Assam Chief Minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma, unveiled Northeast India’s first compressed biogas plant in Jalukbari, Guwahati on Monday. The plant is capable of producing 4,000 kilogrammes of compressed biogas (CBG) daily, which can be used as a green fuel for vehicles.
The plant is set up by NRL (Numaligarh Refinery Limited) in collaboration with IIT Guwahati and is the first of its kind in Northeast India. The compressed biogas produced here will be marketed under the brand name ‘Neroclean’ by NRL.
In his address, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said, “I congratulate NRL and IIT Guwahati for establishing the Northeast’s first compressed biogas plant. This will not only create employment opportunities but also contribute towards a greener and cleaner environment. Assam has the potential to emerge as a hub for biofuel production.”
The compressed biogas produced by the plant is a green fuel that has multiple applications, such as in the transportation sector as a substitute for CNG, LPG and diesel. It can also be used as a feedstock for producing bio-CNG, bio-LPG, bio-hydrogen and other biofuels.
The plant is expected to generate direct employment for over 1,000 people and indirect employment for about 5,000 people, including waste collectors and transporters. It will also generate an annual revenue of around Rs 20 crore for NRL.
The plant uses a variety of feedstock, including cow dung, poultry litter, municipal solid waste, and press mud, to produce compressed biogas. The plant has a capacity to process 100 tonnes of organic waste daily.
The compressed biogas plant is a major step towards achieving the government’s target of 15% blending of biofuels, including compressed biogas, in the transportation sector by 2030. The government has also set a target of producing 5 million tonnes of compressed biogas by 2023.
With the Northeast being a major contributor to India’s agriculture and livestock industry, the establishment of the compressed biogas plant in the region is expected to boost the rural economy by providing an additional source of income for farmers and cattle-rearers.