Praj Industries Wins Major Order for CBG Plant From HPCL

Pune based Praj Industries has won what it described as a ‘breakthrough’ order from Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) for setting up a Compressed Biogas (CBG) project at Badaun in Uttar Pradesh. Praj is offering its State of the art, worlds’ first of its kind RenGas^TM technology developed using proprietary microbe to produce CBG from rice straw.

The  project has a planned capacity to process 35000 MT of rice straw as feedstock to generate 5250 MT of CBG annually. In addition, the project will also generate 23,000 MT high quality solid bio- manure and 350,000 MT of liquid bio-manure for ferti-irrigation. This project has a potential to save up to 15000 MT of CO2 emissions per year. The project will be completed and commissioned within 12 months timeframe. The announcement comes just months after Praj announced its first demo plant.

The Best-in-Class RenGas^TM technology, to process agri-residues for the production of CBG is developed at Praj-Matrix, Department of Scientific and Industrial research (DSIR) certified the R&D centre. Praj has incorporated unique dual plug flow digestor design, in collaboration with DVO Inc of USA. This patented design technology has several advantages including higher efficiency, lower energy consumption and near zero maintenance. RenGas^TM technology yields are considerably higher compared to conventional biogas processes.

This project will contribute to the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG), GOI’s Sustainable Alternative towards Affordable Transportation (SATAT) initiative with an objective to promote CBG as an alternative, green transport fuel. The project will generate significant employment opportunities in surrounding farming and rural community. Agricultural waste in the form of rice straw procured as feedstock for the CBG project will provide additional income revenue stream to farmers, facilitating GOI’s flagship program of Doubling Farmers Income. The massive CBG push has been moving slowly, but Praj will hope it picks up pace now.

Speaking on this development, Mr. Shishir Joshipura CEO & MD of Praj said, “We are delighted to partner HPCL for the CBG project at Badaun UP which will deploy RenGas^TM technology an integral  part of our Bio-Mobility^TM platform. This project is a definitive solution to meet the challenge of air pollution related to stubble burning while simultaneously enable sustainable decarbonisation.This project will facilitate India’s pursuit of energy security, and also, a definitive step towards Atmanirbhar Bharat. We are already executing for HPCL advanced biofuels project at Bhatinda Panjab, based on our enfinity 2G technology that uses rice straw as feedstock to produce ethanol. We look forward to continue strengthening of our association with HPCL in future.”