Existing government initiatives must be integrated to boost biogas sector: IBA

Time of India

08-05-2025

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The Indian Biogas Association IBA ) on Thursday proposed integrating government initiatives like Sustainable Alternative Towards Affordable Transportation (SATAT), GOBARDhan, and CBG (compressed biogas) blending into a unified national mission to boost the biogas sector. This suggestion was made in a white paper launched by Union Minister Nitin Gadkari , which also recommended centralised tracking, standardised benchmarking, and integrated funding to scale up biogas deployment in India.Key recommendations included mandating phased CBG blending across sectors, creating a green certificate ecosystem and accelerating decentralised biogas infrastructure development. Additional proposals included incentivising waste segregation and feedstock supply chains, improving rural energy access with clean cooking fuel, bridging the skill gap through workforce programs and empowering women through biogas micro-enterprises.Additionally, it called for promoting biogas as a primary cooking fuel in rural India by introducing targeted subsidies, encouraging the use of LPG-biogas hybrid stoves, and aligning efforts with the Ujjwala Yojana and City Gas Distribution (CGD) networks.'Approximately 62 million tonnes of municipal solid waste lacks proper scientific treatment and goes underutilized annually, while over 80% of rural households still depend on biomass fuels. Meanwhile, India imports over 85% of its crude oil, exposing the economy to global price volatility and straining foreign reserves. Unifying all three missions under one, will bring in synergies and better management and utilization of existing resources," IBA Chairman Gaurav Kedia said in the statement.Gadkari emphasised that Indian agriculture needs to become economically viable to make the country self-reliant (Atmanirbhar).The Union Minister highlighted examples of ethanol production from crops like corn, bamboo, and broken rice, which have increased farmers' incomes. For instance, corn prices rose from Rs 1,200 to Rs 2,600 per quintal after its use in ethanol production began, demonstrating the potential for economic growth through viable agriculture.Gadkari noted that developing a strong biofuel market will help reduce India's demand for fossil fuels. "If we want to reduce pollution, then green fuel is very important for sustainable development," he said.India imports over 85% of its crude oil, making the economy vulnerable to global price fluctuations and putting pressure on foreign exchange reserves.Notably, India's fossil fuel import bill declined 16% to $132.4 billion in the 2023-24 fiscal year compared to the previous year, even with a slight increase in crude oil imports. The fossil fuels still account for a significant portion of India's energy consumption. In fact, fossil fuel consumption in India rose 8% in 2023, making up 89% of the country's overall energy consumption.