INDIA’S FIRST: Amit Shah to inaugurate cooperative CBG project in Maharashtra

Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah will inaugurate India’s first cooperative CBG plant on 5 October 2025, at Kopargaon in Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra. The landmark CBG project has been developed by Sahakar Maharshi Shankarrao Kolhe Sahakari Sakhar Karkhana.

The inauguration marks a significant step in the nation’s green energy and cooperative movement. The event is scheduled at Sanjivani University Ground that will also feature the launch of a Spray Dryer and Potash Granule manufacturing unit, followed by a Farmers-Cooperative Meet.

The ceremony will be attended by Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Union Minister of State for Cooperation Murlidhar Mohol, Legislative Council Chairman Ram Shinde, BJP state president Chandrashekhar Bawankule, Revenue Minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil and many other senior leaders, underlining the importance accorded to bio-energy and cooperative-led industries.

Chairman Vivek Bipindada Kolhe, also a Board member of IFFCO, highlighted that the CBG plant positions the cooperative as a pioneer in sustainability and circular economy practices. By converting sugarcane press mud, crop stubble and organic residues into biogas, the facility will reduce fossil fuel dependence, cut emissions and generate new income streams for farmers.

Aligned with the Union government’s National Bioenergy Programme and GOBARdhan mission, the project reflects how agri-waste can be harnessed for clean fuel and rural innovation. The Spray Dryer and Potash Granule unit will further utilize by-products, enabling waste reduction and offering value-added inputs back to farmers.

Founded in 1960 by Shankarraoji Kolhe, the sugar cooperative has evolved into a diversified rural enterprise with ventures in ethanol, power co-generation, pharmaceuticals, compost and potash recovery. Experts believe that the new CBG project could become a model for sugar cooperatives nationwide, combining energy transition with farmer-led industrial growth.

Last year in November, Amit Shah also inaugurated Gujarat’s largest waste-to-energy plant in Piplaj, Ahmedabad, by the city corporation in partnership with Jindal Urban Waste Management Ltd to process 1,000 metric tons of waste daily.