"India is among the fastest growing economy in the world and its energy consumption is slated to increase rapidly. India’s dependence on fossil fuels for its energy needs has two major concerns i.e. a growing import bill and the carbon emission. The country now imports close to 85 per cent of crude which roughly translates to 45% of primary energy demand and this is only going to go up in the near future. This trend has huge implications for energy security of the country. Government of India has set a target of reduction in import dependence by 10% from 2015 to 2022.
Government of India has prepared a road map to reduce the import dependency in oil & gas sector by adopting a five pronged strategy which includes, increasing domestic production, adopting biofuels & renewables, energy efficiency norms, improvement in refinery processes and demand substitution. The roadmap envisages a strategic role for biofuels in the Indian energy basket. Various notifications specifying standards for Compressed Natural Gas, Compressed Biogas, Biodiesel, Ethanol, LNG and Flex-fuel Methanol combinations have been issued by Government of India.
'SATAT’ (Sustainable Alternative Towards Affordable Transportation) scheme on Compressed Bio Gas (CBG) was launched by Hon'ble Minister, Petroleum & Natural Gas on 1.10.2018. The scheme envisages to tar+get production of 15 MMT (million tons) of CBG by 2023, from 5000 Plants. Under SATAT scheme, entrepreneurs shall set up CBG plants, produce & supply CBG to OMCs for sale as automotive & industrial fuels. The initiative aims to produce compressed biogas (CBG) from Waste and Bio-mass sources like agricultural residue, cattle dung, sugarcane press mud, Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) and sewage treatment plant waste. PSU Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) is inviting Expression of Interest (EoI) from potential entrepreneurs to set up CBG plants under SATAT scheme, and supply CBG to OMCs for sale as automotive & industrial fuel. The CBG Plant Owner shall be responsible for planning, preparation, engineering and execution of the project, including storage of raw material, operation and maintenance of the plant, maintaining final product output quantity and quality and managing the by-products & wastes from the plant as per existing central / state norms."
"As a developing country, India requires more energy to progress as a nation and hence, it is important to meet the growing energy demand in a responsible manner. SATAT, by producing CBG from wastes, would not only meet the growing energy demand in a responsible and eco-friendly manner, but also contribute to India’s commitment to GHG emission reduction.
The scheme enable better use of agricultural residue, cattle dung and municipal solid waste. Considering the amount of biomass generated in the country, CBG has the potential to replace Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) in automotive, industrial and commercial uses in the coming years.
SATAT initiative offers an efficient solution for treatment and disposal of municipal solid waste management and help in tackling problem urban air pollution due to farm stubble-burning. It will boost entrepreneurship, rural economy and employment and provide additional source of revenue to farmers.
It will also help to bring down nation's dependency on natural gas and crude oil imports and act as a buffer against crude oil and gas price fluctuations. The decentralized system also provides a huge opportunity to supply CBG in remote locations where the affordability and access to modern energy is still a major challenge. CBG produced can be integrated with existing Gas networks such as city gas distribution (CGD) networks to boost supplies to domestic and retail users in existing and upcoming markets. Integrating with existing Gas network would futrther ensure efficient distribution and optimised access to cleaner and more affordable fuel."
