BPCL to Launch CBG Plants in Chhattisgarh

• 15 Mar 2024

Why in News?

Recently, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) has partnered with the Chhattisgarh Biofuel Development Authority and Municipal Corporations of Raipur and Bhilai to establish Compressed BioGas (CBG) plants in the state.

Key Points

• An investment of ₹100 crore each is earmarked for setting up state-of-the-art facilities in Raipur and Bhilai, aiming to convert municipal solid waste into biofuel.
  • The planned CBG plants, boasting a processing capacity of 100-150 tonnes per day, will utilize approximately 200-250 metric tonnes of municipal solid waste daily.
• This effort is not only aimed at fostering a circular economy but is also expected to generate about 60,000 man-days of employment annually, thereby contributing to the region's economic development.
  • A circular economy is an industrial system that is restorative or regenerative by intention and design.
• The initiative will produce organic fertilizer as a byproduct, supporting the state's push towards organic farming and agricultural sustainability.

Compressed BioGas (CBG)

• Waste/Biomass sources like agricultural residue, cattle dung, sugarcane press mud, municipal solid waste, sewage treatment plant waste, etc. produce Biogas through the process of anaerobic decomposition.
• The Bio-Gas is purified to remove hydrogen sulphide (H₂S), carbon dioxide (CO₂), water vapour and compressed as Compressed Bio-Gas (CBG), which has methane (CH₄) content of more than 90%.
• CBG has calorific value and other properties similar to CNG and hence can be utilized as green renewable automotive fuel.
• Thus it can replace CNG in automotive, industrial and commercial areas, given the abundance of biomass availability within the country.

Biofuels

• Any hydrocarbon fuel that is produced from an organic matter (living or once living material) in a short period of time (days, weeks, or even months) is considered a biofuel.
• Biofuels may be solid, liquid or gaseous in nature.
  • Solid: Wood, dried plant material, and manure
  • Liquid: Bioethanol and Biodiesel
  • Gaseous: Biogas
• These can be used to replace or can be used in addition to diesel, petrol or other fossil fuels for transport, stationary, portable and other applications. Also, they can be used to generate heat and electricity.
• Some of the main reasons for shifting to biofuels are the rising prices of oil, emission of greenhouse gases from fossil fuels and the interest in obtaining fuel from agricultural crops for the benefit of farmers.