SBM-GOBARdhan Biogas Conference to be held tomorrow

Nov 30,2023

In order to accelerate Compressed Biogas (CBG) sector through cross-sectoral linkages and promote dialogue and knowledge exchange among all stakeholders, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) is organising a conference ‘SBM-GOBARdhan Biogas Conference: Accelerating Waste to Wealth & Circular Economy’ here on 1st December, 2023. The conference is in partnership with GIZ, Circular Waste Solutions and UNIDO.

Galvanizing Organic Bio-Agro Resources Dhan (GOBARdhan) is an umbrella initiative of Government of India, which aims to convert “waste to wealth” and build a robust ecosystem for setting up Biogas/Compressed Biogas (CBG)/Bio-Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) plants to drive sustainable economic growth and promote a circular economy. India aims for net-zero emissions by 2070 as per Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) in which waste to biogas is expected to play a crucial role.

As per Budget 2023, 500 new ‘waste to wealth’ plants under GOBARdhan scheme will be established for promoting circular economy. These will include 200 compressed biogas plants, including 75 plants in urban areas, and 300 community or cluster-based plants a total investment of Rs 10,000 crore. Indore, Pune, Ambala, Chennai, Varanasi, Surat, Tirupati, Visakhapatnam, Hyderabad all boast of operational CBG Plants, whereas Solapur, Goa, Nashik, Vijaywada, Hyderabad and Bhopal have Waste to Electricity plants.  On August 1, 2023, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated the 'Waste to Energy' plant in Moshi. This plant in Pimpri Chinchwad has a capacity to generate 14 MW electricity per day, utilizing 700 tons per day (TPD) of dry waste. The largest Bio-CNG plant in Asia, located in Indore, stands as a pioneering effort in converting wet waste into Bio-CNG. With a processing capacity of 550 metric TPD, the Bio-CNG plant has the capability to produce 17,000 kg of biogas and 100 tonnes of high-quality compost daily. The Bowenpally Vegetable Market in Hyderabad has gained prominence for its innovative project that generates bioelectricity, biofuel, and biomanure. Each day, the market collects nearly 10 tons of waste that would otherwise contribute to landfills.

The conference will be graced by Union Minister, Shri Hardeep Singh Puri, Principal Secretaries/Secretaries of State Urban Development/Public Health Engineering, Municipal Commissioners and field officials, related Central Government Ministries, officials from OGMCs, development partners, Biogas Associations, academic, research and financial institutions. Mr. Shombi Sharp, United Nations Resident Coordinator in India, Dr. Julie Reviere, Country Director, GIZ-India, Shri Pankaj Jain, Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Smt. Vini Mahajan, Secretary, Department of Drinking Water & Sanitation, Ministry of Jal Shakti and Shri Manoj Joshi, Secretary, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs will also be addressing the attendees.

The conference will showcase discussions on transformational policies for waste to compressed biogas (CBG) projects, the existing National policies and initiatives that promote biogas development in India such as SATAT, MDA etc, State specific policies and initiatives for CBG facilitation by senior officials and representatives from MoPNG, MNRE, Ministry of Finance, Senior Expert Consultants from Biogas, Germany, IFGE, CBG Producer Forum, GIZ, ADB, SIDBI and others.