Question : Bio-Gas Production

(a) whether there is any untapped potential of 62 MMT of compressed bio gas production that can be generated from the vast amount of annual municipal solid waste, biomass residue that get accumulated at a nation-wide scale;
(b) if so, whether the Government has taken any new initiatives for tapping potential of compressed bio gas production through management of various biomass/waste sources to crude oil imports;
(c) if so, the details thereof;
(d) whether the Government has invited expression of interests from potential entrepreneurs to roll out 5000 CBG production plants across India;
(e) if so, the response of the entrepreneurs so far;
(f) the quantity of compressed bio gas produced from the municipal solid waste, biomass residue so far; and
(g) the extent to which it has reduced the crude oil imports?

MINISTER OF PETROLEUM & NATURAL GAS
(SHRI DHARMENDRA PRADHAN)
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(a) : Biomass and organic waste sources like paddy straw, farm stubble, agricultural residue, cattle dung, sugarcane press mud, distillery spent wash, municipal solid waste, sewage treatment plants waste, etc. offer huge potential for biogas production.
(b) to (g) : Government is promoting the use of Compressed Bio Gas (CBG) as an alternative green transport fuel for efficient management of biomass and organic waste. In this direction, Oil PSUs have launched ‘Sustainable Alternative Towards Affordable Transportation’ (SATAT) initiative on 1st October 2018. SATAT initiative has the potential of addressing environmental problems arising from landfill emissions, farm stubble burning, etc. and also bring down dependency on oil/gas import. Till June, 2019, Oil Marketing Companies and Gas Marketing Companies have awarded Letter of Intent (LoI) for 344 plants for production and supply of CBG.
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