Compressed Bio Gas (Cbg)

Compressed Bio Gas (CBG) or Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) is derived from agri-waste of other forms of organic waste. Simply stated, it can be visualised as a very high-tech version of gobar gas plant. Unlike the latter it’s a very sophisticated plant leading to availability of sulphur stripped Methane of automotive grade. With a few modifications all modes of transport (Petrol, diesel and CNG) can entirely switch-over to CBG. It is also a denser fuel with higher calorific value and no SOx, NOx or particulate emissions.

 

 

CBG plants can run either on feedstock of agri waste/crop residue or last stage sludge (press mud) in sugar plants. The former being more relevant in our context. This technology has been tried and tested successfully for over 60 agri-waste feed-stocks over the past 4 years. Use of CBG in rural ecosystem will be transformational. Elimination of automotive pollution caused by fossil fuel emissions, savings in imports (Atmanirbhar Bharat), and significant reduction in health costs due to better air quality.

 

Significant boost to environment-lower Carbon foot print by Carbon sequestration and substitution of fossil based fuels by renewal bio fuels like CBG/RNG. One kg of renewable fuel will prevent release of at least 2kg of Co2 as a broad thumb rule.

Significant carbon fixing that occurs when the biomass is building and is eligible for carbon credits. When fuel made through renewable route replaces a fossil fuel it reduces GHG and is entitled to carbon credits.

The third level of carbon credit generation occurs when the organic fertilizer (a significant byproduct) replaces chemical fertilizers, which have a significant carbon footprint during their production.

 

Products like CBG/RNG can revitalize rural economies by creating job opportunities in areas like biomass creation, agro forestry, aggregation, logistics and other support functions.

Significant carbon fixing that occurs when the biomass is building and is eligible for carbon credits. When fuel made through renewable route replaces a fossil fuel it reduces GHG and is entitled to carbon credits.

Participation in hub and spoke model in CBG offers vast job creation potential. This holds a realistic potential to reduce or even reverse rural migrations. With huge number of rural and urban youth finding it increasingly difficult to get jobs, this offers a very promising and sustainable option.

In addition, the serious environmental impact of burning Agri waste, using it instead to produce biofuels leads to cleaner air (better water and soil eventually), implying healthy villagers and livestock, leading to sharply reduced healthcare costs.

 

Significant energy security and savings in foreign exchange, apart from helping the environment, raise rural incomes, cleaner and healthier villages and boost to organic farm practices. At 20% blending with ethanol and substitution of CNG by CBG would help our country save Rs.22400 crs annually. Besides reducing import bills, the impact on the ecosystem if quantified in terms of savings on healthcare, etc. would be staggering.

Switching to this option would again eliminate the use of imported chemical fertilizer leading to a host of tangible/intangible but quantifiable benefits.

CBG when combined with initiatives of food forests/agroforestry, then could provide sustainable employment to 20 lakh people, the majority of these could opt to reverse migrate to rural India.

 

Significant boost to environment-lower Carbon foot print by Carbon sequestration and substitution of fossil based fuels by renewal bio fuels like CBG/RNG. One kg of renewable fuel will prevent release of at least 2kg of Co2 as a broad thumb rule.

Significant carbon fixing that occurs when the biomass is building and is eligible for carbon credits. When fuel made through renewable route replaces a fossil fuel it reduces GHG and is entitled to carbon credits.

The third level of carbon credit generation occurs when the organic fertilizer (a significant byproduct) replaces chemical fertilizers, which have a significant carbon footprint during their production.