According to state government officials, there is an immense potential
for producing biofuel such as CBG from urban solid waste under the Sustainable
Alternative towards Affordable Transportation scheme in Chhattisgarh. To explore the possibility, a tripartite
agreement was signed by the CBDA, GAIL, and BPCL for setting up CBG plants in
municipal corporations of Ambikapur, Raigarh, Korba, Bilaspur, Rajnandgaon, and
Dhamtari.
While GAIL will set up plants in Ambikapur, Raigarh and Korba,
BPCL will execute the agreement in Bilaspur, Dhamtari, and Rajnandgaon. Through the deal, about 350 metric tonnes
(Mt) of solid waste per day and nearly 500 Mt of surplus biomass from the six
municipal corporations will be used for biofuel production in the plants. These
plants will produce about 70 Mt of CBG per day, the officials said.
GAIL and BPCL will invest about Rs 600 crore. Similarly, the state will receive a goods and
services tax of about Rs 6 crore per year from the production and sale from the
plants, the officials added.
The project will promote organic farming from the co-product generated
from the plants. Effective disposal
of waste will reduce greenhouse gas emission and the state will move towards
achieving net zero emission.