Punjab sees 3-fold rise in units converting stubble into co-firing pellets
Punjab sees a three-fold rise in pelletisation units converting paddy stubble to biomass pellets, with 16 units operational and 21 more upcoming, due to a 40% central subsidy.
Encouraged by a Central subsidy to contribute to getting rid of the environmentally hazardous farm practice of burning paddy stubble every kharif harvest season, Punjab has seen a three-fold surge in units, which convert crop residue into pellets used by several industries for co-firing, in the last two years.
As per the data from the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB), to date 16 such units are operational in nine districts whereas another 21 biomass-based factories are coming up in different places.
Officials said the initiative was taken for the first time in 2023 as an ex-situ measure when five such pelletisation units were set up to address the problem of rampant burning of the residue of non-basmati varieties. An increase in the number of pelletisation units indicates that the initiative is being appreciated by entrepreneurs because of a wide market of biomass to be used as fuel.
Mansa has emerged as the lead district where five pellet-making units are functional and two others will be working soon. The Centre had pushed a scheme under which an entrepreneur gets a 40% financial grant, while he has to invest an equal amount from his resources and raise the rest 20% from any institute. The PPCB data says ₹12.37 crore subsidy has been availed by the entrepreneurs for these operational units.
Patiala has three functional units and one is in the pipeline while two are operational in Moga and another two are expected to be set up soon. There are no pelletisation plants or any proposal to date to establish a facility in seven districts of Malerkotla, Kapurthala, Ferozepur, Faridkot, Fatehgarh Sahib, Muktsar and Pathankot.
According to Sukhdev Singh, a superintendent environment engineer and PPCB nodal officer for pellet industries, paddy straw is converted into pellets using the pelletisation process.
“These paddy straw-based biomass pellets can be used in thermal plants for co-firing and promote utilisation of paddy stubble in thermal power plants, brick kilns and various other industries. When it was introduced in Punjab last year, five biomass factories were established. This year, the number has increased to 16 while another 21 pellet-making factories are in the different stages of setting up. We expect them to be functional in the next few months and many more will come up next year,” said Singh.
Official sources said in the first year, these units could process about 1.25 lakh tonnes of organic residue annually. “As all 16 units are operational, the annual capacity to process biomass will be 3.05 lakh tonnes and it would improve further to another 5.21 million tonnes after another 21 pellet-making units start operations,” said the nodal officer of the project.
The state has set the target to handle 19.52 million tonnes of paddy residue generated in the 2024-25 kharif season through various measures against the figure of 15.86 million tonnes in the last season.
A senior government functionary said that last year, 11.5 million tonnes of residue was handled with an in-situ mechanism while an estimated 12.70 million tonnes of stubble would be managed this kharif harvest season.
The government has planned ex-situ management for 5.96 million tonnes this year against 3.66 million tonne paddy residue managed under the same plan in 2023.
