1 Mw bio-gas plant in Punjab

With the power crisis deepening in Punjab, the Punjab Energy Development Agency (PEDA), in association with the Punjab government and the Centre, is coming up with 1 mega watt (MW) cattle dung-based power project at the Haibowal Dairy Complex, Ludhiana.

This project will be the first of its kind in the country where power generation will be done with the help of gobar.

The total cost of this power project is close to Rs 14 crore and Antac Technology of Austria has been used in it. Work at the was started on April 10, 2002, and the project was synchronized to the grid on September 8, 2004, and up to January 2005, 3.4 million units were generated. It has a capacity of producing 13-14,000 units of electricity every day. Forty-seven tonnes of bio manure, used for agricultural purposes, are produced everyday, which is sold by PEDA at a price of Rs 25 per quintal.

Addressing a press conference before the inauguration, Vijay Inder Singla, Chairman of PEDA said that PEDA has been sanctioned this 1 MW High Rate Biomethanation Cattle Dung based Power Project at Haibowal Dairy Complex, Ludhiana by the Ministry of Non Conventional Energy Sources, Government of India as a demonstration project under United Nations Development Project (UNDP) biomethenation programme.

``As a part of the pre-project activities, a MoU has already been signed by PEDA with Municipal Corporation, Ludhiana and Dairy Owners Association, Haibowal. MC, Ludhiana allocated 2.42 acres of land within the complex to PEDA for the project on lease basis at Rs 1 per square meter per annum for a period of 25 years and the Dairy Owners Association will provide sufficient quantity of Dairy waste for the project for which a separate diary waste purchase agreement has been executed.''

Speaking on the occasion, Er S S Sekhon, Director of PEDA said that for producing 1 MW of power, 235 tonnes of gobar is required.

``Though 235 tonnes is the total capacity of the project but till date we have used only 185 tonnes and we are confident of reach the optimum level of 235 in a couple of months time. The transmission line laid by Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB) is connected to the Kitchlu Nagar Sub Station, where we feed our power, which is further fed in the common pool of the state. We also got Rs 1.6 crore as revenue from the PSEB till date. Till date, we have generated 47.14 lakh units of electricity and 4,000 tonnes of bio manure at this Haibowal project.''

Giving details about the upcoming projects of PEDA, Vijay Inder Singla said that our main emphasis is now on mini and micro hydel projects on canal falls.

``After successful commissioning of 8 micro hydel projects with total 9.8 MW capacity on Abohar Branch Canal and Bathinda Branch Canal by PEDA, 55 sites out of the total 136 sites in the state have been allocated to private developers. We have planned to harness entire hydropower potential of 136 MW in the state by the year 2010 including sites on Bhakhra Main Canal. We are also coming up with a solar based home lighting system costing Rs 8,000 for the farmers living in villages.''