Punjab’s first stubble-based bio-CNG plant is collecting paddy straw from agricultural sites in preparation for commissioning in January.
Officials at the plant in Sangrur have already collected around 10,000 tonnes of paddy straw for their operations, the reported. The plant will produce more than 33 tonnes of CBG or bio-CNG per day and is capable of collecting and utilising over 100,000 tonnes of paddy residue annually.
Following the delay to this year’s harvest, due to ‘untimely rains’, the plant operators had to collect paddy straw from an area more than 20 kilometres (km) from the facility, against its original 10-15 km plan.
“We have a target to collect 30,000 tonnes of paddy residue this year and we will achieve it easily as we have already collected 10,000-15,000 tonnes of paddy straw,” said Ashish Kumar, CEO at the CBG plant.
“We are collecting paddy stubble for the operations during the year whereas the wheat stubble may also be collected in April and May. The commissioning will be in January 2022.
“We would have collected from a 10-15 km radius of our plant, but due to delay in harvesting this time, we had to collect stubble from villages beyond 25 km.
“We have all the straw collecting machines owned by the company with an investment of Rs 12 crore (€1.3 million). Next year, more machines will be purchased. These machines are operated by the staff, around 60, hired by the company for stubble collection and round bales each weighing 450 kg are piled.”
