CHANDIGARH:The Punjab Energy Development Agency in collaboration with Indian Council for Agriculture Research (ICAR), Bhopal has organized one-day Brain Storming Session-cum-Interaction Meet on Biomass Based Power Plants/Co-Generation Projects/Bio-CNG/Bio-Ethanol/Bio-Coal Projects.
During inaugural session focused on utilisation rice straw, causing lot of environmental pollution, which can be used in various technologies like Biomass Based Power Plants/Co-Generation Projects/Bio-CNG/Bio-Ethanol/Bio-Coal Projects etc. The session was participated by Additional Chief Secretary Power Ravneet Kaur, Joint Secretary, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, GoI Dinesh Dayanand Jagdale, Head, Agricultural Energy & Power Division (ICAR) Bhopal K.C. Pandey and Principal Secretary, New and Renewable Energy Sources Punjab Anirudh Tewari.
The ACS, Power and Principal Secretary, New and Renewable Energy Sources urged Mr. Jagdale to provide Viability Gap Funding (VGF) for lowering the cost of Biomass Power to Rs.5/kwh at which price the Utility is ready to purchase this power. Joint Secretary, MNRE during this session responded that MNRE was working on this and will shortly bring out some policy/support mechanism for promoting Biomass Power Projects.
During technical Session major companies M/s. Bioendev AB Sweden, M/s. VERBIO INDIA gave presentation about their ongoing projects being set up in the State of Punjab of conversion of rice straw into torrified bio-coal pallets and Bio-CNG respectively. Director M/s Sukhbir Agro Harbhajan Singh also shared their experiences of setting up two no. 18 MW 100% rice straw based Biomass power plants in the State by utilization boiler technologies from company in Denmark. Cdr. Gurkeerat Sekhon from Punjab Renewable Energy System gave presentation on their strategy and action plan for rice straw collection and supply chain mechanism including setting up of projects for conversion of rice straw into steam into industrial process using.
In the second Technical Session Presentation was made by Manas Puri, Food and Agriculture organization of the United Nations (FAO) regarding their study and experience with regard to the managing rice straw and utilization for conversion into valuable products. In his presentation the CEO M/s Cities Innovative Biofules Dr. Gurjot Singh briefed about their upcoming Bio-CNG project based on technology from a Company in Switzerland. Director, Sales and Marketing, CHN Industrial New Holland) Gurgaon shared his experiences on use of Biomass handling machines for straw collection. Dr. S.S. Sooch from Renewable Energy Engineering, PAU Ludhiana also spoke about his experience in promoting usage of rice straw for conversion into Biogas.
The Brain Storming session- cum-Interaction Meet was of immense importance and crystallized efforts of PEDA for usage of surplus paddy straw for conversion into various energy sources like electricity, Bio-CNG, Bio-Ethanol, Bio-Coal, etc. through innovative and new technologies in renewable energy space.