HPCL takes initiatives to promote SATAT, CBG

NEW DELHI: Govt. of India has published National Policy on Bio Fuels - 2018 with effect from 16th May 2018. The Policy aims to increase usage of biofuels in the energy and transportation sectors of the country during the coming decade.

The Policy aims to derive following benefits:

Reduction in Crude and LNG imports thereby huge savings in forex resulting in import reduction in energy by 10% by 2021-22.

Utilization, development and promotion of domestic feedstock and its utilization for production of biofuels thereby increasingly substitute fossil fuels while contributing to National Energy Security

Climate Change mitigation and control in pollution,

Creation of new employment opportunities in a sustainable way

Encouragement in the application of advance technologies for generation of biofuels

Bio-mass sources like agricultural residue, cattle dung, sugarcane press mud, municipal solid waste, sewage treatment plant waste, etc. can be utilized to produce bio-gas through the process of anaerobic decomposition. The bio-gas produced is purified to remove hydrogen sulphide (H2S), carbon dioxide (CO2), water vapour and thereafter compressed to form Compressed Bio Gas (CBG). This CBG has methane (CH4) content of more than 90% and has properties similar to CNG and can be utilized as automotive fuel. Thus, it can replace CNG in automotive, industrial and commercial areas. In view of abundance biomass availability in the country, there is a huge potential for production of Compressed Bio Gas and its usage.

HPCL along with Industry has undertaken various initiatives to promote Compressed Biogas (CBG) Projects. HPCL has actively promoted SATAT (Sustainable Alternative towards Affordable Transportation) initiative of Govt. of India, which envisages setting up of 5000 CBG Plants by 2023 with a targeted production capacity of 15 MMTPA.