LUDHIANA, AUGUST 1: The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), New Delhi has approved the design of PAU Dry Fermentation (paddy straw based) Biogas Plants on July 31, 2023. Due to the approval of the design of this biogas plant, it will be considered for the benefit under the biogas programme of MNRE, which is a Nodal Agency of the Government of India for the implementation of renewable energy technologies at the national level.

The Department of Renewable Energy Engineering, Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), had developed a “Dry Fermentation (Paddy Straw based) Biogas Plant” about six years back for the anaerobic digestion of paddy straw for the biogas production. This technology is a brainchild of Dr Sarbjit Singh Sooch, Principal Scientist of Renewable Energy Engineering, who has developed it under All India Coordinated Research Project.

 Dr Satbir Singh Gosal, Vice-Chancellor; Dr AS Dhatt, Director of Research; Dr PK Chhuneja, Dean, Postgraduate Studies; Dr GS Buttar, Director of Extension Education; Dr HS Sidhu, Dean, College of Agricultural Engineering and Technology; Dr GS Manes Additional Director of Research (Farm Mechanization and Bioneregy) and Dr Rajan Aggarwal, Head, Department of Renewable Energy Engineering, congratulated Dr Sooch for MNRE approval of the design of this biogas plant.

Explaining the technology, Dr Sooch said: “This process of dry fermentation is a batch process; once the digester is loaded and activated, it would produce sufficient gas for a period of three months. With the installation of these biogas plants, a large quantity of paddy straw can be consumed for biogas production. The specialty of this biogas plant is that daily feeding of cattle dung is not required. So, the beneficiary having no cattle can install such biogas plant.”

Till date, 15 such biogas plants have been installed in different districts of Punjab and four plants have been installed in Haryana state, he informed. The technology of this biogas plant has been commercialized more than two years back and so far, 10 firms/companies/ individuals have signed Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) with PAU for the dissemination of this technology at the mass level at different locations, he said.