Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal today met top officials of DP Cleantech, a multinational major in biomass power technology.
The deputy chief minister discussed the Cleantech proposal for setting up biomass projects in Punjab, with emphasis on the productive use of paddy and wheat straw and cotton sticks for manufacturing power.
Punjab has a potential to generate over 1,000 Mw of additional power from these resources which in addition to giving an extra momentum to the state government’s drive to make Punjab a power surplus state, would also act as a major economic multiplier.
The state farmers, who burn wheat and paddy straw would stand to gain additional income to their kitty by selling this waste to the biomass companies. Badal said the state government was totally focused on the power sector and for taking new, out-of-the-box biomass energy solutions to the people.
The initiative would also eliminate the rising threat to environment caused by the release of dangerous ingredients through the burning of this “waste”.