IBA wants govt to ensure manure (FOM) off-take

The Indian Biogas Association (IBA) has recommended that the government enlist state-owned fertilizer marketing firms should manage the distribution of fermented organic manure (FOM) which will directly help in the growth of the biogas sector in India. IBA Chairman Gaurav Kedia says India presently produces about 1 million metric tonnes of FOM per annum (MMTA). With the coming up of new biogas projects, the potential of FOM will increase to 7 MMTA and this can could meet the fertilizer needs of a state like Rajasthan.

Gaurav Kedia mentioned that there are around 97 functional compressed biogas (CBG) plants in the country, producing an average of 7.5 tonnes per day (TPD) of CBG and 30 TPD of FOM per plant. The FOM production could reach 7 million tonnes per annum with existing and upcoming plants.

Currently, 570 CBG plants are in operation, with 165 plants under construction expected to be completed within the financial year, and 405 plants yet to begin construction. To support biogas producers and promote organic farming, Kedia suggested that the government involve Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) in the fertilizer marketing sector to handle the off-take and distribution of FOM.

The IBA Chairman held that the Department of Fertilizers should ensure companies like IFFCO, KRIBHCO, and NFL to provide support for the co-marketing of FOM alongside chemical fertilizers through their dealer networks and marketing channels. The ministry should also require these companies to issue expressions of interest (EOI) for the registration of FOM producers and the off-take from both centralized and decentralized biogas/bio-CNG plants, as per the Fertilizer Control Order (FCO) for solid and liquid FOM.

To facilitate this, Kedia suggested linking these companies to the application process for FOM producers within specific geographical areas. Given that FOM contains 2% NPK (Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium) and 70 percent moisture, the current production can supply about 6,000 tonnes of NPK supplements. The FOM is typically used in a 1:4 ratio with other fertilizers, and a sudden shift could lead to drastic results.

Kedia noted that the government is optimistic about achieving its green energy production targets before 2030, and biogas represents a significant underutilized opportunity. The by-product of biogas, FOM, provides an additional revenue stream for producers, encouraging them further.