Uttar Pradesh’s first bio-CNG plant will be inaugurated at Naini in Prayagraj on Tuesday by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
To become operational before the Mahakumbh, the plant will have the capacity to turn 200 tonnes of wet garbage to 21,500 kilograms of bio-CNG and 209 tonnes of organic manure. In the first phase, the plant will use 343 tonnes of waste. The remainder of the 143 tonnes will come from paddy straw and cow dung.
The plant is part of the Prayagraj Renewable Natural Gas project and is estimated to earn a revenue of Rs 53 lakh annually. This is part of the government’s waste-to-wealth initiative. To be operated on a PPP model, the project has come up on 12.49 acres of land in the Arail area. The private partner is Enviro Resource Management Private Limited with which a contract for 25 years has been signed.
The plant has been built at a cost of Rs 125 crore.
A plant to make bottles with 5,10 and 15 kilograms capacity in which CNG can be sold is also to be set up. These bottles will be available at petrol pumps around the city. In addition, it will be given to industrial customers. The project will create employment for 200 people.
Prayagraj generates about 600 tonnes of garbage every day. The state has an aim of setting up 100 biogas plants as part of its bioenergy policy of 2022. Among the encouragements that the policy offers are 100% exemption on stamp duty for the purchase of land and 100% reimbursement of state GST for 10 years.
A report by the Centre for Science and Environment has said that UP has the highest potential for biomethane generation due to abundant organic feedstock availability. The state can produce almost one-fourth of the total biogas in the country. It has the capability to install 1,000 compressed biogas projects by harnessing just 20% of its surplus organic feedstock.
