Lok Sabha Question No. 3647 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-08-10
Subject: Bio-energy Plants
Ministry: NEW AND RENEWABLE ENERGY
Asked by: Bhartruhari Mahtab

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF NEW AND RENEWABLE ENERGY

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3647

ANSWERED ON 10.08.2023

## BIO-ENERGY PLANTS

## 3647. SHRI BHARTRUHARI MAHTAB

Will the Minister of NEW AND RENEWABLE ENERGY be pleased to state:

- (a) the number of bio-energy plants established in the State of Odisha;
- (b) the number of plants which are currently operational along with the details of their capacity;
- (c) whether the Government has supported the establishment of bio-energy plants, bio-mass power projects and cogeneration projects in terms of financial incentives, policy frameworks and regulatory support and if so, the details thereof;
- (d) the steps taken by the Government to promote the utilization of agricultural waste, such as crop residues and agro-industrial by-products; and
- (e) whether there are any specific schemes or initiatives in place to incentivize the adoption of such technologies and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF NEW & RENEWABLE ENERGY AND POWER

## (SHRI R.K. SINGH)

(a) to (e) Bio-energy projects implemented in the State of Odisha include 271,850 nos. of small  and  medium  biogas  plants,  10  nos.  of  biomass  cogeneration  projects  with  a  total capacity of 8.83 MWeq, and 3 nos. of biomass power projects with a combined capacity of 50.40 MWeq.

Ministry of New and Renewable Energy had carried out independent evaluation study to assess the functionality of small biogas plants installed during the FY 2012-13 to FY 2016-17 in ten States, wherein the functionality rate of biogas plants in the State of Odisha was found to be 95.30%. In case of other bioenergy projects, one project with a capacity of 0.60 MW capacity is currently reported to be shut down for maintenance.

The Government of India has taken various steps to support the establishment of bio-energy plants, to promote the utilization of agricultural waste across the country by launching specific financial  incentives  schemes,  providing  policy  frameworks,  and  regulatory  support  which, inter alia, include the following:

- i). The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy  notified National Bioenergy Programme for the period upto 31.03.2026. This programme, with a budgetary outlay of Rs. 1715 Crore, shall be implemented in two phases. The first phase has a budgetary outlay of Rs. 858 Crore. This programme provides Central Financial Assistance for setting up of Bioenergy plants.
- ii). Concessional customs duty is available upto 31.3.2024 for import of machinery and components for required for initial setting up of projects for generation of Power and BioCNG  from  non-  conventional  materials  namely  agricultural,  forestry,  agroindustrial, industrial, municipal and urban waste, bio waste or poultry litter.
- iii). Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Ministry of Jal Shakti,  has notified GOBARDHAN scheme wherein  financial  assistance  is  available  for  setting  up  of community biogas plants in villages, blocks / district.
- iv). Central Pollution Control Board, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has notified guidelines to provide financial support for setting up of Biomass Pellet plants  in  the  NCT  of  Delhi,  States  of  Punjab  and  Haryana  and  NCR  districts  of Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.
- v). The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has launched the Sustainable Alternative Towards Affordable Transportation (SATAT) initiative in October, 2018 for offtake of BioCNG/Compressed  Biogas (CBG)  after purification through Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) for sale as automotive fuels.
- vi). Ministry  of  Power  has  notified  SAMARTH  mission  (National  Mission  on  Use  of Biomass  in  Thermal  Power  Plants)  for  promoting  the  blending  of  biomass  in  the existing coal powered thermal power plants.
- vii) BioCNG/Compressed Bio-Gas has been included under Priority Sector Lending.

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