (MD) Puneet Goyal said as per the proposal, 60 acre land attached with the redundant sugarmill at Rakhra would be handed over to the IOCL, where it would install bioCNG plant using paddy stubble as fuel.

“The plant would have a capacity of 200 tonne per day. The oil company will run the plant as part of its corporate social responsibility and would initially invest Rs 200 crore,” Goyal added. He added that there was abundant fuel available to run the plant. Other than bioCNG, fertilisers will be a by-product of the plant.

“The plant would be a good source of additional income for paddy growers in the area,” said an officer. The proposed bioCNG plant at Batala Sugarmill will run on press-mud as a fuel, for which Sugarfed has called tenders offering a minimum guarantee Rs 50 lakh. He added sugar mills in Batala and Gurdaspur would be a source of for pressmud for the plant.