Top

Punjab to get its first bio-ethanol plant at Bathinda

The Rs 500 crore plant offers a practical solution to the problem of stubble burning by converting crop residue into ethanol

Union Food Processing Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal recently laid the foundation stone of Punjab's first second-generation bio-ethanol plant at Talwandi Sabo in Bathinda district.

Punjab's Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal and Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas DharmendraPradhan were also present on the occasion.

Built on 49 acres of land, the Rs.500 crore plant offers a practical solution to the problem of stubble burning by converting crop residue into ethanol.

The state-of-the-art bio-ethanol plant offers a long-term solution to farmer's challenge of disposing off crop residue. Using an efficient technology, agriculture waste is converted into fuel grade ethanol, offering a permanent solution to the age-old practice of crop residue burning.

Talking about the long-term benefits of the plant, Harsimrat Kaur Badal said, "The ethanol plant besides addressing environment issues; would also provide an additional income source to farmers. Around 3 lakh farmers will be benefitted with extra income of more than Rs 19.20 crore per annum (at an average biomass rate of Rs 1500 per ton)."

Sharing details of the ethanol plant, Harsimrast Badal said, "It would use 400 tons of agriculture residue per day or 1.28 lakh ton of biomass as fuel and shall have a production capacity of around 100 KL per ethanol per day and around 3.20 crores liters of ethanol annually. This would be enough to meet 26 percent of the ethanol requirement of the state."

The project shall also yield 32000 MTPA of bio-fertilisers, which shall in turn be incorporated into soil for improving soil fertility raising overall farm productivity in the state.

Apart from this the plant will also yield Bio-CNG, which can be used as clean cooking fuel and fuel in vehicles. The plant will be yielding 115.20 lacs kg of Bio CNG per annum.

The Bathinda MP said, "Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) was bringing this capital intensive project to the State. The second-generation ethanol bio refinery shall operate on DBT-ICT, an indigenous technology funded by the Department of Biotechnology."

( Source : ANI )
Next Story