In a bid to push clean energy, the Centre has asked the states/UTs to set up one lakh biogas plants of one to six cubic meter capacity this fiscal, which will save 21.90 lakh LPG cylinders every year.
“With an objective to provide clean gaseous fuel for cooking and organic bio-manure as a by-product, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy has allocated to the states/UTs an annual target of setting up one lakh family size biogas plants (1 m3 to 6 m3 capacity) for the current year, 2016-17,” the ministry said in a press release.
This will result in a saving of about 21,90,000 LPG cooking cylinders annually, besides providing bio-manure to reduce the use of chemical fertilisers. There would be a saving of about 10,000 tonnes of urea, the release said.
Moreover, the initiative would reduce emissions of CO2 and Methane by 4,50,000 tonnes and 2,50,000 tonnes respectively, mitigating the menace of climate change.
The family-size biogas plants will be set up under the ministry’s National Biogas and Manure Management Progamme (NBMMP).
The objective of the scheme is to provide clean fuel for cooking and organic bio-manure as a by-product in the form of leftover slurry, which is rich in nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium.
NBMMP also helps in mitigating drudgery of women in rural and semi-urban areas by saving their time in collection of firewood, making cattle dung cakes and cooking.
A biogas plant will also improve sanitary condition in villages by linking toilets with cattle dung-based biogas plants.
