Uttar Pradesh mulls new 78-biogas projects across state

The state government of Uttar Pradesh is planning to develop a network of biogas plants across the state to convert agricultural residue, particularly paddy straw, into clean energy. The government wants to offer its farmers an alternative to stubble burning and an additional source of income.

Uttar Pradesh currently has 40 operational biogas plants, while another 78 plants are planned for installation in the near future. The initiative aims to develop a sustainable supply chain for collecting, transporting and processing crop residue, while generating compressed biogas (CBG), organic manure and rural employment opportunities.

The model has been developed by the Technical Support Unit (TSU) of the Gates Foundation in coordination with the state Agriculture Department. Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) have been brought into the initiative to strengthen the commercial viability of the supply chain and facilitate farmers’ participation in pilot projects.

Under the proposed system, crop residue will be collected from fields, transported to biogas plants and utilised as feedstock for energy production. The organic by-products generated during processing will be made available to farmers as manure, potentially improving soil health and increasing organic carbon content.

The initiative also seeks to address the environmental and agricultural challenges associated with stubble burning. Burning crop residue releases smoke and pollutants into the atmosphere, affecting air quality and public health. It also damages beneficial soil microorganisms and adversely affects natural soil fertility.

The Uttar Pradesh government expects the initiative to generate employment across activities such as straw harvesting, collection, baling, transportation and processing. According to the spokesperson, around 10-12 people are engaged in crop residue collection activities in fields, while approximately 2,000 people are associated with plant operations and related activities.

By integrating agricultural residue management with bioenergy production, Uttar Pradesh aims to create an additional revenue stream for farmers while strengthening its rural clean-energy ecosystem. The expansion of biogas infrastructure is also expected to support sustainable agriculture through the productive utilisation of crop waste and the availability of organic fertilisers.

Previously, Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri had announced that 100 new CBG/biogas plants were to be established in Uttar Pradesh. Last year, the state government announced that biogas units will be installed in 2.5 lakh rural households.